FY 2024 Mauritania Country Opinion Survey Report

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for the World Bank Group's activities in Mauritania Core Insights - The World Bank Group (WBG) is perceived as a long-term partner in Mauritania, with improved accessibility and effectiveness ratings compared to previous years [50][51] - Familiarity with the WBG has decreased among stakeholders, impacting their perceptions of its effectiveness [12][26] - Key development priorities identified by stakeholders include education, agriculture, and water/sanitation, with a notable increase in the importance of social protection [36][39] Objectives - The survey aimed to understand stakeholder perceptions of the WBG, focusing on familiarity, effectiveness, development priorities, and engagement [4] - It explored how stakeholders view the WBG's alignment with Mauritania's development needs and its overall impact [4] Methodology Overview - Conducted from January to March 2024, the survey included 320 participants with a 46% response rate [5][6] - The survey utilized a mix of face-to-face, courier, and online methods for data collection [5] Overall Context - Stakeholders expressed a need for the WBG to decentralize its activities and focus on local community engagement to combat corruption and improve development outcomes [10] - Trust in the WBG has improved, particularly among civil society organizations, while academia reported lower trust levels [19][20] Key Performance Indicators - The WBG's effectiveness in helping Mauritania achieve development results received a mean rating of 7.3, an increase from 6.1 in FY21 [21] - Ratings for the WBG's relevance and alignment with development priorities were moderately positive, with mean scores of 6.6 and 6.5 respectively [20][30] Development Areas for Focus - Stakeholders prioritized education (51%), agriculture/food security (49%), and water/sanitation (42%) as key areas for WBG investment [36][39] - Climate change emerged as a significant concern, with 15% of respondents identifying it as a priority area [37] Effectiveness of WBG's Sectoral Support - The WBG received high effectiveness ratings in health and agriculture/food security, with notable improvements in social inclusion ratings compared to FY21 [45] - Perceptions of the WBG's financial instruments and project monitoring have improved significantly, indicating a positive trend in stakeholder satisfaction [65][66] Future Role of the WBG - Stakeholders emphasized the importance of transparency, local engagement, and tailored development initiatives to enhance the WBG's effectiveness in Mauritania [73]