Check it out at ftp.worldbank.org
 
 
                Weclome to the World Bank's Public Information Center
 
 
                In keeping with the World Bank's policy to be open about
          its activities and to welcome and seek out opportunities to
          explain its work to the widest possible audience, a new policy on
          disclosure of operational information was approved by the
          Executive Directors in August 1993. As part of that policy the
          Public Information Center has been established to make available
          to the public a range of operational documents that were
          previously restricted to official users.
 
                The new policy takes effect in January 1994, and is not
          retroactive.
 
                Please see next screen for details of the documents that
          may be obtained from the Public Information Center.
 
 
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          The World Bank's Operational Documents Obtainable from the Public
          Information Center
 
 
          1. The Project Information Document (PID), a new World Bank
          document, makes project information available while a project is
          under preparation. It provides a brief factual summary of the
          evolving project and is subject to updating and expansion as
          project preparation proceeds. PIDs are available through the
          Public Information Center and via Internet for projects which
          reached the Initial Executive Project Summary (IEPS) stage by
          October 1, 1993.
 
          2. Staff Appraisal Reports (SARs) for projects for which
          invitations to negotiate were issued after October 1, 1993 are
          made publicly available once the project has been approved by the
          Bank's Board of Executive Directors.
 
          3. Following consultation with the government concerned, Country
          Economic and Sector Work (CESW) reports are publicly available
          once they are distributed as "gray covers" to the Executive
          Directors. This is effective for all CESW reports that go to gray
          cover after January 1, 1994.
 
          4. Sectoral Policy Papers approved by the Board after January 1,
          1994 are publicly available.
 
          5. Environmental Data Sheets, prepared and updated quarterly for
          each project in the Bank's lending program, are publicly
          available through the PIC.
 
          6. Environmental assessments for IDA-funded "category A" projects
          (those likely to have significant environmental impact) and
          environmental analyses for IDA-funded "category B" projects
          (those with less significant likely environmental impact) have
          been made publicly available since July 1, 1993. The same classes
          of documents will become available for all IBRD-funded documents
          from January 1, 1994.
 
          7. National Environmental Action Plans (EAPs) will be obtainable
          from the PIC once the Bank has officially received the EAP and
          obtained the consent of the government concerned to release it.
 
          8. Environmental assessments for IFC-funded "category A" projects
          and the executive summary will, beginning January 1, 1994, be
          made publicly available 60 days before the date proposed for the
          project(s) to come before the Board. From the same date the
          Environmental Review Summary for "category B" projects will be
          available when the projects are submitted to the Board.
 
          9. All evaluation reports produced by the Bank's Operations
          Evaluation Department after January 1, 1994 will be available
          from the PIC.
 
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          Because the disclosure policy is not retroactive the list of
          documents immediately available from the Public Information
          Center is not extensive, but it will increase steadily throughout
          1994 and beyond.
 
          Note that the PIC will deal only with requests for specific
          documents, not blanket requests for information.
 
          Apart from Project Information Documents (PIDs) and Environmental
          Data Sheets, which are available at no charge, the PIC will
          supply all documents at a charge of $15 per document inclusive of
          postage and handling. Visa and MasterCard, checks, or money
          orders are accepted (but, please, no cash).
 
          For additional information, please telephone (202) 458-5454, or
          send questions by fax to (202) 522-1500.