Search

Displaying 1 - 15 of 17

Lesson
Comprehensive and disaggregated enterprise-level data are needed to effectively support micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in times of crisis. The absence of a real-time disaggregated financial data collection system at the beneficiary level made it difficult to timely track the status of business recovery of affected MSMEs. The dataset collected and used in reports on MSME lending did not include comprehensive disaggregated enterprise-level data from the start, making it impossible to assess the inclusiveness of the concessional lending.

Project Number: 54184-001
Project Name: COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Data interoperability facilitates beneficiary targetting in times of crisis. Difficulty in consolidating data between federal, provincial, and local-level governments and between sectors affected program implementation and progress monitoring. While Nepal’s social security programs each identify and register beneficiaries, there is no central register for poor and vulnerable populations. Hence, the ward officials identified food support beneficiaries, which led to implementation challenges.

Project Number: 54184-001
Project Name: COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Purposeful selection of outcome Indicators that are easily and regularly monitored is critical in crisis response projects. There is a high level of uncertainty surrounding the duration and impact of a crisis. Thus, choosing outcome Indicators that provide timely and crucial information on the progress of the crisis and the impact of policy measures can help manage a crisis, as it allows to quickly introduce new measures when the situation worsens.

Project Number: 54184-001
Project Name: COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Do not propose establishment of a new business continuity fund during crisis. The business continuity fund was established during the crisis. Actual usage was far less compared with existing instruments for concessional lending and refinancing, as operationalization took time. Unless such a fund can be established on time, proposing a new fund during a crisis should be avoided when good instruments are available.

Project Number: 54184-001
Project Name: COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Quick and flexible budget support is essential during times of crisis. The timely availability of the ADB CPRO support greatly contributed to mitigating the impact of the pandemic, particularly for low-income countries and countries in vulnerable situations. Availability of such an instrument is highly relevant for a country in times of crisis.

Project Number: 54184-001
Project Name: COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Harness the role of community-based organizations for inclusiveness. Community-based organizations (CBOs) played an active role in implementing the PMEP, such as facilitating information dissemination in the community, collecting applications from interested unemployed individuals, and connecting them to ward offices. Similarly, CBOs helped the government in identifying poor and vulnerable people as recipients of its food distribution efforts and contributed to addressing food needs during the crisis.

Project Number: 54184-001
Project Name: COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Avoid assuming policy changes when setting targets in a crisis. The program design assumed that coordination of all government-subsidized employment would be transferred to the employment service centers established in each local government under the Prime Minister Employment Program (PMEP). Because of the impact of the crisis, this transfer did not happen and the PMEP was unable to achieve the target. A target set during a crisis should not assume a policy change.

Project Number: 54184-001
Project Name: COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Data access and documentation issues, which can affect emergency response operations, need to be identified and addressed right at the onset of the crisis situation. Early in program implementation, the government recognized the importance of internet connectivity and the use of web-based applications. There was no established online system to receive and process emergency assistance applications. The application forms were initially submitted by beneficiaries through email, which took more than 5 weeks to process.

Project Number: 54189-001
Project Name: COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Using third parties to monitor implementation, especially in situations where mobility and ADB missions are constrained, helps ensure the attainment of intended results. The government partnered with the Red Crescent, private sector, and civil society organizations to vaccinate all residents of Maldives, including foreign workers with no official work permits.

Project Number: 54189-001
Project Name: COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program
Report Date:
Lesson
The One ADB review mechanism that supported program and/or project processing under the COVID-19 Pandemic Response Option (CPRO) was effective in facilitating quick access by DMCs to emergency support from ADB. The CPRO policy and guidelines were still being developed while the program was under preparation, and managing changing internal guidance and expectations added significant pressure. Neverthelesss, program preparation efficiency gains from the One ADB review mechanism were widely experienced.

Project Number: 54309-001
Project Name: Health Expenditure and Livelihoods Support Program
Report Date:
Lesson
The COVID-19 pandemic response option (CPRO) is an effective model for channeling significant support to government to mitigate the impacts of a crisis.This program demonstrated how the CPRO provided a timely and effective means for channeling support to government in helping mitigate negative social, health, and economic impacts of a crisis.

Project Number: 54193-001
Project Name: COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Changing internal guidance and expectations added significant pressure in designing ADB’s COVID-19 response programs and this has to be managed more effectively in future similar circumstances. ADB was still refining its COVID-19 pandemic response option (CPRO) policy and guidelines when this program was prepared. Managing the changing internal guidelines and expectations added significant pressure.

Project Number: 54358-001
Project Name: Health Expenditure and Livelihoods Support Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Widespread assistance from development partners (DPs) in times of crisis could lead to fiscal expansion and unsustainable expenditures that require subsequent downward adjustments. The inflow of DP assistance to support the Republic of Marshall Islands’ (RMI) COVID-19 response plan has masked its structural fiscal deficit and led to expenditures that were unsustainable and needed to be adjusted afterwards. With the pandemic winding down, it has become most important for the country to heed the EconMAP’s recommendation for it take steps to address this fiscal deficit.

Project Number: 54358-001
Project Name: Health Expenditure and Livelihoods Support Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Targeted assistance will help ensure that crisis response programs reach those who need them most. Targeted assistance to women and girls, including in safeguarding their health and safety and prioritizing their coverage in socioeconomic assistance, helped support the well-being of these vulnerable groups. Harmonizing efforts to distribute WASH and dignity kits with those undertaken by a civil society group eliminated the risk of duplication and inefficiencies thus maximizing available assistance from various sources.

Project Number: 54358-001
Project Name: Health Expenditure and Livelihoods Support Program
Report Date:
Lesson
Changing internal guidance and expectations created additional pressure in designing ADB’s COVID-19 response programs and this has to be managed more effectively in future similar situations. At the time this program was prepared, ADB policy and guidelines on the COVID-19 pandemic response option (CPRO) were still being developed, and managing changing internal guidance and expectations added a significant amount of pressure.

Project Number: 54245-001
Project Name: Health Expenditure and Livelihoods Support Program
Report Date: