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Development Impact Group

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The Development Impact Fund (DIF)

The Development Impact Fund (DIF) is a pioneering multi-donor trust fund within the World Bank, managed by the Development Impact (DIME) group under the Development Economics Vice-Presidency (DEC). DIF is committed to maximizing the effectiveness of development finance by integrating scientific knowledge into policymaking, fostering ownership in the generation and adoption of evidence, and transitioning from financial reporting to reporting the causal impact of development finance.

Guiding Principles

DIF operates based on three core principles:

  • Adoption of Advanced Tools: Enabling countries in adopting advanced digital management tools and conducting policy trials to prioritize investments and inform programmatic decisions.
  • Co-production: Embracing co-production between the government and its partners to expand local capacities and generate contextually relevant solutions.
  • Knowledge Diffusion: Expanding knowledge financing and promoting knowledge diffusion through partnerships across country, sector, and global collaborations.

Strategic Objectives

DIF supports the World Bank and its clients and partners by:

  • Developing adaptable project designs that incorporate evidence-based and experimental learning approaches in regional and global initiatives.
  • Mainstreaming real-time data utilization and scientific trial-and-adopt methodologies in project management to enhance decision-making and strengthen impact.

These strategies are designed to double the impact of development finance, and allow limited resources to reach further and achieve more to save and improve lives across the world.

Partnerships

DIF actively seeks partnerships and contributions from development partners to support our global effort to improve development practice. Engaging with DIF provides stakeholders with a unique opportunity to shape development strategies and interventions, contributing to a collaborative effort to achieve common development objectives.

DIF aligns with the World Bank's vision of becoming a "Better Bank," addressing global challenges and advancing a sustainable, poverty-free world through enhanced knowledge and innovation in development. Central to this initiative is DIF's implementation of DIME's 'trial-and-adopt' technology, which transforms development practices through a portfolio-based operational approach, prioritizing continuous learning, scalability, and the adaptability of interventions.

Over the last twenty years, DIME has applied this approach to over 200 impact evaluations in 64 countries, shaping $26 billion in development finance. This methodology has proven to double the effectiveness of development finance by learning from past mistakes, selecting cost-effective solutions, and optimizing policy and investment designs.

DIF aims to broaden the application of this technology across the World Bank and its partner countries, enhancing the impact of global development programs.

Contact Us

  • Florentina Mulaj
    Program Manager
    Bio