Tajikistan: Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Corridor 3 (Dushanbe Uzbekistan Border) Improvement Project

Transcription

1 Completion Report Project Number: Grant Number: 0245 August 2017 Tajikistan: Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Corridor 3 (Dushanbe Uzbekistan Border) Improvement Project This document is being disclosed to the public in accordance with ADB s Public Communications Policy 2011.

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3 CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS Currency Unit somoni (TJS) At Appraisal At Project Completion 8 November November 2015 TJS1.00 = $ $ $1.00 = TJS4.386 TJS6.636 ABBREVIATIONS ADB Asian Development Bank AIIB Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank BCP border crossing point CAREC Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation DMF design and monitoring framework EBRD European Bank for Reconstruction and Development EIRR economic internal rate of return GAP gender action plan GDP gross domestic product km kilometer LARP land acquisition and resettlement plan MOT Ministry of Transport PIURR Project Implementation Unit for Roads Rehabilitation PMWSC project management and works supervision consultant TA technical assistance VOC vehicle operating cost NOTE In this report, "$" refers to United States dollars. Vice-President W. Zhang, Operations 1 Director General S. O Sullivan, Central and West Asia Department (CWRD) Director D. Pyo, Officer-in-Charge, Transport and Communications Division, CWRD Team leader K. Bouhmad, Transport Specialist, CWRD Team members L. Alejandro, Associate Project Officer, CWRD A. Kalliokoski, Transport Economist, CWRD F. S. Nuriddinov, Senior Project Officer, CWRD M. G. Rosero, Social Development Specialist (Gender and Development), CWRD K. C. Vila, Senior Operations Assistant, CWRD 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.

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5 CONTENTS BASIC DATA Page I. PROJECT DESCRIPTION 1 II. EVALUATION OF DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION 1 A. Relevance of Design and Formulation 1 B. Project Outputs 2 C. Project Costs 4 D. Disbursements 5 E. Project Schedule 5 F. Implementation Arrangements 5 G. Conditions and Covenants 6 H. Related Technical Assistance 6 I. Consultant Recruitment and Procurement 6 J. Performance of Consultants, Contractors, and Suppliers 7 K. Performance of the Recipient and the Executing Agency 7 L. Performance of the Asian Development Bank 7 III. EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE 7 A. Relevance 7 B. Effectiveness in Achieving Outcome 8 C. Efficiency in Achieving Outcome and Outputs 9 D. Preliminary Assessment of Sustainability 9 E. Impact 10 IV. OVERALL ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS 12 A. Overall Assessment 12 B. Lessons 12 C. Recommendations 13 i APPENDIXES 1. Design and Monitoring Framework Summary of Gender Equality Results and Achievements Project Cost and Financing Project Contract Packages Disbursement of Grant Proceeds Project Implementation Schedule Chronology of Major Events Project Organizational Structure Status of Compliance with Grant Covenants Economic Reevaluation 38

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7 BASIC DATA A. Grant Identification 1. Country 2. Grant Number 3. Project Title 4. Recipient 5. Executing Agency 6. Amount of Grant 7. Project Completion Report Number Tajikistan 0245 Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Corridor 3 (Dushanbe Uzbekistan Border) Improvement Project Republic of Tajikistan Ministry of Transport $120 million 1649 B. Grant Data 1. Appraisal Date Started Date Completed 2. Grant Negotiations Date Started Date Completed 3. Date of Board Approval 4. Date of Grant Agreement 5. Date of Grant Effectiveness In Grant Agreement Actual 6. Closing Date In Grant Agreement Actual Number of Extensions 13 August August November November January January February February July March Disbursements a. Dates Initial Disbursement 28 April 2011 Effective Date 19 February 2011 Final Disbursement 4 August 2016 Original Closing Date 31 July 2015 Time Interval 63.2 months Time Interval 53.3 months

8 ii b. Amount ($ million) Category Original Allocation Last Revised Allocation 10 May 2016 Amount Disbursed Amount Canceled/ Undisbursed C. Project Data Works Goods Consulting Services Contingencies Total Project Cost ($ million) Cost Appraisal Estimate Actual Foreign Exchange Cost Local Currency Cost Total Financing Plan ($ million) Cost Appraisal Estimate Actual Implementation Costs Borrower Financed ADB Financed Other External Financing Total IDC Costs Total ADB = Asian Development Bank, IDC = interest during construction. 3. Cost Breakdown by Project Component ($ million) Component Appraisal Estimate Actual Base Costs Civil works for road improvement a Civil works for border crossing point improvement Goods and equipment Consulting services b Land acquisition and resettlement Project management support Duties and taxes Contingencies Physical Price Total a Includes physical and price contingencies. b Includes project management and works supervision consultant and project preparation consultants.

9 iii 4. Project Schedule Project output Appraisal Estimate Actual Reconstruction and upgrading of project road Q to Q Q to Q Improvement of Dusti border crossing point Q to Q Q to Q Development of gender and border communities Q to Q Q to Q Improvement of road operations Q to Q Q to Q Q = quarter. 5. Project Performance Report Ratings Implementation Period From 1 January 2011 to 30 June 2011 From 1 July 2011 to 30 September 2011 From 1 October 2011 to 30 June 2016 Q = quarter. Development Objectives Ratings On track Potential Problem On track Implementation Progress

10 iv D. Data on Asian Development Bank Missions Name of Mission Date No. of Persons No. of Person-Days Specialization of Members a Fact-finding Aug a, c, e, f, h Inception Feb a, b, g Safeguards review Aug a Review 1 Nov a, b Review 2 Mar a, b, g Review 3 Oct a, b Review 4 Apr a, b Midterm Oct a, b Review 5 Mar a, b, e Special project administration Aug a, b Review 6 Feb a, b Review 7 May a, b, g Review 8 Sep a, b Review 9 Feb a, b, h Review 10 Apr a, b, e Project completion review Nov a, b, h a a = mission leader, b = headquarters analyst, c = counsel, d = economist, e = consultant, f = safeguards specialist, g = director; h = resident mission analyst.

11 I. PROJECT DESCRIPTION 1. On 18 January 2011, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $120 million grant to the Republic of Tajikistan to help finance improvement of the Dushanbe Uzbekistan border road from kilometer (km) 5 to km 62 (the project road). 1 This road, which forms part of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Corridor 3, crosses the Gissar Valley and the town of Tursunzade, which are two important agricultural and industrial centers in Tajikistan. The Gissar Valley has the highest agricultural output in the country while Tursunzade is home to Central Asia s largest aluminum processing plants and several small light industry clusters. Dusti is an important crossing point on the Uzbekistan border for freight and private vehicles, accounting for one-quarter of Tajikistan s cross-border traffic. The overall condition of the project road and border crossing point (BCP) had deteriorated over time and needed rehabilitation. 2. The project aimed at increasing national and regional trade and fostering economic growth. The project outcome was to improve connectivity and mobility along the Tajikistan sections of CAREC Corridor 3. The project outputs comprised (i) reconstructed and upgraded road sections from Dushanbe to the Uzbekistan border; (ii) improved infrastructure and facilities at the Dusti BCP; (iii) developed gender and border communities; and (iv) improved road operations. The performance targets for the project impact, outcome, and outputs were defined in the design and monitoring framework (DMF). The project achievements against these targets are summarized in Appendix In addition to the improvement of the project road (km 5-km 62), the urban section (km 0 km 5) of the Dushanbe Uzbekistan border road is being cofinanced by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). 2 The construction of this road section commenced in August 2016 and is expected to be completed by December The Ministry of Transport (MOT) was the executing agency and its Project Implementation Unit for Roads Rehabilitation (PIURR) was the implementing agency. 3 II. EVALUATION OF DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION A. Relevance of Design and Formulation 5. The project was highly relevant to the country s development objective at appraisal. The project was part of the government s public investment program for and was consistent with ADB s country partnership strategy for The project was also consistent with the CAREC transport and trade facilitation strategy and action plan for ADB Report and Recommendation of the President to the Board of Directors: Proposed Grant to the Republic of Tajikistan for the CAREC Corridor 3 (Dushanbe Uzbekistan Border) Improvement Project. Manila. 2 The EBRD signed a $35 million loan in July 2012 and a $27.5 million loan in June AIIB signed a $27.5 million loan in June At the time of grant approval, the MOT was known as the Ministry of Transport and Communications. 4 Government of Tajikistan The State Investment Program for Grants and Capital Construction for Dushanbe; and ADB Country Partnership Strategy: Tajikistan, Manila. 5 ADB CAREC Transport and Trade Facilitation Strategy: Partnership for Prosperity. Manila.

12 2 6. ADB provided project preparatory technical assistance (TA) in May 2008 to help prepare a project suitable for ADB financing (para. 31). 6 The project preparatory TA consultants produced a full-fledged feasibility study, preliminary engineering design, and bidding documents for the project civil works that were acceptable to ADB and the government. During project formulation, consultations with various stakeholders, including project beneficiaries, affected people, and development partners, were carried out as set out in the summary poverty reduction and social strategy (footnote 1). 7. The project design incorporated key lessons learned from previous ADB-funded transport projects in Tajikistan and other CAREC countries. These lessons included (i) obtaining the government s assurance for adequate funding for maintenance of the project road, and for increases in financing for road maintenance; (ii) using advance contracting and retroactive financing to minimize initial implementation delays; and (iii) strengthening the implementation capacity of the executing agency. 8. During implementation, two factors enhanced the project s relevance by adding to the project scope: (i) rehabilitation of the 2.7 km Gissar road, giving access to the town of Gissar from the project road; and (ii) construction of access roads and supply of water and electricity to three project-related resettlement sites along the project road. At completion, 60.0 km of roads had been improved, including the project road (57.0 km), Gissar road (2.7 km), and access roads to project resettlement sites (0.3 km). An additional output was added to prepare the CAREC Corridors 3 and 5 Enhancement Project with the grant savings (para. 20). 7 B. Project Outputs 1. Reconstruction and Upgrading of the Project Road 9. The first project output covered improvement of the 57 km project road through (i) expanding its width from two to four lanes (dual carriageway) from the Dushanbe West Gate (km 5) to Tursunzade (km 50) to address impending capacity constraints, and (ii) reconstructing the existing two-lane highway from Tursunzade to the Uzbekistan border (km 62) to improve its surface condition. In addition, ADB approved in December 2014 a minor change in project scope covering rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Gissar access road, as well as provision of access roads and water and electricity supply to three project-related resettlement sites. 8 These additional works were incorporated into the main civil works contract by means of a contract variation. 10. The project road and Gissar access road were built to an average International Roughness Index of 2, with flexible pavement consisting of asphaltic concrete surfacing. The main technical issues dealt with during construction of the project road and Gissar access road included the following: (i) excavation of soft, wet soils and replacement with high-quality drainage materials; (ii) conversion of one bridge into a double-cell box culvert (km 24); (iii) conversion of four doublecell box culverts into pedestrian and cattle underpasses that also served as drainage culverts (km 13, km 32, km 24, and km 42); (iv) provision of additional road signs and pedestrian crossings; (v) relocation and protection works for underground sewerage pipes; and (vi) relocation of 6 ADB Technical Assistance to the Republic of Tajikistan for the Preparing the CAREC Transport Corridor III (Dushanbe--Uzbekistan Border Road) Project. Manila. 7 ADB Report and Recommendation of the President to the Board of Directors: Proposed Grant to the Republic of Tajikistan for the CAREC Corridors 3 and 5 Enhancement Project. Manila. 8 ADB CAREC Corridor 3 (Dushanbe Uzbekistan Border) Improvement Project: Amendment to Grant Agreement. Manila. 31 March.

13 3 underground private utility service lines. These features enabled better road safety and contributed to the improvement of the project s sustainability. 2. Improvement of Infrastructure and Facilities at the Dusti Border Crossing Point 11. The second project output covered (i) improvement and extension of buildings and facilities at the Dusti BCP; (ii) provision and installation of a truck scanner, weighbridge, and 24- hour electricity supply to enhance customs inspections; and (iii) training to develop customs staff capacities and increase overall efficiency of border management. Improvement of buildings and facilities included the following works: construction of the administrative complex, renovation of existing buildings, provision of sanitary facilities, construction of parking areas, construction of overhead water tanks and drinking water facilities, and provision of lighting. Supply of 24-hour electricity was completed in February The truck scanner was delivered in June 2012, and the weighbridge was delivered in August Selected customs officers were subsequently trained in operating the truck scanner and weighbridge. 12. The State Customs Service Department developed a unified automated information system that was implemented during October 2011 January This system enabled shippers to file their customs declarations electronically through a web portal. A one-stop process is being prepared for Dusti BCP to offer all customs services for export and import to help it move toward a single-window system Development of Gender and Border Communities 13. The third project output aimed at (i) improving gender- and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure and facilities in selected border communities along the project road, (ii) enhancing skills and entrepreneurial capacity of women in border communities, and (iii) mitigating risks of increasing HIV/AIDS infections in migrant populations living in border communities through awareness-raising campaigns. The gender categorization of the project was effective gender mainstreaming. The achievements of the gender action plan (GAP) prepared for the project are summarized in Appendix 2. The GAP was implemented successfully. 14. The project road and Gissar access road included 42.4 km of paved sidewalks, 127 bus shelters, and access roads at three project-related resettlement sites (km 8, km 18, and km 39). 15. The women entrepreneurship component was implemented by two local nongovernment organizations supported by a national gender specialist who was part of the project management and works supervision consultant (PMWSC) team. This program was financed through the PMWSC contract following the grant financing scheme set out in the project administration manual. A selection committee, chaired by the National Committee of Women and Family Affairs and including representatives from government agencies and project stakeholders, was established to evaluate proposals and select the grant beneficiaries. The nongovernment organizations assessed qualifications of the 294 selected women beneficiaries and trained them in writing project proposals, preparing business plans, and running a business, which included legal, marketing, and financial management aspects. A total of 137 grants amounting to $225,732 (about $1,650 per woman on average) were transferred to selected beneficiaries in March A single window system enables traders to lodge information at a single location and/or with a single entity to fulfil all import- or export-related regulatory requirements.

