Regional : Unlocking Innovation for Development

Sovereign Project | 49242-001

The midterm review of the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) long-term strategic framework acknowledges that to maintain and sustain growth in Asia and the Pacific, regional economies need greater innovation and inclusiveness. In ADB's context, innovation is finding new ways for ADB to serve and address development challenges in its developng member countries. ADB has undertaken innovations in several areas including climate proofing for transport, bus rapid transport system, inclusive financial solutions, unified multi-purpose identification system for government, community eCenters, and building greener cities among others. In various instances, innovations tended to be one-off interventions and very few have attempted to replicate these on a broader scale.

Project Details

  • Project Officer
    Roth, Susann
    Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department
    Request for information
  • Country/Economy
    Regional
  • Sector
    • Transport
Project Name Unlocking Innovation for Development
Project Number 49242-001
Country / Economy Regional
Project Status Closed
Project Type / Modality of Assistance Technical Assistance
Source of Funding / Amount
TA 9017-REG: Unlocking Innovation for Development
Technical Assistance Special Fund US$ 5.00 million
Strategic Agendas Inclusive economic growth
Drivers of Change Gender Equity and Mainstreaming
Knowledge solutions
Partnerships
Sector / Subsector

Education / Pre-primary and primary

Finance / Inclusive finance

Health / Health care finance

Transport / Road transport (non-urban)

Water and other urban infrastructure and services / Other urban services - Urban sanitation

Gender Some gender elements
Description

The midterm review of the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) long-term strategic framework acknowledges that to maintain and sustain growth in Asia and the Pacific, regional economies need greater innovation and inclusiveness. In ADB's context, innovation is finding new ways for ADB to serve and address development challenges in its developng member countries. ADB has undertaken innovations in several areas including climate proofing for transport, bus rapid transport system, inclusive financial solutions, unified multi-purpose identification system for government, community eCenters, and building greener cities among others. In various instances, innovations tended to be one-off interventions and very few have attempted to replicate these on a broader scale. In this context, the proposed cluster regional research and development technical assistance (RDTA) with an implementation period of 5 years, will catalyze and establish a bank-wide mechanism for ADB's regional departments and private sector operations department to implement grant and loan financed pilot initiatives more flexibly. Through selected proposals the RDTA will demonstrate mechanisms for piloting, replicating, and scaling up innovation, and ways to measure how these deliver results.

Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy

The RDTA draws on ADB's previous experience and that of its development partners such as Australia, Canada, USAID, and World Bank, to develop a robust mechanism for providing small grants that demonstrate path breaking solutions to development challenges. It also attempts to respond to the demand from development partners, using ADB-supported projects to catalyze the ability of ADB to replicate, scale up, and mainstream innovation. These efforts align further with ADB's midterm strategic focus to unlock innovation in project, process and human resource practices. The RDTA will support cross cross-sector knowledge activities in the work programs of the ABD's Sector and Thematic groups that would stimulate innovative knowledge solutions that could deliver smarter outcomes through ADB operations departments in the DMCs.

Impact

The TA is aligned with capacity of DMCs to solve development problems using innovative solutions strengthened.

Project Outcome
Description of Outcome

ADB loans and grants supporting scaled-up innovative solutions in DMCs increased.

Progress Toward Outcome
Implementation Progress
Description of Project Outputs

1.Cross-sector innovative solutions to address DMC development problems implemented

2.Crowdsourcing platform for pilot-testing development solutions and business models implemented

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

Status of Implementation:

Output 1

Implementation of the five activities towards achievement of the outputs are ongoing with issues related to securing government buy-in for scaling up poverty graduation programs in PHI (Activity 4).

Activity 1 Scaling up Innovative Road Safety Operations. Support in terms of road safety rapid assessment, report, and recommendations on safety treatments in designing agricultural roads has been completed for projects in VIE, MON, PAK, Georgia and LAO. Work on supporting a road safety enhancement project in MLD is ongoing. Mainstreaming road assessment for Pakistan is in progress.

Activity 2 Scaling up Urban Transport Operations. Supported the MYN Loan Rural Roads and Access Project, prepared the scoping and comprehensive transport study for Dili in January 2017 that will feed in the proposed TIM Dili Urban Transport Project, the Sustainable Transport Action Plan for FIJ and an urban transport system assessment network as a proof of concept for MAL.

Activity 3 Consolidating and Replicating Innovative Service Delivery Practices in Districts in INO. Significant progress made with the creation of a complaint handling system in INO. Local governments have committed counterpart funding to replicate the innovation at selected districts and provinces. A $500,000 follow-up subproject under TA 9288/output 2 of the Innovation TA is under preparation in 2 out of the 4 Kinerja districts. The TA will strengthen data management, evidence-based decision making and civil society engagement on issues such as teenage marriage and is expected to feed into an investment loan in the 2019 pipeline.

Activity 4 Applying Graduation Programs to End Extreme Poverty in PHI and PAK. Applying Graduation Programs to End Extreme Poverty in Pakistan and the Philippines. The Philippine government as approved through the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to implement the graduation program. DOLE replaces as counterpart agency the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). For the Pakistan component, the team (i) has secured in November 2017 the commitment from the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) management to implement a component of the graduation program; (ii) has processed a minor change in implementation of Loan 3049-PAK: Social Protection Development Project, that will include the BISP graduation activity; and (iii) has drafted a terms of reference for preparing impact assessments for poverty reduction programs under the BISP graduation framework.

Activity 5 Scaling-up Financial Inclusion through Digital Financial Service Systems. Significant progress made with an implementation agreement signed with Cantilan bank (rural bank based in Mindanao) last June 2017, with Oradian company to supply the technology for cloud-based banking. In addition, the team has designed a roadmap to test innovative digital solutions and support a holistic approach in addressing development challenges across several sectors in GEO, MON and SRI

Output 2

Toilet Board Coalition. The mechanism for engaging an external partner to help pilot an innovation on a small-scale basis was tested by partnering with the Toilet Board Coalition (TBC) through a letter of agreement. The pilot strengthened business solutions for universal access to sanitation. It introduced the toilet accelerator program to develop partnerships between large and small businesses with joint goals to deliver sanitation through the market, focusing on the businesses in the PHI, IND and BAN.

Crowd-sourced Innovative Solutions. Sector and thematic groups were consulted on development challenges in DMCs. Eight challenges have been prioritized in the sectors/themes of urban development, gender, energy, agriculture, governance, social development and health. Based on these development challenges, innovative pilot solutions were crowdsourced through an online platform. The team reviewed a total of 22 proposals and recommended six projects to be funded under this TA. The innovation pilots are to prepare (a) dashboard to visualize data on child marriage to aid in decision making at the municipal level in East Java; (b) edutainment to disseminate information about best practices in coffee production in East Timor; (c) reforms in human resources for health that are implemented from the bottom up, from medical education reforms to the introduction of continuous medical education focused on non-communicable diseases and health care integration in Armenia; (d) piloting the solar-powered source technology to provide clean drinking water in Vanuatu; (e) in-depth assessment through ICT of required data management and service delivery processes for the immunization and basic health care delivery programs in Vanuatu and (f) crowdsourcing safety-related data for mobile applications that can inform urban stakeholders to take important urban planning and monitoring decisions in Viet Nam.

Geographical Location Regional
Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects
Environmental Aspects
Involuntary Resettlement
Indigenous Peoples
Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation
During Project Design
During Project Implementation

Output 1. Five activity team meetings have been held to date (Oct 2016; Jan 2017; Mar 2017 July 2017 and Sep 2017). Meetings with individual teams handling the activities under each output were held between Nov 2017 and Feb 2018. Stakeholder communication and consultations have been held for all activities under Output 1, and for all pilot activities under Output 2.

Output 2. Consultations have been conducted with SGs/TGs Technical Advisors; DG SDCC; OPR; and Youth for Asia. Several meetings have been held with the Output 2 innovation team. Discussions were held with proponents of the winning proposals.

