Regional: Supporting Quality Infrastructure and Effective Project Implementation in the Pacific

Public sector management / Public administration

1. The knowledge and support technical assistance (TA) will help increase the capacity of executing and implementing agencies and fiduciary institutions to implement projects funded by

the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the Pacific developing member countries (DMCs).

2._ADB's Strategy 2030, along with the fragile and conflict-affected situations and small islands developing states approach, acknowledge that Pacific DMCs face a high degree of fragility

and have a considerable need for institutional strengthening (refer ADB. 2018. Strategy 2030: Achieving a Prosperous, Inclusive, Resilient and Sustainable Asia and the Pacific. Manila;

and ADB. 2021. Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations and Small Island Developing States Approach. Manila). The strategy requires ADB to tailor implementation processes to the Pacific DMC context and strengthen collaboration with other development partners and civil society organizations to make ADB operations fragility- and conflict-sensitive. ADB committed to augment resources to accommodate the added preparation and supervision costs arising from security and other related needs to ensure countries that overcome conflict and fragility do not slip back into those conditions.

3._The ADB Pacific Approach, 2021-2025, covering 12 small Pacific Island countries, identified vulnerability to shocks, weak service delivery, and slow growth as core challenges, while

recognizing that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is the most severe economic shock the countries have faced to date and that the fallout is expected to be felt through to 2023

or 2024 (refer ADB. 2021. Pacific Approach, 2021-2025. Manila).

4._ADB's Pacific Department included TA for supporting quality infrastructure and effective project implementation in its 2021-2023 regional operations business plan (refer ADB. 2020. Regional Operations Business Plan: Pacific, 2021-2023. Manila). The proposed TA is directly related to the Strategy 2030 operations priority of strengthening governance and institutional capacity and will cover all Pacific DMCs.

Improved project implementation performance in Fiji, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Niue, Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu

Strengthened capacities of executing agencies in Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Niue (focus countries) and other Pacific member countries and members.

1.Capacity building training, equipment support given to executing agencies, implementing agencies and other specific government statutory agencies related to project management, procurement, consultant selection, social and environmental safeguards, financial management;