BRIEF December 6, 2019

World Bank Group Engagement Dialogue in Bhutan

The World Bank Group (WBG) is preparing a new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Bhutan that will outline its strategic support in the country for the period 2020-2024.

The WBG updates its strategy and work plan every four to five years to reflect the evolving priorities of its client countries.

As such, the CPF will closely align with Bhutan’s development agenda and the 12^th five-year plan of the Royal Government of Bhutan.

As it elaborates its new CPF, the WBG has planned countrywide consultations with key stakeholders, including government, parliamentarians, private sector, autonomous agencies, civil society organizations including women and youth groups, international financial institutions and the diplomatic community, media and academia.

The consultations aim to gather diverse views from stakeholders on Bhutan’s economic and social challenges and ways in which the World Bank Group can best address them.

To inform its new partnership framework, the Bank has carried out a Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD) which analyzes the main challenges Bhutan faces in ending extreme poverty and increasing shared prosperity in a sustainable manner.

Based on the SCD findings and preliminary discussions with the government, the new CPF will largely focus to support Bhutan in achieving equitable development by closing the current welfare gaps particularly in rural areas and by investing in long-term inclusive growth through job creation, particularly among youth, with private sector development.

Face-to-face consultations were held from December 6-12, 2019 and included several meetings with various groups of stakeholders both in and out of Thimphu. See a full schedule of consulations below. Readouts for each session are available here.

Online consultations are underway until February 17, 2020 through an online survey in English and Dzongha.

Stakeholders may also provide feedback by email at bhutaninfo@worldbank.org

Last Updated: Jan 30, 2020

CPF Consultations Resources

Consultations Overview

The CPF consultations in Bhutan will be carried out as directed by the institutional guidance note, and will be tailored to the stakeholders being consulted. To capture the views of as wide a range of Bhutanese people across the country, the following approaches have been identified.

Face-to-Face: Face-to-face consultations will take place in Thimphu (capital city) as well as in selected districts / municipalities such as Phuntsholing municipality (with private sector and representatives of the Phuntsholing, Gelephu and Samdrupjongkhar municipalities and Samtse district. See consultations readouts

Online: Bhutan being a landlocked country with challenging road connectivity, face-to-face consultations with all stakeholders will not be possible, as transportation costs and transaction costs are high. To ensure the inclusion of voices of stakeholders who are not traditionally incorporated, the CPF team has prepared an online survey in English and Dzongha.