The World Bank is one of the major international organizations active in the field of basic education in the ‘developing' countries. Its influence on education policy has been the subject of abundant and critical literature but often with significant theoretical and methodological gaps. This research highlights the value of comparative research and field approaches to better understand the World Bank's influence. This study closely examines this influence through the cases of two West African countries, namely Mali and Senegal, from 1980 to 2010, with a focus on teacher policy.