Guiding Principles
DIF operates based on the following guiding principles:
- Enabling governments to adopt analytically advanced digital management tools and conduct policy trials to help prioritize investments and inform programmatic choices.
Embracing co-production between the World Bank researchers and government partners to expand local capacities and generate contextually relevant solutions.
Expanding knowledge technology and promote knowledge diffusion through country, sector, and global collaborations.
Learn. Adapt. Scale. - DIF's Flagship Program
LEADS, which stands for Learn. Adapt. Scale., is DIF’s flagship program for embedding evidence-based adaptive delivery systematically across World Bank Group operations. It helps operational teams integrate evidence, experimentation, and continuous learning into the way projects are designed, implemented, and scaled.
Led by the World Bank’s Development Economics Vice Presidency and implemented in partnership with Regional and Global Practice teams, the International Finance Corporation, governments, and development partners, LEADS helps teams:
- Learn: Use existing rigorous evidence to address known constraints, introduce design flexibility, and plan experiments.
- Adapt: Use real-time data and structured experimentation during implementation to resolve uncertainty and improve delivery.
- Scale: Turn what has been learned into institutional practice by expanding effective approaches within and across contexts.
By embedding this approach directly into development operations, LEADS helps teams learn while delivering, reduce implementation risk, and scale effective solutions more rapidly.
Since its launch in May 2024, LEADS has supported more than 100 projects across 52 countries and shaped more than US$32 billion in development financing.
Learn more about LEADS.
Governance
DIF’s governance structure comprises three bodies: the Global Partnership Council, the Secretariat, and an independent Technical Committee.
The Global Partnership Council is DIF’s principal governing body. It brings together contributing governments and institutions, typically represented at the director-general, head-of-agency, or equivalent senior leadership level, to provide strategic direction, review progress, and guide the partnership priorities.
The Secretariat manages DIF’s day-to-day operations and delivery. It coordinates the portfolio, partnerships, governance processes, reporting, and implementation of the fund’s strategic agenda.
The Technical Committee provides independent quality assurance by reviewing the technical rigor and relevance of DIF-supported activities and products.
Global Team
DIF is implemented by the World Bank’s Development Impact Group in the Development Economics Vice Presidency. The global team includes more than 300 economists, data scientists, behavioral specialists, AI and machine learning experts, research staff, field coordinators, and operations and knowledge-management professionals. This skilled and multifaceted team drives DIF’s mission globally, working collaboratively to tackle complex development challenges with innovative solutions. Meet our experts.
