Regional : Improving Safeguard Policy Applications in South Asia Developing Member Countries

Sovereign Project | 46282-001

Development results and effectiveness are quite often interrupted or delayed due to unsatisfactory or flawed implementation of safeguard mitigation measures. Often time implementation results are intertwined with planning and design of safeguard measures. There have been concerns over the quality of safeguard planning documents and ADB staff skills in managing implementation issues. The need to understand these implementation issues have been prioritized by SARD and therefore SARD is currently supporting a S-CDTA to assess the status of institutional capacity for implementation of environmental and social safeguards in ADB-funded infrastructure projects in India, Nepal, and Bhutan. The S-CDTA has identified a set of issues that are interrelated between environmental and social safeguard planning and implementation phases and has recommended an action plan which highlights on various level of capacity development needs in each of the 3 selected DMCs and SARD.

Project Details

  • Project Officer
    Barba, Ricardo Carlos
    South Asia Department
    Request for information
  • Country/Economy
    Regional
  • Modality
  • Sector
    • Water and other urban infrastructure and services
Project Name Improving Safeguard Policy Applications in South Asia Developing Member Countries
Project Number 46282-001
Country / Economy Regional
Bangladesh
Bhutan
India
Maldives
Nepal
Sri Lanka
Project Status Closed
Project Type / Modality of Assistance Technical Assistance
Source of Funding / Amount
TA 8569-REG: Improving Safeguard Policy Applications in South Asia Developing Member Countries
Technical Assistance Special Fund US$ 1.50 million
TA 8569-REG: Improving Safeguard Policy Applications in South Asia Developing Member Countries (Supplementary)
Technical Assistance Special Fund US$ 600,000.00
TA 8569-REG: Improving Safeguard Policy Applications in South Asia Developing Member Countries (Supplementary)
Technical Assistance Special Fund US$ 1.50 million
TA 8569-REG: Improving Safeguard Policy Applications in South Asia Developing Member Countries (Supplementary)
Technical Assistance Special Fund US$ 1.40 million
Strategic Agendas Environmentally sustainable growth
Inclusive economic growth
Drivers of Change Governance and capacity development
Sector / Subsector

Energy / Electricity transmission and distribution - Large hydropower generation

Transport / Road transport (non-urban) - Urban roads and traffic management

Water and other urban infrastructure and services / Urban sanitation - Urban sewerage - Urban solid waste management - Urban water supply

Gender No gender elements
Description

Development results and effectiveness are quite often interrupted or delayed due to unsatisfactory or flawed implementation of safeguard mitigation measures. Often time implementation results are intertwined with planning and design of safeguard measures. There have been concerns over the quality of safeguard planning documents and ADB staff skills in managing implementation issues. The need to understand these implementation issues have been prioritized by SARD and therefore SARD is currently supporting a S-CDTA to assess the status of institutional capacity for implementation of environmental and social safeguards in ADB-funded infrastructure projects in India, Nepal, and Bhutan. The S-CDTA has identified a set of issues that are interrelated between environmental and social safeguard planning and implementation phases and has recommended an action plan which highlights on various level of capacity development needs in each of the 3 selected DMCs and SARD. The aim of the proposed R-CDTA is to deliver on this action plan and extend similar investigation on current status and safeguard capacity development for rest of the SARD DMCs.

The regional aspect of the proposed R-CDTA will allow to avail the opportunities for South-South co-operation and sharing of best practices across SARD DMCs. It is in line with the ADB Safeguard Policy Statement 2009 that emphasizes the need for effective implementation of the safeguard measures together with the borrower. The R-CDTA also reflects the strategy encouraged by the Regional Cooperation Strategy for South Asia 2011-2015, where it supports (i) project implementation, and (ii) capacity development initiatives. As a first time for SARD, the S-CDTA has engaged SARD's clients in a dialogue on rationalizing safeguards implementation practices and the R-CDTA will deliver the improvement.

Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy The TA will have significant improvement in safeguard implementation practices in ADB funded projects in SARD DMCs. Performance indicator will be (i) by 2020: Audits of project environmental management plans and social safeguard plans undertaken by external monitors show improvement from 2013 level; and (ii) reduced safeguard complaints filed against ADB funded projects from 2017 onwards.
Impact

Better safeguard implementation practices in ADB-funded projects in DMCs in South Asia

Project Outcome
Description of Outcome

Stronger capacity of both ADB and key government agencies to systematically design, implement, and monitor environment and social safeguard aspects of ADB projects

Progress Toward Outcome In process
Implementation Progress
Description of Project Outputs

1. Safeguard implementation manuals, including guidelines, procedures, and training materials developed

2. Training programs implemented

3. Web-based automated safeguard system for tracking safeguard performance developed

4. Social and environmental safeguards assessments enhanced

Status of Implementation Progress (Outputs, Activities, and Issues)

Output 1: The Environmental Management Specialist and Social Safeguard Specialist who have been recruited since 2014 continues to be engaged to finalize the training manuals. The draft environment and social safeguards training manuals have been initially reviewed by SDSS and will be revised based actual use of core national trainers.

Output 2: Training workshops have been conducted for EAs and IAs as follows:

(a) Environment and social safeguards training workshops have been conducted in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka;

(b) Training on handling environmental contracts conducted in Sri Lanka and Nepal; and

(c) Training on grievance redress mechanism and problem solving conducted in India and Nepal.

The TA supported training for 3 POWERGRID safeguards staff on Resettlement and Livelihood Restoration in Manila, Philippines.

Safeguards Training-of-Trainers (TOT) has been conducted in India for trainees to eventually be engaged to carry-out safeguards training to executing agencies and implementing agencies in their respective countries. A TOT was also held in Bhutan with trainees from Bhutan and Nepal.

An Environmental and Social Safeguards Training was held on 9-13 July 2018 in Nepal for the core national trainers. Several core national trainers have been engaged and deployed in Bhutan, India and Nepal in November 2019 to conduct safeguards training.

Output 3: The Information Technology Consultant and Safeguards Database Management Specialist continues to be engaged to fine-tune SARD's Safeguards Tracking System. The system was pilot-tested in the last quarter of 2016 and its full implementation was launched during SARD''s Safeguards Network Meeting in June 2017. Further refinements are being done to improve the web-based tracking system based on feedback from SARD sector divisions, resident missions, and SDSS.

Output 4: Recruited 14 international consultants and 31 national consultants to perform social and environmental assessment work. One of the 14 international consultants worked on the country safeguards system for POWERGRID in India.

Further consultant recruitment for short-term assignments ongoing.

Geographical Location Bangladesh - Nation-wide; Bhutan - Nation-wide; India - Nation-wide; Maldives - Nation-wide; Nepal - Nation-wide; Sri Lanka - Nation-wide
Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects
Environmental Aspects
Involuntary Resettlement
Indigenous Peoples
Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation
During Project Design The assigned peer reviewers were consulted during the interdepartmental circulation of the draft concept paper.
During Project Implementation
Business Opportunities
Consulting Services On an intermittent basis, ADB will engage individual consultants in accordance with the Guidelines on the Use of Consultants (2013, as amended from time to time). Two international consultants namely, an environmental management specialist and a social safeguard specialist, will be engaged for a total of 31 person-months. Their main tasks will be to enhance overall quality of environmental and social safeguard design and planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting on ADB projects in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal by preparing the necessary manuals and training materials. One international consultant, namely a safeguards specialist, will be engaged for a total of 88 days to work on the SARD safeguards tracking system with the national information technology consultant. ADB will engage 20 national consultants for a total of 56 person-months. Disbursements under the R-CDTA will be made in accordance with ADB's Technical Assistance Disbursement Handbook (January 2010, as amended from time to time). No activity will be financed in any DMC until ADB receives a letter of no objection in respect of such activity from the government of such DMC.
Procurement The participating governments will provide support in the form of data and other information, counterpart staff, office accommodations and facilities, and transportation to site visits for training purposes.
Responsible ADB Officer Barba, Ricardo Carlos
Responsible ADB Department South Asia Department
Responsible ADB Division Office of the Director General, SARD (SAOD)
Executing Agencies
Asian Development Bank
Timetable
Concept Clearance 20 Sep 2013
Fact Finding -
MRM -
Approval 13 Dec 2013
Last Review Mission -
Last PDS Update 04 Jun 2019

