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WB on project implementation

Effective monitoring needed to resolve generic problems
The World Bank has said the country needs to address some generic problems to improve its poor performance in project implementation and suggested that an effective monitoring system should be ensured, reports UNB.
A recent Bank report said the donor body had discussed with the government some crucial generic issues during the preparation of the 1996 Country Portfolio Performance Review (CPPR).
But the government has not taken any resolute action to address these issues which still continue to affect project outcome. it pointed out.
The issues include inadequate administrative authorities of project directors and frequent staff rotation, delays in procurement processing, lack of compliance with financial reporting and audit requirements and delays in TAPP (Technical Assistance Project Proforma)
The Bank stressed that the IMED (Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division) should be made the focal point for ensuring the timely and cost-effective implementation of the ADP and proposed that IMED be put directly under the Prime Minister's Office.
The IMED. it said, has already established a fairly elaborate system of monitoring and evaluating the development projects. Nevertheless, there is a need for expanding IMED s monitoring role to cover the qualitative and physical aspects of project performance.
The most glaring weakness of the existing system is that the IMED does not seem to enforce with the implementing ministries, its recommendations regarding lagging project activities, procurement delays, and expenditure overruns, it said.
While pointing out the generic problems, the report
said most ministerial and project staff can address specific project issues, but they often express the inability to resolve the generic problems, which are "beyond ministerial competence."
The single most important factor determining the quality of projects at entry and also affecting the speed of implementation, it said, is borrower ownership.
At the political level, the Bank said, in the past there was often too little involvement at the conceptual stage and conse-quentlv ministers were rarely the true champions of project conceived and implemented’
The government should ensure a high degree of commitment bv taking a more proactive role at the project conceptualisation and design stage, the report said
Also the government should take die lead In monitoring the project activities and refrain from frequently transferring the key project staff, since this erodes both commitment, it added.
It regretted that the project concept paper and the project proforma, two important documents for project implementation. have developed Into rigid planning and expenditure control tools which seriously impede project preparation and implementation.
Procurement delays, the Bank further pointed out. are still a major cause of implementation delays.
While the less than satisfac tory disbursement rate for the projects in the Bangladesh port folio can be attributed to implementation problems, a large part of it is related to the disbursement mechanism per se.
The current disbursement system is centralised and rigid so that even when the situation demands shifting the expenditures budget does not permit it. the Bank noted.
It said the government would need to ^view Its own proce dures to rapidly reallocate expenditures in response to changing conditions.
The quality of audit also remains a major Implementation issue which needs to be addressed by strengthening the fl nance staff within the projects and by supplementing with auditing by private sector firms, the report said