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1ill1@Bank's World VOL 8 / NO 9 SEPTEMBER 1989

In this Issue:

Articles

2 Malaria. Global efforts seek new ways to combat this very serious problem.

5 Indonesia: Communicating for Development. Technology links Headquarters with Jakarta office and Indonesian government agencies.

7 Why You're Paying More for Medical Care. An interview with the Insurance Unit Manager about soaring medical expenses .

9 Family Planning in Zimbabwe. Effective programs are showing impressive results .

14 Shape Up! Fitness Program offers something for everyone.

18 Advisers in 'Shirtsleeves.' The Wessels Committee advises on rehabilitation activities .

Departments

12 On the Record. Visvanathan Rajagopalan on Policy and Planning in Involuntary Resettlement .

19 Around the Bank 20 Staff Association. Open Letter to

the Board of Governors. 21 Staff Changes 23 The Observer on Publications,

Public Office and Publicity. 24 Answerline

Cover

Thamrin Boulevard in Jakarta's business district. The white building with black dome in background is where Indosat (Indonesian Satellite Communications offices) is located. Indosat relays communications between the Bank's Headquarters and Indonesia.

Photo by Craig Miller

The Bank's World, Vol. 8, NO . 9. Published monthly in Washington, D.C., by the Media and Communications Division of the World Bank for all employees and retirees of the World Bank Group, 1818 H St., NW, Room E-8045 , Washington, D.C. 20433 .

Thierry Sagnier, Editor Jill Roessner, Associate Editor Morallina Fanwar-George, Editorial' Assistant Bill Fraser, Designer

Malaria The Killer That Won't Go Away

by Kathleen Cassedy

First comes the headache, then chills, fever, sweating and the ensuing de­

lirium. Your fever will subside just a lit­tle, then come again, this time higher, in sequences. If you have been bitten by a mosquito carrying the malaria parasite "vivax" you will be sick a few weeks , and then you will recover. But if the mos­quito carried the "falciparum" parasite, which causes what is commonly called "tropical malaria;' you may want to say your prayers. Without medication, within two to three days, you could be dead.

That's what would have happened to you before chloroquine and other medi­cines were developed to combat ma­laria-the scourge of many developing countries, especially those with tropical climates. Today, if you have faithfully taken the tablets the Bank's Health Ser­vices Department dispenses, and the "anopheles" mosquito ,'which carries the various strains of malaria, plunges its blood-sucking proboscis into you, you'll be protected.

Besides vivax and falciparum, which are the most common types of malaria, "ovale" and "malariae" are two other parasites that cause malaria. All types of malaria can cause acute illness, unless a person has developed some immunity due to previous exposure or is taking drugs to fight the disease. Falciparum, which can cause death, is the most dan­gerous. Some types of malaria can be­come dormant and can recur in an indi­vidual after three months or more than 10 years.

200 million people infected In Africa, where an estimated 200 mil­

lion people are infected with malaria each year, chloroquine is sometimes as available as candy is in the United States.

Whenever people feel a fever, they swal­Iowa chloroquine tablet. This profusion o'f the medicine has caused some malaria parasites to develop resistance to the drug. (Mutations spread rapidly when zil­lions of fecund creatures are invoived.)

These fecund creatures-the malaria parasites of the genus plasmodium­were discovered in 1880, when Alphonse Liveran, a French army surgeon, spotted them under a microscope attacking hu­man red blood cells. In 1887, Englishman Ronald Ross proved the earlier theory es­poused by Patrick Manson, a Scottish physician, that mosquitoes carry malaria parasites.

Malaria is responsible for an estimated one million deaths a year. Worldwide to­day some 2.5 billion people are exposed to malaria infection. Since early times, malaria has plagued humankind. Alex­ander the Great is believed to have died from it. Soldiers during the Spanish­American War in Cuba and, later, build­ers of the Panama Canal suffered from the disease. In 1950, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared malaria the world's Number One health problem and set a goal to eradicate it.

Vector control During the next two decades, malaria

was greatly reduced through vector con­trol programs, which included the use of biological and chemical tools as well as drainage projects. As a result, malaria practically disappeared in countries around the Mediterranean, parts of South America and the southern United States.

In the '70s, control programs were dis­assembled and a period of "benign" ne­glect followed. Then malaria re-emerged with a vengeance. In India, where it had

Alexander the Great is believed to have died from it. Soldiers during

the Spanish-American War in Cuba and, later, builders of the

Panama Canal suffered from the disease. In 1950, the World

Health Organization declared malaria the world's Number One

health problem and set a goal to eradicate it.

Anopheles mosquiteo (female).

diminished to about 60,000 cases in the late '60s, the disease escalated to 6.5 million cases in 1976. That figure is now down to 4 million, still a long way from its former level.

"Resistance has become a big problem. You cannot really be sure anymore that the drugs you have will work against all the malaria strains;' says Dr. Bernhard Liese, a Senior Tropical Disease Special­ist in the Bank's Population, Health and Nutrition Division. "We urgently need to develop new drugs:'

Global research effort The Special Programme for Research

and Training in Tropical Diseases (TOR) was established in 1975-76 after WHO called for a global research effort to de­velop ways to combat malaria and other tropical diseases. TOR, co-sponsored by the Bank, WHO and the United Nations Development Programme, has promoted and funded development of a malaria vac­cine and new drugs that are effective against resistant strains of the disease.

About 80 Bank employees, including Dr. Liese, are involved in TOR.

"The whole TOR program has been de­signed around the idea of networking. Today there are hardly any (tropical dis­ease) researchers who are not directly or indirectly linked to TOR;' notes Dr. Liese.

Scientific discoveries in biotechnology, such as genetic engineering, have en­abled research to develop in areas never imagined a few years ago. One such area is vaccination research, aimed at develop­ing a drug that could immobilize the malaria parasite during one of its life­cycle stages.

Parasites, unlike viruses, have a me­tabolism of their own, evolving through several stages. As gametes, they live in a mosquito's stomach until they mature into sporozoites. When an infected mos­quito bites a person, it deposits as many as 1,000 sporozoites that move into the liver and red blood cells after eight to 30 days. When sporozoites start multiplying, they are in the merozoite stage, when major symptoms of the illness appear.

Because of the gigantic size of para­sites as compared to viruses, develop­ment of a vaccine has been difficult. A vaccine developed and tested on monkeys showed promise until tested on humans. At this time no vaccine is "waiting around the corner;' says Dr. Liese, who is optimistic that one could be perfected in five to lO years.

Breakthrough drug One breakthrough drug is mefloquine,

developed in the 1970s by a collaboration among TOR, the Walter Reed Army Insti­tute in Washington, D.C., other research institutions and pharmaceutical compa­nies. Mefloquine is effective against falci­parum malaria with a single dosage. Its

use is reserved for highly resistant cases, especially in Brazil, Thailand and Kam­puchea where resistance to chloroquine is high.

"The very moment that a drug is used indiscriminately and widely, it creates more resistance. Therefore, one tends to keep new drugs under lock and key for a while and use them only with supervi­sion;' explains Dr. Liese.

TOR is supporting development of anti-malaria drugs from different chemi­cal families, which decreases the likeli­hood of parasite resistance. Most impor­tant is TOR's efforts to create incentives for pharmaceutical companies to refocus research and development of drugs to combat tropical diseases.

Along with drug research, TOR is re­emphasizing the need among the inter­national community to promote vector control.

Avoiding infection best Control is important on an individual

scale as well. While drugs can fight ma­laria once it gets into your body, avoiding infection is the best deterrent. In kits given to staff members who travel to countries endemic with malaria, along with your anti-malarial drugs are an in­secticide to spray rooms and insect repel­lent for your skin.

You're most likely to be bitten by a mosquito after sundown, so wearing clothes that cover the skin in the eve­nings can help. Since malaria is preva­lent during the rainy season, choosing the right season to travel can also reduce your risk.

Based on the staff member's itinerary, the Health Unit staff determines the anti­malarial drugs prescribed. If you travel to countries where parasites are resistant

THE BANK'S WORLD / SEPTEMBER 1989 3

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to chloroquine. you will notice your kit contains in addition to chloroquine an­other medication known as paludrine. which provides added protection against choloroquine-resistant malaria. This drug is not available in the U.S .• but ob­tained from the World Health Organiza­tion in Geneva.

Most important for travelers is to re­member to take the drugs as directed. even if it seems troublesome. To avoid minor irritation, take them on a full stomach.

During the last fiscal year. the Health Services Department dispensed 7,497 kits

to 4,517 Bank and Fund employees. The record for staff members has been good. However. 15 medical insurance claims for treatment of malaria were filed in 1988.

One death During the last 10 years of Bank staff

travel to endemic countries . one staff member has died from malaria, after a tour to Sierra Leone. But even one death is one too many.

This year the Bank committed $99 million to a malaria control project in Brazil 's Amazonia and is expected to contribute to malaria control efforts in

Latin America, Asia and Africa. However, support from the pharmaceutical indus­try will be critical in the years ahead to control the resurgence of malaria.

Editor 's Note: Kathleen Cassedy is a freelance writer who has been serving as a Consultant in the Media and Commu­nications Division, EXT

Photo by medical technologist Colleen Bryan Seen through a microscope in the Bank's health room, ring form of plasmodium falciparum .

THE BANK'S WORLD I SEPTEMBER 1989 4

Indonesia: Communicating for Development by Jerry Floyd and Maureen Miller

"pembicaraan berjalan lancar;' In­donesian for "good communica­

tion is taking place:' Not only is good communication taking place between Headquarters and the Bank's field office in Jakarta, thanks to efforts by Asia Country Department V (AS5) and the In­formation Technology and Facilities (ITF) Department, working in conjunction with the Indonesian government, but highly efficient, low-cost communica­tions are becoming the norm among Headquarters staff, Jakarta field office staff and ministries of the Indonesian government.

Since the AS5-ITF initiative got under way two years ago, communications technology installed in Jakarta now pro­vides access to the Indonesian segment of the Bank's Loan Database; a Procure­ment Monitoring database (designed by Indonesians); All-in-l electronic mail; and the OPS-MIS system. According to Wayne Rayfield, Chief of ITF's Computing Technology Center, "The technology in the Jakarta field office is there to help resident staff in Indonesia do their work as if they were at Headquarters. Except for OPS-MIS, which is restricted to Bank use, this technology is being used on an experimental basis by the Indonesian Indeed, staff at the Indonesian power communication with PLN and RSI staff government to communicate with Bank agency, PLN (part of the Ministry of interviewed for this article took place via staff in Jakarta and at Headquarters:' Power, Energy and Mining), have found a All-in-1.

