Streamlining the Executive Committee's review process: Discussion papers from the Fund Secretariat and the United States and Canada
156. The Executive Committee decided the following:
1. Documentation for country programmes distributed to all Committee members might be limited to country programme cover sheets, executive summaries, and Fund Secretariat comments, although the full country programme would be made available upon request.
2. Implementing agencies and the Fund Secretariat should meet in December to consider work programme activities for the following year and to establish their relation to the three-year plan and budget.
3. Documentation for project proposals distributed to all Committee members should be limited to the executive project summary, the technical review and response, and the Fund Secretariat's comments although project proposal background material will be made available upon request.
4. Projects for which all issues had been resolved in advance of Committee meetings might be submitted for blanket approval.
5. Approval on a non-objectional basis should be adopted by the Committee and implementing agencies should be encouraged to submit proposals for non-objectional approval.
6. Consultants used in the preparation of proposals should not be allowed to review them.
7. Implementing agencies and the Fund Secretariat should develop a standard format for technical reviews for the Executive Committee's consideration at its next meeting.
8. The Executive Committee should establish a sessional Project Review Sub-Committee when deemed necessary.
9. Conclusions of the Executive Committee on policy issues arising out of projects were to be considered as guidance in the development of future project proposals.
10. Policy issues should be presented for consideration of the Executive Committee by the Fund Secretariat to the earliest available Committee meeting as part of a separate agenda item on policy issues.
11. The Fund Secretariat should prepare a meeting overview paper for distribution to Committee members before Committee meetings.
157. The Executive Committee also decided to request the Fund Secretariat and the implementing agencies to prepare a paper on the technical review of projects, taking into consideration the paper prepared by the United States and Canada, and to submit it to the Twelfth Meeting of the Executive Committee.
158. The Executive Committee decided to defer consideration of the paper introduced by the World Bank until the Twelfth Meeting of the Executive Committee to give members sufficient time to consider its recommendations.