This seminar was part of the ongoing Brookings Transparency and Accountability Project luncheon seminar series and focused on three inter-related issues. First, it provided an overview of the key themes in the recently approved Strategy for Strengthening World Bank Group Engagement on Governance and Anti-Corruption. Second, it summarized some findings as to what works (and what does not) in reforms to improve governance. Third, it highlighted some key unresolved empirical questions going forward.

Brian Levy, the seminar presenter, is an Advisor in Public Sector Governance at the World Bank. He worked in the World Bank's Africa Vice Presidency from 1991 to 2003 on the challenges of strengthening the institutional underpinnings of African development and for the last four years as sector manager of the Africa Public Sector Reform and Capacity Building Unit. Most recently, he led work on a new framework for "Governance as Part of Global Monitoring", Part II of the 2006 Global Monitoring Report. Prior to joining the Bank he was assistant professor in development economics at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He has a Ph.D in economics from Harvard University.