14 4 16. The HIV/AIDS awareness-raising campaign was implemented through a series of consultations and training sessions for migrants living in border communities. A total of 2,905 HIV/AIDS awareness sessions were conducted, which where attended by 35,332 migrant workers and their family members (19,092 male and 16,240 female). The HIV/AIDS awareness-raising material was disseminated in three languages (Tajik, Uzbek, and Russian) to targeted populations of the project districts along with condoms. 4. Improvement of Road Operations 17. The fourth project output covered (i) update of the road database, (ii) setup of the MOT s website, and (iii) establishment of an automated contract management system. 18. The PMWSC reviewed previous TA projects and noted that the road database developed under ADB-funded TA already contained solid elements on axle load surveys, origin/destination surveys, traffic count surveys, and road and bridge inventories. 10 However, the PMWSC s review concluded that the road database was too elaborate for the needs of the road maintenance units. The PMWSC further recommended (and the MOT agreed) building on the existing road database to incrementally develop a centralized road asset management system. It is expected that the road database will be updated under an ongoing road project funded by the World Bank The PMWSC reviewed prevailing processes and practices within the MOT with regard to information and contract management. The PMWSC supported the MOT in developing its website, which was updated with relevant information on projects, news, and legal documents. 12 The English version of the MOT s website should, however, be updated on a more regular basis. The PMWSC further assisted the MOT in developing a tailored, automated contract management system. In view of the limited number of contracts administered by the MOT, purchase of a proprietary system for the proposed contract management system was not warranted. The MOT agreed that the most suitable solution for its contract management needs was a relational database based on automated spreadsheets. In view of this, a contract management relational database was incrementally developed in liaison with the MOT s information department. 5. Due Diligence for the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Corridors 3 and 5 Enhancement Project 20. The grant agreement was amended in May 2013 to provide for due diligence activities related to the preparation for the proposed CAREC Corridors 3 and 5 Enhancement Project. These activities were successfully completed and the CAREC Corridors 3 and 5 Enhancement Project was approved on 19 September 2013 (footnote 7). C. Project Costs 21. At appraisal, the project cost was estimated at $154.3 million, including contingencies, and taxes and duties. At completion, the actual project cost was $148.2 million. The cost at completion for the road improvement (works category) amounted to $ million, which 10 ADB Technical Assistance to the Republic of Tajikistan for Strengthening Implementation of Road Maintenance. Manila (attached to ADB Report and Recommendation of the President to the Board of Directors: Proposed Loan and Technical Assistance Grant to the Republic of Tajikistan for the Dushanbe Kyrgyz Border Road Rehabilitation Project [Phase I]. Manila.) 11 World Bank Project Appraisal Document for the Second Phase (CARs-2) of the Central Asia Roads Links (CARs) Program. Washington, DC. 12 Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Tajikistan.

15 5 included price adjustments ($17 million) in accordance with the contract and inclusion of the Gissar access road ($5.2 million). A summary of the project cost and financing is in Appendix 3, and the project contract packages are in Appendix The financing plan at appraisal included (i) an ADB grant of $120.0 million (78% of the project cost) from the Asian Development Fund; and (ii) a government contribution of $34.3 million (22%) for land acquisition and resettlement, project management support (PIURR recurrent expenditures), and taxes and duties. At completion, ADB had disbursed a total of $119.9 million (81% of the actual project costs) while the government had contributed $28.3 million (19%). D. Disbursements 23. The grant proceeds were disbursed in accordance with ADB s Loan Disbursement Handbook (2015, as amended from time to time). The direct payment procedure was used for works, goods and equipment, and consulting services contracts. No imprest account was used. 24. The disbursement schedule at appraisal was based on completion of civil works by 30 January With the extension of the civil works contract to accommodate the additional works for the Gissar access road and final payments to the contractor to release the retention money, full disbursement was completed on 4 August The grant account was closed on 8 August 2016, with total disbursements of $ million (99.9% of the total grant amount). Overall, disbursements were made as scheduled. A comparison of disbursement at completion against disbursement projections at appraisal is in Appendix 5. E. Project Schedule 25. The grant was signed on 20 January 2011, became effective on 19 February 2011, and was closed on 30 March The original closing date of the grant (31 July 2015) was extended twice until 30 March 2016 at the request of the recipient. This 8-month extension of the project was due to the rehabilitation of the Gissar access road, improvement of project resettlement sites, and small additional works at the Dusti BCP. The civil works contracts and the PMWSC contract were extended and varied accordingly to accommodate these additional works. 26. In addition, completion of the gender and border community development component also took longer than expected due to the complex grant application and selection processes. The grant financing scheme was finalized in July 2015 and the final list of grant beneficiaries was completed in September Transfers of grant funds to beneficiaries were completed in February The project implementation schedule is in Appendix 6, and the chronology of major events is in Appendix 7. F. Implementation Arrangements 28. The executing agency was the MOT (footnote 3). The implementing agency was the PIURR, which was established under previous ADB-funded projects. The PIURR was headed by an executive director assisted by selected staff with expertise in project implementation, finance, engineering, procurement, financial management, and social and environmental safeguards. The PIURR was assisted by the PMWSC for project management and supervision activities. Appendix 8 shows the project organizational structure, which remained unchanged over the project implementation period.

16 6 G. Conditions and Covenants 29. Conditions for grant effectiveness were complied with on time, and the grant was declared effective 1 month after signing. 30. The recipient and the executing agency generally complied with the 22 grant covenants due by project completion: 20 were complied with, 1 was partially complied with, and 1 is being complied with. The status of compliance with grant covenants is in Appendix 9. H. Related Technical Assistance 31. The project included project preparatory TA (footnote 6) for $800,000 that expanded the pre-feasibility study carried out with ADB assistance in ADB provided $650,000 and the government provided $150,000 to cover the project preparatory TA cost. The project preparatory TA was approved in May 2008, declared effective in July 2008, and closed in March 2010 with total disbursements of $637,253 (98% of the ADB-financed portion). The project preparatory TA was implemented by a consulting firm that provided about 56 person-months of international and national inputs. 32. The project preparatory TA consultants produced (i) a firm project design and scope, (ii) a preliminary engineering design and cost estimates, (iii) a feasibility study, and (iv) bidding documents acceptable to the government and ADB. The feasibility study report included an analysis of the road sector, a preliminary engineering design, economic and financial analyses, poverty and social analyses, an environmental impact assessment, and a resettlement plan. The project preparatory TA outputs were deemed satisfactory to the government and ADB, and were delivered on time and within budget. The project preparatory TA substantially enhanced the project design and procurement readiness. I. Consultant Recruitment and Procurement 33. All consultants were engaged following ADB s Guidelines on the Use of Consultants (2013, as amended from time to time). Advance contracting and retroactive financing were used for engaging individual procurement and resettlement specialists. These specialists assisted the PIURR in preparing bidding documentation, recruiting the PMWSC, and monitoring implementation of land acquisition and resettlement. The PMWSC contract was awarded in August 2011, 5 months behind the appraisal schedule. At completion, three international consulting firms and eight individual consultants had been engaged for project preparation, management, supervision, and auditing services (Appendix 4). 34. Procurement of goods and works were conducted following ADB s Procurement Guidelines (2015, as amended from time to time). The procurement plan at appraisal comprised two civil works contracts for improvement of the project road and Dusti BCP, and one contract for supply of goods for the Dusti BCP. The project road civil works contract was awarded in September At completion, two civil works and three equipment contracts had been procured through the international competitive bidding procedure (Appendix 4). 13 ADB Technical Assistance for Facilitation of Transport Cooperation among Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Countries (Phase 1). Manila. The TA proposed the rehabilitation of three strategic road links in Central Asia: (i) the Bishkek Torugart Kashi corridor in the Kyrgyz Republic, (ii) Angren Gulistan in Uzbekistan, and (iii) the Dushanbe Tursunzade Uzbekistan border in Tajikistan.

17 7 J. Performance of Consultants, Contractors, and Suppliers 35. The PMWSC team leader was not immediately mobilized when the contract was awarded in August A temporary team leader was appointed 2 months later. Delayed mobilization of consultants resulted in poor management of early contract activities and late submission of reports. In June 2012, eight months after the commencement of services, the performance of the PMWSC, which was also the supervision engineer for the civil works contracts, had not improved, with frequent replacements of experts, delayed reports, and lack of commitment to performing the services. The PMWSC s performance improved only after the MOT issued three warning letters to improve its performance. On the civil works side, the delay in mobilizing the main contractor s design team also affected the project s performance. It was only 1.5 years after commencement of services that the contractor s performance had improved, including its relationship with the MOT and the PMWSC. K. Performance of the Recipient and the Executing Agency 36. The overall performance of the recipient and executing agency is rated satisfactory. The MOT performed well overall during project preparation and implementation. It conducted adequate preparatory work in recruiting consultants and procuring works and goods through advance contracting and retroactive financing. At grant effectiveness in February 2011, recruitment of the PMWSC and procurement activities for civil works commenced, and a land acquisition and resettlement plan (LARP) report was prepared. By October 2011, the PMWSC had been mobilized and civil works had commenced. The MOT had also initiated some community development activities by identifying village access roads, sidewalks, and footpaths that needed rehabilitation or upgrading. The MOT resolved some contractual issues by issuing performance-related warnings to the PMWSC for its unsatisfactory performance (para. 35). L. Performance of the Asian Development Bank 37. The overall performance of ADB is rated satisfactory. ADB headquarters administered the project throughout its implementation. ADB regularly organized or facilitated meetings with the Ministry of Finance, MOT, PIURR, PMWSC, and contractors to monitor contract awards, construction quality, disbursement, compliance with safeguards and covenants, and other implementation issues. These meetings contributed to improvement of the project performance. ADB fielded 14 review missions throughout the project implementation, including inception, midterm, special administration, and project completion missions. III. EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE A. Relevance 38. The project is rated relevant. The project remains highly relevant after completion, as it continues to be consistent with (i) the Transport Sector Master Plan, which was adopted by the government in 2011; 14 (ii) the country partnership strategy, ; 15 and (iii) the newly approved CAREC Transport and Trade Facilitation Strategy 2020, 16 which emphasizes a more integrated approach to improving transport and logistics infrastructure, and facilitating trade and transport. 14 ADB Developing Tajikistan s Transport Sector: Transport Sector Master Plan. Manila. 15 ADB Country Partnership Strategy: Tajikistan, Manila. 16 ADB CAREC Transport and Trade Facilitation Strategy, Manila.

18 8 39. The DMF of the project was logical and adequate to address the main causes of the road transport sector s core problem. The project outputs were fit for purpose and included a good mix of interventions at the project level (outputs 1 and 2) and at the sector and thematic level (outputs 3 and 4). The project s original safeguards classification, i.e. category A for involuntary resettlement impacts, category A for environmental impacts, category C for indigenous peoples, and its gender mainstreaming category (effective gender mainstreaming) remained relevant at completion. 40. The addition of access roads in Gissar (2.7 km) and to the project resettlement sites (0.3 km) enhanced the project s relevance by providing better access to local and regional markets, and to local communities affected by the project. Further, the addition of due diligence activities to prepare a subsequent road project effectively utilized grant savings and enhanced the new project s readiness (para. 20). 41. However, some baselines and targets in the DMF were not properly defined at appraisal, which explains the partial attainment of some targets. Due to these shortcomings, the project is rated relevant instead of highly relevant. B. Effectiveness in Achieving Outcome 42. The project is rated effective, as it achieved its intended outcome of improving connectivity and mobility along the Tajikistan sections of CAREC Corridor 3. Out of the five outcome targets, the project exceeded two targets (trade tonnage and waiting time at Dusti BCP), achieved two targets (travel time and road accidents), and did not achieve one target (traffic volume). 43. For cross-border trade tonnage, the target was for an increase from 6,709 tons in 2008 to 11,830 tons by 2015, which appeared to be incorrect since tonnage was already 166,000 in 2010 and reached 289,000 in Regarding waiting time at the Dusti BCP, it averaged 15 hours in 2009, with a targeted 30% reduction in waiting time by The 2014 corridor performance measurement and monitoring index monitored under the CAREC Program indicated an average waiting time of 4 hours at the Dusti BCP. 18 These two outcome targets were therefore surpassed. 44. The average travel time on the project road at completion was 52 minutes, slightly longer than the appraisal target of 45 minutes. The average travel time was 70 minutes at appraisal. Similarly, the number of road accidents was 43 at completion, slightly above the appraisal target of 37 accidents. These two outcome targets could therefore be considered as substantially achieved. 45. On traffic volume, the appraisal target of 25,000 vehicles per day at completion would have meant a doubling of traffic over the period, or a growth of about 10% per annum; this was clearly overestimated. In actuality, the traffic volume barely increased from 10,000 vehicles per day in 2010 to 10,600 vehicles per day in The sharp economic slowdown in the CAREC region and production cutbacks at the Talco aluminum smelter, located near Tursunzade, adversely impacted the achievement of this target. 17 Data sourced from the Tajik Association of Road Transport Operators and the Dusti Customs Department. 18 ADB Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Corridor Performance Measurement and Monitoring: A Forward-Looking Retrospective. Manila.

19 9 46. The project was successful in implementing the actions in the GAP. Of the 18 gender activities, 17 were implemented (94%), and 75% of the quantitative targets (6 out of 8) were achieved (Appendix 2). C. Efficiency in Achieving Outcome and Outputs 47. The project is rated highly efficient in achieving its intended outcome and key outputs. The grant was declared effective 1 month after ADB Board approval. The main consulting services contract was awarded 7 months after grant effectiveness, while the main civil works contracts were awarded 8 months after grant effectiveness. The project was substantially completed by the initial closing date (30 January 2015) and the additional works for the Gissar access road were completed by the end of 2015.The project was completed at 99.5% of its original estimated cost, which did not include the additional works. The project was rated on track throughout its implementation period except for one quarter (third quarter of 2011) when it was rated actual problem. This reflected the proactive administration and supervision of the project by the executing agency, PIURR, and ADB, as well as a close and continued dialogue among project stakeholders. 48. The project remained economically viable at completion. The economic evaluation of the project was undertaken using the Highway Development and Management Model, and following ADB guidelines. 19 The same approach was used for the economic reevaluation at completion. The economic internal rate of return (EIRR) was recalculated based on revised traffic volumes, actual costs, and revised parameter values. The EIRR estimated at completion was 18.7% as compared to 24.5% at appraisal. At completion, the net present value was $83.0 million at a 12.0% discount rate. The principal quantifiable benefits were reduced vehicle operating costs, reduced travel time, and reduced road crashes. Sensitivity tests confirmed that the economic viability of the project was robust against (i) inclusion of the EBRD- and AIIB-funded urban section (5 km), (ii) project cost increases of up to 220%, and (iii) decreases in economic benefits up to 53%. The economic reevaluation is in Appendix 10. D. Preliminary Assessment of Sustainability 49. The project is rated less than likely sustainable in consideration of the likelihood of continuity of project outcomes and outputs over its economic life. 50. Road operation and maintenance. The project road design was improved during construction to replace locally obtained, lower-quality (albeit within specifications) embankment fill material with the same granular material used for the pavement subbase, sourced from designated quarry sites. This produced a significantly higher and stronger embankment and platform for the road pavement, and will have a significant impact on maintaining pavement roughness and sustainability of the project road over the short to medium term, assuming a reasonable level of maintenance. The project road s long-term sustainability, however, requires substantial improvement in maintenance operations. This in turn requires dramatic improvement in the transport sector s financial and institutional framework, which remains a challenge. The annual budget required to maintain the road network under the Ministry of Transport s jurisdiction (14,000 km) is roughly estimated at $32 million per year for the period (about 0.4% of 2016 GDP), which accounts for 4 times the 2016 budget allocated for road maintenance. It is 19 ADB Guidelines for the Economic Analysis of Projects. Manila.

