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Lesson
Appropriate design of procurement proposal is important. The criteria for selection of an information and communications technology and management information system consulting firm was overly ambitious. Delays in implementation could have been avoided with more reasonable criteria.

Project Number: 33357-013
Project Name: Rural Finance Sector Development Program
Report Date:
Lesson
If success is likely at the midpoint of a technical assistance (TA), planning for follow-on support should then be undertaken. The outcome of the program could have been stronger with follow-on TA, particularly in the case of the Catalyzing Microfinance for the Poor TA. Feedback from a range of microfinance providers and stakeholders confirmed the need for follow-on support.

Project Number: 33357-013
Project Name: Rural Finance Sector Development Program
Report Date:
Lesson
The reason why the program was not rated highly successful is because, despite the fact that the overall objectives were achieved (as defined in the design and monitoring framework), the linkage of the program to ultimately reducing poverty is weak. There was no substantial increase in access to formal financial services to rural, low-income clients.

Project Number: 33357-013
Project Name: Rural Finance Sector Development Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Considering the extensive nature of program preparation related to client demand, the monitoring and evaluation of the program should have included a periodic assessment of client satisfaction or interim impact of the program objectives on clients. The customer satisfaction survey conducted as part of the project completion report review indicated that clients have appreciated an improvement in access to finance and in services provided, but that there are some serious consumer protection issues that need to be addressed.

Project Number: 33357-013
Project Name: Rural Finance Sector Development Program
Report Date:
Lesson
To increase ownership and longterm commitment to goals, it is important that program support be embedded in a government strategy. Extensive preparation was made for the Rural Finance Sector Development Program in terms of market assessment and dialogue with government. The program was successful due to the close alignment of government and program objectives.

Project Number: 33357-013
Project Name: Rural Finance Sector Development Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Translating training into institutionalized practice. Despite intensive onsite technical assistance, the Agriculture Promotion Bank management placed inadequate focus on the development of its human resources and capacity building, which were needed to ensure long-term sustainability. A number of staff training programs designed by the consultants experienced delays. Implementation of recommended action steps (such as the monthly monitoring meetings suggested for the branches) were not given sufficient importance.

Project Number: 33357-013
Project Name: Rural Finance Sector Development Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Flexibility can help strengthen stakeholder ownership and support effective implementation. The first set of governance agreements had to be revised to unlock progress in implementation.

Project Number: 33359-013
Project Name: Banking Sector Reform Program
Report Date:
Lesson
The decentralized approach introduced during implementation contributed to strengthening the capacity of PIUs and speeded up project progress. PIUs demonstrated their abilities in implementing, supervising, and monitoring physical activities, as well as in managing civil works contracts. As a result, the project implementation was expedited at around midterm and caught up to schedule despite the delays in early stages of project implementation.

Project Number: 31352-013
Project Name: Small Towns Development Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
The tranche conditions were overloaded with complicated policy reforms and involved too many implementing agencies with different interests, overstretching the weak administrative capacity of the government.

Project Number: 33359-013
Project Name: Banking Sector Reform Program
Report Date:
Lesson
The project's geographical coverage posed a major challenge to monitor subproject implementation in 12 project towns located all over the country from the northern tip (Phongsali) to the south (Samakkhixai). Particularly during rainy season, it was time-consuming for project coordination unit (PCU) staff and consultants to travel to the project towns, as well as for personnel from UDAAs and project implementation units (PIUs) to attend meetings and workshops.

Project Number: 31352-013
Project Name: Small Towns Development Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
The program's significantly longer than anticipated implementation also meant that there was considerable turnover of key staff within executing and implementing agencies as well as on the ADB team (six mission leaders over the course of implementation). These changes contributed further to delays as new staff learned their responsibilities and adjusted to the many exigencies of a complex and wide-ranging program. A program of more focused scope would have helped reduce the effective transition period for new staff, thereby allowing more effective and timely implementation.

Project Number: 33359-013
Project Name: Banking Sector Reform Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Given the limited time and resources under the project, capacity building for urban development administration authorities (UDAAs) focused on construction management and supervision, operation and maintenance (O&M) of infrastructure and of sanitary landfills, and exchange of lessons among UDAAs. Various workshops were organized on these topics for managerial staff, accountants, and engineers of UDAAs. By strengthening core capacities, the project created momentum for continued support of long-term capacity building to enable UDAAs to provide quality public services.

Project Number: 31352-013
Project Name: Small Towns Development Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
The program's approach to dealing with nonperforming loans (NPLs) might have concentrated more fruitfully on strengthening credit assessment with a focus on future cash flows rather than security, through greater support for the development of needed procedures and capacity in this regard. Attempting concurrent reforms of a fundamental nature in the legal and judicial system requires a significant commitment of resources over the medium to long term, well beyond those available under the program and its associated TA.

Project Number: 33359-013
Project Name: Banking Sector Reform Program
Report Date:
Lesson
The community's involvement in various project activities and its interactions with the government and project staff greatly enhanced the sense of ownership. Community participation and contribution was the key to successfully completing the village upgrading subcomponent. This was evidenced by the fact that the actual community contribution of $206,000, mainly in cash, exceeded the estimated amount of $200,000 expected at appraisal to be mainly as labor.

Project Number: 31352-013
Project Name: Small Towns Development Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Focus in scope is important. The extended time period, the considerable amounts of counterpart and staff time, and the breadth of technical assistance (TA) support involved in program implementation (6 years and about $6 million in loan and grant-based TA resources) clearly indicate the scope and complexity of the program. Significant additional support was also provided under rural finance-related projects to address Agriculture Promotion Bank (APB) and microfinance-related measures.

Project Number: 33359-013
Project Name: Banking Sector Reform Program
Report Date: