The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved the appointment of Ms. Lori Udall to conduct a robust review and make recommended changes to the structure and policy of the Bank’s Independent Consultation and Investigation Mechanism (MICI).
The review aims to ensure MICI can continue to enhance development impact and sustainability by responding effectively to complaints by parties affected by the IDB’s projects.
This appointment was made in response to a mid-term evaluation conducted by the IDB’s Office of Evaluation and Oversight (OVE) in December of 2012, which recommended a number of improvements in MICI´s operations.
The IDB has had an independent entity to tackle external complaints since 1994. The mechanism was reformed in 2010, and an OVE evaluation mandated by the Board of Executive Directors, with the objective of conducting a full review and assessment as well as an opportunity to make any necessary adjustments.
The IDB remains fully committed to an effective independent accountability mechanism and is pleased to benefit from Ms. Udall’s more than 25 years of experience in international public policy and development. She presides over a consulting firm that works on international accountability mechanisms, information disclosure, civil society participation, field project development, project evaluation and governance issues.
Ms. Udall has served as a Strategic Advisor to the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman Office of the IFC, as a consultant to the World Bank Inspection Panel, and has conducted reviews of the operational guidelines and practices of several accountability mechanisms, including those of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from George Mason University, a LLM degree in English and International Law from the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England, and a Master’s degree in Comparative Law from George Washington University.