Water

Comprehensive Review of ADB's Water Policy Implementation

Report on Fourth Work Session of the Review Panel

2-6 December 2005
ADB Headquarters

The Review Panel's Fourth and Final Work Session for ADB's water policy implementation review took place in Manila to allow Review Panel members to meet with ADB operations staff to discuss final inputs and preliminary recommendations before finalizing the panel's report for circulation to ADB Management in early 2006.

Issues discussed in previous work sessions of the review panel, updates on the client and stakeholder survey results, and feedback from consultations were recapped.

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The main objectives of the panel's final work session were to:

• discuss final updates on key inputs for the review e.g. special adviser papers, survey results, and feedback from final consultations
• connect the panel with ADB HQ water operations staff to dialogue on recommendations
• finalize key findings and recommendations
• discuss modality for follow on actions to review process

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The Review Panel's final work session began with a meeting with ADB water operations staff to discuss the Panel's preliminary recommendations. Following the staff session, the Panel met to discuss final updates on the various review modalities, including comments submitted during the recent civil society consultation, summary report for the final survey results, and a synthesis of key findings and recommendations from all 7 consultations.

The panel finalized worked through the weekend to finalize key findings and recommendations for presentation to RSDD's management. It also drafted an action plan to accompany its recommnedations to ADB.

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In preparation for the final session, the panel reviewed recent inputs to inform their initial assessments of progress, challenges, and required actions in the key areas outlined in ADB's water policy:

• national water sector policies and sector reforms
• water resource management
• water service delivery

Based on this review, the panel identified the most critical remaining challenges that its recommendations would address:

• the low priority given to water in ADB's developing member countries (DMCs)
• governance and institutional constraints in the DMCs
• donor harmonization
• social and environmental impacts
• capacity constraints within ADB
• bridging the gap between DMCs and ADB through the Country Strategy and Programs (CSPs) and water sector roadmaps
• financing affordable, efficient, equitable, cost-effective and sustainable water service delivery
• the need for ADB to clarify its position on subsidies, tariff reform, cost recovery, operation and maintenance (O&M), and private sector participation.

During the final works session, the Panel considered final inputs to the review process and finalized the content and format of the findings, recommendations, and the action plan.

At the end of the work session, the Panel Chair presented the Panel's key findings to the Director General of RSDD.

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View the document [ PDF: 56kb | 11 pages ]. To read, you need Acrobat.

1. Introduction
2. Background on ADB’s water policy and review processes
1. ADB’s Water Policy and Review Process
2. ADB’s Expert Review Panel
3. Comprehensive Review Design and Key Components
3. Summary from Final Work Session of Review Panel
1. Objectives
2. Process
3. Key Issues Discussed
4. Timeline and Expected Outputs
4. Appendix: Agenda for Review Panel's Final Work Session

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