Budgeting

Budget approval and procurement of new technologies being piloted could take time and cause implementation delays; when installed, rigorous monitoring of the performance of the new technologies is required to ascertain benefits and draw lessons from the pilot experience. In implementing the four pilot smart grid projects, substantial delays occurred due to the lengthy budget approval process and the procurement requirement of open competitive bidding while allowing international bidder participation.

The cost categories required to be reported in the audited program financial statements (APFS) need to align with the categorization at appraisal so as not to cause problems in reporting. PLN faced difficulty in estimating the financing charges during implementation at appraisal stage. In addition, PLN raised a concern on the disclosure provision regarding APFS due to confidentiality requirements. The cost categories reported in the APFS were not aligned with the categorization used at appraisal, due to which changes to reporting formats were needed.

Project costing at design stage should realiably estimate the costs of all civil and other engineering costs and provide allowance for foreign currency fluctuations. The actual cost of one irrigation scheme turned out some $10 million greater than estimated at approval. This resulted in significant revision to the subproject design. The revision also incorporated the appreciation in special drawing rights against the US dollar and the domestic and international inflation that pushed down the real value of project resources.

Closer coordination, capacity building, and handholding can improve project implementation when the executing agency has limited experience on implementing ADB-assisted projects. A review mechanism for assessing the efficacy of the trainings needs to be designed. The executing agency should be well versed in the ADB's safeguard policies to ensure compliance and accurate budgeting of the cost of safeguards. Any delays in the mobilization of experts to complement the staff of the executing agency should be expeditiously addressed.

Allowances for possible cost increases in civil works can mitigate the effects of unforeseen geological conditions.

Estimation of the project cost requires a greater anticipation of potential cost overrun/underrun that may arise during implementation. During appraisal, a more in-depth examination and consideration of factors related to currency depreciation permits a more robust and realistic cost estimates. Under this project, a substantial loan amount was cancelled due to the rupee depreciation. A careful financial planning and cost projections coupled with risk mitigation measures and monitoring allows for better utilization of loan proceeds.

Processing teams need to ensure that the scope and cost estimate of projects are realistic and reflect the actual contexts. Changes in the procurement plan and safeguards document necessitated by the revisions in project scope and costs caused startup delays. The Viet Nam component had a large amount of undisbursed budget because of overestimations in the cost of civil works and land acquisition and resettlement. Advance actions to engage critical consultants early enough should have helped mitigate the delays.

The periodic maintenance payment rates may be standardized for future use. This project incorporated maintenance payments for the first year, allocated at prefixed rates, and with provision for an annual increase in subsequent years. Comparing the periodic maintenance payments made to the contractors with the actual expenditure incurred by the contractors, there is basis for standardizing periodic maintenance payment rates.

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.

Appropriate contract packaging, stakeholder involvement in project preparation, and reliable cost estimates are of particular importance to successful project implementation. This project encountered several weaknesses in design and preparation that made implementation challenging.