The World Bank Group, JICA, and ADB Advance Evidence-Based Operations through Tokyo LEADS

Hosted at the World Bank Tokyo office, Tokyo LEADS is part of the World Bank Group’s LEADS initiative, led by the Development Economics Vice Presidency (DEC) and delivered in close collaboration with global institutions. At its core, LEADS is about closing the gap between intention and impact. The LEADS model supports government teams with the tools, methods, and mindsets to learn in real time, adapt during implementation, and scale effective solutions.

As development challenges grow more complex and dynamic, projects increasingly need mechanisms to learn and adjust during delivery. LEADS responds to this need by embedding evidence directly into operations, enabling teams to test alternatives, course-correct based on data, and make informed decisions throughout the project lifecycle rather than only at the design stage.

In the infrastructure sector, Indonesian officials worked with transport experts to strengthen the impact and evaluation of mass transit projects in the cities of Bandung and Medan.

In the health sector, Bhutanese officials worked to design a new scheme to strengthen the management of chronically ill patients in the country.

In the governance sector, officials from Uzbekistan worked with tax experts to assess the impact of a service sector tax reform and the losses that had arisen from its implementation.

Beyond strengthening the design of operational projects, LEADS Tokyo showcased cutting-edge research on strengthening the impact of infrastructure projects. Stefan Straub, the World Bank’s Chief Economist for Infrastructure presented his new data set on infrastructure stocks and costs across the world. He showed, for example, that countries that have reached high income status have accumulated transport capital at a faster pace than that of economic growth, shifting the nature of their economies and infrastructure LEADS is about building systems that improve themselves, strengthening individual capacity and institutional systems. Experience from recent LEADS workshops in Africa, Europe and South Asia demonstrates that this approach can significantly improve delivery: helping teams move forward faster, identify millions of dollars in efficiency gains, and increase their impact. See more at  LEADS website  and Brochure.

By convening expertise across multilateral institutions and government partners, Tokyo LEADS helped strengthen collaboration, expanded the use of evidence in operations, and supported teams to learn faster, adapt more effectively, and maximize development impact.