Tokyo Development Learning Center (TDLC)

Government officials from Kenya presenting the Park Road Project in Nairobi to Japanese experts (Photo: World Bank Group) 

TDLC’s Operational Support activities utilize the knowledge and expertise of Japanese city authorities and urban development experts to provide customized advisories, analytics, and capacity-building assistance that enhance ongoing and pipeline World Bank–financed projects in developing countries. Operational Support activities are most commonly offered as follow-up support for Technical Deep Dive (TDD) participants.

The synergy between Technical Deep Dives and Operational Support provides World Bank client country representatives with access to customized support that helps them to scale up their projects back home. TDLC’s ongoing TDD program continues to generate an increasing number of requests for follow-up Operational Support. 

Strategy  

The World Bank leverages TDLC’s Operational Support both at the upstream stage, using it in conjunction with Technical Deep Dives to help identify new support opportunities for developing countries in connection with World Bank projects, and at the project implementation stage, to inform and support such projects.  

Operational Support activities include demand-driven Extended Support, a mid- to long-term engagement aimed at scaling up World Bank-financed projects via technical advisory services, project preparation, implementation support, and capacity provision. A Rapid Support service is also offered as an alternative short-term support tool to meet immediate country project needs. 

Residents of Barranquilla creating sketches during the Urban Design Sketchbook Workshop (Photo: World Bank Group)

Results  

During the five years ending June 2020, a total of 104 Operational Support projects were conducted in 35 countries as follow-up for Technical Deep Dive participants. In FY 2020 alone, 19 World Bank projects and activities with a total value of $2,431 million—the majority of them in Africa—benefited from TDLC Operational Support. 

Operational Support activities have also provided opportunities for TDLC’s City Partnership Program cities and Japanese urban experts and practitioners to contribute their knowledge, expertise, and unique experiences, thereby making an impact on a range of World Bank–financed projects in developing countries.