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Lesson
ADB and its consultants should review the historical performances and previous challenges of similar projects when preparing implementation schedules at approval. The Tranche 1 project included a highly optimistic implementation schedule. The Tranche 2 project was also overly optimistic, although to a lesser extent. Several challenges in procurement, land acquisition, and construction led to significant delays.

Project Number: 41504-013, 41504-023, 41504-025
Project Name: Town Electrification Investment Program (Multitranche Financing Facility and Tranche 2)
Report Date:
Lesson
A simpler project and phased implementation need to be considered in future similar interventions to allow for sufficient time and attention to the design of subprojects and monitoring arrangements. The feasibility study for the Warangoi hydropower plant proposed short-term works (i.e., constructing a river training wall) and long-term works (i.e., further river retraining and diversion) which were contingent on hydraulic modeling. However, the modeling was not carried out despite water stream measurement being a loan covenant.

Project Number: 41504-013, 41504-023, 41504-025
Project Name: Town Electrification Investment Program (Multitranche Financing Facility and Tranche 2)
Report Date:
Lesson
ADB needs to emphasize the recruitment of staff with adequate financial qualifications for the project management unit's (PMU) finance function. Under this program, annual project financial statements (APFSs) and audited entity financial statements were submitted late to ADB for various reasons, including project staff lacking financial management skills and expertise. In several instances, disclaimers of opinion on APFSs and audit qualification reports were issued.

Project Number: 41504-013, 41504-023, 41504-025
Project Name: Town Electrification Investment Program (Multitranche Financing Facility and Tranche 2)
Report Date:
Lesson
Hydropower plant (HPP) projects are complex engineering projects requiring comprehensive feasibility studies, strict Implementation in line with study findings and recommendations, and continued engagement by the project management office and implementing agencies to actively assess and flag any issues after Completion and throughout the warranty period. This was brought to focus by the Waranghoi HPP experience that required prompt action to mitigate overtopping of an intake facility in November 2022.

Project Number: 41504-013, 41504-023, 41504-025
Project Name: Town Electrification Investment Program (Multitranche Financing Facility and Tranche 2)
Report Date:
Lesson
ADB may need to consider greater flexibility to allow an extension of the availability period of loans under the multitranche financing facility, where deemed appropriate. Because of various delays, the investment program's availability period was extended to 10 years and ended on 24 November 2020. Government requests to extend the availability beyond 2020 were declined by ADB.

Project Number: 41504-013, 41504-023, 41504-025
Project Name: Town Electrification Investment Program (Multitranche Financing Facility and Tranche 2)
Report Date:
Lesson
Delegation to resident missions needs to carefully consider project complexity and expertise in the resident mission and ensure a smooth handover from processing to Implementation by having the project officer during processing remain as project officer during Implementation, until at least the award of the first major procurement package. During Implementation, the Sector Group needs to retain ongoing quality assurance responsibility and conduct annual audits. Continuity and adequate oversight on the project management unit also needs to be ensured throughout project Implementation.

Project Number: 41504-013, 41504-023, 41504-025
Project Name: Town Electrification Investment Program (Multitranche Financing Facility and Tranche 2)
Report Date:
Lesson
An alternative approach for the Completion of projects halted by the closure of the availability period of MFF-financed loans needs to be explored. This is especiallly important for projects with considerable stranded investments (e.g., stranded investments in the Ramazon HPP included $3 million for transmission line and $3 million for site Preparation). To continually implement the Ramazon HPP, the PNG Power Ltd.

Project Number: 41504-013, 41504-023, 41504-025
Project Name: Town Electrification Investment Program (Multitranche Financing Facility and Tranche 2)
Report Date:
Lesson
Adequate consultations with local populations throughout the project cycle are a must especially when land ownership is ambiguous and no outstanding land compensation cases are identified.Local populations forcibly entered the two HPP project sites demanding compensation for historical events, in one of which sites, violence was used. The historical events were not identified by due diligence, which concluded that there were no land acquisition and involuntary resettlement impacts.

Project Number: 41504-013, 41504-023, 41504-025
Project Name: Town Electrification Investment Program (Multitranche Financing Facility and Tranche 2)
Report Date:
Lesson
Early engagement with provincial governments can contribute to identifying and avoiding delays due to land acquisition issues. Based on the experience of forcible entry by local communities into two HPP sites, new projects are emphasizing the role of social safeguards and early consultation of local populations. The positive experience of engaging with the provincial government, which contributed to the eventual delivery of the Divune HPP under tranche 1, can serve as a lesson for future projects.

Project Number: 41504-013, 41504-023, 41504-025
Project Name: Town Electrification Investment Program (Multitranche Financing Facility and Tranche 2)
Report Date:
Lesson
Project management units and implementing agencies need to verify the Completion and functionality of all project aspects before authorizing final payments. This is to ensure that all defects and deficiencies are addressed before final payments are made. For example, a key deficiency under this program was the absence of an operation and maintenance plan with confirmed budget allocations for all projects, a deficiency that meant non compliance with a covenant.

Project Number: 41504-013, 41504-023, 41504-025
Project Name: Town Electrification Investment Program (Multitranche Financing Facility and Tranche 2)
Report Date:
Lesson
Strong government ownership is critical to achieving results. The Cabinet of Ministers, the and other project agencies had to coordinate closely among themselves to ensure that changes in law, decrees, regulatory changes, and board resolutions were implemented in a timely manner. If any intermediate step had been delayed, this would have resulted in a knock-on effect on other outcomes and resulted in delays in the project timetable. The Ministry of Finance negotiated concurrently for budget support from several development partners.

Project Number: 49006-003
Project Name: Electricity Transmission Sector Reforms Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Collaboration with development partners is essential to build consensus for reforms. Donor consensus and support for critical reforms, backed by a policy-based loan and plan to subsequently complement by project-level funding, contributed to the success of this program. Continued long-term engagement on reforms supported by investments is necessary for sustainability.

Project Number: 49006-003
Project Name: Electricity Transmission Sector Reforms Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Monitoring and continuous technical support is needed for effective continuation of reform because program impacts will be felt over the long term. The government has agreed to a postprogram engagement framework whose broad purpose is to ensure that policy reforms are not reversed and that Joint-Stock Company Georgian State Electrosystem stays on the path towards financial sustainability.

Project Number: 49006-003
Project Name: Electricity Transmission Sector Reforms Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Previous project completion reports confirmed that the Joint-Stock Company Georgian State Electrosystem has the capacity to undertake major power transmission projects. Nonetheless, GSE's staff could benefit from ADB-sponsored training and workshops in procurement, safeguards, and other areas.

Project Number: 49006-003
Project Name: Electricity Transmission Sector Reforms Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Properly defining technical parameters ensures successful project implementation. The required equipment for end terminals, estimated to cost $0.5 million, was omitted from the pertinent package; thus the $29.1 million investment was idle. The target annual power generation of 60 gigawatt-hours was an overestimate as it required securing agreements for purchasing 40% of the output of the private sector’s biomass power projects and an optimistic utilization factor of 70% of the run-of-river HPPs.

Project Number: 41504-023
Project Name: Town Electrification Investment Program - Tranche 1
Report Date: