Policy reforms should resolve issues, such as by defining the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders and operationalizing service delivery through appropriate institutional arrangements. Policy reforms should articulate how budgetary resources will be shared at different government levels and how resources from public and nonpublic sources will be mobilized for sustainability.
The mobilization of students has been a major factor that contributed to effective capacity utilization and to the success of the program. Mobilization is usually hindered by (i) the perception that skills training is inferior to general upper secondary and tertiary education, and (ii) the view that skills development is a pathway for the academically less-performing students. SImilarly, there is a huge need for training of trainers, and qualified trainers must be recruited to ensure the quality of training and to maintain the supply of competent technical trainers.
Private sector participation in skills development is still limited at each stage of the skills development value chain. The limited enterprise support in such trainings may be caused by the lack of recognition and understanding of mutual benefits that could be derived by training institutes and enterprises.
Ensuring the sustainability of skills development programs requires (i) continually upgrading training programs, modules, curricula, and trainers' skills; and (ii) maintaining and upgrading training equipment and facilities. All of these require considerable resources and can hardly be borne by the implementing institutions. Basic government support, along with resource mobilization, is important to sustain the quality and relevance of skills development programs.
The concerns of women and family members regarding their safety during travel and within the work environment—especially in jobs that involve migration, working on the shop floor, or extensive field visits—are barriers to hiring women. The challenges highlight the need for focused interventions, such as building women's confidence, providing self-defense training, and counseling family members.
Introducing new courses, updating existing ones based on market response, and strengthening quality assurance meant to increase workforce participation and improve employment prospects will enhance the relevance and effectiveness of the program.
Institutional and technical capacities to effectively implement PFM reforms remain weak, and absorptive capacities remain low. This can often be further compounded by frequent changes in leadership and staffing, which can cause further delays. ADB's continued engagement with the Ministry of Finance must be at all levels of the administration (management and operational levels) to strengthen the institutional and organizational capacity and reduce the impact of staff turnover on reform impact.
Gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) mainstreaming in Nepal's Ministry of Public Infrastructure and Transport (MPIT) is challenging. The MPIT developed and approved the guidelines for GESI. However, operationalizing the guidelines in all ministry operations has been challenging, mainly because of the need to orient staff at different levels. The government's budget allocation for mainstreaming GESI ensures strong ownership, but the budget is not adequate for institutionalizing GESI in the transport sector.
Additional approval required by the Ministry of FInance had caused delays to the overall lending process, despite a central monitoring and approval process which was imperative to maintain consistency and objectivity of the project. However, the same level of oversight and central approval process can be implemented in projects where relevant parties are provided with an online tool to manage documentation and other activities.
Long-term engagement and dialogue by ADB with the government, executing agency, implementing agencies, private sector agencies, and relevant development partners is essential to ensure support for small and medium enterprises reform.