Viet Nam : Central Region Transport Networks Improvement Sector Project

Transport / Road transport (non-urban)

The objectives of the Project are (i) reduce transport costs and induce more efficient movement of passengers and goods; (ii) provide all-weather road connectivity between rural areas and district and provincial centers; and (iii) improve road safety, and (iv) establish sustainable road and bridge asset management systems for provincial road networks. The Project area comprises the 19 provinces of the Central Region of Viet Nam. Project components include:

1. Network Improvement

This component will comprise the improvement of approximately 650 km of provincial and district road networks to Viet Nam single-lane (Class V) or two-lane (Class IV) standard. All roads will be constructed with a sealed surface. The civil works will include repair or replacement of bridges and culverts either as part of improvements to a road or as separate subprojects. The civil works will be implemented in three phases. Phase 1 will cover networks in four provinces for which resettlement plans have been approved before Appraisal. Phase 2 will cover five provinces for which subprojects have been identified but not fully prepared for implementation. Work under this component will include implementation of resettlement and ethnic minority development plans and an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign.

2. Institutional Development Component

This component will address the need for improved management of provincial road networks. Activities under this component will comprise of provision of technical assistance to assist the Provincial Departments of Transport (PDOT) to carry out core road management activities. The technical assistance will be delivered through consulting services with the objectives of these services being to enable the PDOTs to: (i) prepare provincial road network plans; (ii) implement provincial road maintenance management processes; (iii) establish resettlement, social and environmental capacity; and (iv) establish a provincial road safety programme.

Improvement of Provincial and district roads and associated bridges and drainage completed.

Road safety audits completed for all roads and of road safety programs established in pilot provinces

HIV/AIDS and STI awareness and prevention programs completed on all project roads

Operationalization of road maintenance budgeting and planning systems in all projects provinces completed

All the RPs, IEEs &EMPs implemented and completed timely

The total length of roads under project is now 730 km. The Project completed in June 2012

Completed. Pilot programs in 3 provinces of Dak Lak, Lam Dong and Ninh Thuan implemented

Completed with detailed results below:

-96 key persons from 19 provinces; 500 women from Ethnic minority and 2885 contractor's persons attended the training on HIV and STI awareness and prevention programs

- 76,000 handout paper, 2278 banner paper, 370 VCD,469 boxes of condoms etc...distributed to people related

Completed

About 300 person-months of international consultants and about 3,300 person-months of domestic consultants will be required to assist in (i) selection of subprojects, preparation of implementation documentation, and assisting in bidding; (ii) construction supervision, including implementation of resettlement plans and, if required, ethnic environment management program; (ii) project performance monitoring and evaluation; (iii) institutional strengthening and capacity building for provincial agencies in the administration and management of the provincial road networks; and (iv) preparing and implementing a provincial road safety program. The consultants will be recruited in accordance with ADB's Guidelines on the Use of Consultants and other arrangements satisfactory to ADB on the engagement of domestic consultants.

The services have been divided into three packages as follows:

(i) Civil Works Preparation Consulting Services -- these services will assist in the preparation of detailed design and civil works bidding for Phase 1 and 2 roads. Recruitment for this package of services will be based on direct selection procedures;

(ii) Project Implementation Services -- these services will include the preparation of implementation documentation for Phase 3 and the construction supervision for all Phases. Recruitment for these services will be based on international recruitment procedures;

(iii) Institutional Development Services -- these services will prepare and implement institutional strengthening, capacity building, and road safety programs for the provincial agencies responsible for the administration and management of the provincial road networks. Recruitment for these services will be based on international recruitment procedures.

Goods.

Civil works will be determined through a number of contracts valued at between $500,000 and $2,000,000. Each province will have up to four contracts, for a total of about 40 contracts. Contracts valued at up to $2 million will be procured using local competitive bidding procedures acceptable to ADB and will follow ADB's Guidelines for Procurement. In essence, these procedure follow closely the procedures adopted for the provincial road components of the ongoing aDB-financed Provincial Roads Improvement project and WB-financed rural transport projects.