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Lesson
The program design benefited from interaction with ADB staff preparing similar Comprehensive Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic (CPRO) programs in other Pacific countries. ADB’s CPRO policy and guidelines were still being refined while the program was under Preparation. Managing the changing internal guidelines and expectations while also coordinating virtually (due to COVID-19 restrictions) with Vanuatu, ADB’s Pacific Liaison and Coordination Office, and ADB headquarters added significant pressure.

Project Number: 54179-001
Project Name: COVID-19 Fiscal Response Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Basing the reporting requirements on the monitoring systems of the government’s own response plan and providing dedicated assistance for monitoring and evaluation will help reduce the burden of the government in meeting the reporting requirements of massive budget support, pandemic response programs such as the CPRO. Budget support mechanisms are relatively new for the borrower, as most development assistance is delivered as project funding or through technical assistance.

Project Number: 54179-001
Project Name: COVID-19 Fiscal Response Program
Report Date:
Lesson
During TA implementation, coordination was found to impact efficiency and effectiveness. In countries where coordination needs to be improved, the project team’s level of involvement is critical.

Project Number: 39542-022
Project Name: Implementing the Greater Mekong Subregion Core Agriculture Support Program (Phase 2)
Report Date:
Lesson
Consultants can be tapped to train the government ministries/agencies, which in turn are expected to train other stakeholders. However, this requires a long-term commitment to recognize improved capacities and the retention of ministry-trained staff by offering incentives.

Project Number: 39542-022
Project Name: Implementing the Greater Mekong Subregion Core Agriculture Support Program (Phase 2)
Report Date:
Lesson
Institutional arrangements need to be robust and well-coordinated to deliver results. It must be clearly recognized for designing a large size and regional TA projects, especially involving multiple countries and development partners. Capacity needs assessment can serve as basis for specifying focus activities by country and targeting the scope of capacity building.

Project Number: 39542-022
Project Name: Implementing the Greater Mekong Subregion Core Agriculture Support Program (Phase 2)
Report Date:
Lesson
An analysis of priority stakeholders can yield a clearer idea of the cost-time effort required to reach these beneficiaries, given transport and communication constraints.

Project Number: 39542-022
Project Name: Implementing the Greater Mekong Subregion Core Agriculture Support Program (Phase 2)
Report Date:
Lesson
Taking into account foreign exchange risk during TA design stage is important. Also, devising appropriate risk mitigating strategies or mechanism to address foreign exchange rate volatility is useful. This strategy could include the use of a currency conversion mechanism where donor funds are converted upon receipt into either one specific currency that is to be the primary use currency (e.g., USD), or a balanced mix of currencies (as used by the World Bank) are held so that the project funds are not so susceptible to the fluctuations of any one currency during project implementation.

Project Number: 39542-022
Project Name: Implementing the Greater Mekong Subregion Core Agriculture Support Program (Phase 2)
Report Date:
Lesson
Developing a cadre of locally based trainers through a ‘training of trainers’ approach has been shown to be a very effective method of increasing capacity of those trained, while also retaining such capacity within the national and local areas.

Project Number: 39542-022
Project Name: Implementing the Greater Mekong Subregion Core Agriculture Support Program (Phase 2)
Report Date:
Lesson
An additional lesson is having an important facilitative role in attracting donor funding even without substantial investments of its own, ADB can leverage its knowledge and connections to implement significant projects in collaboration with other stakeholders.

Project Number: 39542-022
Project Name: Implementing the Greater Mekong Subregion Core Agriculture Support Program (Phase 2)
Report Date:
Lesson
A lesson from this TA is that the benefits of a regional TA approach seem strong in terms of applicability among GMS countries, and the potential for improving standards and value chains across different product categories is great. As one gets into the “retail” side of capacity development (where farmer and other producer beneficiaries are trained on how to produce according to the standards), the costs vis-à-vis the benefits of TAs from different activities and for different stakeholder groups may need to be shown before they attract donor buy-ins.

Project Number: 39542-022
Project Name: Implementing the Greater Mekong Subregion Core Agriculture Support Program (Phase 2)
Report Date:
Lesson
Based on the recommendations indicated in the TCR, one lesson is that collaboration with other development partners, not only through the conduct of activities but also through cofinancing, could be a valuable and important means of facilitating delivery of intended results.

Project Number: 39542-022
Project Name: Implementing the Greater Mekong Subregion Core Agriculture Support Program (Phase 2)
Report Date:
Lesson
A lesson learned by this validation in reading the output and outcome information is that the information is not sufficiently clear on who and what agencies would benefit from the knowledge-building activities. Beyond the creation, adoption, and dissemination of guidelines for improved processes for climate-friendly, yield-improving agriculture, an analysis on which stakeholders have most to gain and are most in need of knowledge-building in the relevant areas would be useful if results are to be measured and presented quantitatively.

Project Number: 39542-022
Project Name: Implementing the Greater Mekong Subregion Core Agriculture Support Program (Phase 2)
Report Date:
Lesson
There are strong potential welfare gains to smallholder farmers and their communities by improving access to clean energy and learning the practices and mechanisms of climate-friendly agriculture developed and encouraged by this TA. This scaling-up potential to an ever-wider diversity and number of stakeholders can be a next logical step, and require s careful consideration how the maximum number of people can be reached with the best efficacy; that is, through a combination of public, private, donor, and other resource means.

Project Number: 39542-022
Project Name: Implementing the Greater Mekong Subregion Core Agriculture Support Program (Phase 2)
Report Date:
Lesson
Analysis of social and cultural barriers to entry for female participation can help proactively target and increase female attendance in capacity building activities.

Project Number: 39542-022
Project Name: Implementing the Greater Mekong Subregion Core Agriculture Support Program (Phase 2)
Report Date:
Lesson
This lesson could be strengthened by including additional information on the scaling up and replication opportunities derived from this TA. For example, a detailed cost-benefit analysis and articulation of target recipients or beneficiaries for these investments would strengthen the justification for additional scaling up of activities.

Project Number: 39542-022
Project Name: Implementing the Greater Mekong Subregion Core Agriculture Support Program (Phase 2)
Report Date: