Catalog

Quest for Quality
ADB Review [ June-July 2006 ]

ADB’s South Asia Department is well advanced in its efforts to improve accountability

By Kunio Senga
Director General
South Asia Department

The reorganization of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in 2002 resulted in a clearer definition of the accountability of ADB’s regional department.They are now responsible for all aspects of ADB operations at the individual country level, for delivering ADB’s strategic agenda in ADB’s developing member countries, and for being accountable for the quality of loan and nonlending products for public sector operations.

With the adoption of the managing for development results approach in 2003, the needed tools, procedures, and mechanisms for ensuring quality of lending and nonlending products became available. In short, ADB became better equipped to adequately monitor the outputs of its products, their relevance, and their effectiveness and results.

At the departmental level, ADB’s South Asia Department (SARD) has come a long way in embracing the results-based systems and procedures that are needed to improve the quality of its operations.

SARD is developing systems that will provide it with the ability to ensure, through results-based country strategies and programs (CSPs), that the planning and design of its products are fully in line with the national development needs and objectives of its client countries—and ADB’s strategic priorities. This has been substantially achieved.

SARD is developing systems to enhance its ability to follow up—through its results-based sector road maps that are rooted in its current portfolio—on the continued relevance of its products to meet future country objectives and ADB’s priority outcomes. This is at an advanced stage and being refined.

SARD is also developing a system to monitor the outputs of its products at the departmental level: this allows SARD to ensure it delivers the products it has committed to deliver. This initiative starts in 2006.

SARD’s results-based CSPs focus attention on deliverables or indicators of progress that are expressed in global terms. This is also achieved within the context of harmonization and alignment of assistance by the development community.

Its projects are now designed with greater emphasis on outputs and outcomes, not merely focusing attention on inputs. Delegating to resident missions, ensuring beneficiary participation at all stages of implementation, providing technical assistance to strengthen the clients’ capacity to monitor and evaluate ongoing interventions, and independently auditing accounts are some of SARD’s proactive measures that have further strengthened quality during implementation.

Though SARD recognizes there is still much to be done, it is confident that it is on the right track in its efforts to strengthen accountability mechanisms and to ensure the relevance, quality, and responsiveness of its lending and nonlending products. While accountability is the mandate in all SARD’s operations, it can only be strengthened within the parameters of a partnership with ADB’s client governments.

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