The World Bank’s accountability mechanism, the Inspection Panel, is updating its operating procedures, including a proposed pilot “to support early solutions” in the Panel process. According to the October draft of the revised procedures, the pilot aims “to provide an additional opportunity for management and requesters to address the concerns about alleged harm raised in a request for inspection by postponing the Panel’s decision on registration of the request”. The results and effectiveness of the pilot would be assessed by end 2015. Other objectives for the updated procedures include “what the Panel looks at in determining whether to register a complaint and receive a formal response from the management of the Bank” and “ways in which outputs from the Panel process contribute to institutional learning”.

The draft procedures are open for comments until 15 January 2014. The Panel expects the new procedures to be finalised by March.