About Vinod
Excellence in teaching, research and outreach is the overriding focus of Vinod’ current work. He was a Board member for the International Evaluation Academy, and distinguished fellow at Asian Institute of Management, Manila. The book that Vinod has published in 2024 “Risk and Resilience in the Era of Climate Change” (published by Palgrave Macmillan) is an extension of his research and work.
He first initiated a new program at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP), a part of the National University of Singapore (NUS), on Risk and Resilience which has expanded rapidly to maximum capacity, reaching both NUS students and Singaporean professionals. The impact of the class on the School’s direction in sustainability is significant. Through the outstanding contributions he has made teaching at NUS, he received the NUS Teaching Excellence award in 2022. His work has been in collaboration with LKYSPP’s Institute of Water Policy and the Institute for Environment and Sustainability.
Previously as Director-General Evaluation of Independent Evaluation Department at Asian Development Bank (ADB), Vinod reported to ADB’s Board of Directors through the Development Effectiveness Committee. His work was to assess ADB’s development effectiveness while providing lessons to inform ADB’s actions. This work in evaluation has helped in making green growth more integral to ADB’s strategy.
Vinod was responsible for evaluating policies, programs, projects, and technical assistance, as well as thematic issues at the regional, country, and sector levels. The reviews addressed the effectiveness of ADB’s strategies, policies, practices, and procedures. He also headed the review of project and program reports from operations. He oversaw the response to evaluation recommendations and building of evaluation capacity. External partnerships are vital to this work.
He was Director-General Evaluation, Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) and Senior Vice President at the World Bank Group, reporting directly to the WBG’s Board of Directors. He emphasized the accountability and knowledge aspects of independent evaluation. His strategy to increase the development effectiveness of the WBG through independent evaluation has helped shape sector and corporate policies. He unified the three separate evaluation units of the World Bank, IFC and MIGA, and pulled them together as one under a new name, IEG.
In 2009, he chaired the Evaluation Cooperation Group of the multilateral development banks. IEG has under his leadership been responsible for several highly influential evaluations, among them, Trade, Natural Disasters, Gender and Development, Primary Education, Environment, Climate Change and Africa’s agriculture. He oversaw a trilogy of reports on climate change and the environment.
He led a renewal at IEG — at the management level, at the level of the staff, in terms of the work and its impact. IEG initiated several innovative evaluations, joint evaluations across the WBG, initiated common work with ECG, and strengthened external partnerships, outreach, and dissemination.
Vinod was formerly Country Director for Brazil and Vice President of the World Bank. He managed the Bank’s large lending and non-lending portfolio in Brazil, helped shape the dialogue with the government and the Bank’s Brazil Country Assistance Strategy. Environmental sustainability was introduced as one of three pillars of the country strategy (in addition to economic growth and social inclusion). He led the World Bank’s work supporting several analytical and financial initiatives of the Lula administration in macroeconomic, social, and environmental areas. The lending program was expanded to some US$2 billion a year.
As Vice President of the World Bank Institute (WBI), he sharpened the Institute’s focus and quality and expanded its mandate and impact, including partnerships and co-financing. He transformed the former Economic Development Institute into WBI — an organization that was three times larger in financing, with a far greater outreach and impact, especially in health, education, governance, women’s enterprise management, finance, and trade. He established the Global Distance Learning Network, programs in global governance and development, oversaw the Joint program with African Development Bank and supported the African Virtual University.
He also held positions as Chief Economist for the World Bank in the combined Asia Region and the East Asia and Pacific Region. During this time, he led analytical work relating to the enormous success of the East Asian economies, as well as their threats in the areas of finance, social progress, and environmental protection.
Vinod was the Director of the 1991 World Development Report, entitled “The Challenge of Development”, working with the then Chief economists Stanley Fischer and Larry Summers. The report assessed the world’s development experience. It signaled the role of market friendly reforms, trade reform, freedom and liberties, health, education, the environment, and summarized the desirable balance in governance—noting the role of the state and the role of markets.
He was also Chief of Trade Policy and Principal Economist for Colombia. As Chief in the Trade Policy Division, he established a new work program of research, policy analysis and operational support. He was Co-Director of a UNDP-financed technical assistance project for trade expansion and Co-Director of a Board Report on Adjustment Lending and a Board Paper on Trade Policy. He was also selected as one of the Maritime Leaders (May 2023) by the Maritime Fairtrade for Conversations with captains of industry and thought leaders.
On His Passion for Photography
Vinod also shares his passion for nature and appreciation of the environment through his love of photography.
Capturing the beauty and serenity of his many personal travels and nature trails, his photographs are well recognized not just by avid photographers but published by mainstream media as well. For more photographs and details, please visit: Gallery As featured in this article, a selection of his photographs.
