World Bank

This is discussion is outdated and I currently have no schedule for updating. Retaining for archival purposes.

The World Bank Operational Manual (OpManual)

The World Bank Operational Manual contains the operational policies (OPs), Policies, bank procedures (BPs), Directives, and interim instructions to staff (OpMemos) on the conduct of Bank operations.

The World Bank Operational Manual (OM)

The World Bank Operational Manual contains the operational policies (OPs), Policies, bank procedures (BPs), Directives, and interim instructions to staff (OpMemos) on the conduct of Bank operations.

Operational Manual (OM)

	Operational Policy Waivers
	World Bank Group Directive - Country Engagement
OP 1.00	Poverty Reduction
OP 2.30	Development Cooperation and Conflict
OP 3.10	Financial Terms and Conditions of IBRD Loans, IBRD Hedging Products, and IDA Credits
	Annex A - Past Loans of IBRD
	Annex B - Prepayment of IBRD Loans
	Annex C - Countries Ranked by Per Capita Income
	Annex D - IBRD/IDA and Blend Countries: Per Capita Incomes, Lending Eligibility, and Repayment Terms OP 4.00 - Piloting the Use of Borrower Systems to Address Environmental and Social Safeguard Issues in Bank-Supported Projects
	Table A1 - Environmental and Social Safeguard Policies—Policy Objectives and Operational Principles
OP 4.01	Environmental Assessment
	Annex A - Definitions
	Annex B - Content of an Environmental Assessment Report for a Category A Project
	Annex C - Environmental Management Plan
BP 4.01	Environmental Assessment
	Annex A - Application of EA to Dam and Reservoir Projects, 1999
	Annex B - Application of EA to Projects Involving Pest Management: Environmental Assessment
OP 4.02	Environmental Action Plans
OP 4.03	Performance Standards for Private Sector Activities
BP 4.03	Performance Standards for Private Sector Activities
OP 4.04	Natural Habitats
	Annex A - Definitions
BP 4.04	Natural Habitats
OP 4.07	Water Resources Management
OP 4.09	Pest Management
OP 4.10	Indigenous Peoples
	Annex A - Social Assessment
	Annex B - Indigenous Peoples Plan
	Annex C - Indigenous Peoples Planning Framework
OP 4.11	Physical Cultural Resources
OP 4.12	Involuntary Resettlement
	Annex A - Involuntary Resettlement Instruments
OP 4.20	Gender and Development
OP 4.36	Forests
	Annex A - Definitions
OP 4.37	Safety of Dams
OP 4.76	Tobacco
OP 7.00	Lending Operations: Choice of Borrower and Contractual Agreements
OP 7.20	Security Arrangements
OP 7.30	Dealings with De Facto Governments
OP 7.40	Disputes over Defaults on External Debt, Expropriation, and Breach of Contract
OP 7.50	Projects on International Waterways
OP 7.60	Projects in Disputed Areas
OP 8.00	Rapid Response to Crises and Emergencies
OP 8.40	Technical Assistance
OP 8.45	Grants
	Annex A - DGF Eligibility Criteria
OP 8.60	Development Policy Lending
OP 9.00	Program-for-Results Financing
OP 10.00	Investment Project Financing
OP 10.20	Global Environment Facility Operations
OP 10.21	Investment Operations Financed by the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol
	Annex A - The Montreal Protocol
	Annex B - Eligible Activities
OP 11.00	Procurement
OP 13.60	Monitoring and Evaluation
OP 14.10	External Debt Reporting and Financial Statements
OP 14.20	Cofinancing
	Annex A - Sources and Types of Cofinancing
OP 14.40	Trust Funds

The World Bank Operational Manual contains the operational policies (OPs), Policies, bank procedures (BPs), Directives, and interim instructions to staff (OpMemos) on the conduct of Bank operations. Click the tabs above for definitions of each term.

Operational Policies (OPs): are short, focused statements of policy that are based on the Bank's Articles of Agreement, the General Conditions, and policies approved by the Bank’s Executive Directors. OPs set out the mandatory policy requirements for the conduct of Bank operations.

Bank Procedures (BPs): are statements setting out the general mandatory procedural requirements necessary for Bank staff to carry out the policies set out in the OPs. They are designed to ensure Bankwide consistency and quality in Bank operations.

Directive: a statement of substantive directions, within Management’s authority, that require, permit or constrain activities. If accompanied by a Policy, the statement provides substantive details (methods, criteria and technical information) on how to implement the Policy. The statement may also address matters not covered by a Policy.

Operational Memoranda (OpMemos): are interim mandatory requirements designed to elaborate on requirements in OPs/BPs or to reflect changes to the OPs/BPs which have not yet been incorporated in the OPs/BPs concerned. Once the requirements in OpMemos are incorporated into revisions of the pertinent OPs/BPs, the Op Memos are retired.

The corpus of social and environmental 'policy' at the World Bank is comprised of 'stand-alone' operational policy instruments. ^{[c.f. IFC, EBRD and ADB]} 'Social development policies' at the World Bank aim to minimize the negative impact of Bank-funded operations. Policy is thematically distinguished, i.e. 'Indigenous Peoples', ['Involuntary Resettlement'])("Involuntary Resettlement - OP 4.12."), 'Conflict and Development', and 'Gender and Development'.¹

Toward Defining a 'Safeguard Policy Framework' at the World Bank

The concept of 'safeguards policy' is tauted on the World Bank website as a cornerstone of World Bank sustainable poverty reduction, but the Bank does not explicitly distinguish stand-alone safeguard policies. Rather, the concept of safeguard is manifest in policy statements that that certain issues require special attention during project design and implementation and therefore requires certain types of interventions as part of loan processing.That is to say, safeguards are considered to be written into each of several thematically-defined policies—principally within the Operational Manual.2

Current Safeguard Policy Framework

Those policies of the World Bank that collectively comprise institutional environmental and social 'safeguard policy' are:³