One of AS5's priorities is to find fast, way to download appropriate Indonesian Sweeping along the equator in a 3,500 efficient, and less expensive ways to segments of the Loan Database into PCs mile arc, its populace distributed among gather and disseminate information used and to analyze the data. more than 3,000 islands, Indonesia is a in its lending operations, said Izzet Zin­ country unlike any other. There are spe­

Monitoring loan withdrawals cir, AS5 Project Manager. Mr. Zincir ex­ cial challenges to communicating among plained that a primary goal of the project A manager at PLN, Parno Isworo, ex­ the rainy, heavily forested islands and in Jakarta is to use information technol­ plained that his agency uses the Loan there are tremendous communications ogy to help in this effort and to acceler­ Database "to monitor the progress of challenges in the country's heavily popu­ate disbursements of traditional types of payments and the balances of special lated cities. Last November, classes were lending. He also pointed out that the commitments and to determine the total held in Jakarta on how to use the Indo­Bank has loaned $8 billion to Indonesia amount of loan withdrawals:' Mr. Isworo nesian Procurement Monitoring Data and is currently lending $1.5 billion a pointed out that PLN's conversion of Base, (PMDB), which processes and year. Mr. Zincir said that Indonesia's po­ loan data to dBase III (a PC software monitors contracts. Training was inter­litical, social and economic stability package) enables the agency to incorpo­ rupted by frequent tropical rains rapping make the country an ideal location for rate the loan data into its Loan Monitor­ fiercely on the tin-roofed classroom pilot use of the state-of-the-art technol­ ing System. After the data are processed where Maureen Miller, who assisted with , \ ogy that the Bank has helped to install and analyzed, PLN is able to forecast this article, and students from the Minis­and assisted the Indonesians with using. possible savings, he added. Incidentally, try of Public Works were gathered. Only

THE BANK'S WORLD / SEPTEMBER 1989 5

The Bank's Maureen Miller and Izzet Zincir look at the local flora while on mission in Indonesia. The young girls are holding cactus grown in their country. Photos by Craig Miller

when the rain ceased-usually after about 20 minutes-could those gathered inside once again hear each other speak.

Enthusiastic about technology

Traveling to a tropical country on the other side of the globe is enthralling. Even more exciting, however, is discover­ing that Indonesians are as enthusiastic about technology as Headquarters staff. For instance, there was Rusdi (some In­donesians do not have surnames), a Stat­istician at PUSDATA (Center of Data Pro­cessing and Mapping in the Ministry of Public Works), whose hobby is data pro­cessing. Last November, Rusdi set up the local area network that the procurement monitoring database runs on. Rusdi also helped to troubleshoot the system. Through his efforts, and efforts of others in PUS DATA, a system designed by staff working for the Indonesian government, programmed by a Bank consultant, and installed by a Bank staff member, be­came a completely Indonesian system in a very short time.

In late July, a successful test was com­pleted using data from the Directorate General of Cipta Karya (the Housing and Settlements Division of the Ministry of Public Works). Thanks to this link, staff in the Bank's Asia Region will electroni­cally receive up-to-date information on the status of projects in Indonesia's Min­istry of Public Works.

It has now been a year since an All-in­I system was installed in Jakarta for use by the Bank's resident staff and the Indo­nesian government. Kodyat Samadikun of the Indonesian Directorate of Con­struction, a part of PLN, logs onto All-in­I at least once a day to communicate with colleagues in PLN, the Bank's Jakarta Office and with Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Mr. Samadikun said that All-in-I makes communications faster and cuts down on the number of errors that occur when messages have to be retyped.

Work 24 hours a day

Meanwhile, in the Jakarta Office, Lead Economist Mark Baird noted that "All­in-I has helped us immensely with prep­aration of the annual economic report. With the time difference between Jakarta and Headquarters, we can turn drafts around overnight; in effect, we can work 24 hours a day:' And at Headquarters, Russell Cheetham, Director of Asia V, said that by using All-in-I, he is finally

THE BANK'S WORLD / SEPTEMBER 1989

able to know with assurance that he and Indonesian officials are looking at exactly the same set of data.

Nor is communication via All-in-I limited to Jakarta. Last November, Mr. Zincir, Prabhat Garg and Tom Colclasure of ITF installed All-in-I in the Indone­sian government's Transmigration and Transportation offices in Palembang, Su­matra. "There was a lot of excitement about this;' recalled Mr. Garg, who

taught Indonesians in Sumatra to use All-in-l. "The link ensures person-to­person contact between staff in Palem­bang and Jakarta and also means that reports and data move quickly between Sumatra and Java:'

All-in-I will also benefit others who work outside Jakarta. According to Har­inder Kohli, Director of ITF, "As staff working in the field of Southeast Asia are using laptop portables to communicate

Greeters at the gate of Prumbanan, a 17th century Hindu temple, recently restored with the aid of computer technology.

6

with the All-in-l system in the Jakarta field office, no matter how remote the lo­ Why You're Paying More cation, these staff can be reached by the Bank's global communications 'high­way: " for Medical Care

All-in-l and the other applications now installed in Jakarta are connected to the Bank by a voice-grade circuit, said Peter Hsueh, Chief of ITF's Communica­tions Division. Mr. Hsueh noted that once the planned upgrade to a digital circuit is completed, Jakarta's voice and data communications capabilities will be similar to those that exist in the Euro­pean field office in Paris, with the result that Jakarta may evolve into a communi­cations hub for Asia.

A lot of credit

As noted earlier, the Indonesians de­serve a lot of credit for the installation in their country. McDonald Buck, who coor­dinated the Jakarta installation for ITF, pointed out that "such efforts can only be successful if the people who will use the technology want them to be success­ful:' Mr. Buck cited staff member Yogana Prasta's work in Jakarta in 1987-88 as having helped to assure the success of the project, along with Gideon Pangestu, who has coordinated the Jakarta field of­fice's technology center since last fall.

Mr. Kohli pointed out that "the tech­nology base installed in Jakarta is allow­ing the Bank and the Indonesian govern­ment to explore new ways of working together to fulfill their mutual develop­ment goals:' As for Mr.Pangestu, he says, "Semuanya beres deh:' "Everything is copacetic:' Il

Editor's note: Jerry Floyd is the Business Manager of the All-in-l project. Maureen Miller; a product support specialist in ITF's Computing Technology Facility, participated in the Jakarta installation.

by Alan Drattell

Statistics can be telling and over­whelming. That 's the case concern­

ing medical costs in the United States. For instance, a recent survey con­

ducted by the Service Employees Interna­tional Union reported that worker-paid premiums for family health insurance jumped 70 percent in the past two years in the United States. The U.S. Govern­ment last year increased employees' con­tributions by more than 30 percent, and Medicare premiums for participants rose by 38 percent.

More than 23,500 World Bank Group staff, dependents, and retirees use the Medical Insurance Plan (MIP). The 30.8 percent increase in premiums (for every­one except retirees), effective August 1, is, in fact, lower than raises in many other plans in the U.S.

In the wake of the premium rise, The Bank's World talked to Richard Eddy, Manager, Insurance Unit, Personnel, to learn the facts behind the figures.

Question: Why was there such a large increase in premiums this year?

Eddy: To understand this year's in­crease, we must look back to 1987 when we reduced staff contributions by 3.5 percent because of a surplus in the Plan. That surplus had developed because staff were using the Plan less than expected. But this lower use was temporary. In 1988, medical inflation and increased Plan usage dictated a hefty raise in pre­miums. We were able to hold that down to 15 percent because the Bank made a one-time extra contribution of nearly $4 million. And, although staff premiums have been raised significantly this year, if you look at the premium increase over the past three years, it has really been slightly more than l3 percent per annum

compounded. And that's not too bad in comparison to other plans in this coun­try.

Question: What is the underlying cause of the recent increase in MIP contributions?

Eddy: There are two reasons-medical inflation and an increase in the number of services in fiscal year 1989 claimed under the MIP. Of the two, however, the increased use of medical services is prob­ably the more serious.

Testing of all types is widespread in medicine today. Many of these tests are lifesavers, such as in cancer detection and treatment; others are vital in aiding people who want to have children. How­ever, in a large number of cases, many tests have only marginal value; they are often done to protect physicians from malpractice suits or to satisfy patients who have heard about them and demand them.

In addition, there has been a substan­tial increase in specialized procedures, such as cesarean births; in the Bank, the number of C-sections among staff and dependents is above the U.S. national av­erage. This is worrisome because of the serious surgery and long hospitalization and recovery associated with C-sections.

As for medical inflation, it is pervasive. It includes price increases, but is also a result of improved technology. For in­stance, here at the Bank, the MIP has experienced a regrettable increase in se­vere illnesses, and some of the proce­dures involved require extensive tests and prolonged hospitalizations. Compli­cations are not uncommon, and expen­sive high technology is used to deal with these situations.

THE BANK'S WORLD I SEPTEMBER 1989 7

Question: Are there other aspects to medical inflation?

Eddy: Yes. One thing happening in our Plan, which is common to others outside the Bank, is the shift to out-patient care. This is often more desirable than a hos­pital stay and is generally cheaper than being an in-patient. From that aspect, it is an excellent trend. However, one of the largest increases in MIP costs has been hospital out-patient charges, where hos­pitals are making up for low bed occu­pancy with higher charges for the use of out-patient facilities.

Unfortunately, it's now costing staff and retirees more out-of-pocket for out­patient care. The reason: out-patient reimbursement for surgery and accident treatment is 90 percent. In 1985, we wanted to discourage the use of hospital out-patient departments in lieu of doc­tors' offices-and we still do. So, we cut the reimbursement from 100 percent to 90 percent.

At the same time, hospitals have in­creased their fees for the use of same-day operating rooms, tests, etc. Staff and re­tirees pay the extra 10 percent of these higher charges, in addition to paying higher surgeon's fees.

Question: What about increased use by staff and retirees of the MIP?

Eddy: There was a significant increase in the number of visits to physicians' of­fices and use of diagnostic services. Den­tal expenses alone were up by about 18 percent in FY89. Jumbo claims-those exceeding $50,000-were also signifi­cant, although they seem to have leveled off thanks to staff cooperation with the large-case management program we set up last year.

Overall, there were a record number of 130,401 claims paid under the MIP; in fact, in March 1989 New York Life paid $3.2 million in claims to Bank Group staff and their families , a record for one month.

In FY90, we project the MIP will pay out more than $31.9 million in claims vs. $27.5 million paid out in FY89. Al­though the difference is only 16 percent, this year's larger premium increase re­sults from the deferral from prior years of the higher and higher total costs of medical care which were not fully passed on to staff.

Question: Is there no way to stop these spiraling costs?

Eddy: There are some things that staff can do to hold down costs, but, overall, medical inflation will continue to soar in the United States for the foreseeable fu­ture.

Question: What are some of the things staff can do?

Eddy: This may sound trite, but it is, nevertheless, true: Staff are-to some ex­tent-in control of their medical ex­penses. To help keep medical costs down in the future, they must use the MIP prudently. For example, if one physician suggests surgery, we recommend you get a second opinion, which the MIP covers generously. Compare the cost of generic drugs versus name brand. Ask your phy­sician for alternatives to hospitalization and demand answers on the purpose, benefit, side-effects and cost of suggested tests. You're the one in charge. And, it's your body and your health at stake.

WELL, I \)m WAAT \ 'SiUDIE'D ALL AND I ASSIGNED THEY 'RE:CCM MEN DED ,14£ "Tt\-JN6S I EAC~ CNEAN FOR~: ~Ar'D"TO 'D:.:l, A,~, CR C i='RIORI\Y.

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Question: How does our MIP com­pare to other plans?

Eddy: Despite the problems, despite the recent increase in premiums, our MIP remains the envy of many organiza­tions. Claims are handled quickly and ef­ficiently. Ninety-five percent of MIP con­tributions go toward paying claims, while only 5 percent goes toward administering the MIP. Incidentally, a new computer program has just been implemented to improve the response time to handle in­quiries and pay claims.

Various services the MIP offers are greater than those comparable plans of­fer; for example, the agreement with Peoples, the dental care, the psychiatric benefits, and the fact that our plan has few pre-existing exclusions.

Question: What types of changes are ahead in the MIP?

Eddy: We are continually evaluating the MIP and making changes. We just added routine mammography coverage and increased the amount paid for peri­odic health assessments for spouses and children of staff and for retirees as an approach to enhancing preventive care.

At present, the Bank is conducting a major review of the MIP as we continue efforts to provide appropriate coverage at reasonable costs. At this point, I do not know what changes this review will rec­ommend. Personnel is working with the Staff Association and others, and staff will be kept informed of developments.

In the meantime, if you have any ideas or suggestions about what can be done, I'd be happy to hear from you. After all, it's your plan, your money and your health. e

HEI<E.'S'1l-\E WSI­\8c. As, 2.""B.s, ANi) i C.

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8 THE BANK'S WORLD I SEPTEMBER 1989

Family Planning in Zimbabwe by Robert Hecht and Althea Hill

I n the health center serving Diti, a small rural community located in a

remote part of Matabeleland South Prov­ince, Zimbabwe, a group of 10 village women and their children sit on mats on the covered veranda, attending a clinic session. The nurse in charge places each of the children in a sling attached to a scale to weigh them and monitor their growth and related nutritional status , then gives them inoculations against tu­berculosis, measles, diptheria-pertussis­tetanus (OPT), and polio.

At the same time, she talks with the mothers about family planning, answer­ing their questions about possible side effects of birth control pills and the use of condoms. The nurse stresses the im­portance of spacing births at least two years apart, and tells the group that women who are over the age of 35 or who already have had six children should consider not bearing any more babies. At the end of the session, she gives cycles of birth control pills to two of the women.

A few miles away, a middle-aged woman in a uniform wheels her bicycle into a village. One of more than 600 Community Based Distributors (CBD) employed by the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) in ru­ral areas of the country, she parks her bike beside a client's mud-and-thatch house and goes inside to give her a three-month supply of pills. Later, she meets a group of village women to talk about family planning methods, includ­ing the pill, condom, intra-uterine device (IUD), and sterilization, and hands out leaflets on these methods. Women inter­ested in becoming new acceptors are re­ferred to the Diti health center or to the district hospital in Beitbridge, 70 kilo­meters away.

The mother and child clinic at Diti and the village level work of the CBD ex­emplify the strengths of Zimbabwe's pop­ulation program which make it a leader in Sub-Saharan Africa. At' a time when population growth rates in Africa are ex­tremely high-between 3 percent and 4 percent a year in most countries-and efforts to slow the momentum of popula­tion growth have so far had little suc­cess, Zimbabwe stands out in imple-

Arriving at a village, the educator/distributor brings family planning services along with the latest local gossip. Photos by David Dodds

menting effective population activities. In terms of the delivery of family plan­

ning services, Zimbabwe has registered impressive gains over the past decade. According to a Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) conducted late last year, 43 percent of married women of childbear­ing age are now using family planning methods, up from 38 percent in 1984. And most of the married women in the 1988 survey practicing family planning­36 percent of the wives interviewed-are using modern methods such as the pill, IUD, injectible contraceptives, and con­doms, compared to only 14 percent at the time of Zimbabwe's independence in 1980. By contrast, only a handful of other countries in Africa, most notably Botswana and Kenya, have achieved mod­ern contraceptive "prevalence rates" (in­cluding both modern and traditional methods) of more than 10 percent of married women in their reproductive years.

The 1988 DHS revealed that as a result of such widespread contraceptive cover­age, the number of children a typical Zimbabwean woman would have during her life if current fertility rates prevailed during all her reproductive years-the "total fertility rate " (TFR)-is now fall­ing quite dramatically from more than 7 before 1980 to 6.5 in 1984 and 5.7 in 1986. This is critically important because a rapidly declining TFR is the major de­terminant of lower population growth. At present, most other African countries have TFRs between 6.5 and 8.

According to the Bank's 1989 popula­tion sector report, if Zimbabwe main­tains its current family planning pro­gram over the coming years, the population growth rate is likely to de­cline from just over 3 percent today to 2.5 percent at the end of the century and 1.6 percent by the year 2015 when the country's total population would reach about 17 million people. It would eventu-

THE BANK 'S WORLD / SEPTEMBER 1989 9

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ally stabilize at about 28 million. In a second scenario contained in the report, under which Zimbabweans intensify their family planning program over the next decade, population growth would decline even faster, with total population stabilizing at about 22 million people. Zimbabwe currently has about nine mil­lion inhabitants.

Some population analysts who are fol­lowing the changing patterns of fertility in Zimbabwe suspect that the country may now be in the midst of the "demo­graphic transition;' the swift movement from high to low fertility (a TFR of less than 4) that has already taken place in the developed countries and in most of East Asia and Latin America. Zimbabwe should be the first country in Africa to experience such transition.

A series of factors helps explain Zim­babwe's emerging success in population. A rapid decline in childhood mortality in Zimbabwe has helped to reduce fertility, as parents realize that even if they have only three or four children, almost all are likely to survive into adulthood. Out of every 100 children born in Zimbabwe, fewer than nine die during their first five years of life. In most other African coun­tries, more than 15 of every 100 children born do not survive their first five years, and several countries have child losses of more than 20.

Socio-economic conditions prevailing in the country encourage households to limit their number of children. With more than half of the adult population engaged in wage labor and women mak­ing up a large fraction of this labor force,

A Matabeleland Leader observes while an educator/distributor from his team establishes communications.

10 THE BANK'S WORLD I SEPTEMBER 1989

the indirect cost of having children-in terms of the mother's income foregone­is substantial. In addition, the direct cost of children, especially for primary and secondary school fees, which are high in relation to household income, acts as a major disincentive to large families.

Zimbabwe has also made strides in ed­ucating its people about the need for family planning and the availability of services. In addition to the person-to­person communications provided by health workers and community outreach personnel, the Family Planning Council has mounted a number of effective edu­cational programs. Currently, with sup­port from the U.S. Agency for Interna­tional Development (USAID) and the World Bank, ZNFPC is carrying out a "male motivation campaign" designed to reach husbands and adolescent males. The campaign includes seminars and workshops, radio and cinema spots, and distribution of booklets written in the principal local languages, Shona and Ndebele.

"Convincing the men that family plan­ning is really important, so that they en­courage their wives to take their pills on time, is crucial;' according to Dr. Gordon Bango, Principal Medical Director for Matabeleland South. "This is especially true in our part of Zimbabwe, where men from the extended family get in­volved in decisions on how many chil­dren a couple should have:'

Another factor in Zimbabwe's popula­tion success is the strong and diversified network that is being developed to deliver family planning services. At the heart of that network is the ZNFPC and its com­munity-based workers, who are highly motivated. "We train the CBDs inten­sively, and retrain them periodically. We give them uniforms and bicycles, and pay them a monthly stipend;' says Dr. Robert Mugwagwa, ZNFPC Executive Director. "We know this is not a cheap program, but we get good results from it:'

Public sector health institutions, in­cluding the Ministry of Health and mu­nicipal and local governments, with more than 1,000 clinics throughout the country, are also becoming a major out­let for family planning services. Under the ongoing $55 million World Bank­funded Family Health Project, about 4,000 nurses attached to government and church mission health facilities are being trained in family planning meth­

ods. At the same time, doctors and nurses working in selected urban hospi­tals are being equipped and trained in IUD insertion and surgical contracep­tion, which require more advanced skills.

Even the private sector is getting in­volved in family planning. With support from USAID, several of the largest indus­trial firms in the country, including An­glo-American Corporation and Lonrho, are starting to offer family planning in­formation and services to their employ­ees. The largest local pharmaceutical company, Geddes, has embarked on a multi-media "social marketing" cam­paign to sell a range of family planning products, including pills, condoms, and foaming suppositories.

Finally, strong and unequivocal sup­port for family planning from Zim­babwe's top leaders has created a positive environment for population activities. President Robert Mugabe has repeatedly spoken out in favor of family planning in both national and international gather­ings. So have Zimbabwe's parliamentari­ans. In 1988, in response to a cabinet directive, a report was drafted recom­mending that current population efforts be intensified by formulating a national population policy, creating a population Secretariat attached to the Office of the President, and developing an expanded program of family planning education and services. Several donors, including the Bank, USAID, and the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) are now assisting in the implementation of these proposals.

As Zimbabwe strives to improve its population activities over the coming decade, it must overcome a number of problems which are highlighted in the Bank's sector report. First, the current mix of contraceptives is too narrow, with heavy reliance on one reversible method, the pill. Other methods will need to be more actively promoted and made avail­able, especially in cases where the pill is not recommended on medical grounds or where the client would prefer a more permanent method.

Second, the community level outreach network, while probably the most effec­tive in Africa, needs to be expanded fur­ther. At present, the CBDs cover only 40 percent of Zimbabwe's rural areas, and the government's community develop­ment workers, who are trained in pri­mary health care, have not yet been inte­grated into the family planning service

The educator/distributor gets around on a motorcycle provided and maintained by local farmers.

system. Third, family planning information

and education activities must shift from their current emphasis on spacing births to one of limiting family size, and must reach groups that have not been the tar­get of earlier campaigns, especially adult men and young people.

Slowing the momentum of population growth will continue to require a sub­stantial financial commitment. The Bank's sector report estimates that it costs about $30 per family planning user each year, and this implies that Zim­babwe could be spending about 0.5 per­cent of its GOP for family planning by the year 20l5, when about 75 percent of women of childbearing age should be us­ing contraceptive methods.

Donor agencies, including the World Bank, will also be called upon to play an important role in providing financial and technical support to expanding popula­tion programs in Zimbabwe and else­where in Africa. In this regard, the Bank's Africa Region has recently devel­oped a population "action program" for FY90-92.

In the Southern Africa Department, which covers nine countries-Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozam­bique, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe-the Population and Human Resources Division is planning to spend nearly double the yearly amount of staff and consultant resources on population

activities during the next three years as compared to FY88-89. Five upcoming projects, building upon the results of sector studies similar to Zimbabwe's, will also have major population components, as compared to only one project during FY88-89.

The expenditure that Zimbabwe and other African countries will incur on population activities will almost certainly be outweighed by the benefits of im­proved mother and child health and re­lated savings on medical costs, and the reductions in spending on education that will result from a smaller school age population. A lower rate of population growth will also hel p to rei ieve the pres­sure of population on scarce farmland and on the environment.

"U's vital that we keep reminding our politicians and other local leaders of these benefits, and that we make those who can afford to pay for family planning do so;' says Dr. Mugwagwa. "Each year we have to fight hard for our share of budget, so we have to show that family planning pays for itself-that it's a good investment for Zimbabwe:' JJ

Editor's Note: Robert Hecht is a Senior Economist in the Population and Human Resources Operations Division, Southern Africa Department. Althea Hill is a Senior Demographer in the Popula­tion, Health and Nutrition Division, Africa Technical Department

THE BANK'S WORLD / SEPTEMBER 1989 11

Policy and Planning in Involuntary Resettlement

Visvanathan Rajagopalan

Visvanathan Rajagopalan, Vice President, Policy, Planning and Research, delivered the opening address at a recent World Bank-sponsored seminar on resettlement held in Jakarta. Indo­nesia. The seminar, attended by representatives of 10 developing countries, discussed the imperative need for resettlement oper­ations to include both early planning and follow-up assistance. Here are excerpts from Mr. Rajagopalan s remarks:

The fact that this seminar has attracted such an international audience signals an important change in how people think

about involuntary resettlement issues. There have been major advances in our understanding of resettlement issues and our grasp of possible solutions. We increasingly see that resettle­ment issues crop up in many sectors of the economy and in nearly all types of projects. rural and urban. in industry. mining or infrastructure. The fact that in a seminar like this we can have participants who work not just in agriculture and hydro­power, but also experts in urban planning, industrial develop­ment. sociological analysis and environmental protection is in itself very significant. It does not reflect a sudden epidemic of resettlement problems in these areas, but rather a new aware­ness that resettlement is both an omnipresent issue and one which will no longer hide in the shadows cast by development projects. Bringing the invisible onto the stage is a big step for­ward: solving a problem begins with the problem being seen.

We have also come a long way in our institutional under­standing of resettlement issues. There is no need to hide the fact that involuntary resettlement is a difficult topic. It has not always been handled with the care and sensitivity that it merits.

Too often, it has been an add-on, an afterthought, in the plan­ning of a major project. Nearly all countries have legal instru­ments that spell out how land needed for the greater social good can be acquired from property holders. But, the mecha­nisms for implementing the laws and for resettling people and re-establishing their economically productive lives exist in only a few countries.

There can be little doubt that the need for involuntary reset­tlement will increase. One needs only to look at the rapid

urbanization that)s taking place in the world. At the beginning of our century only 19 percent of the world's population lived in urban settlements but more than half (51 percent) will live in such settlements in the year 2000. Current forecasts are that the number of cities with more than one million inhabitants will rise from 250 in 1985 to 640 in 2024. Providing these ex­ploding urban concentrations with water, sanitation and trans­portation is a clear improvement in the quality of life. but it will also inevitably cause disruption in the lives of many inhabitants now crowded into unplanned and fast growing settlements in and around these cities. The picture is no different in the rural areas. Furthermore, there are the continuing pressures exerted by increases in population. Involuntary dislocation is. therefore, likely to increase.

Involuntary resettlement calls for informed and systematic action. Let me stress again the importance that the World Bank attaches to addressing involuntary resettlement issues in its op­erations. The Bank wants to ensure, in fact it insists, that invol­untary resettlement receives the same careful planning as any

12 THE BANKS WORLD SEPTEMBER 1989

other component of any project with which the Bank is in­volved. Indeed, in some cases even more attention must be paid to resettlement: it is the area where projects can have the most immediate impact on people, in addition to their profound long­term effects. Resettlement issues test our commitment, creativ­ity and capabilities. There is much we have to learn.

How can we define the resettlement problem? I believe that the evolution of the World Bank's policy on resettlement, as ex­pressed in the Bank's Technical Paper on involuntary resettle­ment in development projects, represents a major advance in policy and planning and in our thinking about resettlement. It has become clear to us that we need fresh thinking and innova­tive solutions in this area. After all, our concern with develop­ment puts people first. Our overall concerns for resettlement regarded as part of a development project do the same. For it is only when we approach resettlement as a development opportu­nity, rather than a development obstacle, that we can mobilize the material resources and the institutional strength needed for improving the relocation of people.

What does it mean to make resettlement a development op­portunity instead of an obstacle? I believe there are three

basic elements that distinguish development-oriented ap­proaches to resettlement.

The first and most important principle is that conscious ef­fort must be made to assist the people who are displaced by a project to share in its benefits. This means that in assessing the viability of a project, we must go beyond the usual focus on the project's overall rate of return, to a careful examination of the potential benefits of the project for the resettlers. Exactly how a development project could bring benefits to the displaced popu­lation obviously will vary from project to project-in one case, aquaculture will be successful; in another, it may be through clearing and reclaiming new lands, and in yet another through job training that improves employment skills and, hence, wages. These various solutions may and likely will require additional resources for investments in the new productive basis for the resettlers. The Bank is prepared to recognize this need for addi­tional resources in its project financing, because such invest­ments will lead to future benefits for both resettlers and the national economy. Resource allocation is, I would say, the basic question for resettlement and one that we at the Bank explicitly consider when undertaking development projects that entail population displacements.

Second, once the goal of resettlement is established, there must be a plan of action to implement it. This path, or action plan, defines the financial, institutional and organizational mea­sures required to deal with the technical and sociological chal­lenges of the project. Resettlement planning must begin early in the developmental cycle of a project, and must culminate in a systematic, clearly thought through and fully operational action plan that will provide the people affected by the project with opportunities to maintain and possibly improve their living standards. Measures must be taken during the four to five years before relocation takes place, and assistance to the relocatees must be planned for the three to four years after they have moved to the new settlement.

The third principle is one that is finding increasing accep­tance among development planners, not just those working with resettled populations but, in fact. with workers across the devel­

opment spectrum. That principle is that projects must be de­signed with a sound sociological knowledge of the affected pop­ulation in order to facilitate what has come to be called "popular participation:' This apparently simple-but in practice complex-process means bringing the participants into the de­cision-making stream, from the conceptual stage to implemen­tation, operation and maintenance stages. For instance, the planning of projects financing irrigations dams should include not only the beneficiary population in the command area, but also the displaced population from the reservoir area. All these people need to benefit from the changes that are introduced. We want to consult them as much as possible in the choice and planning of the development options.

If we agree that people's participation in designing and imple­menting development projects is a good thing, we need to focus on its practical aspects. Are local non-governmental organiza­tions (NGOs) an appropriate way to reach the grass roots or is the village council more effective? Is it the municipality that sets the framework for group action or is it the extended family? Who manages the village's grazing land-and how well does that system work? Should people be resettled as individual fami­lies, as joint households, as village clusters, as entire ethnic groups or as urban neighborhoods? These are questions that we cannot answer a priori and about which generalizations may be difficult-but we can certainly learn from the experience with public participation in different settings.

The Bank's resettlement guidelines are not culled from an abstract wish list housed under a vague frame of admirable pre­cepts. They were developed through years of dialogue with Bank project officers and government officials such as yourselves. One of the goals of this seminar is to see in detail how project expe­riences relate to these guidelines. By doing so, we hope to con­tinue the resettlement dialogue, on the one hand underscoring how planning for projects must continually evolve and improve, and, on the other hand, critically examining the realities of the implementation of a policy. This going back and forth between policy and practice will not only keep all of us at the cutting edge of development but also teach us how to make resettlement work.

Of course, we all know that simply having a good policy on the books is not enough. Turning a good resettlement pol­

icy into good resettlement action is not easy: governments re­sist, managers equivocate, and line agencies are not always will­ing to back up brave words with hard cash. But this is hardly a new story nor a valid excuse: development is a difficult business. Resettlement of people is certainly more, rather than less. de­manding than building a dam. constructing a highway or in­stalling an urban water supply and sewerage system. Our insist­ence on high quality projects should not suddenly permit an exception to quahty when it comes to resettlement.

Let me conclude with a final observation. Consistency be­tween what we say and what we do-between our policies and our actions-is obviously a goal toward which we must contin­ually strive, But harmonizing our deeds with our thoughts can only come though keen observation of the facts and through a careful reflection on what we know. and, with appropriate mod­esty, reflection upon what we don't know. It is my deep hope that the dialogue undertaken here will be frank and illuminate the path that leads to our common development objective. l!iD

THE BANK'S WORLD SEPTEMBER 1989 13

From Aerobics to Yoga-A Complete Fitness Program

Shape Up! by Jill Roessner and Morallina Fanwar-George

Centuries ago, Cicero said, "Exercise can preserve something of our early strength even in old age:' Today, sev­eral major scientific studies have linked sedentary lifestyles with a greater risk of coronary heart dis­ease. Additional investigations have also indicated that exercise programs on the job will reduce sick leave and help work performance. During the few months that I have been at the Bank, I have been very impressed by the exercise activities which we have, and by the number of staff who par­ticipate in them. Michael Irwin, M.D., Director; Health

Services Department

I t is 7:30 a.m. What am doing here at the Bank? Why did I clamber out of

my comfortable bed an hour earlier than usual? Devotion to duty, that's why. In­vestigative journalism. You, sitting there reading The Bank's World, probably don't realize the sacrifices we make to bring you in-depth coverage. When the sugges­tion that we do an article about the Fit­ness Program came up, two of us were assigned to the piece. One of us is young, slender and in excellent shape. The other is none of the above. It is "the other" who is writing these words-the one who dragged herself out at dawn, stuffed herself into a leotard and actually participated in Jane Fonda's Workout.

