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Awards for Outstanding Project Management Teams

KATHMANDU, NEPAL (27 May 2003) - Finance Secretary Bhanu P. Acharya presented awards to representatives of two project teams that are recipients of the Asian Development Bank's Nepal Resident Mission (NRM) award for Outstanding Project Management Performance this year.

The winners are the Third Livestock Development Project (TLDP) and the Rural Microfinance Project (RMP).

The Third Livestock Development Project supports the Department of Livestock Services in reorienting its approach to managing the sector. This includes boosting the capability of rural communities in planning and managing activities to improve access to inputs, markets, and services, mostly provided by the private sector.

The Rural Microfinance Project aims to improve the socio-economic status of women through capacity building, providing credit for income generating activities, and institutional strengthening of microfinance institutions. Targeted at women living below the poverty line, who are least served by financial, technical, and social services, it is being implemented in 75 districts.

This is the second award for both projects. Previously, TLDP received the award for 2000 while RMP received it for 2001.

NRM instituted the award in 1996 to encourage project staff of ADB-assisted projects to excel.

The performance of ADB's project portfolio has been gradually improving in recent years as a result of joint efforts by the Government and ADB, said ADB's Nepal Country Director Richard Vokes. "Audited project accounts and agency financial statements are generally submitted on time, and compliance with key loan covenants is generally acceptable."

He added that disbursement performance has also improved.

Mr. Vokes noted that Government agencies still need to develop capacity and understanding in terms of involving local communities, poor people, excluded groups, and women during project implementation as well to undertaking effective monitoring and evaluation.

"Strengthening government agencies, improving governance, expediting decentralization, and promoting involvement by civil society, the private sector and local communities/beneficiaries in service delivery are essential to improve the impact of development investments on poverty reduction," he said.

NRM is supporting Government efforts to improve project implementation through monthly meetings involving Project Directors/Managers of ADB-assisted projects, including senior government officials. Since July 2001, the Ministry of Finance has been co-chairing such meetings on a bimonthly basis. This helps Government officials to become acquainted with major hurdles of implementation and to take remedial measures.

For project performance in 2002, NRM short-listed five teams for the Outstanding Performance award - the Community Groundwater Irrigation Sector Project, Rural Microfinance Project, Second Irrigation Sector Project, Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project, and Third Livestock Development Project.