In Phase 3, a total of three provinces were delegated full authority to implement subprojects in their provinces. This delegation included negotiations and signing of civil works contracts, approval of variation orders, changes to technical design, and approval of payments to the contractors. The time spent in solving changes in technical design and deciding on variations was significantly reduced, much to the benefit of the project. There was a feeling of local ownership to the subprojects in the delegated provinces. Delegated authority implied increased responsibility, which effectively put pressure on the provincial project management units to solve issues fast that otherwise could hamper the progress and/or negatively affect the quality of the subprojects. Delegation to more provinces could have improved the implementation of the project and avoided some delays. ADB should consider more delegation in future similar projects if provinces have sufficient capacity to handle ADB procedures.
Central Region Transport Networks Improvement Sector Project