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Home / DFI Index / DFI Transparency Index 2023 / AsDB – sovereign
DFI

DFI Transparency Index 2023

AsDB – sovereign

Score:
75.9
Position:
1 / 9

Overview

Asian Development Bank (AsDB) promotes resilience and sustainability across the Asia-Pacific region. Its sovereign portfolio provides non-concessional and concessional loans, grants, and technical assistance to lower and middle-income governments. It engages in projects more directly orientated towards social development and poverty alleviation. AsDB publishes to the IATI Standard. It was established in 1966. 

Total asset size: $271.7bn (AsDB overall)
Key links
  • AsDB website
  • AsDB project database

Analysis

AsDB scored the most points in our sovereign assessments with a score of 75.9 out of 100. AsDB performed strongly across all four components in the sovereign assessment. AsDB came first in Core Information and ESG and Accountability to Communities, while coming second in Impact Management and Financial Information. AsDB is an IATI publisher and there was a bulk download available. 

AsDB scored the highest in the Core Information component with a score of 26.5 out of 30. The breadth of information disclosed by AsDB was good and the information disclosed was of high quality and in accessible formats of publication, including to the IATI Standard. As such, AsDB scored at least 50% for every indicator in the component.  

AsDB came joint second in the Impact Management component with 25.33 out of 30. It scored in all five indicators of the component and scored 100% in three out of the five indicators. AsDB published data in the activity indicators/metrics and results indicators, but lost points for not consistently disclosing actual results. It also did not publish its approach to determining impact attribution. 

AsDB came top in the ESG and Accountability to Communities component with 19.83 points out of 30. AsDB scored 87% for organisation-level questions. It performed relatively well for project-level indicators because it published summaries of E&S risks and E&S standards triggered consistently to its website and the IATI Standard. 

AsDB came second in the Financial Information component with a score of 4.25 out of 10. AsDB scored points in all four indicators, but did not get 100% for project-level questions due to publishing in less accessible formats of publication. 

Core Information 26.5 / 30
Impact Management 25.33 / 30
ESG & Accountability to Communities 19.83 / 30
Financial Information 4.25 / 10

Recommendations

  • AsDB should disclose client contacts and date of activity disclosure for all investments. 
  • It should publish data that is already disclosed on its website or in a PDF in its bulk download file. 
  • AsDB should review the exceptions articles in its access to information policy and include an objective harm test for confidentiality of information provided by third parties. 
  • AsDB should consistently disclose actual results for all its sovereign investments. 
  • It should disclose an impact attribution approach or statement. 
  • It should provide assurance of community disclosure for investments when disclosure is required. 
  • AsDB should create a policy guiding the disclosure of the presence of the independent accountability mechanism (IAM) at community level.  
Core Information 26.5 / 30
Impact Management 25.33 / 30
ESG & Accountability to Communities 19.83 / 30
Financial Information 4.25 / 10

Deep Dive

Core InformationImpact ManagementESG & Accountability to CommunitiesFinancial Information

Core Information

26.5 / 30
1 / 9
About component

The basic information that describes a DFI’s organisational policies and investments. This type of information is typically found in key organisation documents and represents the first tier of project information, typically disclosed on project web pages or in files available for bulk download. At the organisation level this includes access to information policies and annual reports. At the project level, this includes project titles, locations, and key dates.

Disclosure / access to information policy

Score: 2.25 out of 3

Accessibility

Score: 2 out of 2

Annual reports

Score: 1 out of 1

Project identification

Score: 1.5 out of 1.5

Status

Score: 1.5 out of 1.5

Project description

Score: 1.5 out of 1.5

Location

Score: 1.5 out of 1.5

Sovereign / non-sovereign

Score: 1.5 out of 1.5

Sector

Score: 1.5 out of 1.5

Investment instrument

Score: 1.5 out of 1.5

Project costs

Score: 1 out of 1.5

Funding source

Score: 0.75 out of 1.5

Client

Score: 1.5 out of 1.5

Contacts

Score: 0.75 out of 1.5

E&S risk category

Score: 1.5 out of 1.5

Progress dates

Score: 0.75 out of 1.5

Contract (sovereign only)

Score: 4.5 out of 4.5

Impact Management

25.33 / 30
3 / 9
About component

The ways in which a DFI predicts, measures, and evaluates the impacts of their investments. At the organisation level, this includes an impact measurement approach. At the project level, this includes activity indicators/metrics and results.

Impact measurement approach

Score: 4 out of 6

Sector / country strategy

Score: 4 out of 4

Evaluations

Score: 4 out of 4

Activity indicators / metrics

Score: 8 out of 8

Results

Score: 5.33 out of 8

ESG & Accountability to Communities

19.83 / 30
1 / 9
About component

The ways in which a DFI predicts, mitigates, and communicates the ESG aspects of their activities. At the organisation level this includes E&S global disclosure policy and E&S community disclosure policy. At the project level this includes E&S plans and assessments, and assurance of community disclosure.

E&S global disclosure policy

Score: 5 out of 5

E&S community disclosure policy

Score: 4 out of 4

IAM global disclosure documentation

Score: 2 out of 2

IAM community disclosure policy

Score: 0 out of 2

PGM community disclosure policy

Score: 2 out of 2

Summary of E&S risks

Score: 2 out of 2

E&S project plans / assessments

Score: 3.33 out of 4

Assurance of E&S community disclosure

Score: 0.5 out of 3

IAM global disclosure

Score: 1 out of 1

Assurance of IAM community disclosure

Score: 0 out of 2.5

Assurance of PGM community disclosure

Score: 0 out of 2.5

Financial Information

4.25 / 10
2 / 9
About component

This information provides details on the financial performance of DFIs and the structuring of investments. At the organisation level, this includes audited financial reports. At the project level, this includes currency of investment, mobilisation, and concessionality

Financial reports / statements

Score: 1 out of 1

Currency of investment

Score: 0.5 out of 2

Co-financing

Score: 2 out of 4

Instrument-specific disclosure

Score: 0.75 out of 3
DFI

DFI Transparency Index 2023

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