Effectiveness of TA in Support of Environmental Management

Date: February 2011
Type:
Subject:
Evaluation; Environment
Series: Technical Assistance Performance Evaluation Reports

Description

ONGOING EVALUATION. The objective of the proposed study is to assess the performance of environment technical assistance (TA) in improving environmental management capacity in ADB’s developing member countries. Environmental management is defined as environment capacity development activities undertaken to strengthen an institution’s (environment ministry’s or a line agency environment unit’s) capability (organizational and individual) for performing environment safeguard-related functions, that is, environment assessment, monitoring and mitigation planning, legislation, and policy development.

This will be addressed by preparing a meta-evaluation synthesizing key findings, lessons, and recommendations of technical assistance performance evaluation reports to identify common themes and issues across ADB developing member countries.

Key Issues

The synthesis will focus on the following key issues with emphasis on what factors are specific to environmental management as distinct from other TA projects.

  • Human resource development and training. Typically, there is a lack of suitably qualified and motivated staff (and management) to undergo training in environmental management enabling a cadre of environment professionals supporting long-term goals of the environment agency. This scarcity compounded by poor uptake of science and technical disciplines at university level by aspiring graduates.
  • Institutional development. Environment agencies are often at a nascent stage without proper institutional and budgetary support. The study will evaluate the ability of the environment TA to influence national executive and/or legislature toward according greater institutional prowess to environment agencies demonstrated by increased budget, stronger legislation and enforcement, and state-of-the-art (but appropriate) technology.
  • Regional cooperation. Being an externality environment services benefit greatly from regional cooperation. The study will review the ability of environment TA to generate true, long term regional cooperation on transboundary issues in a way that benefits are accrued both regionally and locally.
  • Sustainability and country safeguard systems. Given the emphasis placed on country safeguard systems under the Paris Declaration; the study will test the influence environment TA has had in building institutional mechanisms for enduring environmental management actions including in building national capacity in safeguards (environment) planning and implementation.
  • TA design and theme selection. The study will attempt to understand if TA design addressed the issue of environment being considered an externality (i.e., often considered an unintended consequence of a development activity). It will review elements of TA design critical in building capacity of country environmental management systems in a sustainable and efficient manner, while targeting environment development themes consistent with ADB and developing member countries priorities.
  • TA implementation. The study will review key aspects of implementation that affect environment TA performance including but not limited to availability of appropriate staff resources, ability of national environment agencies to mobilize necessary financial resources for sustaining TA outcomes, and the level of ownership from the government including the finance and planning agencies.
  • Environment policy and technology development. The study will assess the contribution of environment TA in mainstreaming environmental management with national development planning, using environment impact statements as a project decision-making tool, encouraging research and development in environment technologies and developing partnerships between government, private sector, and the civil society.