This paper is a contribution to work carried out by the Operations Evaluation Department (OED) of the World Bank on the Comprehensive Development Framework (CDF). OED’s objective is to facilitate operationalisation of the CDF, by drawing out lessons from past experience. This paper contributes to that objective by examining the evidence from recent research in three areas. These are: (a) partnership; (b) multi-sectoral and target-based planning; and (c) sector-wide approaches to budget support.