What do clients really think about multilateral development banks?

Multilateral development banks (MDBs) are under growing pressure to prove their relevance in a world where development finance is becoming increasingly fragmented, financing needs are rising, and fiscal space is tightening across many countries. Governments are asking these institutions to deliver more finance, more quickly, and with greater efficiency and impact. MDBs are also in the middle of a far-reaching reform agenda – driven through successive G20 presidencies and shareholder processes – aimed at strengthening their financial capacity, improving coordination, and making operations faster and more effective. However, despite this momentum for reform, a central question remains: what is actually changing for the countries these institutions exist to serve? This episode of Think Change explores that question through the findings of ODI Global’s latest MDB client survey, drawing on the views of nearly 650 government officials across 125 countries.  Guests examine how client countries assess MDB performance across financing, policy advice, delivery speed, coordination and project quality, and whether reforms agreed in recent years are translating into meaningful operational change. Guests Sara Pantuliano (host), Chief Executive, ODI Global Anna Bjerde, Managing Director for Operations at the World Bank Annalisa Prizzon, Principal Research Fellow at ODI Global José Antonio Ocampo, Professor at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, and former Minister of Finance of the Government of Colombia Related resources Reforming multilateral development banks: perspectives from client countries Maximising operational effectiveness and impact: key priorities for multilateral development banks Are MDBs becoming ‘better’ institutions for their clients? Early insights from the 2025 survey of clients of multilateral development banks