There were only three other partici­pants that day, so at least my humiliation would be less public if I found myself un­able to keep up. Furthermore, the in­structor, Tenley Jones, walks with a cane while recovering from a hip replacement operation last May. I had imagined this would slow him down, which it did-but only slightly.

We started off quite gently, moving our heads from side to side and slowly warm­ing up . Jane Fonda told us what to do; Tenley Jones showed us how to do it, al­though the others al ready knew.

14 THE BANKS WORLD SEPTEMBER 1989

For the first 10 minutes I felt quite pleased with myself. I could do this stuff. Then we began to speed up a bit and move more things at the same time, a bit like trying to rub your tummy while patting your head. Jane Fonda continued to exhort us to tighten this and flex that, and I began to find her rather irritating. She didn't even sound out of breath.

I may not recall the instructions pre­cisely, but it seemed we were asked to connect various portions of the anatomy that were extremely distant: "Bring your left elbow up to your right ear and touch your left ankle with your nose:' Or words to that effect.

Jane Fonda, incidentally, is not to be trusted. She says "eight more times;' and then, when you've done whatever it was you were doing eight more times, she has no compunction about demanding

There are dozens of different exer­cise, dance and martial arts classes at the Bank, and three physical fitness facilities, available to anyone among the staff who wants to use them. There are open areas for exercising, Nautilus equipment, free weights, rowing machines, saunas, lockers and showers. The Fitness Program is over­seen by fitness specialists, under the general direction of the Health Ser­vices Department. Starting this month, the facilities will be open all day-from 7 a.m. until 7:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. As of this month, membership is $30 to use the facilities and participate in exercise classes, and $125 for full membership, which enables you to take advantage of the Nautilus equipment. This con­tinues to be a fantastic bargain com­pared to the cost of membership in any other health club. For details about the various classes, rules and regulations, pick up the Users' Hand­book and the Exercise Schedule from any of the fitness facilities.

another eight, and even eight more after that.

Finally, we were told to get out the mats and lie down. Time for a snooze? No, Jane was relentless. The others did various pretzel imitations while Jane let out little whoops of encouragement. I let out little whimpers of pain.

"You have to understand that Jane is probably sitting at the microphone with a martini;' said Mr. Jones, at the end of the session.

After a shower, I was surprised to dis­cover how good I felt. I went off to work feeling smug and virtuous-and surpris­ingly energetic. Next morning was a dif­ferent story; all those muscles that had lain dormant for decades were aching. Nevertheless, I'm bound to admit I really enjoyed the session (but don't tell Jane).

While I recover, my colleague will tell you about her experience ...

*** The class was already in progress

when I arrived so I slipped in as unob­trusively as possible and found a chair in the comer at the back. Being lazier than my colleague, I decided on the passive approach. An observer.

As I sat there, self-righteous thoughts raced through my mind:

"Boy, do these people need exercise! "Look at those bellies-it'll take more

than this workout to get rid of them. "These folks really look somewhat un­

wieldy-wonder why that is? "Hmm." Looked at my notes, Ii} build­

ing, small exercise room, Wednesday noon."

Oh, silly me. This is the pre-natal ex­ercise class. This makes much more sense now. I settled back more comfort­ably, pen poised in readiness, and ob­served.

Lisa Appler; the instructor from Body Business-a company specializing in Corporate Fitness Programs and private training-was trim, fit and full of en­ergy. Having exercised and taught through both her pregnancies, she was a perfect instructor-identifying with the

Barber Conable congratulated the volunteer instructors when they assembled for a special workshop recently. Photos by Michele lannacci

different stages of her students' pregnan­cies, urging them along, encouraging those who were falling behind and, all the time, carrying on conversations with each.

To the rhythm of loud music and the low hum of two rotating fans, the six ex­pectant mothers followed her instruc­tions.

"Right leg up, one two three, to the side.

"Left leg up, one two three, to the side.

"Move your arms, ladies, get all that water buildup out ofyour system.

"That's right, you're looking good. "Now, on the floor. Lie on your side." The exercises were not as energetic as

a regular aerobics class would be, but they were strenuous and unremitting. Perspiration running down their faces, the women never lost a beat. Imagine a 45 minute workout with an extra load of 5, 6, or maybe 8 lbs. in your body. Being pregnant myself, I couldn't help admir­ing the perseverance of the students.

"I concentrate on strengthening the arms, thighs, bottom and abdominal muscles in the first half hour," says Ms. Appler. And after a short break for drinks of water, "we continue with stretching exercise on the floor.

"My advice to pregnant women who are already exercising is to continue and then move to the pre-natal class when they're no longer comfortable in the class they are currently in." The reason for this is that her class closely follows the American College of Obstetrics and

Gynecology (ACOG) guidelines which other aerobics instructors may not nec­essarily be aware of.

Says Anjali Villagran, one of the class members, "I go to the class because it keeps me fit and makes me feel active." Due this month, she has attended the class since her second month ofpreg­nancy. "If I didn't go, I wouldn't do any-

Almost all of the classes are led by Bank staff who volunteer their time and energy. A few are conducted by outside instructors at an additional fee. The Health Services Department hopes managers will be supportive of this dedicated group of people, with­out whom the program probably couldn't exist. A bit of history here. Back in March 1975, Bank Notes (The Bank's World's predecessor) reported that "as many as a dozen people or more have been meeting twice a week to do physical exercises in the lunch hour:'

Personnel's Mary Evans, who had been a slimnastics instructor at the "Y,' initiated the program. There were no exercise rooms then, nowhere to change or shower. "We just looked for an empty room;' says Ms. Evans, who still, 14 years later, leads a lunchtime Jane Fonda workout. When the I building opened, the Bank got its first proper exercise facility which was run by the Staff Association. Later the Medical Department (now HSD) took over.

thing active on my own. Plus keeping physically fit is supposed to help me with my delivery," she adds confidently.

Ifyou're an expectant mother, this class is worth looking into. It may be just the extra perk you need.

*** Today, I'm at the low impact aerobics

class. Low impact means that one foot is on the ground at all times. It's less strenuous than regular aerobics, incor­porates a lot of dance movements and is good for people with almost any type of injury. Victim of a severe back injury herself, instructor Cheri lynn Glascoe is very conscious of designing a safe pro­gram that will not exacerbate any back problems and is suitable for people of any age. Staff who travel like this class be­cause they can miss a few weeks, then return without having lost a lot of ground, which would not be the case in a more rigorous program.

Ms. Glascoe encourages participants to "do whatever's comfortable for you:' In my case, that tends to be as little as pos­sible. but having survived Ms. Fonda, I was somewhat more confident. And, I had also learned that your classmates don't care whether you are making the right moves-they're far too busy. So, while Billy Joel crooned. "It's still rock and roll to me;' I tried to follow the rou­tine which Ms. Glascoe had carefully choreographed and which she changes every couple of months so people won't become bored.

The music is catchy, the movements are do-able. even though I couldn't do

THE BANK"S WORLD SEPTEMBER 1989 15

Doris Pappas stays fit and trim.

them as well, or as continuously, as some of the other people. If I keep going regu­larly, I'll become as limber as some of the others. What am I saying? Keep going regularly? As a matter of fact, I think I will.

***

A sense of tranquility filled the dimly lit meditation room in the I building basement. I gingerly made my way to an empty spot, all the while trying to focus my eyes. People were sitting cross­legged, hands lying limply on their knees, backs straight, eyes closed. Not a sound. Not a word. Just slow, relaxed breathing.

"Concentrate on your breathing," the instructor whispered so as not to disrupt the atmosphere.

A few more minutes of the breathing exercises. Then they stand---{!ver so

16 THE BANK'S WORLD I SEPTEMBER 1989

gracefully. Following the instructor's soft, monotonal directions, they began to do slow, gentle relaxation stretches and exercises. This went on, in standing and sitting positions.

"Gently, now," she reminded them. "Focus your thoughts on your inner self.

"Now for the spinal twist." Most of them were pros at this. They sat down and twisted their legs and arms in seem­ingly impossible positions, alternating from left to right. "This helps control the nervous system," said the instructor; more for my benefit than for her stu­dents. (l was told later that they also stand on their heads-those who can. Unfortunately, I was not witness to this.)

It was too dark to make any notes, and I had abandoned my notebook and pen. I was somewhat uncomfortable and wished I could feel the way they looked. As if she read my thoughts, Kerstin Se­gerstrom, the instructor; suggested I get on the floor too.

Only too willingly, I quickly got into a supine position and hoped my dress would do instead of the stretch suits and leotards the others were wearing. I soon fell into the trance-like breathing and re­laxation exercises. I felt limp and re­laxed. It was too dark to see if anyone were watching me so I was completely at ease.

"Empty your minds of all thoughts now. Go into a space inside yourself­that happy, quiet space. You know it's there. But don't go to sleep. Just watch yourself breathe," she droned on hypno­tizing us.

We lay a few more minutes in this state of total repose. (Personally, I could have stayed that way for the rest of the afternoon. But no, this experience had to be translated. This article had to be writ­ten.)

U12en, finally, she spoke again, bring­ing us out of our relaxed state and an­nouncing that the class was over; I felt light, calm. The fact that this was Thursday, my busiest day, didn't matter now. I had renewed energy.

"The yoga philosophy," explained Mrs. Segerstrom later,'''is that you're born happy. And doing yoga just helps you keep that happiness."

She then went on to point out how gentle the exercises were-fit for the young, the healthy, the weak, the dis­abled and the old. "A major benefit of yoga is in relieving stress. And not just mental. We also concentrate on releasing

tension from the lower back and lower spine."

Mrs. Segerstrom, who works at the GECD Publications and Information Center on L Street, N. w., has been a vol­unteer yoga instructor at the Bank for some 15 years. An ardent practitioner; she swears by its benefits, pointing out that yoga has been known to lower high blood pressure, help contain diabetes, re­lieve arthritis pain, cure insomnia and "it's been found that smokers often quit after practicing yoga for a while. Smok­ing is a way of handling stress. But when you find another method of reliev­ing stress-yoga-then the need to smoke no longer exists." Makes sense.

***

"Muscle Mixes complements aerobics;' says instructor Melissa Hodde, assuring me that I will not turn into a female Ar­nold Schwarzenegger but simply "firm up some of the flab. Individual muscle groups are isolated using weights and bands to firm, tone and build your mus­cles:' Ms. Hodde, a registered nurse, works in the Health Services Depart­ment's Health Promotion Unit.

Like the other classes, we began by gently warming up, and it was not until we were well into the session that the weight lifting began. As an absolute be­ginner, I only got to use the 1 lb. weights, while others were holding 2, 3, 4 or 5 lb. weights. All the movements were deliberate and controlled. With our arms close to our bodies, we slowly raised the lower arm, feeling the muscles tense then relax. We did a number of dif­ferent movements aimed at toning spe­cific muscle groups, the less experienced members of the group keeping time to the music at half the speed of the others.

The bands turned out to be heavy duty rubber bands, linked in a figure 8. We put our feet into each loop, and, with the bands constraining our movements, danced from side to side, keeping the elastic taut. It reminded me a little bit of the childhood prank when someone comes along and ties your shoelaces to­gether. But this was no joke; it was hard work keeping the tension on the bands, and you knew you were getting a real workout.

***

"This is a high-energy, total fitness workout designed to increase flexibility, cardiovascular fitness, muscle tone,

strength and endurance," begins Diane Reedy, instructor for the Total Body Con­ditioning class. "This is achieved through continuous low-impact aerobic movements (high-impact optional) fol­lowed by a brief floorwork session and cooldown. This workout burns fat and increases cardiorespiratory capacity. With regular attendance, the course is guaranteed to improve stamina, firm and shape muscles and generate a sense ofwell-being. This coed class is suitable for all fitness levels."

Quite a mouthful of explanation. And her class is equally a handful. Mrs. Reedy, a Disbursement Officer; has been a volunteer instructor for over six years. A trim mother of two, Diane Reedy proudly accepts the compliment, 'A pic­ture of fitness.' And her class is known for its thorough and vigorous workout.

Says one of her students, "She's ex­tremely dedicated and energetic. And her enthusiasm is infectious."

"But she works you over hard," groans another.

Indeed, watching her class in action is really quite invigorating. From the word "Go," every minute, every second is uti­lized for your benefit. "Exercise has al­ways been important to my family," she emphasizes. She started out as an exer­cise instructor in 1973. (Her husband is a high school Physical Ed teacher; bas­ketball coach and a top amateur golfer.)

VVhen she first joined the Bank, over eight years ago, she says she was de­lighted with the facilities available to staff but soon unhappy with the pace and content of the classes she attended. "I discovered that the only way to get what I wanted from a class is to teach it." Her class, through years of modifica­tions, has evolved into what it is now­total body conditioning.

She encourages her students to attend regularly and stick with the class at least eight weeks to see results, and she firmly believes that exercise not only helps keep you fit, but it increases pro­ductivity and combats stress in the work place.

However; as I watched the class jump and stretch and twist and jog, I felt weak in my knees and thought with a hint of despair that it would certainly take me months before I could keep up even 10 minutes of this workout. Ii!)

Volunteer Fitness Instructors Jennifer Abner Aerobics Debbie Bateman Aerobics Maxine Berg Aerobics Tracy Benfer Aerobics Nadira Boumechal Belly Dancing Betty Dulaney Aerobics Mary Evans Aerobics Clare Fleming Aerobics John Gandolfo Shotokan Karate­

do Cherilynn Glascoe Low Impact

Aerobics Melissa Hodde Resistance

Training, Bands/ Weights

Ten ley Jones Aerobics Fran Lewis Aerobics Julius Makoni Shorin Ryu Karate Shirley Mirzayoff Aerobics Judith Morroy Aerobics Ken Ohashi Shorinj i Kempo Michael Pollock Shorinji Kempo Diane Reedy Aerobics Terry Robinson Modern and

Creative Movements

Muna Salim Aerobics Debra Scruggs Aerobics Kerstin Segerstrom Yoga Ly11t~ AerobiCS Bridgetta Silva Aerobics Josefina Smith Hula Tahitian

Dance Fred Temple Aerobics Quyen Tran Tai Chi Vic Vongchaipuek Thai Kick Boxing Lois Williams Hatha Yoga/

Healthy Back

Substitutes Susan Di Cocco Aerobics Evelyn Cortez-Fusco Aerobics Mercedes Hernandez Aerobics Maria Kutcher Yoga/Aerobics

Saonna Mazza Aerobics Matthew Mendis Aerobics Corinne Moore Aerobics TWain Revell Aerobics Leo Santelices Aerobics Ellen Sinon Aerobics Sylvia Salazar Aerobics

From left to right: Quyen Tran (T'ai Chi)i Vic Vongchaipuek (Thai Kick Boxing) i Michael Pollock (Shorinji Kempo).

THE BANK'S WORLD / SEPTEMBER 1989 17

'The Wessels Committee'

Advisers in 'Shirtsleeves' by Alan Drattell

Known colloquially as "the Wessels Committee:' the group of 10 Bank

staff members has rolled up its shirt­sleeves, so to speak, and gotten deeply involved in the Main Complex Rehabilita­tion Project, according to Everardo Wes­sels, Director, Technical Department, LAC. who is chairman.

Formed in March to act as an advisory group to ITF, the committee has already had an impact on decisions which will affect current and future staff.

"We reviewed the post-occupancy sur­vey of the J building, which ITF commis­sioned, as well as other feedback:' ex­plains Mr. Wessels, "and our committee arrived at a view of what staff like and dislike about that building. ITF asked me to talk to the architects during their ori­entation at the Bank the week of July 17 (these are members of the consortia who are competing for the design of the Main Complex). I used the results of our work on the J building to get across to them a strong message that they should focus on the needs of divisions as the working unit of the Bank in their architectural designs. As far as the day to day work of the Bank is concerned, it is the division that is most important:'

Natural light

"While the J building has been very successful in providing access to natural light and ventilation for staff, it has not succeeded in addressing the needs of di­visions adequately. ITF itself agrees with this hypothesis, and they intend to exper­iment with internal arrangements in the J building to improve user satisfaction:'

Mr. Wessels sees the work of his com­mittee as advisory, "not decision-mak­ing" or acting as a substitute for the Staff Association rehabilitation working group. "Our committee has brought to bear a very wide range of views, and I believe we have been useful to ITF as a sounding board and as a source of suggestions: '

The committee, which normally meets every Wednesday morning with ITF reha­bilitation project managers, started out by looking at the arrangements for the architectural design competition. "That was most urgent;' Mr. Wessels adds. "Then we looked at the way the ranking of the finalists was done. We also re­viewed the material given to the eight competing consortia, and we reviewed the contents of the week-long briefing program held in Washington for them:'

Another area of counseling for the committee has involved arrangements for the transfer of services (e.g., travel, child care, food) concentrated in the Band C buildings to other sites. "We found the arrangements GSD and ITF were making were well thought out:'

Communications The committee has also been involved

in making suggestions regarding com­munications affecting the rehabilitation, and it has had several briefings on the implementation schedule of the project itself.

"We are very impressed by the highly professional way in which the rehabilita­tion is being planned and implemented by ITF. An incredible number of parallel activities have to be coordinated to keep the project on schedule, and decisions have to be made quickly on matters which will affect us all for many years to come:'

Harinder Kohli, Director of ITF, has said that the role and scope of the com­mittee are expected to vary over time as the project mov~s into different phases. Mr. Wessels echoes this view of the com­mittee's role in the future.

Ideas and suggestions

The committee members say that a number of the ideas and suggestions they have already put forward came as a result of individual contacts with other staff members. "Many staff know who we

are:' explains Mr. Wessels, "and they con­tact us directly. Some people have told us of their concerns about exercise facilities, others about environmental factors. Ex­ternal Affairs tells us they want to make certain that there is a display area for visitors to learn about the work of the Bank. We have also sought the views of the Staff Association. We discuss these concerns and ideas with ITF in an orga­nized wai'

Mr. Wessels notes that the committee members represent various major Bank complexes and include staff from differ­ent levels and cultural and personal backgrounds.

Committee members The committee members, in addition

to Mr. Wessels, are: Michael Cernea, Sociology Adviser,

AGR/PPR. Alberto de Capitani, Director, Person­

nel Operations. Caroline Gelb, Administrative Officer,

Technical Department, Asia. Jane Holden, Executive Assistant,

Country Department II, Asia. Kenneth Jones, Assistant to the Vice

President, Sector Policy and Research. Afsaneh Mashayekhi, Senior Financial

Officer, Financial Operations Depart­ment.

Praful Patel, Division Chief, Country Department II, Asia.

Joan Schultz, Budget Officer, Country Department VI, Africa Region.

Denise Weldon, Executive Assistant to the Vice President and Treasu rer.

The Staff Association nominated Mr. Cernea and Ms. Holden to be on the committee.

Mr. Wessels encourages staff who have any questions about the rehabilitation project to write to AnswerLine in The Bank's World or to contact any member of the committee directly.

18 THE BANK'S WORLD' SEPTEMBER 1989

1.1

Around the Bank

New Editor for Bank Publications

Ravi Kanbur, a U.K. national, has been appointed U.K. national has been ap­pointed as Editor of The World Bank Economic Review and The World Bank Research Observer, effective September l.

Mr. Kanbur comes to the Bank from the University of Warwick, England, where he was Professor of Economics and Di­rector of the Development Economics Research Center. Previous appointments include Fellow and Director of Studies in Economics at Clare College, University of Cambridge, and Visiting Professor of Public and International Affairs, Prince­ton University. He was also a member of the editorial boards ,of Review ofEco­nomic Studies and Economic Policy. In addition to his present assignment, he will work with the Social Dimensions of Adjustment Unit and the World Develop­ment Report 1990.

WBVS Skills Bank World Bank Volunteer Service mem­

bers filled out data survey forms recently, and a computer data base is now avail­able in the WBVS office (and will soon be available in Personnel) to help managers find qualified candidates for vacancies, short-term assignments, to serve as con­sultants, and so forth.

Bank spouse Priscilla Linn, WBVS Job and Career Committee Coordinator, notes that it is economically advanta­geous for the institution to hire spouses, when feasible, and the Skills Bank com­prises a pool of highly qualified, highly trained professionals from all over the world who are already living in the area. Together with about 10 other volunteers, Mrs. Linn has been working on the proj­ect and she says that so far close to 150 individuals, most of whom would be interested in finding a position in the Bank, have completed the questionnaire. Of that number, about 17 percent have Ph.D.s and about 35 percent have mas­ter's degrees. So far, the Bank has hired two WBVS members. Eventually, it is hoped the data base can be made avail­able to prospective employers outside the institution too.

Mrs. Linn expressed appreciation to Jorge Ceniceros and Mavee Park of Per­sonnel's Monitoring, Evaluation and Systems Division, who provided tremen­dous help with the survey. WBVS would like all its members to participate, even if they are not interested in employment opportunities at this time. The data base provides a profile of WBVS membership, and is a useful resource when volunteers are needed.

8K Race in Late October Sign up for the race to raise funds for

the needy in our community. The date is being changed from October 22-watch for an announcement in next month's magazine. Call Yosef Hadar, Ext. 75315, if you would like to run or help in any way. There will be refreshments and music in the Main Complex courtyard after the race; this will probably be one of the last events to take place in the courtyard before the rehabilitation. [I

Letter to the Editor To the Editor:

Some Bank staff may remember Gladys Gilbert, who in 1976 and 1977 worked as a consultant in the Bank in what was then the Agriculture and Rural Development Department. Gladys, a USAID official, was among the seven Americans who died in that tragic air­plane crash with Representative Mickey Leland in Ethiopia last month.

Nural Abdulhadi, Strategic Planning and Review Department [I

The Naked Truth A reader, who prefers to remain name­

less, has brought an item that appeared in the July 25 Washington Post to our attention. Referring to negotiations between Eastern Airlines and the unions of pilots and flight attendants taking place at the Safety Harbor Spa and Fit­ness Center in Florida, David Shapiro, the court-appointed mediator, noted that the atmosphere had improved. He was quoted as saying, "I believe that sitting naked ... in a steam room makes nego­tiations more productive:'

There are saunas in the Bank's fitness facilities. So, in the interest of making negotiations more productive, we have a suggestion for Management and the Staff Association . . . II

THE BANK'S WORLD I SEPTEMBER 1989 19

Open Letter to the Board of Governors

by Ann Hammond

Among Bank staff who retired re­cently was a wise and knowledgeable

man who used to talk of what he called "the miracle of the Bank:' Each week, he said, the Executive Directors sit down to deliberate together, East next to West, North next to S04th. They put politics aside, stand back from deep divisions be­tween nations, and together review proj­ects and establish Bank policy. This, he said, was the core strength of the Bank-a commitment that transcended national differences and jockeying for short-term or ideological gains. These "miraculous" deliberations allowed the Bank to speak with a strong and unified voice, garnering respect worldwide.

This wise Bank staffer has left. We think he would be dismayed by what ap­pears to many staff to be the increasing intrusion of partisan or national interests into the deliberations of the Board. True, the world is changing. Development, and especially the work of the Bank, is be­coming increasingly politicized. Develop­ing countries are more and more deter­mined to manage their own programs of political. economic, and social reform, whkh compels important changes in the traditional relationship between donor and beneficiary. Because of growing in­ternationalization of trade and financial systems, developed countries are more directly affected than in the past by the Bank-financed actions in the developing world. So, understandably, maintaining a disinterested commitment to develop­ment goals grows daily more difficult.

While understandable, the politiciza­tion appears to be permeating the sinews of the Bank, expressing itself (at least as perceived by staff) in a tendency of the Board to micromanage our work and our working conditions. In particular. the pressure for fiscal accountability often appears to be at odds with the character of our work in borrowing countries.

1\vo trends are clear in our relation­ship with borrowers: the need for the Bank to support the struggle for national autonomy and self-reliance of these countries and not be swayed by narrow political agendas. and the need for more

20 THE BANKS WORLD SEPTEMBER 1989

open and participative relationships be­tween the Bank and its client govern­ments. Keeping in step with these trends requires flexible, creative, knowledgeable and technically sophisticated responses. Above all, there must be congruence be­tween the organization of work in the Bank and the objectives of our interac­tion with borrowers.

The Bank is, quintessentially, what or­ganization theorists calla knowledge or­ganization. Such organizations are most productive when there is flexibility in structures and procedures, when some redundancy is allowed so that not every­one, all the time, must be working to narrow, predefined targets. The climate of the organization must encourage staff to give their views, be creative and even controversial, and to see those views di­rectly influencing management policy. Efforts to encourage women in develop­ment must be matched by rapid progress in increasing the proportion of women in managerial and higher level positions. Renewed emphasis on human resource development in member countries must be matched by adetermined effort in the Bank to break the decade-long lack of ca­reer development and professional growth opportunities for all but a few. Without congruence there will be a hol­low sound to inspiring leadership mes­sages about our role in the developing world.

The Bank has realized that it can facil­itate but cannot manage the development process. It can provide technical support, know-how. funds; but the pace and suc­cess of development depend on levels of commitment and willingness and readi­ness to adopt innovations and reforms. Understanding better the complex social factors that deter.mine success requires a leadership that conveys trust, under­standing and caring for our beneficiaries. The quality of the Bank's product de­pends on the commitment and effort of individuals in a community whose envi­ronment is similarly complex. The con­cern of leadership within the Bank should be to foster trust and motivation. to provide recognition for achievements.

to operatefIexible and open procedures that adapt to individual needs. At many times in the last decade, the climate within the Bank has felt very different­distrustful of staff, rule-bound, bureau­cratic, even litigious. Effective Bank lead­ership will realize that investing in the motivation and commitment of staff as human beings is a direct investment in the effectiveness of the institution.

The leadership of the Bank faces many other challenges as the institution enters the '90s, such as fostering the Bank's in­tellectual role as our funding role changes; encouraging improved coordi­nation of the development effort among multilateral and bilateral donors; reform­ing the budget process so that the insti­tution moves from constant budget crises to a more stable situation in which the budget serves rather than dominates the Bank's strategic purpose. However, no challenge will be more important than securing confidence in the institu­tion. Externally, the Bank will increas­ingly face challenges about its relevance, objectivity, and responsiveness to the growing aspirations of developing coun­tries to become masters of their own des­tiny. Internally, the leadership will need to convince the staff that they can expect more than the intrinsic satisfaction of working for the institution. There need to be reforms that will ensure personal growth, recognition, fair and just treat­ment of individual needs and grievances, and a flexible, trusting atmosphere where issues are discussed openly and staff are made partners in running the institution .

And. along with the wise, retired Bank staffer whose story opened this letter, we believe the "miracle" does indeed ema­nate from the Board Room; that you, the Governors of the Bank-through your representatives on the Board-set the tone and the style for the Bank's work. The Staff Association, representing the staff of the Bank. looks to you for leader­ship in managing the Bank in the chang­ing international environment that chal­lenges us all. We wish you success at these important Annual Meetings. II

Senior Staff Appointments

Silvio Capoluongo Italian national . . . Ap­pointed Resident Representative in Ghana, ef­fective September 1.

1976: Joined the Bank as a Fi­nancial Analyst, Agricultural Credit and Livestock Div., Eastern Africa Projects Dept. ... 1980: promoted to Sr. Financial Analyst ... 1981: Industrial Projects Dept. ... 1984: Transportation Div., Eastern Africa Projects Dept. ... 1987: Indian Ocean Div. , Eastern and South Africa Country Programs Dept. and, after the reorganization, ap­pointed Principal Country Officer, South Central and In­dian Ocean Dept., Africa Region.

Jean-Francois Rischard Luxembourg national ... Appointed Director, Invest­ment Department, effective September 1.

Mr. Rischard is returning to the Bank after almost three years as Sr. Vice President, In­ternational Fixed Income Capital Markets, Drexel Burn­ham Lambert. 1975: Joined the Bank as a Young Profes­sional ... 1976: Financial Analyst/Economist, Industrial Projects Dept. .. . 1980: pro­moted to Sr. Financial Analyst/Economist ... 1983: Sr. Financial Analyst, Finan­cial Policy and Analysis Dept. ... 1984: Chief, Finan­cial Management and Analysis Div., Financial Policy and Analysis Dept.

Ignacio D. Maramba Filipino national . . . Ap­pointed Regional Manager, Africa Project Development Facility, IFC's East Africa Regional Office in Nairobi, Kenya, effective September 1.

Joined the Corporation in 1978 and has held appoint­ments as Senior and Principal Investment Officer, Asia I Dept. of Investments, and Di­visional Manager, Europe & Middle East Dept.

THE BANK'S WORLD . SEPTEMBER 1989 21

New Staff Members

Syed Mtab Ahmed Pakistan Sr. Invest. Ofcr.lIFC/8/1

Francoise Aubrey-Kendall Haiti Secretary/IEN/8/14

James N. Barbieri United States Financial AnalystiFRS/8/14

Nancy Barrett United States Secretary/AS2/8/8

Jean Belanger Canada Secretary/PAD/811

Pierre Bouvery France Invest. Ofcr.lIFC/8/8

Coralie Bryant United States Policy AnalystiSPR/8/1

Zeljko Bogetic Yugoslavia Young ProfessionaINPP/8/21

Bernice Connolly Ireland Secretary/IFC/8/14

Peter Cordukes Australia Sr. Fin. AnalystiIEN/8/21

Luis Cosenza Honduras Sr. Power Engr.lAFT/8/1

Vinodhini David India Secretary/INUl817

Philippe J-P. Durand France Energy Planner/IEN/817

Alain R. Fernandez France ED 's AssistantiEDS/8/21

Dorothy Galloway United States Secretary/I FC/8/1

Jacob Gnanakkan Sri Lanka Secretary/I FC/7/24

Martha M. Gonzalez EI Salvador Secretary/LA3/7/24

Nyra N. Guice United States Secretary/IEN/811

Kenneth Hale United States Editor/EXT/817

Ursula Hubert Germany Word Processor/GSD/8/14

David B. Jones United Kingdom Econom istIAFS/8/21

Mansour A. Kelada-Antoun Egypt Investment Ofcr.lIFC/8114

Shahidur R. Khandker Bangladesh Research Econ.lPHRJ8/1

Roberto Laver Argentina CounsellLEG/8/1

Victor C. Lavy Israel Econom istiPH R/8/21

Marie A. Laygo Philippines Secretary/PBD/8/1

Minerva Medina United States Secretary/IFC/8/14

Rose T. Nguelie Cameroon Secretary/AF1I8/21

Angela O'Davies Jamaica Secretary/IFC/SI7

Abdelkrim Oka Canada Environ. Spec.lAFS/8/1

Ross Paul Australia Auditor/IAD/8/1

Julio C. Paz Cafferata Peru Agric. Econ.lLA217/27

Leslie J-R. Pean United States Projects Ofcr.lAFS/8/21

Bassam Ramadan Lebanon Young ProfessionalNPPI7/31

Michelle Riboud France Human Res. Econ.lLA2/8/21

Donna Scarbel United States Secretary/IFC/8/1

Mamta H. Shah India Invest. Ofcr.lIFC/7/31

A1assane Sow Senegal Agric. Econ.lAFS/8/1

Erik W. Thulstrup Denmark Science & Tech. Spec.lAST/S/l

Pierre R. Werbrouck Belgium Agric. Econ.lAF4/8/1

Sandra Wildman United Kingdom Staff AsstJEDS/7/31

22 THE BANK S WORLD / SEPTEMBER 1989

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Publications, Public Office, Publicity by Frank Yogi

"Stannard nodded sympathetically but his eyes were hooded. A de­

cade younger than Donaldson of Treas­ury, the Defense Secretary was a former international banker from New York, a cosmopolitan operator who had devel­oped tastes for fine food, vintage wines, and French Impressionist art. During a stint with the World Bank he had estab­lished a reputation as a smooth and effi­cient negotiator; a hard man to con­vince-as third world countries seeking overblown credits had discovered when they went away empty handed."

So writes author Frederick Forsyth about one of his characters in his best selling novel, "The Negotiator;' published by Bantam Books. We all know those tough, shrewd, gourmet, art loving members of our staff who make superbly educated guesses at the most sophisti­cated of wine tastings and move from the Bank to brilliant positions in politics. Where do these authors get such an im­age of Bank staff from?

I have no idea, but I do discover from time to time that some of our colleagues get quite alarmed when they come upon a World Banker in a mystery novel. They fret that the pubhc might get the wrong image of those who work here. My reply: relax and enjoy the story.

"All ofAshe's introductions came with a built-in commercial. 'This is Henry Pickering. Henry is a senior vice presi­dent of the World Bank-listen and you'll hear all those billions of dollars clashing around in his head.' "

Henry Pickering hired Craig Mellow as a field investigator for the World Bank and said he would send him his kit.

"Henry Pickering's survival kit con­tained an assortment ofpress cards, a membership in the TWA Ambassadors Club, an unlimited World Bank Visa credit card, and an ornate metal and en­amel star in a leather case embossed 'Field Assessor-World Bank.' "

So wrote Wilbur Smith in "The Leop­ard Hunts in Darkness;' published by Heinemann. Incidentally, Henry Picker­

ing declares at one point that "I am vice president in charge of the Africa divi­sion . .. despite what a lot of our critics say, we aren't a charitable institution; we are one of the bulwarks of capitalism."

* ~ * Bill Cosgrove knows how to keep a se­

cret. His decision to plunge into Quebec politics came as a total surprise to Bank staff. There was not so much as a muted whisper on the grapevine to tip anyone off that he was even thinking about leav­ing the Bank. When he took his decision, he did so for all the right reasons and with a heavy heart.

He has responded to an array of pow­erful political voices in Quebec who have spared no effort to convince him that his talents are desperately needed in public service in his home province. Quebec's Prime Minister Robert Bourassa made some forceful arguments, with the criti­cal emphasis being on the opportunity to contribute to the public good. It was the chance to serve in the public domain that made Bill accept a cut in pay many years ago and move from Quebec's pri­vate sector to the World Bank, and it is precisely that same driving force that now has convinced him to accept a sal­ary cut.

Bill didn't seek public office and he is unlikely to enjoy the cut and thrust of politics. He is a modest, somewhat self­deprecating man who likes to just get on with a job rather than talk about it. He is not a brilliant and dramatic public speaker and he leaves little doubt that addressing large crowds is not his idea of an ego boost. All the same, as he demon­strated in a low-key, clear and moving talk to all the staff of Personnel when an­nouncing his decision, his absolute sin­cerity shines through when he gets be­hind a mike and that, assuredly, is a political asset.

Bill had quite a reputation as an envi­ronmentalist in Canada before he was re­cruited by Willi Wapenhans to join the Bank in 1973. His work many years ago

on the environment of James Bay was swiftly highlighted as Quebec's Liberal Party launched its Cosgrove campaign. Quebec politics can be rough and issues of the environment, language and rela­tions with the Federal Government in Ot­tawa are a plateful for any politician. Good luck, Bill.

* * * Saudi Arabia put on a super show at

the D.C. Convention Center the other month. If you didn't get a chance to see it, you missed an extraordinary exhibi­tion. The theme, Saudi Arabia "Yesterday and Tomorrow;' came al ive through an array of exhibits, models, cultural dis­plays and films. The message was clear: here is a country that has built on Islam and on many great traditions to develop a vibrant and modern nation.

The presentations were clear but not boastful. Models of cities were mounted in ways that taught one a great deal about the country today and its cultural life. The focus was on providing informa­tion as objectively as possible. The im­pact was brilliant. The visitor almost cer­tainly left the show with a sense of strong Saudi good will for the United States and with an impression of a na­tion that has used its vast oil wealth to secure major benefits for its people. The World Bank was even given a nice com­ment in a laser show depicting the many aspects of modern Saudi Arabia, includ­ing its membership in international organizations.

The idea of mounting exhibits about development, showing the effective blend­ing of the old with the new, as well as social and economic progress in distant lands, has enormous appeal. The overall exhibition adds a new facet to develop­ment public relations. To be sure, this is a very expensive way of making an impression. But my guess is that the in­vestment will prove worthwhile. Cer­tainly the initial publicity alone, which drew the crowds in large numbers, was worth its weight in advertising expenses.

l!I

THE BANK'S WORLD / SEPTEMBER 1989 23

t ,

The purpose of this column is to answer questions ofbroad interest concerning the World 8ank/IFC's policies and proce­dures. Please include your name and room number so we can send you the answer to your question, even if it is not selected to appear in the magazine. }bur confidentiality will be protected and your name will not be submitted to the man­ager from whom an answer is sought.

Question: For the past few months, I have received calls from several insur­ance brokers and investment companies. These calls have been in the Bank. They usually begin with, "a friend of yours has referred you to me.... " Several of my colleagues have received similar calls and, coinciden­tally, they have been in alphabetical order. Why is it that the Bank sells the Bank Telephone Directory to anyone wishing to buy it for $6.95 at the Book­store? If an outside caller wishes to contact a Bank staff member, they can do so by calling the main Bank number and the staff locator will direct the call. Those of us who have discussed this in our office all agree it is quite annoying and disruptive.

Answer: I agree that these sales calls from brokers are annoying and disrup­tive, but I do not think they would cease if we stopped selling the telephone direc­tory. Sales of the directory represent a small proportion of the total distribution , and there are thousands of people , inside and outside the U.N. system, who have a legitimate need for it. With so many bona fide users, there is no way to keep the directory out of the hands of those who misuse it.

I myself receive numerous such calls and I find the best way to deal with them is to say: ''I'm sorry, I do not accept such calls during office hours;' and hang up. James Feather, Director, Publications, External Affairs Department

Question: As the reconstructed A-B-C-F buildings will undoubtedly be built to the Pennsylvania Avenue height limit of 130 feet, instead of the 110 feet I assume is permitted on H Street, is Bank management giving any thought to adopting the more prestigious

24 THE BANK'S WORLD i SEPTEMBER 1989

address of "1818 Pennsylvania Avenue?"

Answer: The reconstructed A-B-C-F buildings will have a height limit of 130 feet. This is allowable under D.C . zoning provisions because of the width of the streets surrounding the site.

The 1818 H Street address has long­standing familiarity in member countries around the world and, unless some com­pelling reason for change arises, will remain as the Bank's Headquarters ad­dress. Ralph C. Blackwell, Head, Facilities Staff, Information, Technology and Facilities Department

Question: The situation at the salad bar in the E building cafeteria is absolutely outrageous. The lines are long and move slowly (it can take more than 10 minutes to get a salad) and result in constant irritation as people jockey for position to get a salad, a sandwich, or both. The salad items are often empty and the food service employees cannot easily replenish items without disrupt­ing everything and everyone. The new, expensive carts that hold the salad items are so poorly designed that one is physically unable to extract food from any of the jars in the back row-once the contents get below three-quarters full, there is not enough room to manipulate the serving tongs. It is also difficult for grill customers to physically pass the salad! sandwich line on the way to the cashier. What was wrong with the old situation? It was infinitely better than what exists today. Will Marriott make the necessary changes to this salad bar? Or have they already spent too much money creating this awful, inferior system?

Answer: The congestion evident dur­ing the first few days of the new salad and sandwich bar operation greatly im­proved once customers became familiar with the new location of their favorite items. Marriott has implemented im­provements, such as the introduction of directional signs, posts and ropes sepa­rating the salad bar from the sandwich station , and the addition of two cashiers.

Staff of the Food Services Section of GSD and Marriott have been closely monitoring the service in the E cafeteria since the changes were implemented,

and, recognizing the need for further improvement, already have plans to ex­pand the salad bar area and relocate the sandwich bar to the opposite side of the servery. This is expected to make it easier for customers to serve themselves at the bars, improve the customer flow through the servery, and make it easier for Mar­riott staff to replenish necessary items.

The changes in the E Cafeteria have been undertaken as part of the Rehabili­tation Project to ensure there is no reduction in Main Complex food service capacity following the closing of the C Coffee Shop. Unfortunately, the Bank's food facilities in the E building were de­signed for far fewer people and menu items than are being accommodated to­day, and existing physical building constraints prohibit expansion of the E Cafeteria servery into other areas. Mar­garet Clark, Marriott Contact Officer, Food Services, General Services Department

Question: Most organizations are encouraged to employ a minority of handicapped individuals according to their specific abilities. I don't know if there is any such policy in the World Bank. If there is not, don't you think we should have one? Or do you think it is an organization's cultural problem?

Answer: The employment of disabled persons is an important issue and the Bank recognizes that. While the Bank has no written policy on the employment of the disabled and no specific quotas or targets. we do have disabled persons on our staff. There are definitional problems involved in giving a precise answer to the questions of disability. Commonly, one thinks of someone in a wheelchair, but an individual who has severe diabetes or a cardiovascular problem could also fall into the category of being "disabled. Clearly there are constraints in the em­ployment of certain categories of disabled persons because of the medical standards and travel requirements which may pre­clude otherwise qualified persons from employment with the Bank Group. We will however, review what further scope there may be and thank you for raising the issue. Ian Hume, Director, Personnel Policy