This publication outlines the performance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in achieving the goals of Strategy 2030, the institution’s long-term strategic framework. It is the 14th in the series of annual reports that tracks development progress in Asia and the Pacific, assesses ADB's development effectiveness, and identifies areas where the institution's performance needs to be strengthened.

This publication outlines the performance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in achieving the goals of Strategy 2030, the institution's long-term strategic framework. It is the 13th in a series of annual reports that tracks development progress in Asia and the Pacific, assesses ADB's development effectiveness over the years, and identifies areas where the institution's performance needs to be further strengthened.

After a disappointing 2019, growth prospects in developing Asia have worsened under the impact of the current health crisis. Signs of incipient recovery near the turn of this year were quickly overthrown as COVID-19 broke out in January 2020 in the region’s largest economy and subsequently expanded into a global pandemic. Disruption to regional and global supply chains, trade, and tourism, and the continued spread of the outbreak, leave the region reeling under massive economic shocks and financial turmoil. Across Asia, the authorities are responding with policies to contain the outbreak, facilitate medical interventions, and support vulnerable businesses and households. Assuming that the outbreak is contained this year, growth is expected to recover in 2021. Especially to face down fundamental threats such as the current medical emergency, innovation is critical to growth and development. As some economies in developing Asia challenge the innovation frontier, many others lag. More and better innovation is needed in the region to sustain growth that is more inclusive and environmentally sustainable. Five key drivers of innovation are sound education, productive entrepreneurship, high-quality institutions, efficient financial systems, and dynamic cities that excite knowledge exchange. The journey to creating an innovative society takes long-term commitment and hard work.

The 2014 Development Effectiveness Review (DEFR) is the eighth in a series of yearly reports by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on its performance in achieving the priorities of Strategy 2020, its long-term strategic framework for 2008-2020. The results framework on which the DEFR is based was updated in 2014 to reflect the recommendations of the Midterm Review of Strategy 2020. The 2014 DEFR tracks recent development progress in Asia and the Pacific, assesses ADB's development effectiveness, and identifies areas where ADB's performance needs to be strengthened.

Infrastructure is essential for development. This report presents a snapshot of the current condition of developing Asia's infrastructure---defined here as transport, power, telecommunications, and water supply and sanitation. It examines how much the region has been investing in infrastructure and what will likely be needed through 2030. Finally, it analyzes the financial and institutional challenges that will shape future infrastructure investment and development.

The 2017 Development Effectiveness Review (DEfR) is the 11th in a series of yearly reports by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on its performance in achieving the priorities of Strategy 2020, its long-term strategic framework for 2008–2020. The 2017 DEfR tracks recent development progress in Asia and the Pacific, assesses ADB's development effectiveness, and identifies areas where ADB's performance needs to be strengthened.

The 2012 Development Effectiveness Review (DEfR) is the sixth annual corporate performance report of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The review found that the development effectiveness review process introduced in 2008 has successfully propagated a results culture across ADB. This has led to improved performance in most areas of the results framework measuring ADB’s operational and organizational effectiveness. As a result, ADB has been able to meet an increasing proportion of its targets. It has also expanded ADB’s contributions to development outcomes in the region. Compared with 2008, the report's findings include: ADB operations are more focused on Strategy 2020 priorities, including gender mainstreaming; the quality at entry (QAE) of country partnership strategies and sovereign operations is consistently high and the QAE of nonsovereign operations has improved significantly; project start-up is more efficient; cofinancing has increased considerably; ADB coordinates more closely with other development partners and shares knowledge more effectively; ADB has more staff to support operations, and almost half of them work in resident missions to increase responsiveness to clients; resident missions are more empowered; ADB staff are more engaged and motivated; and the gender balance at ADB has improved significantly. The DEfR also highlighted areas requiring further improvement. Actions to strengthen project readiness and implementation supervision need reinforcing to raise project success and outcome achievement rates—two of the areas where performance improved but targets were not reached.

This publication examines the performance of the Asian Development Bank in achieving the goals of Strategy 2020, one of the institution's long-term planning documents. It tracks recent development progress in Asia and the Pacific, assesses ADB's development effectiveness, and identifies areas where ADB's performance needs to be strengthened. The 2018 Development Effectiveness Review is the 12th in a series of yearly reports.

The 2016 Development Effectiveness Review (DEfR) is the 10th in a series of yearly reports by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on its performance in achieving the priorities of Strategy 2020, its long-term strategic framework for 2008–2020. The 2016 DEfR tracks recent development progress in Asia and the Pacific, assesses ADB’s development effectiveness, and identifies areas where ADB’s performance needs to be strengthened.