The Regional Forum on Successful Project Design and Implementation is a gathering of developing member countries’ policy makers, practitioners, and project implementers for a series of solution seeking discussions and knowledge sharing to improve processes and results in ADB-supported projects. This year’s theme is Strengthening Project Readiness and Monitoring in a Post-Covid Asia and Pacific.

An in-person event for the first time in two years since the pandemic, the forum brings together executing agencies and implementing agencies across the Southeast Asia region from 6-8 September in Jakarta, Indonesia. The event follows a hybrid format.

Context

The Asia Pacific region is contending with a series of crises including climate change, food security, and post- pandemic effects with far-reaching impact on project implementation. While the COVID-19 Omicron variant has had a milder impact than other variants and mass vaccination has allowed economies across developing Asia to remain open, COVID-19 remains a threat. The current Omicron outbreaks can still impact regional growth and supply chains. Moreover, escalating geopolitical tensions could impede trade and production, and stoke inflationary pressures.

Against this backdrop, ADB supported Asia and the Pacific’s COVID-19 response whilst pursuing the seven operational priorities under Strategy 2030, such as climate change, governance, food security, and gender equality. Building on lessons learned from 2020, ADB adopted and mainstreamed innovative approaches in project monitoring to improve the quality of project design and implementation. Amid lockdowns and quarantines, ADB strengthened the roles and responsibilities of its resident missions, contractors, and consultants amongst others.

While ADB’s portfolio performance of 2021 remained on track, the series of global crises exacerbated the persistent delays in project implementation. This was attributed to two factors: weak project design and capacity among executing agencies and implementing agencies which can affect project performance.

Approach and Objectives

Recognizing that solutions should be responsive to country context, participants will examine the approaches used to address project-related issues and the results achieved or expected. By the end of the forum, participants should have an array of sound project practices. More specifically they would be able to:

• Understand the benefits of a holistic approach to project readiness not just in design and procurement but also in safeguards, legal and policy framework, and institutional capacity.
• Share good practice on using tools and approaches for integrating monitoring and evaluation at various stages of the project cycle.
• Discuss lessons learned in the application of project readiness and monitoring in procurement, financial management, and safeguards.
• Participate in cross-regional and peer learning through in-person interaction between experts and practitioners and set the stage for cross-collaboration.