The Portfolio Performance Review Meeting will take place on October 7 and 8 and will assess the implementation of nine projects financed by the World Bank.

On Wednesday, October 7, the Government of Cape Verde and the World Bank launched the Portfolio Performance Review (CPPR) meeting for projects financed by the World Bank Group in the country. The meeting, which runs through Thursday, October 8, focuses on analyzing project implementation, identifying key constraints, and defining measures to accelerate the implementation of planned actions.

The opening session was chaired by the Minister of Coordination of Special Projects and Access to Funds, José Carlos Varela, accompanied by the Minister of State Reform, Local Government, and Decentralization, José Casemiro de Pina, and the World Bank’s Representative in Cape Verde, Indira Campos.

In his opening remarks, José Carlos Varela emphasized that the CPPR is a government-led exercise conducted in partnership with the World Bank, providing an opportunity to assess the portfolio’s performance openly and objectively.

“This is not a mere formality. It is the moment, once a year, when we sit down together to take a frank look at what is going well, what is behind schedule, and what needs to be corrected,” the minister stated.

José Carlos Varela acknowledged the progress made but emphasized the need to clearly identify the challenges that still hinder project implementation. In this context, he noted that the portfolio’s performance is one of the criteria considered in the allocation of resources by the IDA (International Development Association) and that, at the level of each project, it influences eligibility for additional funding.

“Effective and timely implementation is, therefore, a prerequisite for mobilizing more resources for the country,” he emphasized.

During the two-day meeting, projects will be analyzed individually, with presentations on their current status, main constraints, and proposed measures to overcome them. The program also includes specific sessions on procurement, financial management, and safeguards.

The Minister called for an approach focused on three fundamental aspects: clarity in identifying constraints, objectivity in defining solutions, and commitment to implementing the agreed-upon actions. He argued, in particular, that each defined action should have a designated person in charge and a deadline, in order to ensure effective follow-up on the decisions made.

For her part, World Bank Representative Indira Campos viewed the CPPR as an opportunity to strengthen a partnership based on a shared purpose and a common commitment to transforming the mobilized resources into concrete results for the country.

Throughout the meeting, project managers present the main results achieved, the areas requiring greater attention, and the proposed actions to overcome the identified challenges.

The CPPR thus represents an opportunity for joint assessment between the Government and the World Bank, aimed at strengthening project execution and defining concrete measures to accelerate implementation and maximize the impact of investments for the benefit of Cape Verde’s development.