A well-coordinated institutional arrangement among concerned agencies and institutions could have been in place before project appraisal. The institutional environment at that time was characterized by unclear mandates and overlapping roles and responsibilities and low staff absorption capacity for the planned activities. These led to uncoordinated and poorly planned trainings, improper sequencing of training programs, and duplication of efforts and use of resources. The complexity of the RMI’s TVET institutional environment required either a dedicated institution with a clear mandate on TVET or a streamlined institutional arrangement from the outset. Also, managerial, administrative, and technical capacity of concerned institutions and staff could have been considered from the start, especially the capacity to plan, implement, and evaluate various activities. The conduct of project preparatory TA could be a necessary condition before undertaking a lending operation for TVET to better understand the institutional context.
The Marshall Islands: Skills Training and Vocational Education Project