Contents -- Program Map -- Abbreviations -- Acknowledgments -- Foreword -- Executive Summary -- Management Comments: Summary -- Chairperson's Summary: Committee on Development Effectiveness (CODE) -- 1 Introduction -- Regional Cooperation as an Approach to Development -- The Evaluation of World Bank Support -- 2 The Scope of the Bank's Regional Program Support -- The History -- Development Potential of Regional Programs -- The Bank's Regional Program Portfolio -- The Bank's Multiple Roles -- Regional Program Strategies -- 3 When Does a Regional Approach Make Sense? -- 4 How Well Have Bank-Supported Regional Programs Worked? -- The Record of Effectiveness -- What Has Worked Well, and What Has Not -- 5 Factors of Effective Program Design and Implementation -- Strong Country Commitment -- Scope Matched to National and Regional Capacities -- Delineation and Coordination of Responsibilities -- Accountable Governance Arrangements -- Planning for Sustainability -- 6 The Bank's Performance in Support of Regional Programs -- Bank Performance on Factors of Program Effectiveness -- Bank Structures, Policies, and Processes for Program Support and Management -- The Legal Framework for Regional Programs -- The Preparation Cost of Regional Programs -- 7 Findings and Recommendations -- Appendixes -- A: 19 Regional Programs at a Glance -- B: Regional Programs Portfolio -- C: Methodology Note -- D: Factors of Effectiveness -- E: Features of Program Governance -- F: The Quality of Donor Coordination -- G: Legal Structures for Financing Regional Projects -- H: Sources of World Bank Grant Financing for Regional Programs -- I: Management Response -- Endnotes -- Bibliography -- Boxes -- 2.1 Solid Analytical Work and a Phased Programmatic Approach Are Key Elements of the Bank's Mekong Water Resources Assistance Strategy.

5.1 Strong Country Commitment Depends on Assessment of Winners and Losers at the National and Community Levels -- 5.2 The Sequencing of Interventions Helps Build Trust and Commitment -- 5.3 Extensive Capacity Building at the Regional, National, and Community Levels Has Contributed to Achievements in Prevention, Treatment, and Care of HIV/AIDS -- 5.4 Building Effective Linkages Between Regional- and National-Level Activities -- 6.1 The Bank's Legal Framework Imposes Few Limitations on the Financing of Regional Programs -- Figures -- 2.1 The Bank's Regional Programs Portfolio -- 2.2 The Bank's Multiple Roles in Regional Programs -- 6.1 Bank Sources of Grant Financing for Regional Operations -- Tables -- 2.1 Regional Partnerships and Regional Projects: Key Differences -- 2.2 Increased Support for Regional Programs since Fiscal 2000 (by number of programs) -- 2.3 Sources of External Financing-19 Regional Programs -- 3.1 Rationales for a Regional Approach in 19 Programs Reviewed -- 4.1 Outcomes of Seven Closed Regional Projects -- 5.1 Few Programs Have Planned for the Sustainability of National and Regional Activities -- 6.1 Only GEF-Funded Regional Projects Cost More to Prepare than Nonregional Projects.