2019 was both challenging and exciting for the African Development Bank Group (“the Bank”) and its Independent Development Evaluation function (IDEV). In a year characterized by strong international attention for issues of global concern such as climate change, environmental degradation, economic imbalances and inequality, and insecurity and fragility, AfDB shareholders deliberated on how the institution could best continue to serve its clients, responding to their needs and achieving greater development outcomes for inclusive and green growth in Africa. They agreed that the African Development Bank and African Development Fund needed to be endowed with additional resources, while implementing a program of policy reforms and strengthening the institution’s capacity to deliver quality results.