Institutional weakness has been a key constraint to timely and efficient project execution and to long-term sustainability of newly created assets. Local capacity constraints were exacerbated by a centralized system of governance, management and decision making. Local infrastructure investments remain largely at the discretion of the central government and local officials lack the budgetary and human resources or skills to maintain assets and to effectively respond to the constituents' needs. The incentives and resources for local governments to strengthen services are limited. The project's implementation arrangements, which vested almost all responsibility for implementation at the central level, may have contributed to these weaknesses. The project would have benefited from greater local involvement in project planning, design and implementation, and by addressing local capacity constraints and incentives for quality service provision.
Integrated Development of Basic Urban Services in Provincial Towns Project