Strategic evaluation of OeEB

We executed an independent strategic evaluation of the Austrian Development Bank to assess its performance and inform the design of the Bank’s next strategy

 The Austrian Development Bank (Oesterreichische Entwicklungsbank or OeEB) provides long-term financing and technical assistance for private sector projects in emerging markets. The Bank invests in projects in its strategic target areas of renewable energy, financial inclusion, and infrastructure, while also considering the cross-cutting themes of climate protection and gender equality in each investment. Its main mandate provider, the Austrian Ministry of Finance, asked Steward Redqueen to undertake a comprehensive independent evaluation of its strategy and operations, providing lessons learnt and accountability while assessing whether the Bank is maximising its impact generating potential.

Grounding ourselves in the OECD DAC’s evaluation criteria, we conducted extensive semi-structured interviews with staff and key stakeholders to identify and understand the Bank’s strengths, challenges, and drivers of success. This was complemented by a quantitative portfolio analysis to make sense of how the Bank is performing both financially and against its strategic targets. Based on our findings, we developed recommendations to help enhance the Bank’s already impressive track record, covering its investment approach, organisation and governance, technical capability, and impact generation.

The resulting evaluation enables the Bank as well as shareholders and stakeholders to understand how it is performing, while also identifying its strengths and opportunities for improvement. This evaluation informs the design of the Bank’s next 5-year strategic period.