Search

Displaying 31 - 45 of 79

Lesson
Government resource mobilization efforts to raise supplementary funds to meet the cost of additional components outside the project scope demonstrate its ownership of and commitment to the project and increase the resulting benefits. Footpaths for the road widening works were not included in the original road design but were constructed by the Thimphu thromde using parallel financing. The footpaths enhanced the road design and improved road safety.

Project Number: 44240-014
Project Name: Thimphu Road Improvement Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Regular scrutiny of the financial statements by ADB, coupled with periodic training of finance and project accounts staff, will help expedite financial closure. The financial management arrangements of the recipient and executing agency were robust. Even then, financial closure of the grant account took 1.15 years from the grant closing date because of delays in the liquidation of advances and additional time needed to resolve the statement of expenditures review findings. Financial closing was further exacerbated by COVID-19 in-country lockdown measures.

Project Number: 44240-014
Project Name: Thimphu Road Improvement Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Adequate technical assessment during appraisal is important to ensure output targets are completely identified and properly designed. Because of inadequate technical assessment of the road surface conditions and the lack of a comprehensive road safety audit, this project's output targets were limited.

Project Number: 44240-014
Project Name: Thimphu Road Improvement Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Continuous consultations with communities throughout the project cycle are important for meaningful adaptations in project design and avoidance of conflicts during implementation. The Thimphu thromde used its own resources to conduct consultation and participation activities, which included national television announcements, public information campaigns including to building owners prior to construction, and community monitoring meetings. Consultations with road users post-implementation helped confirm the perceived projects benefits.

Project Number: 44240-014
Project Name: Thimphu Road Improvement Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Combating pandemics of COVID-19’s scale requires a whole-of-society-and-government approach. While replicating the Bhutanese experience may be difficult given the country's uniqueness in many ways, Bhutan's strong leadership and the government's relentless endeavor to implement public safety measures while vaccinating nearly the entire adult population is notable. Bhutan’s COVID-19 response with a whole-of-society-and-government approach under the leadership of the King is exemplary and provides a model for combating pandemics of such a scale.

Project Number: 54183-001
Project Name: COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Preparedness should be front and center of a disaster and/or pandemic response. The government set up a health emergency operations center and a WHO emergency operations center in 2018, and invested in medical camp kit tents, initially meant to be deployed for disaster relief. During the pandemic, the tents were repurposed to screen and treat patients with respiratory symptoms. In 2019, the country upgraded its Royal Centre for Disease Control laboratory, with equipment to not only handle new and deadly influenza viruses but also SARS-CoV-2.

Project Number: 54183-001
Project Name: COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Social relief and economic stimulus packages are key to alleviating the impacts of wide-scale disasters and/or pandemics. The government designed and implemented a comprehensive social relief and economic stimulus program on top of the public health measures, which were the main drivers behind Bhutan’s success against COVID-19. Every effort was made to minimize the financial hardship for needy households and small businesses as a result of the pandemic.

Project Number: 54183-001
Project Name: COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program
Report Date:
Lesson
A robust targeting and monitoring system is essential to prioritizing the poor and vulnerable in emergency assistance and disaster risk reduction. While the government’s National Resilience Fund monitoring system ensured that social relief reached the poor and the vulnerable and other affected groups as envisaged, the preparation of reports took almost 1 month on average. The COVID-19 experience indicates that pandemics affect women and women differently because of gender inequalities caused by socioeconomic conditions and societal gender norms, which put women and girls at a disadvantage.

Project Number: 54183-001
Project Name: COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Nonpartisan, broadly upheld leadership is crucial to the success of pandemic/crisis response programs. Leading the national efforts in the fight against the pandemic, His Majesty the King traveled extensively across the country to achieve the highest level of preparedness and to instill public confidence by alleviating the difficulties faced by the people and ensuring uninterrupted supply of food and essential commodities. His Majesty’s compassionate leadership resulted in building mutual trust and confidence among the people and their leaders.

Project Number: 54183-001
Project Name: COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program
Report Date:
Lesson
It is important to carefully design future project-based interventions, with measures to strengthen beneficiary involvement through a community-based road safety program—to sustain the project’s momentum even after its completion.

Project Number: 39225-022
Project Name: Road Network Project II
Report Date:
Lesson
As a norm at the sector level, it is important that central government allocate funds from the general budget for routine and periodic maintenance, and for large rehabilitation.

Project Number: 39225-022
Project Name: Road Network Project II
Report Date:
Lesson
The government must clearly emphasize the vital role that roads play in Bhutan’s socioeconomic development.

Project Number: 39225-022
Project Name: Road Network Project II
Report Date:
Lesson
Consultation with service agencies during project design stage is best, as their hands-on experience and knowledge of the sector would enhance project availability and allow them to align with the proposed project.

Project Number: 40054-013
Project Name: South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Information Highway
Report Date:
Lesson
Multilateral and bilateral agreement would be more helpful if undertaken before loan approval as it would indicate buy-in and commitment by participating countries.

Project Number: 40054-013
Project Name: South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Information Highway
Report Date:
Lesson
Gender elements should be a default item in the menu of actions for projects and programs supporting financial inclusion.

Project Number: 46371-002
Project Name: Strengthening Economic Management Program II
Report Date: