The World Bank

This case study, by Michel Pommier, outlines the sharing of knowledge through communities of practice which is assuming a prominent role among World Bank's development partners because it allows rapid identification of global best practices and continuous learning opportunities New Page 1 The World Bank now supports a broad range of programs geared to alleviating poverty and improving the living standards of the poorest people in the world. Bilateral agencies, regional development banks, and institutions such as government-sponsored development agencies have also reoriented their programs to address the same issues. The president of the World Bank, James D. Wolfensohn, points out, “There are too many people dying due to lack of vaccines, and the world is showing an increasing inequity.”   Furthermore, as “We come to the next millennium,” we face a “digital and electronic revolution” with enormous implications for the developing world.  Consequently, sharing global kno...