FY 2024 El Salvador Country Opinion Survey Report

El Salvador Country Opinion Survey Report

Objectives

The survey aimed to understand how stakeholders in El Salvador perceive the World Bank Group (WBG). Key areas of focus included:

• Overall familiarity and trust in the WBG.
• Opinions on the WBG's effectiveness, relevance, and alignment with El Salvador’s development priorities.
• Development priorities and the WBG's engagement on the ground.
• Feedback on WBG financial instruments and knowledge work.
• Communication and outreach preferences.
• Message recall and its relationship to views of the WBG's work.

Methodology

• Survey Period: January-April 2024.
• Participants: 384 potential participants.
• Response Rate: 52% (201 participants).
• Respondent Breakdown:
  • 90% from the Central Zone.
  • 26% currently collaborate with the WBG.
  • Respondents completed the questionnaire online.
  • Compared to FY21: 165 participants (68% response rate).

Overall Context

• Familiarity with the WBG: Similar levels of familiarity in FY24 (6.9) compared to FY21 (6.9).
• Collaboration with the WBG: Higher familiarity among those who collaborate with the WBG (8.2 vs. 6.4).
• Stakeholder Familiarity: Highest among government institutions, followed by local government, then private sector and academia.

Stakeholder Familiarity and Trust

• Most Familiar Organizations: United Nations (UN) and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB/BID).
• Trust in Institutions: WBG, UN, academia, and civil society rated highest. Least trusted: Legislative Assembly, El Salvador’s Central Bank, media, and national government.
  • WBG Trust Ratings:
    • Government institutions: Mean = 9.0.
    • Academia: Mean = 7.0.
    • Media: Mean = 7.5.
    • Civil society: Mean = 7.5.

Key Performance Indicators

• Relevance and Alignment: High ratings for the WBG’s relevance to development and alignment with El Salvador’s priorities.
• Effectiveness and Policy Influence: Slight improvement in the WBG’s positive influence on shaping development policy.
• Poverty Reduction: High ratings for the WBG’s efforts in ending poverty.

Development Priorities and Engagement

• Important Areas: Economic reforms, sustainable growth, efficient debt management, and regional integration.
• Engagement: WBG is seen as an effective development partner, with opinions slightly improving over time.

Financial Instruments and Knowledge Work

• Preferred Instruments: Financial instruments and knowledge products valued by key stakeholders.
• Suggestions for Improvement: Systematic promotion of knowledge management and training of new officials.

Communication and Outreach

• Preferred Channels: Online surveys and direct collaboration.
• Message Recall: High recall of key topics communicated by the WBG.

Summary

The survey highlights that while the WBG is highly trusted and relevant, there is room for improvement in areas such as systematic knowledge management and training. Government institutions are the most familiar and trusting of the WBG, with other stakeholders showing varying levels of familiarity and trust. The WBG continues to play a significant role in development, particularly in promoting sustainable growth and poverty reduction.