Summary report of Village Immersion Programme, Sri Lanka, March 26 - April 4, 1998

This report provides a summary of the Village Immersion Programme (VIP) in Sri Lanka. The VIP is essential training for staff of the World Bank, and provides them with an opportunity to sensitise themselves to poverty and development related issues at village level. The report outlines the process of the programme through personal documentation of events. It provides recommendations for improving the Bank's lending programmes from the perception of the participants, and offers suggestions for the VIP's improvement. The overall observations and conclusions are made that:
" The isolated conditions gave participants a useful experience to understand the difficulties experienced by people in such locations in accessing services provided by the Government;
" Interruptions in planned schedules due to unforeseen circumstances often led to unplanned activities, and resulted in greater appreciation of villagers conditions by participants, as well as a space for knowledge sharing;
" The opportunity for participants to provide feedback was a useful component of the programme;
" The understanding and closeness emerging from the interaction is seen to pave the way for greater collaboration in designing and implementing Bank programmes.