A One World Bank Initiative to Drive Development Impact
The future of development holds immense promise¡ªpowered by science, driven by data, and grounded in evidence. As we face new opportunities to accelerate progress, the need for smarter, more adaptive approaches has never been stronger.
LEADS ¡ª Learn. Adapt. Scale. ¡ª is a One World Bank Group initiative that brings this vision to life. Created by the Development Economics Vice Presidency (DEC) and implemented in close collaboration with Regional Vice Presidencies, Verticals, IFC, and other global partners, LEADS equips project teams and government counterparts with the tools, methods, and mindsets to learn in real time, adapt course, and scale what works.
At its heart, LEADS is about closing the gap between intention and impact.
The LEADS Model
LEADS is a structured yet flexible framework anchored in three pillars:
1. Flexible Design
Projects are restructured from rigid blueprints into adaptive, evidence-informed plans:
Embedding proven solutions from global evidence at entry;
Building in testable alternatives for future adaptation;
Enhancing project design to increase expected effectiveness.
2. Science-Based Adaptive Delivery
Implementation integrates scientific learning and A/B testing methods:
Improving readiness for delivery;
Reducing implementation delays;
Increasing impact through trial-and-adopt learning loops.
3. System-Wide Enablers
Impact is scaled by building the institutional infrastructure for adaptive delivery:
Promoting portfolio-level adoption via AI tools (e.g., ), real-time data systems (e.g., ), and embedded field support;
Supporting governments to build data standards, digital architecture, and supportive legislation to take things to scale.
Impact Spotlight
LEADS is changing how development is designed and delivered.
? $280M in efficiency gains identified across 50+ projects ($18B in financing) from LEADS workshops alone in AFE (2024) and AFW (2025).
?? 5¨C6 quarters faster delivery in projects using adaptive, evidence-informed approaches, getting results to the ground faster (see ).
? Up to 2x greater impact through trial-and-adopt methods that rigorously test and scale what works ().
LEADS isn¡¯t just improving projects¡ªit¡¯s setting a new standard for development delivery.
The LEADS Journey
May 2024 ¨C AFE LEADS | Cape Town
The launch of LEADS in Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE) marked the beginning of a movement.
In Cape Town, 33 projects from 16 countries¡ªrepresenting $12.8B in financing ¡ª and 250 leaders came together to redesign for greater impact. Evidence-informed changes led to an estimated $238M in efficiency gains across the portfolio (see .
What emerged was not just smarter design¡ªbut sustained support. Since the workshop:
Teams received personalized support to design and integrate adaptive learning approaches into their projects;
At least 9 projects are advancing full impact evaluations, while others are supported via the AFE M&E Community of Practice;
Knowledge-sharing activities like AFE Results Day, webinars, and evidence digests are planned to strengthen the learning ecosystem across AFE;
Replicable ideas¡ªfrom flexible agricultural subsidies and literacy apps to local procurement for school meals¡ªare now being scaled regionally.
With over $6M in funding needs for data collection and technical support over five years, AFE is actively mobilizing resources through IDA allocations, trust funds, and strategic donor engagement.
May 2025 ¨C AFW LEADS | Lom¨¦
LEADS expanded to Western and Central Africa (AFW) with a powerful message: this is not business as usual.
In Lom¨¦, over 200 leaders from 11 countries brought 20 investments worth $5.3B across IDA, IBRD, and IFC portfolios ().
Participants left the event with redesigned delivery models, trial-and-adopt plans, and evidence-informed implementation strategies. Examples include:
Niger¡¯s $1B LAMP project redesigning irrigation systems and testing water fee systems based on impact evidence from Mozambique;
Ghana¡¯s PFM4SD initiative integrating performance-based incentives for public financial management;
Togo¡¯s SWEDD+ team is preparing a trial on economic inclusion for adolescent girls, grounded in best-practice bundles;
Husk Power Systems¡ªan IFC client¡ªlaunching a real-time impact evaluation of mini-grid electrification in Nigeria as part of the M300 initiative.
The event was also a showcase of regional innovation: from to . Tools like and were introduced to integrate real-time learning into operations.
May 2025 ¨C Europe | Berlin
In Berlin, LEADS reached the European Union, where government representatives managing 27 cohesion policy operations gathered to leverage adaptive design and data for .
In partnership with the European Commission, the initiative aimed to:
Design trial-and-adopt strategies for policy innovations;
Promote data system integration and digital architecture for policy learning;
Establish regulatory and institutional support for adaptive program cycles and policy experimentation.
Europe LEADS confirmed that LEADS is not just a tool for low- and middle-income countries¡ªit is a global model for smarter public spending.
Coming Soon: Asia and MENA
East Asia LEADS will be launched in Tokyo to explore how adaptive delivery can support sustainable solutions to regional priorities like climate resilience and smart infrastructure. The event will spotlight AI-powered simulation tools, public-private digital partnerships, and new forms of citizen-centered feedback loops.
India and the MENA region are also gearing up to launch LEADS to tackle regional priorities like jobs, health, digital services, and resilience. Teams are aligning pipelines, forging partnerships, and setting the stage for rollout.
A New Development Standard
LEADS is helping the World Bank Group become the institution it asks its clients to be: evidence-informed, adaptive, and accountable for results.
By combining DEC¡¯s research leadership with the regional and vertical teams¡¯ delivery muscle, LEADS is turning aspirations into impact¡ªone learning loop at a time.
It¡¯s not just about building better projects.
It¡¯s about building systems that improve themselves.
Building a Culture of Learning
LEADS is more than a framework for project design and delivery¡ªit's a platform for continuous learning across the institution.
To support this, LEADS provides a growing library of toolkits, presentation decks, templates, and curated evidence that feed into the World Bank¡¯s regional Academies and other staff learning initiatives. These materials help project teams, government counterparts, and new staff internalize adaptive methods, apply real-time learning strategies, and integrate scientific tools like A/B testing into their work.
By linking operational teams with cutting-edge knowledge and ready-to-use resources, LEADS strengthens both individual capacity and institutional systems¡ªso learning isn¡¯t just encouraged, it¡¯s embedded.
What did some of the participating teams come up with?
Niger¡¯s Livestock and Agriculture Modernization Project (LAMP) is a $1 billion initiative to enhance food security for 5 million people by upgrading irrigation systems, improving input supply chains, expanding market access, and financing agricultural SMEs. Following the LEADS workshop, the project plans to integrate evidence-backed practices including marginal water pricing through smart meters, informed by evidence in that shows that feedback on water use reduces water gaps by 70%, and digital extension tools, informed by a study on that estimates a tenfold increase in cost-effectiveness. The project plans to test water fee systems through a randomized trial across 50 irrigation sites.
The Sub-Saharan Africa Women¡¯s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend Plus (SWEDD+) regional project?aims to expand access to education, economic opportunities, and health services for girls and women. In Togo, the project plans to offer vocational training to out-of-school young women aged 15¨C24. Following the LEADS workshop, the project is considering a comprehensive, evidence-based package including , , , , and ¡ªeach shown to improve women¡¯s socioeconomic outcomes across Africa. A randomized trial is proposed to assess the program¡¯s effects on young women¡¯s skills, income, and empowerment, as well as the added value of addressing harmful gender norms through community engagement.
Ghana¡¯s Public Financial Management for Service Delivery (PFM4SD). This project aims to improve public resource mobilization, budget execution, and accountability. To do it, one central goal is to increasing adoption of the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) platform through evidence-based strategies that address human factors like performance reporting and incentives. Following the LEADS workshop, the project team plans to implement evidence-based strategies to boost direct system utilization among more than 300 MDAS and MMDAs. Interventions targeting human factors, such as performance reports and incentives, draw on evidence from , where performance monitoring and reporting under specific conditions reduced overspending by up to 15% (equivalent to 0.1% of GDP). These interventions can then be refined through a trial-and-adopt impact evaluation to maximize effectiveness.
Access to electricity in Nigeria through mini grids by Husk Power Systems (Husk). Husk seeks to build many solar mini grids in Nigeria over the next five years. It is the first client under the IFC-DARES platform, a complementary intervention to the World Bank DARES program supporting the M300 initiative. The company is now working with IFC and the World Bank to develop a rigorous impact evaluation that will generate evidence on the economic, social and environmental impacts of clean electrification for individuals and businesses. This will inform the design of future projects under the platform and will help stimulate further investments in mini-grids.
