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Lesson
Unsynchronized consultant recruitment, procurement of goods, and facility upgrades could create inefficiencies and lead to a wastage of time and resources and delayed delivery of project benefits. While overall the project proceeded smoothly, it encountered some challenges that offer valuable lessons to future projects. First, as the timing of consultant inputs and procurement of laboratory facilities and equipment were not synchronized, i.e., consultants would arrive early while facilities were not yet ready, less-than-efficient inputs were obtained.

Project Number: 43120-013
Project Name: Trade Facilitation: Improved Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Handling in Greater Mekong Subregion Trade Project
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Lesson
It is important to maintain some degree of flexibility to effectively respond to crisis situations. Perhaps the most important quality of Thailand’s CARES program was its ability to rapidly mobilize demand-driven support in a crisis; highlighting the importance in future crisis responses of maintaining some degree of flexibility in both program design and implementation. ADB was able to process and approve the program within 3 months of the government’s initial request for support. Events in Thailand necessitated loan signing to take place about 4 months after ADB approval.

Project Number: 54177-001
Project Name: COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program
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Lesson
The urgency of the lending produced outcomes that, while unavoidable, are nevertheless instructive. For example, target setting was difficult because the contours of the pandemic were fluid. Liaising with the government was also challenging. The timeline for initial response was tight, and ADB worked with a small number of government teams in the interest of speed. This concentrated approach to planning was complicated by the pandemic affecting government officials’ health and well-being personally.

Project Number: 54139-001
Project Name: COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program
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Lesson
Appropriate contract packaging, stakeholder involvement in project preparation, and reliable cost estimates are of particular importance to successful project implementation. This project encountered several weaknesses in design and preparation that made implementation challenging.

Project Number: 43319-022
Project Name: Greater Mekong Subregion East-West Economic Corridor Towns Development Project
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Lesson
It is important to digitalize government services in times of crisis. This effort is best pursued through collaboration with the private sector in Indonesia. The collaboration can strengthen the country's defense against future outbreaks and improve the targeting of social assistance. Digitalization including ithe financial sector should remain a focal point of ADB’s policy dialogue with Indonesia.

Project Number: 54139-001
Project Name: COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program
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Lesson
Advance actions, supported by retroactive financing arrangements, can help minimize or avoid startup delays. The project faced start-up delays in both countries. It took more than two years from project effectiveness in each country for the first civil works contracts to be awarded. Recruitment of project implementation consultants, preparation of bidding documents, and preparation of the detailed designs were accomplished only after the project effectiveness. Such start-up delays could have

Project Number: 40190-023
Project Name: Greater Mekong Subregion Flood and Drought Risk Management and Mitigation Project
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Lesson
The use of the forced account works procedure for civil works and request for quotations and direct contracting for goods and equipment saved time in procurement for this project. The maximum use of the flexibilities inherent in these procedures, which accords with ADB’s Disaster and Emergency Assistance Policy, boosted project effectiveness and efficiency.

Project Number: 52129-001
Project Name: Cyclone Gita Recovery Project
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Lesson
Timely planning of project extensions and a more realistic extension period will improve loan utilization. Undisbursed amounts under this project resulted largely from new government policies as well as contextual and operational factors. Various activities were canceled because of government restrictions on the use of loan proceeds for soft components (e.g., training, workshops, etc). Non-disbursements were also associated with other policy modifications, such as restrictions on the recruitment of international consultants. But contextual and operational factors also played a role.

Project Number: 44265-013
Project Name: Second Health Care in the Central Highlands Project
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Lesson
Foreseeable delays in procurement and disbursements may be overcome by (i) including project readiness measures such as advance actions; and (ii) ensuring dedicated, full-time) and qualified staff with relevant experience for key project management positions. Amounting to 1.5 years in this project, these delays were attributable to the complexity of procedures in Viet Nam, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the large number of project facilities involved.

Project Number: 44265-013
Project Name: Second Health Care in the Central Highlands Project
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Lesson
Lack of capacity and experience in executing/implementing agencies as well as lack of reference projects can negatively impact project implementation. This project encountered delays because the executing agency and project management unit (PMU) lacked capacity and prior experience with international financial institution–financed procurement and management of large projects. Moreover, there were no reference projects with similar legal and regional setups to provide lessons and guidance to the executing agency and PMU.

Project Number: 41340-013
Project Name: Advanced Electricity Metering Project
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Lesson
Detailed project preparation and feasibility studies carried out and included in the periodic financing request strengthen project readiness in procurement and safeguards implementation. This could entail conducting comprehensive field investigations and site assessments conducted during the detailed project reporting stage. Monsoon and weather conditions and project readiness for physical works should be considered in drawing up implementation schedules—for both onshore and offshore projects.

Project Number: 40156-013, 40156-033
Project Name: Sustainable Coastal Protection and Management Investment Program - Tranche 2 and MFF
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Lesson
Data interoperability facilitates beneficiary targetting in times of crisis. Difficulty in consolidating data between federal, provincial, and local-level governments and between sectors affected program implementation and progress monitoring. While Nepal’s social security programs each identify and register beneficiaries, there is no central register for poor and vulnerable populations. Hence, the ward officials identified food support beneficiaries, which led to implementation challenges.

Project Number: 54184-001
Project Name: COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program
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Lesson
Purposeful selection of outcome Indicators that are easily and regularly monitored is critical in crisis response projects. There is a high level of uncertainty surrounding the duration and impact of a crisis. Thus, choosing outcome Indicators that provide timely and crucial information on the progress of the crisis and the impact of policy measures can help manage a crisis, as it allows to quickly introduce new measures when the situation worsens.

Project Number: 54184-001
Project Name: COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program
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Lesson
Do not propose establishment of a new business continuity fund during crisis. The business continuity fund was established during the crisis. Actual usage was far less compared with existing instruments for concessional lending and refinancing, as operationalization took time. Unless such a fund can be established on time, proposing a new fund during a crisis should be avoided when good instruments are available.

Project Number: 54184-001
Project Name: COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program
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Lesson
Quick and flexible budget support is essential during times of crisis. The timely availability of the ADB CPRO support greatly contributed to mitigating the impact of the pandemic, particularly for low-income countries and countries in vulnerable situations. Availability of such an instrument is highly relevant for a country in times of crisis.

Project Number: 54184-001
Project Name: COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program
Report Date: