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ADB Appoints Special Project Facilitator to Boost Accountability

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (27 October 2003) - ADB has appointed a Special Project Facilitator as part of its new accountability mechanism to address concerns of persons affected by ADB-assisted projects.

The new mechanism consists of a consultation phase and a compliance review phase. The first is to assist project-affected people through informal, consensus-based methods such as consultative dialogue or mediation. The second is to provide a forum in which project-affected people can air complaints against ADB. The Special Project Facilitator will be responsible for the consultation phase.

Mr. Nalin P. Samarasingha, a former ADB staffer, is expected to take up the position in late November 2003. In an ADB career spanning 23 years, Mr. Samarasingha was a Senior Project Engineer; Manager, Transport and Communications Division (West); Chief, Central Operations Services Office; and Director, Japanese Representative Office, before he retired in October 2000.

His work covered most facets of ADB's operational activities from country programming for physical and social infrastructure sectors to loan and technical assistance processing and administration. His work experience included subregional cooperation, particularly in the Greater Mekong Subregion. In addition, Mr. Samarasingha was on several task forces and working groups on policies, business practices and administration related activities.

His operational experience included projects with significant environmental, land acquisition and resettlement components and he also had extensive experience in working with executing agencies, ministries of finance, civil society groups, nongovernment organizations, multilateral development banks, business groups, universities, print and television media.

Before joining ADB in 1978, Mr. Samarasingha held senior positions in the public and private sectors in Sri Lanka and Canada. His career in Sri Lanka included working in the Public Works Department and concurrently serving on the Board of Directors of a state-owned corporation. Among other activities, he assisted in a parliamentary commission of inquiry into a major state board. In Canada, he has worked with consulting engineers and with the city government of Calgary.

Mr. Samarasingha is a professional engineer with a Master's degree in engineering from the University of Manitoba, Canada, and a Bachelor's degree in civil engineering and a Bachelor's degree in law from the University of Ceylon. He won a Commonwealth scholarship for postgraduate studies in Canada and a Nuffield fellowship for studies in developing country related issues in the United Kingdom.

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