Afghanistan : Capacity Development of the Ministry of Public Works

Sovereign Project | 54159-001

This KSTA will help develop the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Public Works (MPW), in conjunction with major transport sector reforms which the president's decree announced in 19 May 2020. The decree suspended the merger of various transport agencies consisting of Ministry of Transport, Railway Authority, Civil Aviation Authority, Traffic Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior Affairs and Ministry of Public Works. Under the previously proposed merger, these entities were centralized under a new central administrative unit under the name of Ministry of Transport (MOT). The proposed TA will strengthen MPW in its core functions, assist in enhancing management's capacities including policy formulation, sector planning, and regulation. Considering that MPW has also been designated implementing agency for all transport sector projects, the TA will provide the needed support to project conceptualization and for administration of ongoing projects.

Project Details

  • Project Officer
    ADB Disclosure
    Central and West Asia Department
    Request for information
  • Country/Economy
    Afghanistan
  • Sector
    • Transport
Project Name Capacity Development of the Ministry of Public Works
Project Number 54159-001
Country / Economy Afghanistan
Project Status Active
Project Type / Modality of Assistance Technical Assistance
Source of Funding / Amount
TA 6601-AFG: Capacity Development of the Ministry of Public Works
Technical Assistance Special Fund US$ 1.00 million
Operational Priorities OP2: Accelerating progress in gender equality
OP3: Tackling climate change, building climate and disaster resilience, and enhancing environmental sustainability
OP6: Strengthening governance and institutional capacity
Sector / Subsector

Transport / Road transport (non-urban)
Gender Some gender elements
Description This KSTA will help develop the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Public Works (MPW), in conjunction with major transport sector reforms which the president's decree announced in 19 May 2020. The decree suspended the merger of various transport agencies consisting of Ministry of Transport, Railway Authority, Civil Aviation Authority, Traffic Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior Affairs and Ministry of Public Works. Under the previously proposed merger, these entities were centralized under a new central administrative unit under the name of Ministry of Transport (MOT). The proposed TA will strengthen MPW in its core functions, assist in enhancing management's capacities including policy formulation, sector planning, and regulation. Considering that MPW has also been designated implementing agency for all transport sector projects, the TA will provide the needed support to project conceptualization and for administration of ongoing projects. The Government requested ADB assistance for the TA in February 2020 during the review mission.
Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy Prior to the President's decree of reverting back to MPW, responsibilities for the transport sector had been fragmented, and the need for an apex ministry in charge of sector planning, policy formulation, and regulation had been expressed on several occasions. The government needs capacity development assistance to help MPW deliver on its new mandate. MPW will have to review, clarify, and consolidate sector responsibilities covering investment planning and financing, formulation of a policy for the entire sector, and regulation of agencies and transport operations. As a first step, the relative roles and responsibilities of MPW, the National Road Authority (NRA), and the project management office (PMO) will have to be clarified. These tasks are urgent as MPW is already acting as the lead implementing agency for all donor's funded transport sector projects.
Impact

Efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally and socially sustainable transport infrastructure developed to achieve long-term prosperity

Steady economic growth and increase in foreign trade competitiveness
Project Outcome
Description of Outcome

The functionality of the PMO restored and put on a sustainable path
Progress Toward Outcome
Implementation Progress
Description of Project Outputs

PMO capacity in infrastructure engineering and procurement improved

Project management and monitoring system operationalized

Satellite imaging monitoring system piloted
Status of Implementation Progress (Outputs, Activities, and Issues)
Geographical Location Nation-wide
Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects
Environmental Aspects
Involuntary Resettlement
Indigenous Peoples
Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation
During Project Design
During Project Implementation
Business Opportunities
Consulting Services ADB will engage the consultants following the ADB Procurement Policy (2017, as amended from time to time) and its associated staff instructions. Three international individual experts with total inputs of 39 person-months, consisting of a project management specialist, a quantity surveyor, and a GIS infrastructure specialist will be individually recruited, with security arrangements made, through a firm. The consultants will be based in their home offices at the start of their assignments and until such time that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) subsides in Afghanistan. Thereafter, the consultants will be based within PMO's offices. The experts will be supervised directly by ADB staff.
Procurement Upon the recommendation of consultants, ADB will procure goods and nonconsulting services to support the implementation of outputs 2 and 3. This approach will help ensure that the equipment and software are of the right specifications and appropriate for the scope of work required. ADB will assist the executing agency in identifying GIS service providers with the capability to provide satellite imagery across Afghanistan. ADB's procurement will follow the ADB Procurement Policy (2017, as amended from time to time) and Procurement Regulations for ADB Borrowers (2017, as amended from time to time). The responsibilities for actions associated with the procurement of goods and nonconsulting services will follow the staff instruction on ADB-administered Procurement of Goods, Works, Nonconsulting, and Consulting Services and its Appendix 1 on Responsibilities Matrix for Procurement of Goods, Works, and Nonconsulting Services under ADB-administered Technical Assistance.
Responsible ADB Officer ADB Disclosure
Responsible ADB Department Central and West Asia Department
Responsible ADB Division Transport and Communications Division, CWRD
Timetable
Concept Clearance 02 Oct 2020
Fact Finding 28 Sep 2020 to 15 Oct 2020
MRM -
Approval 18 Nov 2020
Last Review Mission -
Last PDS Update 27 Nov 2020

TA 6601-AFG

Milestones
Approval Signing Date Effectivity Date Closing
Original Revised Actual
18 Nov 2020 26 Nov 2020 26 Nov 2020 31 Dec 2023 - -
Financing Plan/TA Utilization Cumulative Disbursements
ADB Cofinancing Counterpart Total Date Amount
Gov Beneficiaries Project Sponsor Others
1,000,000.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1,000,000.00 01 Aug 2022 0.00

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.