Search

Displaying 31 - 45 of 76

Lesson
The project design offered flexibility in developing models for community and private sector participation in the delivery of urban services, without providing a clear framework or adequate resources for these activities. Flexibility is important in the design of sector loans, but for this flexibility to be effectively used, additional capacity, a guiding framework, and resources should be included in the sector loan, with supporting technical assistance for project administration to guide the use of the resources.

Project Number: 27182-013
Project Name: North-West Frontier Province Urban Development Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
The project did not provide market-based salaries. Good staff was therefore hard to retain and turnover was high. This was a major reason for project failure. The overall cost implications of paying professional managers market-based salaries are marginal, especially when the substantial impact of weak capacities on project output and outcomes is considered, as this project demonstrated.

Project Number: 27182-013
Project Name: North-West Frontier Province Urban Development Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
There was a 3-year gap between the project preparatory technical assistance (PPTA) evaluations (in the last quarter of 1999) and the start (effectiveness) of the project (in the last quarter of 2002). Most structural and financial management plans, base maps, and priority subprojects therefore had to be reappraised at the start of the project, further delaying the project and straining limited capacity. To keep evaluations and project designs relevant, the time between project preparation and start up should not exceed 1 year.

Project Number: 27182-013
Project Name: North-West Frontier Province Urban Development Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
The project design was based on the assessment of seven sample TMAs and assumptions related to support for LGO 2001 from other sources to address capacity issues. The basis of the capacity assessment was seriously compromised during implementation. The project design did not have enough flexibility and depth to fill these capacity gaps, which would have required major changes in institutional arrangements and additional funding, a possibility that was avoided during implementation.

Project Number: 27182-013
Project Name: North-West Frontier Province Urban Development Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
The policy reforms agreed on at appraisal were overshadowed by the broader reform agenda introduced under local government ordinance (LGO) 2001 before project approval. Where major changes occur in the external environment of projects before ADB approval, it is more efficient to revise the project design up front rather than postpone the major adjustments.

Project Number: 27182-013
Project Name: North-West Frontier Province Urban Development Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
The project supported reforms only in the 24 participating tehsil municipal administrations (TMAs). The provincial government was expected to undertake reforms and address capacity gaps in all the other TMAs (52 in all). This arrangement seriously isolated the reform process. Sector loan projects should assess the political will, capacity, and incentives related to policy actions at all levels before building the support and incentives mechanism for reforms.

Project Number: 27182-013
Project Name: North-West Frontier Province Urban Development Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Land acquisitions and resettlement. Most of the compensation rates for resettlement were higher than those in the resettlement plans. However, according to the data provided by each municipal sewerage company (MSC), the total resettlement costs for permanent land acquisition, temporary land use, building demolition, and associated items on the ground were lower than those estimated in the resettlement plan.

Project Number: 32327-013
Project Name: Hebei Province Wastewater Management Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Reclaimed water development. The government has not recognized the tariff issues related to recycled water, although 30% of treated wastewater is being recycled as of 30 June 2010. The government needs to streamline the tariff system for recycled water, including tariff setup, charging standards, and collection mechanisms.

Project Number: 32327-013
Project Name: Hebei Province Wastewater Management Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Sewer construction. For the Tangshan component, construction of a fully functioning sewer system should have been adequately addressed during the planning stage. The construction delay had a negative impact on the project. Technical preparation needs to be enhanced, as does overall coordination of project implementation among government agencies.

Project Number: 32327-013
Project Name: Hebei Province Wastewater Management Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Sludge treatment. Proper handling of sludge has been an issue for most wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) operating in the People's Republic of China (PRC) since traditional landfill options have become problematic. The government and WWTPs must find alternative solutions for sludge treatment. More sustainable sludge treatment methodologies may need to be considered during project preparation. Tangshan and Baoding are piloting the composting of sludge for fertilizer; however, this solution may not be sustainable without clear safety measures, due to increasing health concerns.

Project Number: 32327-013
Project Name: Hebei Province Wastewater Management Project
Report Date:
Lesson
A single executing agency could have simplified implementation. The report and recommendation of the president (RRP) and the loan agreement both established an unnecessary overlap of functions between LBP and the DILG. This could have been avoided through a more straightforward and functional separation of roles: LBP to implement Part A, and the DILG to limit its role to Part B. The existence of two executing agencies under the project should have been avoided.

Project Number: 30551-013
Project Name: Mindanao Basic Urban Services Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
The value of capacity development. Although not easily measurable in terms of monetary impacts and outcomes, capacity development support made an important contribution to the project. The investment of $6 million through an Nordic Development Fund (NDF) loan to the DILG was an unprecedented engagement in favor of LGUs; this amount was augmented with a substantial in-kind operational counterpart contribution by the DILG.

Project Number: 30551-013
Project Name: Mindanao Basic Urban Services Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
LGUs see banking requirements as too tedious. Despite various introductory workshops, some LGUs kept complaining about the documentation requirements. The assistance of DILG and its consultants has helped ease their concerns, but LGUs reported that at times they felt like they were being forced into compliance with procedures that other official development assistance (ODA) providers (like Japan Bank for International Cooperation) had already relaxed. Both ADB and LBP procedures could have been simplified to better bond LGU customers with the project.

Project Number: 30551-013
Project Name: Mindanao Basic Urban Services Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Capital grants are attractive, but should only be given as a reward for good performance. In the first years of the project the DILG offered capital grants for eligible subprojects. These were discontinued in 2005 after the cancellation of the DILG's grant source. After that, many LGUs stopped subproject preparation work because of the (perceived high) costs of ADB loans. The commitment and buy-in of LGUs was weak at times. Many LGUs were more oriented toward grants than the lending facility.

Project Number: 30551-013
Project Name: Mindanao Basic Urban Services Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Decentralized projects call for a better PPMS. The scattered nature of investments throughout Mindanao created substantial management challenges of reporting and data management. The disparity and decentralized nature of the subprojects should have made it imperative that the project implement a web-based project performance monitoring system (PPMS) instead of employing traditional narrative reporting methods. A web-based PPMS would have facilitated management and supervision.

Project Number: 30551-013
Project Name: Mindanao Basic Urban Services Sector Project
Report Date: