Social

It is all right to have a project that focuses on a limited number of TVET institutions, but the project should describe their interlinkages with tother TVET institutions, including the private TVET institutions. Despite the project’s category C for indigenous peoples safeguards, ethnic minority participation rates increased significantly by 132%. The project should have described how this was achieved given the project’s strategic agenda to support inclusive growth and social development.

Institutional arrangements to implement mandatory safeguard polices and reporting systems and gender action plans need to be established in the initial stages of the project. This is to avoid potential delays which could adversely impact project adherence to social and environmental safeguards and gender equality results. Adequate human, rechnical, and budgetary resources and strict monitoring by the PMU and ADB are required to ensure compliance.

Timely and close monitoring of safeguard implementation by trained project management staff and consultants minimizes disruption to communities and facilitates smooth implementation. A grievance redress mechanism was established across all three subprojects; but no grievances were officially recorded.

To maximize impacts, community engagement components along with sufficient budget and post-project continuity plans need to be embedded in the design of projects that entail behavioral change. This project's community engagement component was designed and implemented as a broad-based outreach program to encourage behavioral change in personal waste disposal and hygiene, especially handwashing with soap, across all communities in South Tarawa.

Performing adequate risk assessment and identifying mitigation measures accordingly at appraisal, including sufficient stakeholder consultations, are important measures in ensuring smooth project implementation and readiness. Specifically, safeguards risk assessment would benefit from a thorough due diligence and analysis of project risks, which reduces the potential safeguards related issues, specifically with respect to land acquisition and resettlement compensation.

The development of a firm sector investment plan supports successful project implementation. The sector plan, covering the short-, medium- and long-term horizons, helps avoid overlaps of projects that may result in scope changes which could adversely affect the project implementation timeline, funding and cost, and loan utilization. Such an investment plan commits the government to a definite set of projects in the sector that allows for a stable implementation of social and environmental safeguards.

Strong political will and commitment at all levels of government authorities have a decisive impact on the effective and efficient implementation of land acquisition and resettlement activities in the context of complex project situation. It is important for an executing agency to be proactive and work closely with local authorities and stakeholders to resolve identified issues on the ground. Monitoring of the implementation of the land acquisition and resettlement plan could start early to identify issues and find effective solutions in a timely manner.

An innovative approach is needed to encourage the government in implementing critical reforms, but the approach needs to be culturally sensitive. The program shows that a reform associated with a wage bill is difficult to implement. Layoffs or significant cuts in overtime payment have social ramifications and need to be dealt with sensitively, especially when there are limited alternative employment opportunities.

Court cases and stay orders, due to compensation complaints, can cause unnecessary project delays. Court cases and stay orders secured by a few landowners, despite being awarded due compensation approved by competent authority, hampered project implementation. Some cases were resolved quickly, while others lingered, waiting for court resolution.

The envisaged institutional arrangements for safeguards need to be fully functional from commencement to the closure of projects. This would allow the safeguards performance of projects to improve, as was the case with the environmental performance of this project which improved over time, with increased monitoring and coordination by the project staff.