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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
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
Corporatized public enterprises operating on a cost-recovery basis need government funding support for infrastructure improvements. Provision of government counterpart funding should have been a condition for grant effectiveness. Instead, the executing agency, the Papua New Guinea Power Limited (PPL), partially made funds available for civil works. PPL, as a corporatized enterprise, is mandated to operate on a cost-recovery basis and did not have sufficient funding allocation.

Project Number: 41504-024
Project Name: Improved Energy Access for Rural Communities
Report Date:
Lesson
Alternatives to grid connection should have been considered to electrify more rural poor communities. Inclusion of alternatives that are beneficial to low-usage rural customers, including solar home systems and mini grids, could have expanded project coverage and enhanced its impact.

Project Number: 41504-024
Project Name: Improved Energy Access for Rural Communities
Report Date:
Lesson
It is important to reassess Indicators at midterm. In addition to project review, a reassessment of the performance Indicators at midterm should have led to adjustments in the project design, including targets and implementation timeframes. These would have bolstered the project’s potential for success.

Project Number: 41504-024
Project Name: Improved Energy Access for Rural Communities
Report Date:
Lesson
Equity issues need to be carefully considered and addressed in beneficiary selection and targeting. The potential for political influence in the selection of communities that would benefit from grid connection was identified as a risk. To mitigate this risk, independent consultants were engaged to develop the beneficiary selection criteria, which would eventually stipulate that (i) customers were to be within 250 meters of the transmission line, (ii) construction of the property had to be sound, and (iii) households must have the financial means to pay for the electricity provided.

Project Number: 41504-024
Project Name: Improved Energy Access for Rural Communities
Report Date:
Lesson
Project preparatory and startup activities should be synchronized to avoid wastage of time and resources. The implementation of subprojects in multiple geographic locations and the need to manage the storage of equipment delivered years before installation added to the challenges in managing this project. Furthermore, consultant recruitment was not aligned to implementation progress.

Project Number: 41504-024
Project Name: Improved Energy Access for Rural Communities
Report Date:
Lesson
Delayed implementation of an associated project can seriously affect the success potential of another. This project was critically dependent on the progress of tranche 1 of the Town Electrification Investment Program (TEIP). Specifically, it was to connect 4,500 rural households to the grid being extended under the TEIP tranche 1 project. The grid itself was to be maintained by the hydropower plants being constructed under the tranche 1 project. However, as tranche 1 incurred extensive delays so did this project which took 9 years to be completed versus the planned 3 years.

Project Number: 41504-024
Project Name: Improved Energy Access for Rural Communities
Report Date:
Lesson
Drawing from similar past project experiences, as part of due diligence, will help minimize or avoid cost underestimations. The connection costs under this project were underestimated by 250%, resulting in the project installing only 43% of its planned 4,500 household connections. More thorough due diligence should have been carried out during project preparation, with cost estimates validated by experiences under similar past projects.

Project Number: 41504-024
Project Name: Improved Energy Access for Rural Communities
Report Date:
Lesson
More effective utilization of consultants helps improve project implementation. As the international consultants are selected based on the experience and expertise in engineering and project management, they are required to remain in close proximity to the project site and assist in the development and monitoring of project and subproject programs. They have the capacity for assuming a stronger advisory role for a project to be successful.

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