The Independent Evaluation Department (IED) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has rated the 'Pakistan: Provincial Strategy for Inclusive and Sustainable Urban Growth' project as successful and likely sustainable. The IED in its validation report also stated that the objective of the policy and advisory technical assistance (TA) of $2.4 million was to assist the government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in adopting an integrated urban sector development approach that entailed policy reforms, investments, and capacity building in the urban sector. The TA was extended three times for a total of 33 months. The first two extensions requested in the memos of 26 December 2018 (a 12-month extension) and 17 December 20194 (a 12-month extension) were due to slow processing, delayed consultant recruitment (the first-ranked consulting firm declined the contract offer), and difficulty reaching stakeholder consensus in the finalization of TA activities. The third extension memo of 18 December 20205 (a 9-month extension) was due to implementation delays related to COVID-19 impacts. The original TA budget of $2.40 million was reduced to $2.30 million in a memo of 17 July 20206 and further reduced to $2.24 million in a memo of 20 August 20217 because of the requests for partial TA cancellations under the TASF. In a memo of May 2019, a new line category for 'seminars, workshops, and conferences' was created, with $62,000 reallocated from the consultant's category under the TASF. The TA used 79 percent of its final budget, with 21 percent of the funds undisbursed. Several planned events, such as the RDP launching events and the study visits were cancelled due to the pandemic. Financial reporting and fiduciary compliance were satisfactory, as disbursements were made on time, according to the TCR. The TA provided value for stakeholders through the developed RDPs, the training given to the WSSC and government staff, the provision for community inputs through consultations, and the development of two investment projects. However, the failure to complete the RDP guidelines and manuals, as well as the municipal business plan, made replication efforts less likely. This validation assesses the TA as less than efficient The report noted that the government is likely to sustain the TA results through the $650 million KPCIP and the commitment from the staff involved in the implementation. The government requested ADB to process a new TA for similar initiatives. However, government ownership is more likely if loan proceeds are used instead of TA resources. The TA design was relevant and aligned with the government's development agenda. Key TA results expected were substantially met. Two implementation delays (24 months) were pre-Covid, and the third extension (nine months) was due to Covid-19-related impacts. The TA used 79 percent of its reduced budget. Staff at the government's key planning agency and WSSC improved their knowledge of international best practices in the urban sector. The GOKP subsequently approved two investment projects (KPCIP and KPCIP PRF-2) based on the RDPs and other outputs produced. Similar to the TCR's assessment concerning relevance, effectiveness, and efficiency, this validation assesses the overall TA performance successfully.

Source: Pro Pakistani