The report, obtained by the International Rivers Network non governmental organization, said the objective was to raise its development effectiveness in middle-income countries, which as a group are growing twice as fast as developed nations.

A World Bank officials confirmed the document had been discussed by its board.

The role of global institutions like the World Bank in middle income countries like Brazil, China, India and Russia -- countries with above-average capital gross domestic products -- is being widely debated.

Some analysts argue such countries have reached a stage in their economic development that no longer requires financial and other assistance from institutions like the World Bank.

But others say the countries still face huge development challenges and are home to 80 percent of the developing world's people and over 70 percent of its poor people who live on $1 a day or less.

"Our fundamental goal is to improve and increase our development effectiveness in MICs," the report said.

"The bank should not be motivated by a desire to increase its lending and other services as ends in themselves, but at the same time, it cannot allow unnecessary obstacles within its control to stand in the way of responding effectively to the development needs of MICs," it added.

The report said the bank's shortcomings in helping middle-income countries was in its practices and not in its policies.

The strategy would "reestablish the bank as the partner of choice" in development knowledge and finance of middle income countries, the report said.

It said it would remove obstacles to "timely quality lending" and fast-track initiatives by relying on national safeguard systems in countries where the bank finds them to be adequate.

"The reliance on adequate national systems for use in bank operations will not allow fiduciary and safeguard standards to be diluted," the report said.

It said the bank's assistance was worth more when it strengthened countries' capacities to implement their own good policies and programmes.

It said countries that stayed the course of good policies would be rewarded with more flexibility of Country Assistance Strategies (CAS), which details agreements on funding and other assistance to countries.

"We will encourage staff to use the flexibility inherent in the country assistance strategy to more effectively respond to the needs of good performing countries," it said.

"For good and improving performers, the CAS should be a more strategic compass than a detailed blueprint," it added.

The bank said it was also considering changing the name of the CAS so that it is more reflective of partnership. It proposed Country Partnership Strategy.