World Bank influence on policy implementation in education: A systematic review

Abstract

This systematic literature review identifies the modes of the World Bank’s participation in the implementation of education policies and analyzes the factors that contribute to a lack of implementation fidelity. The results show how the World Bank’s participation takes multiple forms, including policy design and the use of conditionalities, the provision of technical assistance, and the evaluation of implemented policies or programs. Factors identified that contribute to the emergence of implementation infidelity include the existence of government personnel beyond the control of the World Bank and contextual insensitivity in project design. Results are analyzed and discussed using the ‘global-local conditions of possibility’ approach from policy sociology.