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Asian Development Bank Awards Top Project Management Teams

At a ceremony held today at the Nepal Resident Mission of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), two Project Management Teams were awarded commendation certificates for exemplary project implementation performance.

Dr. Richard Vokes, Resident Representative, of Nepal Resident Mission and Dr. Bimal P. Koirala, Secretary, Ministry of Finance jointly awarded commendation certificates to the Project Management Teams of Loan 1461-NEP: Third Livestock Development Project and Loan 1451-NEP: Second Tourism Infrastructure Development Project for outstanding performance and management of their projects in 2000.

The certificates were signed by Dr. Bimal P. Koirala on behalf of the Government and by Dr. Richard Vokes on behalf of ADB. Senior officials of the Government, Project Managers/Directors, and senior Project staff of ADB-assisted projects, and Nepal Resident Mission staff were present at the ceremony.

Given the importance of Project Management Teams in the successful implementation of ADB-assisted projects, the Nepal Resident Mission, in association with the Government, has started to honour Project Management Teams from 1999 onwards instead of just individual Project Managers/Directors as in the past. The evaluation criteria for selecting outstanding Project Management Teams are based on: (i) implementation performance classification as indicated in ADB's Project Performance Report (PPR); (ii) development objectives classification as indicated in ADB's PPR; (iii) contract award performance; (iv) disbursement performance; (v) timely submission of audited corporate financial statements and project accounts; (vi) improvement in project performance; (vii) adequate staffing; (viii) timely submission of periodic reports; and (ix) team initiatives and response to ADB queries.

To augment the efforts of the Government to improve project implementation, the Nepal Resident Mission holds monthly meetings involving Project Managers/Directors of the ADB-assisted projects. At these meetings, projects are reviewed in detail and important issues highlighted. Based on the discussions, reports are prepared and circulated to the Government including the Office of the Prime Minister, National Planning Commission and the Ministry of Finance for necessary action.

Nepal is a founding member of ADB. Nepal has traditionally been an important borrower from the Asian Development Fund, a soft loan facility of ADB. On a cumulative basis, ADB's lending to Nepal has reached almost $1.9 billion for 99 loans (including about $50 million for 5 loans to the private sector) as of 30 April 2001. During the same period ADB also provided 222 technical assistance grants for a total of about $99 million for capacity building, policy studies, as well as for the preparation of projects.

As of 30 April 2001, Nepal had a portfolio of 20 ongoing loans totalling about $595 million, while 32 technical assistance projects were under implementation. During 2000, contracts worth about $48.2 million were awarded while disbursements amounted to about $91.2 million.

ADB, a multilateral development finance institution, began operating in December 1966 from its headquarters in Manila, Philippines. ADB currently has 59 members, 43 in the Asia and Pacific region, and 16 from outside the region. To facilitate its operations, ADB opened its Nepal Resident Mission in Kathmandu in November 1989. The Nepal Resident Mission has been assisting the Government in project implementation and in the formulation of the operational program for ADB's assistance.