African Development Bank

This page provides information on AfDB documents available to the public, as well as tips on how to obtain information from the AfDB. Visit BIC's Transparency at the AfDB webpage for more on the AfDB's information disclosure policy.

Getting Info:

1. Key Documents
2. Information Disclosure
3. AfDB website
4. Public Information Center
5. Country Offices
6. Annual Meetings

Key Documents

AfDB project information available to the public

• Prospective Project Brief - an evolving document disclosed early in a project's preparation to make information available to interested parties and facilitate consultation with potentially affected communities. The document is prepared when the project is first reviewed, and is supposed to be made available in their original language through the PIC at least six (6) months prior to presentation of the project to the Boards of Directors.
• Quarterly Operational Summary - this document contains brief descriptions of recently approved projects and proposed projects expected to be submitted to the Board for approval in the next six months.
  
  • See the most recent Quarterly Operational Summary on the AfDB website.
• Project Appraisal Report - an expanded project description publicly available after Board approval of a project. The document may be redacted to omit information deemed confidential by the borrower.
• Private Sector Investment Briefs - short descriptions of private sector investment projects to be disclosed a minimum of 30 days prior to Board consideration.
• Environmental Impact Assessments - are to be made publicly available to local populations before the Bank conducts a formal appraisal of a project requiring an impact assessment.
• Environmental summaries - summaries of environmental issues and mitigation measures necessary for a project, prepared by Bank staff and disclosed at least 120 days prior to project approval.
• Country Strategy Papers - set out a lending and aid strategy to guide engagement in borrowing countries. These papers are only publicly available after Board approval, but sections on performance evaluation of the borrowing country will be excised from the public version.
• Policy documents - are available by request from the PIC and may be selectively made available to interested NGOs in draft form, at the discretion of Bank staff.
• Evaluation documents - annual evaluations and project completion reports are to be publicly disclosed via the PIC.
• Additional documentation: other project information, economic reports, and private sector analyses may be obtained by request from the Public Information Center.

Information Disclosure

In 2003-2004 the AfDB reviewed its disclosure policy. BIC and few other civil society organizations made comments to the Bank on its proposed revisions and the Bank adopted a new policy in March 2004, which was updated in October 2005.

While some of the AfDB’s policy provisions are progressive, it is difficult to measure policy implementation and access to information about the AfDB remains problematic.

• African Development Bank's Policy on Disclosure of Information, October 2005 (MS Word 208 KB) (AfDB website)

How to obtain documents and information from the AfDB

AfDB website

The African Development Bank’s website is the primary resource for accessing information about the institution, and most information on the AfDB website is available in both French and English. However, despite recent improvements, the website remains difficult to use, and much of the information it contains is incomplete or outdated. The condition of the website constitutes a major obstacle to the AfDB's fulfillment of its obligations under its Information Disclosure Policy.

Public Information Center

Beyond brief descriptions posted on the website, all public project information is available by request through the Bank's Public Information Center, located at the Bank's headquarters and managed by the Communications Unit of the Bank. When requesting project documentation, it is always helpful to be as specific as possible regarding the desired publication; when possible, ask for documents by name. A fee may be charged for some publications. Requests for documents may be submitted to the Bank's Public Information Center by contacting:

• Internal & External Communication Division
  Tunis
  Tel: (+216) 71 2916
  

Country Offices

As part of its ongoing reorganization, the AfDB in 2006 opened many new offices in the region, bringing the total to 21 field offices, serving 25 countries. These offices may be the most direct route through which to obtain current information about the AfDB's operations in your country. See the latest list of AfDB field offices to see whether your country has an office.

Annual Meetings

The African Development Bank annual meetings are held in May or early June each year. The meetings may be a venue at which civil society organizations can exert influence on Bank management and policies. The AfDB's 2008 Annual Meetings are scheduled to be held in Maputo, Mozambique on May 14 and 15. For more information, see the AfDB's Annual Meetings page.

Externals

Connect to other networks working on these issues through the links below.