Development Aid: A Perspective on the World Bank Performance Calculating the Social Return on Investment for the Least Developed

Abstract

This paper focuses on the evaluation of the World Bank (WB) performance in delivering development aid to the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The portfolio Net Present Value (NPV) at the result stage of the LDCs (168 projects) was positive with NPV values ranging from 42,059 to 50,779 Mio USD (33,506 Mio USD total project costs) and from 6,188 to 7,799 Mio USD excluding the 7 outlier projects with abnormally “high-value” NPVs. The minimum Social Return on Investment (SROI) of the LDCs including all project costs was calculated. This SROI ratio outcomes of 1 and 1.06 in the weighted and 1.3 and 1.72 in the unweighted case indicate that projects delivered by the WB have a positive effect on the poor countries.