Kyrgyz Republic: Multisector Activities Support Facility

Agriculture, natural resources and rural development / Rural water supply services

Energy / Energy utility services

Transport / Road transport (non-urban)

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

The facility will finance a series of small-value activities to support and complement larger projects financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the country. In particular, the facility will fund (i) project preparatory support for design and procurement readiness of ensuing projects; (ii) small pilot projects to demonstrate new technologies, international standards, and management approaches for potential scale-up under ensuing projects; (iii) project implementation support for ongoing ADB projects to ensure the efficient delivery of project outcomes; and (iv) capacity building and supplemental support for completed ADB projects in operation and maintenance (O&M), asset management, facility upgrading to meet critical needs, and post-disaster rehabilitation assistance.

Activities under the facility will improve the efficiency, sustainability, responsiveness, and readiness of ADB-financed operations. They will contribute to the achievement of the outputs and outcomes of the linked ADB-financed projects. Each activity will be linked to a planned, ongoing, or completed ADB-financed project. Under the current CPS, priority sectors are agriculture, natural resources, and rural development; education; energy; public sector management; transport; and water and other urban infrastructure and services.

The following outputs will contribute to the achievement of the outputs and outcomes of the linked ADB-financed projects.

Output 1: Project implementation readiness for ensuing projects improved. The facility will support project preparation, design activities, and institutional strengthening for investments to be financed under one or more ensuing ADB-financed projects, including the Naryn Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Development Program the country's first results-based lending operation planned for 2019 approval.

Output 2: New technology, innovation, or improvement in design standards pilot-tested. The facility will support pilot-testing advanced technologies and management approaches to reduce life-cycle costs, improve service efficiency and quality, and minimize negative environmental and social impacts. Development of road asset management is an example of a new technology or management approaches activity under the facility.

Output 3: Project efficiency and sustainability enhanced. The facility will enhance project efficiency and sustainability, including capacity and implementation support for ongoing projects, post-disaster rehabilitation, O&M, and upgrading of completed infrastructure investments to conform with up-to-date performance standards.

The first activity to be financed under the facility and under Output 3 will enhance the sustainability of a completed ADB-financed investment in urban water project. It will support the physical upgrades of the chlorine neutralization unit at the Osh-Plotina water treatment plant, completed in September 2016 under the Emergency Assistance for Recovery and Construction project. The unit will be upgraded to a higher international standard and provide 400,000 people with access to safe and reliable water supply.

Despite ADB''s assistance portfolio in the Kyrgyz Republic tripling from 2000 to 2018, capacity constraints remain in the country, resulting in project start-up delays that affect contract awards and disbursement rates. Other challenges include inadequate designs and cost overruns.

ADB's country partnership strategy (CPS), 2018- 2022 for the Kyrgyz Republic, which is aligned with government priority sectors under the Development Program of the Kyrgyz Republic, prioritizes support for minimizing project start-up delays, and improving procurement and project implementation capacity through technical assistance and on-the-ground support from ADB's resident mission. In line with the CPS, the SEFF will support the government's strategic priorities. The proposed assistance under the facility is also aligned with the Strategy 2030 operational priorities to (i) address remaining poverty and reduce inequalities, (ii) accelerate progress in gender equality, (iii) make cities more livable, (iv) tackle climate change and enhance environmental sustainability, (v) promote rural development and food security, (vi) strengthen governance and institutional capacity, and (vii) foster regional cooperation and integration.

The SEFF will deliver on CPS priorities by (i) supporting early design work and advanced procurement actions to alleviate project start-up bottlenecks; (ii) strengthening the government's project implementation capacity; (iii) introducing new technologies, standards, and management approaches; (iv) enhancing the sustainability of ADB-financed investments through improved asset management and O&M practices; and (v) bringing completed infrastructure investments in conformance with up-to-date performance standards.

Project implementation readiness for ensuing projects improved.

New technology, innovation, or improvement in design standards pilot-tested.

Project efficiency and sustainability enhanced.