Business Opportunities
Consulting Services ADB's Procurement Guidelines (2013, as amended from time to time) and Consulting Guidelines (2013, as amended from time to time) will be followed for all procurement and engagement of services financed by the TA. This requirement applies to pilot projects that include civil works, goods, consulting services, etc. Disbursements under the TA will be done in accordance with ADB's Technical Assistance Disbursement Handbook (2010, as amended from time to time). The TA is expected to be implemented from November 2015 to December 2020.
Procurement The TA Executing Agency will be ADB through SDCC (specifically the Knowledge Sharing and Services Center) in close collaboration with all departments. It is possible that the pilot projects will be granted to knowledge partners who may operate as Implementing Agency, in which ADB will do due diligence, as per OSFMD Guidelines and the Integrity Due Diligence Guidelines. Indicative TOR will be developed for the centers of excellence, civil society organizations, and the private sector (research and development) who will be engaged to implement the pilots.
Responsible ADB Officer Roth, Susann
Responsible ADB Department Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department
Responsible ADB Division Knowledge Advisory Services Center
Executing Agencies
Asian Development Bank
Timetable
Concept Clearance 30 Jun 2015
Fact Finding 28 Sep 2015 to 09 Oct 2015
MRM -
Approval 09 Dec 2015
Last Review Mission -
Last PDS Update 04 Apr 2018

TA 9017-REG

Milestones
Approval Signing Date Effectivity Date Closing
Original Revised Actual
09 Dec 2015 - 09 Dec 2015 31 Dec 2019 15 Nov 2020 31 Mar 2022
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 29 Jun 2022 4,774,800.06

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

Title Document Type Document Date
Unlocking Innovation for Development Validation of Technical Assistance Completion Reports Oct 2022


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
Unlocking Innovation for Development - Visual communication expert and graphic designer Individual - Consulting Closed
Unlocking Innovation for Development - Innovations in Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID19) Response Individual - Consulting Closed
Energy Efficiency in Phuket (Buildings and Streetlights) Individual - Consulting Closed
Energy Efficiency Expert (Buildings and Streetlights Individual - Consulting Closed
Unlocking Innovation for Development Individual - Consulting Closed
Health Economist and Writer Individual - Consulting Closed
Unlocking Innovation for Development - Editor Individual - Consulting Closed
Unlocking Innovation for Development - Social Protection and Poverty Reduction Expert Individual - Consulting Closed
Unlocking Innovation for Development - Innovation Expert Individual - Consulting Closed
Unlocking Innovation for Development - Development Communications Expert Individual - Consulting Closed
IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF BISP GRADUATION PROGRAM Firm - Consulting Closed
TA 9017: Unlocking Innovation for Development - National Consultant on Human Resources Planning for Rationalization Individual - Consulting Closed
TA 9017: Unlocking Innovation for Development - International Consultant on Human Resources Planning for Rationalization Individual - Consulting Closed
Unlocking Innovation for Development - TV Producer Firm - Consulting Closed
Financial Services Delivery Technical Expert 5 Individual - Consulting Closed
Digital Health Information Management Expert Individual - Consulting Closed
Data accessibility and dashboard development on child marriage and teenage pregnancies Individual - Consulting Closed
Data accessibility and dashboard development on child marriage and teenage pregnancies Individual - Consulting Closed
Development.Asia Senior Editor Individual - Consulting Closed
Web Editor 2 Individual - Consulting Closed

Contracts Awarded

Contract Title Approval Number Contract Date Contractor | Address Executing Agency Total Contract Amount (US$) Contract Amount Financed by ADB (US$)
Research and Development Technical Assistance 9017 13 May 2016 RTI International/International Development Group (United States) | 3040 CORNWALLIS ROAD, RESEARCH TRIANGLE P.O. BOX 12194, NORTH CAROLINA 27709 UNITED STATES Asian Development Bank 976,138.00
Research and Developme Technical Assistance 9017 24 Oct 2016 Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (United States) | 9 EAST 19TH ST,7TH FLR NEW YORK, NY, 10003, USA Asian Development Bank 697,518.00
Research and Developme Technical Assistance 9017 25 Oct 2016 International Road Assessment Programme (United Kingdom) | WORTING HOUSE, CHURCH LANE BASINGSTOKE, ENGLAND RG23 8PX UNITED KINGDOM Asian Development Bank 681,925.00
Research and Developme Technical Assistance 9017 02 Feb 2017 Brac Usa (United States) | 110 William Street, 29Th Floor New York, 10038 United States Of America Asian Development Bank 450,000.00

Procurement Plan

None currently available.