20 10 expected that additional and more accurate data will become available once the road asset management system developed under on-going projects will be operational (footnote 11). 51. The government has recently made progress in planning, funding, and execution of road maintenance through (i) incrementally developing a road asset management system that builds on the road database initiated with ADB s support (para. 18); (ii) increasing the funding for road maintenance, which went from TJS30.3 million in 2009 to TJS60.5 million in 2016 (although this was an actual decrease in United States dollar terms); and (iii) piloting outsourcing of operation and maintenance to the private sector through toll road concession and performance-based contracts, albeit with mixed results so far. 20 Additional and continued support from ADB and other active development partners in the transport sector will be fundamental to institutionalize, improve the governance of, and sustain these efforts. 52. Road safety. The project highway is not access controlled and passes through several towns and villages. It serves mixed traffic, including slow-moving vehicles and pedestrians. The project road incorporated road safety features and was subject to two road safety audits at the design stage. While the number of crashes has decreased significantly after project completion, some hazardous locations remain. This is due to (i) limited implementation of the road safety audit recommendations, and (ii) the MOT s and the traffic police s inadequate capacities for road safety management. Recognizing these challenges, the government has identified three priority initiatives to improve the planning, management, and implementation of road safety by moving toward internationally accepted standards and practices. These initiatives, cofinanced by the ADB and EBRD under the CAREC Program umbrella, include (i) the development of a national road safety strategy, (ii) the piloting of a capacity development program on road safety engineering, and (iii) the implementation of a seat belt awareness campaign. 21 E. Impact 53. Poverty and social. The project has improved mobility and access to jobs, markets, and public services for the approximately 1.4 million people (16% of the national population) located in the four districts through which the project passes. The project has also enhanced trade between centers of production (Tursunzade and Gissar valley) and centers of consumption (Dushanbe) by reducing vehicle operating costs, travel time, likelihood and severity of road accidents, and waiting time at the Dusti BCP. Average taxi fares from Dushanbe to the Uzbekistan border decreased from TJS12.0 in 2010 to TJS 6.0 in 2015 while gasoline prices increased from TJS3.5 per liter to TJS5.3 per liter over the same period. This could be attributed to an increase in competition. Increased numbers of travelers and access to local communities are expected to bring more customers to small businesses located along the project road. 54. Of the project construction workforce, approximately 57% were local workers. Overall, the project had a positive impact on the lives of women in the project area, and it was highly relevant in addressing women s needs and concerns. The project increased women's mobility and facilitated their access to market and social service facilities. Women's experiences in border crossing improved with the installation of gender-inclusive facilities (e.g., separate washing facilities for women and men, and rooms for breastfeeding and changing diapers), which improved women's safety and comfort. Women entrepreneurs in border communities benefited with business training and provision of grants to start their businesses (Appendix 2). Wide-reaching campaigns on HIV/AIDS benefited more than 35,000 migrants and their families. Refresher 20 These include the Dushanbe Chanak toll road (358 km), and two performance-based maintenance contracts for selected sections (149 km) of the Dushanbe Kyrgyz border road. 21 ADB Safely Connected: A Regional Road Safety Strategy for CAREC Countries, Manila.

21 11 training courses provided to outreach staff and volunteers ensured the sustainability of the HIV/AIDS campaigns. 55. The impact target was an increase in Tajikistan s external trade from $4.6 billion in 2008 to $7.3 billion in The foreign trade turnover was $5.3 billion in 2014 and $4.3 billion in 2015, both of which were below expectations at appraisal. This is mostly due to the sharp recession in the CAREC region and the high vulnerability of the Tajik economy to changes in international commodity prices and developments in the Russian Federation. Tajikistan relies on worker remittances (49.6% of gross domestic product in 2013) and a very narrow export base, with two commodities unwrought aluminum and raw cotton accounting for two-thirds of total exports for the past 20 years. Since late 2015, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have held high-level government consultations, seemingly a positive development toward increasing trade between these two neighboring countries. 56. Resettlement. At appraisal, the project was classified category A for involuntary resettlement impacts, as the proposed civil works entailed significant land acquisition and involuntary resettlement. There were no indigenous peoples, as defined in ADB s Safeguard Policy Statement (2009), in the project area, and the project was therefore classified category C for indigenous peoples impacts. Detailed design of the project road resulted in additional land acquisition impacts at certain stretches of the project road, which resulted in five amendments to the LARP that were uploaded to ADB s website. In addition, one resettlement due diligence report for the Gissar access road and four external monitoring reports on LARP implementation were uploaded to ADB s website. At completion, 6,338 persons and 804 households and entities had been affected by the project. A total of 42.6 hectares of agricultural lands were affected along the project road. A total of 379 households lost portions of their residential and commercial lands, of which 54 households received replacement plots of equal value. The remaining 325 households, who lost small strips of their plots, received cash compensation as stipulated in the LARP. There were 176 severely affected households, of which 163 were considered vulnerable. A total of 137 households holding presidential lands and individual dehkan farms (midsized peasant farms) were impacted on more than 10% of their lands; 22 they accordingly received an additional rehabilitation allowance in cash for the severity of impact. There were also adverse impacts on 566 buildings of different uses and 845 miscellaneous structures, including boundary walls and fences. The government provided TJS22.2 million for compensation and allowances to the 804 project-affected households and entities. 57. A total of 3.9 hectares of land was provided to 57 project-affected households in three relocation sites within the project area. A total of 23 households received land compensation of new plots but stayed in their plots as they were suitable for restoration of structures and outbuildings. The remaining 34 households were relocated due to unsuitability of their remaining plots, but they were given alternative choices for their selection of a relocation site. Displaced households were relocated from 200 meters to 1.2 km from their original locations. The resettlement sites were adequately equipped with electricity and communication lines, piped drinking water, access roads, and drainage facilities. Displaced households have continued with the same types of livelihoods and income activities, and were provided with additional allowances (e.g., livelihood assistance) for the transition period; transportation; and installation of water pumps, sanitation facilities, and electricity. Affected households were also assisted in improving their living standards, income-earning capacity, and production levels. The project established participatory and inclusive mechanisms for hearing, recording, and resolving communities issues, 22 Presidential lands are state-owned lands for which life-long inherited land use rights have been allocated by Presidential Decree to small landholders (0.08 to 0.40 hectares) to support food production.

22 12 concerns, and grievances. Overall, 191 written grievances and 112 verbal grievance were registered and resolved by the project s grievance redress committees that were established in each district as set out in the LARP. Satisfactory resolution of grievances was acknowledged and recorded in special forms provided by the grievance redress committees during meetings in the presence of displaced persons or their representatives. 58. Environment. At appraisal, the project was classified category A for environmental impacts. The environmental impact assessment prepared by the executing agency established that although the project road would not pass through environmentally sensitive areas, it could have potentially significant impacts on the environment, such as traffic disruption, traffic noise and vibration, and air quality. An initial environmental examination was also prepared for the Gissar access road. The environmental management plan prepared by the executing agency provided for adequate environmental mitigation measures and a monitoring program. Noise, vibration, dust, and water and air quality were regularly monitored, and results reported in monthly progress reports and biannual environmental monitoring reports. Eight semiannual environmental monitoring reports were uploaded to ADB s website. Instrumental monitoring of the project included 10 parameters for water quality and six parameters for air quality and noise level measurement. 59. A total of 7,171 trees were logged during implementation of the project, and 22,108 trees were replanted. Regular inspection of construction sites and workers camps were carried out to ensure minimal environmental impact. Safety trainings were regularly provided to construction workers. During implementation, key issues raised included the need to (i) suppress dust during construction, (ii) ensure camps were kept clean, (iii) control oil and bitumen spills at asphalt plants, (iv) remove and dispose of waste correctly, (v) fully restore quarry and material storage areas after use, and (vi) replace and properly water and maintain road tree planting. These issues were resolved through continued cooperation between the contractor, PMWSC, and PIURR. After project implementation, five borrow pits, seven quarries, three asphalt plants, and three construction camps were rehabilitated. A. Overall Assessment IV. OVERALL ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS 60. Overall, the project is rated successful. The project is rated relevant to the government s development objectives, ADB s country partnership strategy, and the CAREC transport and trade facilitation strategy, while its design remained adequate and fit for purpose at completion. The project is rated effective in achieving its intended outcome of improving connectivity and mobility along the Tajikistan sections of CAREC Corridor 3. The project is rated highly efficient in achieving outcome and outputs, as the economic reevaluation led to an EIRR of 18.7% at completion. While road maintenance and road safety remain a challenge across the country, the government has recently initiated promising initiatives to tackle these issues in a sustainable manner. Since these initiatives are yet to demonstrate concrete results and impacts, the project is rated less than likely sustainable. B. Lessons 61. Bills of quantities. In the main civil works contract, bills of quantities were sometimes overly complex and time-consuming in measuring simple items of work. For instance, for simple culverts, there could be 11 separate items requiring small measurements: excavation, gravel bedding, lean mix concrete foundation, pipes, pipe joints, reinforcing in end walls, concrete

