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Lesson
Provision of adequate technical support for the executing and implementing agencies with respect to procurement planning as well as consultant recruitment and management helps in streamlining the procurement timeline processes. Specifically, providing capacity building support and training on ADB procurement procedures, biddings, and contracts facilitates effective execution of civil works' activities.

Project Number: 49168-001
Project Name: Improving School Dormitory Environment for Primary Students in Western Region Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Projects supporting educational reforms such as improving the school dormitory system require a well-defined development plan and multi-faceted approach. Greater support for financial, human and physical resources, and capacity building, specifically support for policy and educational regulatory reforms, helps in improving project sustainability and in turn promotes better access to education.

Project Number: 49168-001
Project Name: Improving School Dormitory Environment for Primary Students in Western Region Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Mobilizing local project management expertise can be beneficial. The modification of the project management consulting contract to increase the inputs of national staff proved beneficial. Local and national staff who work closely with experienced international consultants as part of a team of a competitively selected consulting firm have the opportunity to acquire skills and hone them. This is good and in line with ADB's capacity development objectives in developing member countries.

Project Number: 42401-014
Project Name: Power Distribution Enhancement Investment Program (Multitranche Financing Facility)
Report Date:
Lesson
A rational tariff policy is essential for improving the financial viability of a distribution utility. Two tariff revisions (in 2016 and 2021) helped improve the financial viability of Azerishiq's distribution-strengthening projects. Although the upgrade of distribution systems is still not fully financially viable, an improving financial internal rate of return (into positive territory) illustrates the benefits of lifting tariffs toward full cost recovery.

Project Number: 42401-014
Project Name: Power Distribution Enhancement Investment Program (Multitranche Financing Facility)
Report Date:
Lesson
The transformative policy, institutional reforms, and student- and teacher-centered approaches are key to the progressive improvement of the upper secondary education (USE) subsector in Cambodia. The dropout rate of 8.0% among science scholarship recipients was low compared with the national average of 18.5% in USE, and science stream students performed better in the grade 12 exam in terms of higher scores compared to their peers in the social science stream.

Project Number: 47136-003
Project Name: Upper Secondary Education Sector Development Program
Report Date:
Lesson
ADB project teams need to have a realistic understanding of how long it takes host governments to secure internal approvals to avoid delays in completion thatcould impact project performance. Loan effectiveness took place about 5 months after loan signing, some 3 months behind schedule, “due to prolonged government approvals and parliamentary ratification procedures.” This put the project behind schedule almost from the beginning. Subsequent review missions “emphasized the need to accelerate implementation of all planned activities.

Project Number: 46535-001
Project Name: Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training
Report Date:
Lesson
Poor quality of local talent can significantly hinder implementation, causing ADB to intensify implementation support to put projects on track. The executing agency asked the international consulting firm “to change six of the national experts to enhance the quality of expertise.” Delays in retaining architects to monitor construction had a knock-on impact on the procurement of civil works and equipment packages. The objective of setting up the Project Administration Group (PAG), among other implementation units, was to delegate project execution to locals, but this did not work.

Project Number: 46535-001
Project Name: Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training
Report Date:
Lesson
Inadequate data collection can obstruct the documentation of project impact. The project implementation unit focused exclusively on disbursements to the detriment of other metrics in the design and monitoring framework. Government ministries do not collect data regarding TVET graduates, such as whether they are employed, in what capacity they are employed (i.e., whether they are employed in their field of study or not), and how much is their income. Information on historic and forecast budgets for TVET were not provided, nor were data on tuition collected from fee-paying students.

Project Number: 46535-001
Project Name: Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training
Report Date:
Lesson
The results-based lending (RBL) modality provides flexibility to adjust targets adversely affected by unforessen adverse events such as COVID-19. During 2020–2022, the COVID-19 pandemic affected the demand for electricity, lowering the State Electricity Company's (PLN) revenues and creating uncertainty in its investment plans. Sourcing equity financing and implementing ongoing projects within PLN became difficult under such conditions and adjustments were needed in scope and time targets of ongoing works.

Project Number: 50016-001
Project Name: Sustainable Energy Access in Eastern Indonesia—Electricity Grid Development Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Budget approval and procurement of new technologies being piloted could take time and cause implementation delays; when installed, rigorous monitoring of the performance of the new technologies is required to ascertain benefits and draw lessons from the pilot experience. In implementing the four pilot smart grid projects, substantial delays occurred due to the lengthy budget approval process and the procurement requirement of open competitive bidding while allowing international bidder participation.

Project Number: 50016-001
Project Name: Sustainable Energy Access in Eastern Indonesia—Electricity Grid Development Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Misperceptions about the new technologies being can adversely affect their adoption. A misperception among postpaid customers that prepaid meters would lead to increased electricity costs resulted in lower-than-expected migration postpaid to prepaid meters. In addition, the full benefits of smart meters are currently not being achieved by either PLN or the business consumers because the smart meters are currently being used only to read meters remotely and at times even this is not possible due to the weak communication infrastructure in some areas.

Project Number: 50016-001
Project Name: Sustainable Energy Access in Eastern Indonesia—Electricity Grid Development Program
Report Date:
Lesson
The cost categories required to be reported in the audited program financial statements (APFS) need to align with the categorization at appraisal so as not to cause problems in reporting. PLN faced difficulty in estimating the financing charges during implementation at appraisal stage. In addition, PLN raised a concern on the disclosure provision regarding APFS due to confidentiality requirements. The cost categories reported in the APFS were not aligned with the categorization used at appraisal, due to which changes to reporting formats were needed.

Project Number: 50016-001
Project Name: Sustainable Energy Access in Eastern Indonesia—Electricity Grid Development Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Adequate safeguard reporting arrangements with frequency and report templates included in the construction contracts and technical guidance on the implementation of safeguard actions can strengthen project compliance to ADB safeguard requirements. The introduction of program actions through the RBL programs has improved PLN staff's awareness and capacity concerning ADB safeguard requirements. The grievance redress mechanism was found to be an area for further improvement during the evaluation of the previous RBL in Sumatra.

Project Number: 50016-001
Project Name: Sustainable Energy Access in Eastern Indonesia—Electricity Grid Development Program
Report Date:
Lesson
A social protection system needs to evolve in line with changes in the socioeconomic conditions of a country. This program supported social protection system reform, requiring the government's continued commitment for sustainable implementation. A key lesson highlighted by this project is for social protection systems to continue transforming in the face of demographic changes and urbanization and to be shock-responsive.

Project Number: 55041-001, 55041-003
Project Name: Strengthening Social Resilience Program (Subprograms 1 and 2)
Report Date:
Lesson
Focusing on existing social protection programs and systems and making in-depth policy discussions on reforming them contribute to avoiding the creation of ad hoc programs and arrangements or introducing reforms without having in place a solid institutional setup for its implementation. Alignment with the relevant national strategies ensures the government's strong ownership of prior actions and outcomes. Consideration of these two key lessons will strengthen the design and implementation of future similar programs.

Project Number: 55041-001, 55041-003
Project Name: Strengthening Social Resilience Program (Subprograms 1 and 2)
Report Date: