RBF Knowledge Library

The learning page will provide a wide range of content that will be useful for everyone from expert practitioners to those unfamiliar with RBF but interested in learning more about it. You can expect to see these kinds of documents:

Country Examples: Synopses of the main features of RBF programs supported by the World Bank.

Technical Briefs: Substantial but short pieces that provide arguments for and against RBF-related policies, e.g., "Employing RBF in health systems strengthening efforts"; "RBF - Promises and Pitfalls"; "RBF and fiscal space".

Feature Stories: Narratives of actual RBF-related experience with a human-interest focus. Highly accessible to all readers and fun to read.

Technical Working Papers: Papers on technical topics of particular interest, e.g., "Perverse incentives in RBF", "Sustainability". These are journal-equivalent, peer-reviewed articles with references.

Tools and Guidelines: Working aids for those on the ground. "How to" guides, check lists on training, technical assistance, monitoring, evaluation, proposal design, etc.

Featured Documents

Notable documents recently posted.

Tools and Guidelines

In Schematics: Argentina Performance Based Financing (PBF) Plan Nacer

Author/s: Petra Vergeer, Jean-Pierre Manshande, Daniela Romero and Rafael Cortez

This schematic illustrates an intergovernmental PBF scheme which transfers funds between different levels of government.

[download, 334.72 KB] Added on August 2011

Case Studies

Performance-Based Financing (PBF) Experiment Improved Health Care in the Democratic Republic Of Congo

Author/s: Soeters, Peerenboom, Mushagalusa, and Kimanuka

The experiment found that paying performance-based subsidies to health care providers resulted in comparable or better services and quality of care, supplied at a lower cost, than in control areas that did not use that payment method and also revealed that PBF mechanisms can be effective even in a troubled nation such as the Democratic Republic of Congo.

[Health Affairs - PBF in DRC -> external link] Added on August 2011

Tools and Guidelines

In Schematics: Afghanistan Performance-Based Financing of Non Government Organizations and its Health Facilities

Author/s: Petra Vergeer, Jean-Pierre Manshande, Tekabe Belay, Ahmad Shah Salehi

This schematic illustrates the way Afghanistan has been working with NGOs through performance-based partnership agreements (PPAs). When the new round of PPAs commenced in 2008, there was an opportunity to further adapt the performance-based payment system which had operated since 2003. In the new scheme, performance payments are also made available for the volume of services conditional on the quality of care (similar to the PBF scheme in Rwanda), and incentives trickle down from the implementing NGO to provincial health facilities to improve performance in service delivery quantity and quality.

[download, 313.15 KB] Added on July 2011

Case Studies

OECD Study: United Kingdom’s Quality and Outcomes Framework

Author/s: Cheryl Cashin

In this case study, author Cheryl Cashin describes the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) - the UK’s public health care approach that includes voluntary performance-based incentives. QOF is a national program with almost all general practitioner practices participating. In 2009 it covered nearly 100% of registered patients and was designed to promote quality, patient responsiveness, and cooperation with local authorities.

[download, 530.55 KB] Added on March 2011

Technical Working Papers

Health Provider Payment Reforms in China: What International Experience Tells Us

This World Bank and Government of China paper examines health provider payment reforms in China—the present system and how it evolved, and changes that would improve it in the context of ongoing health reform. It includes sections on experiments with case-based payment systems, pay-for-performance, alternative government budget payment methods, and an examination of the lessons learned and next steps in China. Available in English and Chinese.

[World Bank Research - China -> external link] Added on July 2010

Primary Links

Knowledge Documents

Translation