Learning Curves

IED

February2010

BangladeshCountryAssistance ProgramEvaluation
Thisupdate1tothefindingsofthe2003countryassistanceprogramevaluation(CAPE)for BangladeshassessestheperformanceofADBstrategiesandassistanceprogramsinthe countryfrom1999to2008andADBssupportonkeysectorsnotcoveredbythe2003CAPE.
livestockdevelopment,rurallivelihooddevelopment) thatthestrategyaimedtocut,apparentlybecauseADB TheAsianDevelopmentBank(ADB)hasbeen feltotherdevelopmentpartnerswerenotpreparedto supportingthedevelopmentofBangladeshsince1973, stepintoreplaceADBssupport. with183approvedloanstotaling$10billionfor163 Althoughthe2005strategypledgedtofocuson projectsandprogramsthroughtheendof2008.ADBs fewersectors,ADBsfinancingofprojectsandprograms supporthascoveredmanysectors,buthasfocused hasbroadenedslightly.ADBaddedasectorithadnot mostlyonagricultureandnaturalresources(ANR), supportedinrecentprogramming(law,economic education,energy,andtransport.Attheendof2008, management,andpublicpolicy),whilecontinuingto ADBsportfolioofactiveloanstotaled$3.7billion, supportallprevioussectors.Amajorreasonforthis financing37projectsandprogramsover10sectors. additionwastosupportgovernancereformatthe Thiscountryassistanceprogramevaluation(CAPE) requestoftheGovernment.ADBssectorfocusisat isthesecondforBangladesh,evaluatingADBssupport leastasgoodasitsotherpartnersinthejointapproach. from1999totheendof2008,focusingonthe2005 ADBsprogramrespondedwelltothecountrys countrystrategy,andcovering24completedand37 needsandtheGovernmentspriorities,especiallyfor ongoingprojectsandprograms.ItupdatesBangladeshs disasterriskmanagementandemergencysupport. firstCAPEin2003,whichcoveredADBsupportfrom From1999to2008,ADBssupportfordisasterrisk 1986to2001.WherethetwoCAPEsoverlapin1999to management(DRM)amountedto15%ofADBs 2001,thisevaluationstudyfocusesonissuesthatcould financing,makingDRMadefactomajorpartofADBs notbefullyevaluatedatthetimeofthefirstone.The program,comparableinsizewithADBsprogramsin evaluationfollowsADBsGuidelinesforthePreparation educationandANR.Despiteitssizeandimportance, ofCountryAssistanceProgramEvaluationReports. however,ADBhasnotfullymainstreamedDRMinits SummaryofFindings program,withDRMnotfullyaddressedinsome projects. ADBsprogramhasbeengenerallyconsistentwith ADBadministereditsportfolioinadifficult thecountrystrategiesandtheGovernmentspriorities. environment.AllprojectsinBangladeshproceedslower ThetopfoursectorsinADBsprogramhavebeen thanexpected,includingthosefinancedbythe agricultureandnaturalresources(ANR),education, GovernmentandbyADB.ADBsdisbursements, energy,andtransportsectorswhichwereidentifiedin however,arelowerthanthoseofothermajor ADBscountrystrategies,andwhicharealsothe developmentpartners,andareregularlybelowthe Governmentstoppriorities.Programmingunder ADBaverage.ADBsportfolioinBangladeshhas$1.88 ADBs1999countrystrategymetitsaimtocutthe billionuncontractedand$2.13billionundisbursed numberofsubsectors.ProgrammingunderADBs balances.Thesuccessrateofcompletedprojectsand country2005strategy,however,hascontinued programsfrom1973to2008(58.1%)islowerthanthe supportingsomesubsectors(e.g.,cropdiversification,
Independent Evaluation Department Asian Development Bank 6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City, 1550 Metro Manila, Philippines Tel +63 2 632 4444; Fax +63 2 636 2444; evaluation@adb.org; www.adb.org/evaluation/

Background

ADBaverage(63.7%),buttheratehasimprovedover time,from57%inthe1980sto79%forprojectsand programsclosedduringthisCAPEperiod. TheresultsframeworkinADBs2005country strategyincludedmonitoringindicatorsandtargetsto meetby2008;inlate2009ADBissuedarevisedsetof monitoringindicatorsinitsmidtermreviewofthe2005 countrystrategy.Only26%oftheoriginalindicators hadmettheirtargetsby2009,andonly39%ofthe revisedindicatorshadhittheirtargetsbythetimeof themidtermreview.Mostprogresswasingovernance, energy,andtransport. TheCAPEevaluatedcontributionstolongterm developmentinsevenkeyareasofADBssupport. ADBsstrongestcontributionswereinenergy,disaster riskmanagement,andurbandevelopmentandwater supplyandsanitation.Inenergy,ADBcontributed substantiallytosectorreforms.InDRM,ADB introducedeffectiveandefficienttechnologies,whilein urbandevelopmentandwatersupplyandsanitation, ADBhelpedimproveurbanpublichealth.The contributionstolongtermdevelopmentresultswere ratedassubstantialinfourofthekeyareas,andmodest intheotherthree. TheoverallassessmentforADBsprogramin Bangladeshissuccessful.ADBsstrategicpositioning washighlyrelevanttothecountrysneeds,the Governmentspriorities,andADBsownstrategies. ADBscountrystrategywasdevelopedthrougha partnershipthathasstrengthenedcoordinationand leadershipamongtheGovernmentsfourmain developmentpartners.ADBsprogramminglargely followedthroughonthecoursesetinthestrategies,and althoughsectorfocushasbroadenedslightly,ADBs focusinrecentprogrammingisadequate.Although disbursementimprovedin2008,ADBsdisbursements arelowcomparedwiththeADBaverage.ADBs contributionstolongtermdevelopmentresultswere modest,judgingbyprogressinthemonitoring indicatorsfortheresultsframework,andby contributionstolongtermdevelopmentresultsinseven areasofADBsprogram.Stakeholdersperceptionof ADBsperformanceispositive. ADBsprogramsforeducationandenergyarerated successful,butthesetwosectorsaccountforlessthan halfofADBsfinancing.Theotherfiveparts (agricultureandnaturalresources,disasterrisk management,education,transport,andurban developmentandwatersupplyandsanitation)have beenratedpartlysuccessfulduetoshortfallsinachieving intendedobjectives,implementationdelays,concerns
Learning Curves available @ www.adb.org/evaluation/

regardingefficiency,andissuesrelatedtosustainability ofoutputsandoutcomes. Recommendations Maintainthecurrentsectorfocusoffinancingprojects andprogramsforeducation,infrastructure development,andgovernancetosupportprivate sectorledhighereconomicgrowthandpoverty reductionby(i)buildingonsuccessinthemain sectorslikeeducationandenergy;(ii)focusingon fewersubsectorsbasedonpastperformanceand futureprospects;(iii)strengtheningandexpanding thetransportsectorprogram,withbetterproject implementation;(iv)continuingsupportin agricultureandruralinfrastructureprojects,which haveasuccessfultrackrecordsandhighpotentialfor contributingtopovertyreductionandsocial inclusiveness;(v)buildingonthecurrentprogramin DisasterRiskManagementandEmergencySupport; and(vi)continuingsupportinurbandevelopment, andwatersupplyandsanitation. HelpstrengthentheGovernmentscapabilitiesin designingandimplementingprojectsandprograms thoughasystematicapproachworkingwithother developmentpartnerstoimproveproject implementation. Continuesupportinggovernancereformsand anticorruptioninitiativesandgendermainstreaming. Developaresultsframeworkrelevantto programmingandspecifictoADBsothatADBcanbe heldaccountablefordeliveringresults. 1 ADB.2009.CountryAssistanceProgramEvaluationfor
Bangladesh.Manila.Available:http://www.adb.org/ Documents/CAPES/BAN/CAPBAN200937/CAPBAN 200937.pdf
Team Leader: David Dole; Tel +63 2 632 4444; ddole@adb.org