To improve the environmental performance of loans, the following measures are suggested: (i) a systematic and continuous approach in developing awareness and periodic capacity enhancement of the project staff regarding ADB's environmental policy, procedures, and requirements; (ii) as appropriate, ensuring timely mobilization and continuation of environmental experts by the executing agency, consultants, and contractors until loan closure; (iii) systematic supervision, monitoring, data mapping, and reporting mechanisms on implementation of environmental safeguards; and (iv) periodic reviews by environmental experts associated with the loan in order to undertake timely corrective actions, where needed._x005F_x000D__x005F_x000D_The following social measures are suggested: (i) advance capacity development for project staff on ADB's social safeguards policy, procedures, and requirements; (ii) deployment of resettlement experts by the executing agency and consultants until loan closure, as appropriate; (iii) engagement of experienced nongovernment organizations to assist in implementing resettlement; (iv) timely supervision, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting on implementation of resettlement plans; (v) periodic social safeguards reviews by ADB experts and then initiating corrective actions, as required; (vi) addressing issues related to temporary impacts due to use of private land for stringing transmission lines and erecting towers, which are perceived by affected persons to cause permanent impacts by restricting access to the affected land for purposes of cultivation and devaluing land and assets under the corridor of impact; and (vii) ensuring disbursement to affected persons of compensation for damage to crops and trees prior to commencing civil works related to stringing transmission lines. Such measures can be expected to improve the social safeguards performance in ADB-assisted projects._x005F_x000D__x005F_x000D_Madhya Pradesh Power Transmission Company Limited (TRANSCO) followed integrated project management practices to ensure (i) proper planning, (ii) effective project monitoring mechanisms, and (iii) application of skills of motivated and well-trained personnel. In addition, ADB needs to strengthen its assessment of the safeguards capacity of the executing agency at the project appraisal stage, identify capacity gaps, and suggest measures for efficient safeguards management. These would help in successfully implementing infrastructure projects even on vastly spread terrains like that of Madhya Pradesh. The knowledge and insights TRANSCO has gained in these aspects may be assembled and disseminated to other executing agencies in appropriate fora. Timely management of rights-of-way in spite of constraints and optimally utilizing ADB and counterpart fund, offer lessons to be adopted for other projects. _x005F_x000D__x005F_x000D_The advance procurement actions greatly helped in timely project execution and should be adopted for future projects. Moreover, this project's partnership process involving stakeholders, and particularly contractors, in addressing complex technical and economic matters can set an example for future ADB projects in India. In general, good project management practices were followed and involved sequencing activities and a well-structured breakdown of the work content. This resulted in enhancing construction management practices to a higher level of efficiency by adopting a more formal project management methodology that is based on global standards. _x005F_x000D__x005F_x000D_TRANSCO is of the view that the multitranche financing facility was appropriate for managing a large infrastructure project. This helped it to be in an appropriate state of project readiness and contributed to savings on commitment fees and interest cost. TRANSCO advocates using similar structures elsewhere, and particularly for fledgling new organizations. Depending upon the complexity of a given project, it views a facility with duration of 7-10 years to be about ideal.
Madhya Pradesh Power Sector Investment Program (Tranche 3)