TA 8569-REG

Milestones
Approval Signing Date Effectivity Date Closing
Original Revised Actual
13 Dec 2013 - 13 Dec 2013 28 Feb 2017 12 Dec 2019 09 Jun 2020
Financing Plan/TA Utilization Cumulative Disbursements
ADB Cofinancing Counterpart Total Date Amount
Gov Beneficiaries Project Sponsor Others
5,000,000.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 5,000,000.00 17 Jun 2022 4,039,454.36

Project Data Sheets (PDS) contain summary information on the project or program. Because the PDS is a work in progress, some information may not be included in its initial version but will be added as it becomes available. Information about proposed projects is tentative and indicative.

The Access to Information Policy (AIP) recognizes that transparency and accountability are essential to development effectiveness. It establishes the disclosure requirements for documents and information ADB produces or requires to be produced.

The Accountability Mechanism provides a forum where people adversely affected by ADB-assisted projects can voice and seek solutions to their problems and report alleged noncompliance of ADB's operational policies and procedures.

In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of, or reference to, a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area.


Safeguard Documents See also: Safeguards
Safeguard documents provided at the time of project/facility approval may also be found in the list of linked documents provided with the Report and Recommendation of the President.

None currently available.


Evaluation Documents See also: Independent Evaluation

None currently available.


Related Publications

None currently available.


The Access to Information Policy (AIP) establishes the disclosure requirements for documents and information ADB produces or requires to be produced in its operations to facilitate stakeholder participation in ADB's decision-making. For more information, refer to the Safeguard Policy Statement, Operations Manual F1, and Operations Manual L3.

Requests for information may also be directed to the InfoUnit.

Tenders

Tender Title Type Status Posting Date Deadline
Improving Safeguard Policy Applications in South Asia Developing Member Countries (ENV Asbestos Mgt) Individual - Consulting Closed
External Monitor (Land Acquisition and Resettlement) for Loan 3386-IND- Uttar Pradesh Major District Roads Improvement Project. Individual - Consulting Closed
Improving Safeguard Policy Applications in South Asia Developing Member Countries (ENV-Heritage Conservation) Individual - Consulting Closed
Improving Safeguard Policy Applications in South Asia Developing Member Countries (ENV Biodiversity) Individual - Consulting Closed
Safeguards Specialist (National) - SAUW Individual - Consulting Closed
Environmental Safeguards Specialist (BRM) Individual - Consulting Closed
Social Safeguards Specialist (BRM) Individual - Consulting Closed
- Environmental Specialist (SAOD) Individual - Consulting Closed
Improving Safeguard Policy Applications in South Asia Developing Member Countries (Social Safeguards) Individual - Consulting Closed
Improving Safeguard Policy Applications in South Asia Developing Member Countries (Environment Safeguards Specilist) Individual - Consulting Closed
SAPF (BIFFL) - Safeguards Specialist Individual - Consulting Closed
Social Safeguard Specialist Individual - Consulting Closed
Community Mediation Expert Individual - Consulting Closed
Social Development Expert Individual - Consulting Closed
Social Development Expert (Safeguards) Individual - Consulting Closed
Social Development Specialist Individual - Consulting Closed
International Environment Specialist (SAER) Individual - Consulting Closed
Environmental Specialist Individual - Consulting Closed
Resettlement Specialist Individual - Consulting Closed

Contracts Awarded

No contracts awarded for this project were found

Procurement Plan

None currently available.