Comprehensive Review of ADB's Water Policy Implementation
Report on Third Work Session of the Review Panel
18-20 October 2005
BACKGROUND
The Review Panel’s Third Work Session for ADB’s water policy implementation review took place at the ADB Headquarters to allow Review Panel members to meet with ADB operations staff. It also enabled the panel members to participate in the private sector consultation which took place on 18 October 2005. |
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OBJECTIVES OF THE 3RD WORK SESSION
The main objectives of the panel’s third work session were to:
- brief the panel on updated inputs for the review e.g. special adviser papers, survey results, and feedback from in-country consultations to date
- connect the panel with ADB HQ staff
- provide the opportunity for review panel members to attend the private sector consultation
- determine the panel’s remaining resource and information needs
- finalize expectations for final consultations and next assignments
- discuss and map the process to deliver the final Panel Report.
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The Review Panel’s third work session began with the private sector consultation. Following the consultation, the meeting involved two days of individual meetings and briefings from ADB HQ staff on critical issues relevant to the review and updates on the various review modalities.
Panel members met with water operations directors and members of ADB’s Water Committee to discuss the opportunities to increase ADB’s water investments, and capacity development needs within ADB and in ADB’s developing member countries.
The panel discussed preliminary findings and identified next assignments during the last day of the session. This is in preparation for the final work session on 2-6 December 2005 in Manila. Panel members also reconfirmed their representation in the upcoming civil society consultation.
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| Private Sector Consultation |
Recommendations regarding ADB’s possible role to facilitate private sector participation:
- mitigating risk (political, economic, financial, social)
- improving the regulatory and legal framework
- providing alternative dispute resolution mechanisms
- linking investments with reforms
- developing capacity and expertise in public sector to engage in PSP models
- facilitating access to funding, financing options, credit, and capacity building in rural areas
- enforcing safeguards for the poor/MDGs: addressing issues of affordability and access in both urban and rural areas (waiving connection fees versus tariff subsidies)
- facilitating media/public awareness and education (water as a resource versus water as a service/distinctions between privatization and various PSP models)
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| Review Panel Meetings |
The panel synthesized initial assessments of progress, challenges, and required actions in the key elements of ADB’s water policy. The panel’s preliminary findings outline next steps for ADB in four important areas:
- the enabling environment
- capacity development
- investments
- the process to ensure implementation.
The panel also reviewed each of the 26 areas outlined in the scope of the review to identify remaining gaps and incorporated additional issues raised in the in-country and private sector consultations and survey results. Key concerns discussed with ADB staff included: private sector participation, civil society and NGO feedback during the in-country consultations, capacity development needs within ADB and the DMCs, and plans for ADB’s proposed water financing program 2006-2010. |
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| ACTIVITIES |
DATE |
| 2005 |
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Session 1: Panel finalizes methodology and expected outputs of the review |
May |
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Session 2: Special Advisers to the panel present papers on key topics; Panel finalizes outline of Panel Report |
August |
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Session 3: Panel drafts the final report, conducts meetings with ADB operations staff, and participates in the private sector consultation |
October |
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Final Session: Panel finalizes key findings and recommendations for presentation to RSDD management.
Panel submits report to Director General, RSDD |
December |
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| 2006 |
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DG circulates report to regional departments and resident mission offices to collect comments
Panel Chair discusses comments with DG RSDD and finalizes report
DG RSDD circulates the final report to ADB's Board of Directors as Board Information Paper |
1st Quarter |
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ADB initiates follow-up actions in response to the Panel Report |
2nd Quarter |
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- Introduction
- Background on ADB’s water policy and review processes
- ADB’s Water Policy and Review Process
- ADB’s Expert Review Panel
- Comprehensive Review Design and Key Components
- Summary from Third Work Session of Review Panel
- Objectives
- Process
- Key Issues Discussed
- Timeline and Expected Outputs
- Appendices
- Agenda for Review Panel’s Third Work Session
- Short Biographies for Review Panel
- Revised Summary Timeline of Major Activities
- Summary of Assessments to Date
- Summary of Objectives and Scope of the Comprehensive Review
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