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Inspection Panel Invites Comments on Its Draft Operating Procedure

Inspection Panel welcomes  comments on its updated 2022 Draft Operating Procedure from any interested party or individual. The updated draft operating procedure can be found here. The period to comment is 40-business days commencing on July 18 and closing on September 12, 2022. Comments can be submitted at ipanel@worldbank.org.

On September 8, 2020, the Board approved the new Inspection Panel and Accountability Mechanism Resolutions. The two Resolutions were the culmination of a 3-year Inspection Panel toolkit review process, which started in late 2017 and led to additional functions being added to the Panel’s mandate. The review process also led to the creation of the Accountability Mechanisms (AM) to house the Inspection Panel and a newly established Dispute Resolution Service (DRS). The Accountability Mechanism is headed by the Accountability Mechanism Secretary (AMSec) who is also the head of the Dispute Resolution Service.

The Inspection Panel draft Operating Procedure have been revised and updated to reflect the addition of the functions listed below. This draft replaces the Panel’s 2014 Operating Procedures (with minor updates in 2016). The 2014 Operating Procedures took approximately 3 years to finalize and were publicly consulted on prior to finalization. The language of the Panel’s current Operating Procedures is close to that of the 2014 Procedures, except where it was necessary to accommodate the changes.  

The Accountability Mechanism and Dispute Resolution Service have their own Operating Procedures. These are posted for comments here. The Inspection Panel has closely coordinated with the Accountability Mechanism Secretary to ensure consistency while developing their respective Operating Procedures. In the event of any inconsistency between the Operating Procedures and the Resolutions, the Resolutions prevail.

The Panel’s Operating Procedures have been shared with World Bank Management (“Management”) and with Group Internal Audit for comments that are reflected in the Draft posted for open consultation.  

The tools added to the Panel’s mandate are:

  1. Extension of the time of admissibility of a Request for Inspection to 15 months after project closure for operations approved after September 8, 2020,
  2. Sharing of the Panel’s investigation findings with the Requesters prior to their consultations with Management regarding actions to address such findings in the Management Action Plan (MAP),
  3. Verification of the implementation of the aforementioned MAP, approved after September 8, 2020, based on the proportionality criteria and modalities outlined
  4. Endorsement of the Panel’s practice to conduct work jointly with other independent accountability mechanisms when Requests or complaints are submitted concurrently to other accountability mechanisms
  5. Provision of advisory services in the form of lessons from Panel cases.

The Panel’s Operating Procedures are divided into three sections:

  • clarifying the relationship and the administrative working arrangements between the Panel and the AMSec, details of which are explained in an internal Protocol agreed between the AMSec and the Panel Chairperson,
  • outlining and explaining the different stages of the Panel’s process and how it works, including how affected people can access the Panel, and,
  • incorporating the additional Panel functions or tools approved by the Board in September 2020 and listed above.

Comments of general and specific nature are welcome in any format and language.  The Panel appreciates if the comments cite the specific section or clauses they relate to.  All input will be carefully considered. 

 Comments can be submitted at ipanel@worldbank.org.