Sector issues

It is imperative for SOEs to develop good corporate governance and maintain an arm's length relationship with government, regardless of whether it is a commercial or noncommercial SOE. Some of the policy actions under this program were designed to improve the government's performance of its SOE ownership function. However, in addition to these policy actions, it is imperative for SOEs to proactively promote good corporate governance and develop functional autonomy from the government.

Fiscal reform, pensions, and capital markets reforms are inextricably linked, because of the role each plays in economic development. Subprogram 2 supported the development and approval of the Capital Market Development Strategy, 2022–2028 by government decree, which includes a commitment to develop a green bond framework. This provides a strong basis from which to develop a broader integrated program to support not just fiscal resilience but also further capital market reforms in conjunction with the Finance Sector Office.

Well-planned integrated urban development investments—possibly including a South Tarawa-wide sewage collection and disposal system along with subsidized toilet and flushing facilities for low-income households— are necessary to substantially address the sanitation issue in South Tarawa. It was recognized from the outset that the project could only be the start of a comprehensive solution to the serious sanitation problem in South Tarawa.

A project performance management system provides a framework to assess the project results better. It incentivizes a sound evaluation of a project as well strengthening the basis of development impact. This is essential for a rural development project where project’s intended benefits and development impacts are not easily identified or quantified.

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.

As school graduates compete for employment opportunities with students from other states in India, it is the comparative quality of education that determines their access to jobs and likely benefits from the project investments. Hence, focus on education quality should be a requisite in designing similar projects.

Benefits linked to better utilization of data generated by successful initiatives need to be systematically built into or embedded in efforts to replicate these initiatives. The special management areas (SMAs), showcasing an initiative to increase the ability of coral reefs to recover after climate-related events, are undoubtedly a success story. It has been adopted and implemented nationwide by other development partners.

Capacity building in TVET needs to go hand-in-hand with industry progress as employment of TVET students is directly influenced by industry trends and capacity. Complementary elements, such as the purchase of equipment and training of instructors on the equipment, should be arranged more successively to allow the implementation of subsequent phases to proceed more seamlessly. Greater focus is needed in engaging the private sector to better understand the trends in hiring and updating of curricula and learning materials.

Short-term training courses have many advantages that make them more preferable than longer bachelor- and masters-level courses. The project colleges' management, teachers, and trainers expressed their preference for short-term training courses over the longer bachelor- and masters-level courses the project provided. This reflects their desire to receive specific subject training that can be achieved in more focused and shorter courses.

Source sustainability issues leading to disruptions in the water supply and contributing to increases in nonrevenue water and infrastructure leakage index consequently impact service delivery and monitoring.