23 13 volume in end walls, waterproofing, and backfilling. If the requirements were specified and detailed on the drawings, a simple linear meter rate incorporating all those items would have been included. Once the work had been inspected and found compliant, measurement would have been simpler and more accurate. This approach would have simplified contract administration without any negative impact on project cost and quality. 62. Design and specification changes. During implementation, some designs and specifications were revised to better adjust to site conditions and improve the quality of construction material. Some of the engineering design standards (e.g., Asian Highway standards) and the design-and-build approach used in the main civil works contract were new to the executing agency, which led to some misunderstandings. This required resolution by management staff from the contractor, PMWSC, and PIURR, which took a lot of time and delayed the addressing of project requirements. If this approach is to be used, care is needed in project and bidding document preparation so (i) the contractor can program its design and works in accordance with its method statement, and (ii) the executing agency can ensure approval of the engineering design in accordance with prevailing government procedures. Regarding (ii), a clearer framework is needed to ensure that design or specification changes are reviewed by relevant authorities and approved in a timely fashion. This will avoid causing contractual delays while enhancing the transparency and robustness of audit processes. 63. Capacity development. Most of the previous TA and projects in Tajikistan s road sector had capacity development elements within their scope. This led to short and piecemeal inputs over time, which made it difficult to sustain benefits at the institutional and sector levels. This was compounded by the staff turnover in MOT management and the overall focus on civil works and disbursements. Further emphasis is needed on capacity development to advance the road sustainability agenda and deliver on the country s transport sector master plan (footnote 14). 64. Design and monitoring framework. The baselines and targets included in the project DMF should have been based on reliable and easily accessible data. The DMF indicators should have been carefully defined to better align with country s commitments and ADB results framework while leveraging existing global monitoring tools and platforms such as the Sustainable Development Goals. At the project level, for instance, traffic and fatalities are better measured by density targets i.e., average daily vehicle-km or average crash rate per 100,000 vehicle-km of travel. C. Recommendations 65. Timing of the project performance and evaluation report. The project performance evaluation report should ideally be prepared in By that time, the project will have been fully operational for 5 years and the EBRD- and AIIB-funded road section will be complete. Traffic growth, road safety improvements, public transport services, and socioeconomic impacts can be better assessed at that time. 66. Policy and capacity development. The main Tajik highways have been or are being rehabilitated with support from several development partners. Strengthening existing road transport institutions and enhancing the skills of their management staff is fundamental to ensuring adequate operation and maintenance of these assets. This requires continued technical and financial support to develop fit-for-purpose policies and strategies, tailored processes and systems, and results-oriented training programs. Future road transport projects could be complemented by fully fledged and stand-alone programs on priority areas such as road maintenance, road safety, and climate-resilient roads.

24 Road maintenance. Routine and periodic maintenance of the project road is critical to its long-term sustainability, as the traffic volumes are expected to increase steadily after the road opens. It is fundamental that the MOT enhances its planning capacities, while the Ministry of Finance should allocate sufficient and timely budget for road maintenance activities. It is recommended to thoroughly assess the condition and maintenance needs of the core road network, which includes the four CAREC corridors passing through the country. This assessment should inform the definition of future covenants on road maintenance financing, which should also cater for inflationary adjustments. 68. Road safety. The relevance and effectiveness of road safety audits could be enhanced by (i) reinforcing the role of the road safety auditor and safeguarding its independence, (ii) engaging further with relevant oversight authorities at an early stage to find adequate compromises between local standards and internationally accepted practices where appropriate, and (iii) establishing systems that could ensure timely and effective implementation of recommendations of road safety audits at the design and preopening stages. In addition, opportunities should be explored to develop tailored country or regional certification programs for road safety auditors.

25 Appendix 1 15 DESIGN AND MONITORING FRAMEWORK Design Summary Impact Increased national and regional trade, and further economic growth Performance Targets and Indicators with Baselines By 2020: Tajikistan s external trade increased to $7.3 billion from $4.6 billion in 2008 Data Sources and Reporting Mechanisms National economic and transport statistics (Statistical Agency) Assumptions and Risks Assumptions Stable political situation in Tajikistan and central Asia CAREC governments continued commitment to regional cooperation Status at Completion Foreign trade turnover was $5.3 billion in 2014, $4.3 billion in 2015 and $3.9 million in Outcome Improved connectivity and mobility along the Tajikistan sections of CAREC Corridor 3 By 2015: 1. Traffic volume from Dushanbe to the Dusti border crossing point increased to 25,000 vpd from 11,000 vpd in 2009 a 2. Cross-border trade via the Dusti border crossing point increased to 11,830 tons from 6,709 tons in 2008 b 3. Travel time from Dushanbe to the Dusti border crossing point reduced to 45 minutes from 70 minutes in Waiting time for freight at the Dusti border crossing point reduced by 30% from an average of 15 hours in Traffic accidents on the project road reduced by 30 incidences from 67 in 2009 Statistics from MOT, Customs Services, and Ministry of Internal Affairs Annual traffic accident reports from the Traffic Police MOT road safety audit report Risk Tajikistan s external debt may weaken the government s fiscal position Assumptions Increased annual road maintenance funding Effective maintenance strategies for newly rehabilitated roads Improved cross-border relations and procedures with Uzbekistan 1. Not achieved. Traffic volume on the project road reached 10,600 vpd in Achieved. Crossborder trade via the Dusti border crossing point increased to 289,000 tons in Achieved. Average travel time on the project road reduced to 52 minutes in Achieved. Average waiting time for freight at the Dusti border crossing point reduced to 4 hours in Achieved. Traffic accidents reduced to 43 incidences in 2015.

26 Design Summary 16 Appendix 1 Outputs 1. Reconstructed and upgraded Dushanbe Tursunzade Uzbekistan border road sections of CAREC Corridor 3 2. Improved infrastructure and facilities at the Dusti border crossing point 3. Gender and border communities developed Performance Targets and Indicators with Baselines By December 2014: 57 km of road (km 5 km 62) reconstructed and upgraded, with pavement international roughness index reducing to 2 m/km from 6 m/km By December 2014: a. Infrastructure and facilities at the Dusti border crossing point rehabilitated and constructed, and goods and equipment purchased b. 24-hour electricity to the Dusti border crossing point supplied By December 2014: a. Village access roads, sidewalks, footpaths, footbridges, and other social infrastructure built in selected border communities b. At least 180 grants ($1,000 $5,000 over 2 years) provided to women entrepreneurs c. At least 300 women trained in business development, grant proposal writing, and financial management d. At least 50% of 59 households headed by females in the project area submitted grant applications e. 80% of migrant workers and their families trained on prevention and care of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections d Data Sources and Reporting Mechanisms Ministry of Finance and MOT annual budgets, and capital investment and maintenance programs MOT Planning and Assessment Division reports Project management consultant reports Reports from Customs Services and Ministry of Internal Affairs Project management consultant reports National Committee for Women and Family Affairs reports Project management consultant reports Assumptions and Risks Assumptions Government committed to road sector reform Consultants and contractors deliver timely and quality outputs Land acquisition and resettlement plan fully implemented Assumptions Government committed to road sector reform Consultants and contractors deliver timely and quality outputs Land acquisition and resettlement plan fully implemented Assumptions Government committed to road sector reform Consultants and contractors deliver timely and quality outputs Land acquisition and resettlement plan fully implemented Status at Completion 1. Achieved. 60 km of road reconstructed and upgraded with average International Roughness Index of less than 2 m/km in 2015, including project road (57 km), Gissar access road (2.7km), and village access roads (0.3km). 2a. Achieved. Infrastructure and facilities at the Dusti border crossing point rehabilitated, and mobile truck scanner, weighbridge, and information technology equipment purchased. 2b. Achieved. 24-hour electricity supplied to the Dusti border crossing point. 3a. Achieved km of sidewalks and 127 bus shelters were built along the project road, and 0.3 km of access roads were built at 3 project resettlement sites. 3b. Partially achieved. 240 proposals were submitted and 137 grants were provided to women entrepreneurs for a total of $225,732, or about $1,650 per woman on average. 3c. Achieved. 302 women trained in skills and business development, grant proposal writing, and financial management. 3d. Achieved. 54% of households headed by females (32) in the project area submitted grant applications. In total, 81 applications were submitted, of which 48 were from individuals and 33 from groups.

27 Design Summary 4. Improved road operations Inputs at Appraisal Performance Targets and Indicators with Baselines By December 2014: a. Road database updated b. MOT website with comprehensive and quality information setup c. Civil works and consultant contracts tracked and managed by automated contract management system Data Sources and Reporting Mechanisms Press release MOT contract management system website Project management consultant report Assumptions and Risks Assumptions Government committed to road sector reform Consultants and contractors deliver timely and quality outputs Land acquisition and resettlement plan fully implemented Actual Inputs Appendix 1 17 Status at Completion 3e. Achieved. 93% of migrant workers (14,765) and their family members (20,567) participated in training sessions on HIV/AIDS awareness. Of these, 19,092 were males and 16,240 were females. 4a. Not achieved. It is expected that the road database will be upgraded to a road asset management system under an ongoing road project funded by the World Bank. c 4b. Achieved. MOT s website developed and functional. 4c. Achieved. A relational database has been incrementally developed for contract management in liaison with MOT s information department. ADB: $120.0 million (ADF grant) ADB: $119.9 million (ADF grant) Government: $34.3 million Government: $28.3 million Total: $154.3 million Total: $148.2 million ADB = Asian Development Bank, ADF = Asian Development Fund, CAREC = Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation, km = kilometer, m = meter, MOT = Ministry of Transport, vpd = vehicles per day. Note: At the time of grant approval, the MOT was known as the Ministry of Transport and Communications. a Traffic counts dated back to 2008 and were inadequately adjusted to 2010 levels. The annual average daily traffic in 2010 should read 10,000 vpd (Appendix 10). b Per the Dusti Customs Department, cross-border trade via the Dusti border crossing point totaled 139,790 tons in c World Bank Project Appraisal Document for the Second Phase (CARs-2) of the Central Asia Roads Links (CARs) Program. Washington, DC. d Baseline: 38,000 migrant workers and their family members. Sources: Agency on Statistics under President of the Republic of Tajikistan; ADB review missions; CAREC Corridor Performance Measurement and Monitoring Index (2014); Customs Department; Ministry of Transport; National Bank of Tajikistan; National Committee for Women and Family Affairs; Project Performance and Monitoring System; Traffic Police.

28 18 Appendix 2 A. Introduction SUMMARY OF GENDER EQUALITY RESULTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS 1. The gender and border community development program, which was the first such program in Tajikistan, aimed to enrich the livelihoods of border communities, particularly benefiting women. It included investments to (i) improve village access roads, sidewalks, footpaths, footbridges, and social infrastructure in selected border communities; (ii) encourage cross-border trading involving women entrepreneurs; and (iii) implement a program to address the spread of sexually transmitted diseases expected to be brought about by increased migration, and improved connectivity and mobility. 2. The project was categorized as effective gender mainstreaming. Aside from the performance indicators integrated in the project design under output 3, the project gender action plan (GAP) also included activities and indicators targeting women. Overall, the objectives of the GAP were to do the following: (i) ensure that women could equally benefit from the improvement of road infrastructure and facilities by addressing their specific needs and circumstances in the design and construction of the infrastructures; (ii) ensure that women could take advantage of economic opportunities offered by increased cross-border trade and economic activities brought about by improved connectivity and mobility through capacity building activities, grant funds, and improved community infrastructure; and (iii) ensure that women and community members could respond to HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections that may have been brought about in relation to the increased connectivity and mobility of people, and the influx of labor during construction. B. Implementation of Gender Actions 3. The implementation of the GAP was successful. Out of a total of 18 activities, 17 were implemented (94%), and 75% of the quantitative targets (6 out of 8) were achieved (Table A2.1). The target training all border control staff on anti-sexual harassment was not achieved due to lack of permission to conduct the training. 1 The target women receive conditional grants to start a business" was partially achieved as 137 women entrepreneurs instead of the targeted 180 received grants Interviewed women affirmed that the project-rehabilitated road and Dusti border crossing point (BCP) improved their mobility. The project helped them to sell their agricultural products due to easier access to city markets. Women also gained easier access to social and educational facilities, which gave them the opportunity to send their children to higher education institutions in Dushanbe. Modernized Dusti BCP infrastructure and facilities (e.g., separate washing facilities for women and men, and rooms for breastfeeding and changing diapers) also contributed to a gender-inclusive border crossing experience. 5. Along with general road improvement in the border communities, improvement of three access roads at three resettlement sites enabled increased mobility of women from those villages, and improved their access to markets and social service facilities. 1 The project exerted efforts to implement the activity, but encountered difficulties in obtaining a permit from the Customs Committee of the Government of Tajikistan. 2 Women entrepreneurs who were not able to receive grants from the project could have applied for presidential grants supporting women entrepreneurs across the country (government-led initiative), which are administered by the National Committee of Women and Family Affairs. In 2017, presidential grants were offered to 80 women entrepreneurs for a total amount of TJS2.0 million.

29 Appendix Women in border communities directly benefited from the various trainings on civil rights awareness raising, business skills, and business development and management. Rural women received small grants for income-generating activities based on business proposals that they developed and submitted to the National Committee of Women and Family Affairs, which administered the small grants allocation. Some women beneficiaries who were abandoned wives or wives of migrant workers happily reported that they could now cover tuition, stationery, and other expenses of their school-going children. Financial management training, skills and vocational training, awareness raising training on civil rights, and distribution of small grants for income-generating activities had positive impacts on the lives of women (Table A2.2). Women used the grants for entrepreneurial activities: 54 women received grants for livestock farming, 1 woman for poultry farming, 3 women for making preserved fruits and vegetables, 7 women for establishing sewing shops, 18 women for establishing fast food kiosks, 11 women for bakery and salad-making businesses, 7 women for starting greenhouse businesses, 1 woman for establishing a canteen, 1 woman for beekeeping, 1 woman for a pillow and bed decor business, 9 women for party rental businesses, and 24 women for food and other shops. 7. Intensive HIV/AIDS awareness-raising campaigns were conducted for migrant workers and their families as well as for the rural population living adjacent to the project road. The campaigns encompassed awareness and information sessions, trainings, forums, focus group discussions, and radio broadcasts. Evaluation tests were carried out prior to and after the information sessions, which demonstrated an increased knowledge of participants on HIV/AIDSrelated matters. Refresher trainings were also conducted for outreach staff and volunteers who had received training. 3 The involvement of selected national women s nongovernment organizations with successful track records in gender mainstreaming contributed to achieving the GAP outputs. A total of 51,175 condoms were also distributed. C. Recommendations 8. Transfer of grant funds to women beneficiaries took longer than expected since these funds were not immediately available at the project s start. It is therefore recommended to develop a financing scheme that would consider, assess, and mitigate this risk early on. 9. In addition to conducting a needs assessment, it is important to undertake a market assessment to be able to determine the skills and products needed to meet the market demand. This would help target training of women on selected vocational skills. This could have helped budding women entrepreneurs make more informed choices about the kinds of business they would set up. 10. While collection of sex-disaggregated data ensured that the trainings reached their targets, collection of qualitative data is also needed to ascertain the actual impact of the project on women. 3 The training included (i) 2,282 sessions (groups of 5 12 people; 30 minutes to 1 hour) and 4,133 mini sessions (groups of 4 people) for migrants and their family members in the pilot jamoats (municipalities) of Tursunzade district; (ii) working meetings to launch the project activities and finalize the main findings after completion of the project; (iii) one 2-day training for outreach staff; (iv) 4 forum and 4 mobile theater performances for the rural population of Tursunzade district; (v) 5 focus group discussions with migrants; and (vi) 3 refresher trainings for outreach staff and volunteers.

30 20 Appendix The inability to implement the anti-sexual harassment training for border control staff stemmed from inadequate coordination among government agencies (para. 3). Early buy-in of all government bodies involved in the project should be sought at the project design stage. Table A2.1: Achievements of the Gender Action Plan Activities Indicators Achievements Output 1: Dusti border crossing infrastructure and facilities modernized Design separate washing Separate washrooms for men Achieved. Separate washing facilities for facilities for men and and women in place men and women were built at Dusti BCP. women employees and for men and women travelers Separate room for women traveling with babies for breastfeeding and changing Women with baby room in place Achieved. Separate room for women traveling with babies for breastfeeding and changing was built. Design separate customs checking lines for women and men Conduct training of border crossing personnel on anti-harassment Design of at least 4 sleeping places for staff (for winter) and heated canteen (for winter) Include village access roads, sidewalks, foot paths, foot bridges, and social infrastructure in selected border communities in the highway upgrading civil works package Separate customs checking lines for men and women travelers in place 100% of border control staff is trained on sexual harassment Canteen with appropriate winter facilities in place Number of rehabilitated physical and social infrastructure in selected border communities Achieved. There are two common customs checking line and when necessary the officers check men and women separately Not achieved. The activity was not implemented, as there were difficulties obtaining the necessary permit. Achieved. Separate rest room for BCP staff with separate washing facilities and canteen was built. Achieved km of footpaths, access roads at 3 resettlement sites (km 8, km 1, and km 39, 127 bus shelters, and 840 road access points were built.

31 Appendix 2 21 Activities Indicators Achievements Output 2: Women of border communities have improved economic opportunities 1. Women have better conditions to start businesses Conduct training on civil rights for women in Tursunzade on the mahalla (traditional social institution) level Provide legal advice (a female lawyer) once a month for 1 year Conduct assessment of training needs (skills such as sewing, baking etc.) At least 50% of mahallas are trained on civil rights 1 lawyer is providing free consultation once a month Achieved. 52% of mahallas (200 women from 66 out of 128 mahallas) were trained on civil rights in Tursunzade district. Achieved. Women lawyers were trained and provided legal advice in the district branches of the National Committee for Women and Family Affairs every day. The lawyers still provide legal advice after completion of the project. Achieved. Needs assessments were conducted before training started. Conduct training on business development, grant proposal writing, and financial management and skills building 2. Women receive conditional grants to start a business At least 200 women are trained on business development, grant proposal writing, and financial management At least 100 women received skills training Achieved. 202 women participated in business development training. Achieved. 100 women attended vocational skills training on cheese making, baking, sewing and tailoring. Establish grant selection committee with members of informal women s business network, women s committee of hukumat (cities), and National Committee for Women and Family Affairs Grant selection committee is formed Achieved. Selection committee was established with 7 members from government and nongovernment organizations Establish grant fund Grant fund is established Achieved. Grant fund established with total amount $160,000 for 180 women. Establish grant selection criteria Grant selection criteria are documented Achieved. Grant selection criteria were developed by the project implementation unit gender consultant and submitted to the National Committee for Women and Family Affairs.

32 22 Appendix 2 Activities Indicators Achievements Invite women to submit At least 200 grant proposals are proposals for grant for the received within 2 years after the establishment of small training business with at least one female employee At least 180 grants ($1,000 to $5,000 over 2 years) are given to women entrepreneurs Achieved. 240 business proposals were submitted. Partially achieved. 137 women received grants totaling $225,732, or about $1,650 per women on average. There were 81 total applications: 48 individual applications and 33 group applications. Each selected women entrepreneur has to send at least one girl of the immediate family to school for longer than 9 years Establish monitoring and evaluation committee for implementation of grant Achieved. Contracts between women beneficiaries and the National Committee for Women and Family Affairs were signed, stating that a condition of the grant is to send at least one girl of the immediate family to school for longer than 9 years. Ongoing. Monitoring and evaluation will be done by the National Committee for Women and Family Affairs. Output 3: HIV/AIDS and STDs are mitigated in border communities High-risk groups are trained on HIV/AIDS and STD risks, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment Identify families of migrant workers At least 80% registered families with migrant workers are trained on HIV/AIDS and STD risks, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment Achieved. Of the 38,000 registered migrants and their family members, 35,332 or 93% (14,765 migrants, 12,275 wives of migrants, and 8,292 family members) from pilot jamoats (municipalities) participated in HIV/AIDS awareness trainings. Of these, 19,092 were males and 16,240 were females. Conduct 2 HIV/AIDS/STD campaigns for migrant workers and their families in Tursunzade per year for 2 years Achieved. (i) 2,282 information sessions and 4,133 mini sessions on HIV/AIDS were held for migrants and their family members in the pilot jamoats (municipalities) of Tursunzade district; (ii) 5 focus group discussions were conducted for migrants and their families; (iii) 4 forums and 4 mobile theater performances were held for the rural population; (iv) 1 radio program was broadcasted; and (v) 3 refresher trainings were conducted for outreach staff and volunteers. These campaigns were done throughout the project s 5-year duration. BCP = border crossing point, km = kilometer, STD = sexually transmitted disease. Sources: Asian Development Bank; Project Implementation Unit for Roads Rehabilitation; project management and works supervision consultant.

33 Appendix 2 23 Table A2.2: Achievements of Selected Female Entrepreneurs Saida Rajabova, 43, started a small dairy business in Nurobod village, Shahrinau district. She cooks 20 kilograms of cheese every day and sells it in Dushanbe to several restaurants and supermarkets. Within 1 year, Saida was able to save and pay tuition fees for two of her children studying at a medical college and agrarian university. Saida Rajabova with blocks of cheese ready for sale. Orzugul Hamdamova s children. Many of the women beneficiaries have opened cattle breeding businesses. Two cows are Orzugul Hamdamova s main source of income. The 38-year-old single mother now has milk to feed her four children. She also sells 8 10 liters of milk every day to support the family. Two of her children go to school, while the younger ones are not yet old enough. A newborn calf is a big hope for Orzugul. When the calf grows, I will sell it and use the money to improve the house and buy necessary stuff for my children. Tamara Ulukova, 62, a teacher in Giryod village, Gissar district, has started a small cattle farm. Tamara Ulukova with one of her cows.

34 24 Appendix 2 Odinoy Rustamova, 46, and Mahfirat Nabieva, 32, have opened a party rental business in Guryod village, Gissar district. They rent out tables, chairs, pots, and tableware for weddings and other village events. Villagers use the services of the rental center on average 3 times a month. We are now saving money to expand the business and buy music players. Odinoy Rustamova and Mahfirat Nabieva. Shahribonu Nazarova, 37, a mother of three children, has opened a shop in Bahoriston village, Shahninau district. The shop is the only source of income for her family. Shahribony Nazarova at her new shop. Dilhoh Mahmudova, 57, from Selbur-1 village, Shahrinau district, opened a small roadside canteen. She gets customers every day and is happy to be busy. Dilhoh Mahmudova preparing food at her roadside canteen. Source: Meetings and interviews with project beneficiaries, Asian Development Bank staff Photo credit: Tatiana Evstifeeva Tajikistan Resident Mission, Asian Development Bank