International Development Association (IDA) is considering providing US $27 million for improvement of Project Management, Supervision, Technical Assistance, Training and Strategic Studies in Irrigation sector of Punjab.
According to World Bank project report, this financial assistance would cover the cost of (i) project implementation and management, including mobilisation of farmers, surveys, engineering and designs, implementation supervision and assistance to the farmers and suppliers, and ensuring quality of the works carried out by farmers and suppliers/vendors, etc; (ii) project supervision and spot checks, covering quality and quantity aspects, by third party consultants based on which the funds would be disbursed and (iii) strategic studies and pilot projects that would be identified during project implementation and technical assistance, training, in particular training to the project staff (ie, training of trainers) in crop diversification, shift to horticulture, vegetable and floriculture crops, operation and maintenance of the irrigation systems and units installed under the project, etc.
WB report mentioned that Pakistan has extraordinary strategic endowments and enormous development potential and its strategic location, vibrant population, low dependency rates, and extensive irrigation network are potential sources of long-term growth. A number of critical areas will have to be addressed to meet this potential growth. In particular, weak revenue mobilisation, inefficient public spending, shortages of reliable infrastructure and conflict and insecurity represent major obstacles to economic development and poverty reduction. While Pakistan has seen periods of high growth and impressive economic and social performance, these trends have historically not been sustained and recent efforts to promote strong growth and poverty reduction have stalled amid economic, political and security turmoil.
Commenting over the "Monitoring and Evaluation of Project Impact", WB report said that this project would cover monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of the project's impacts. This would be done primarily by using a sampling technique, as well as by conducting case studies, GIS systems, and satellite data. The M&E activities would provide continuous feedback on the project's performance and impact of its various components to the Government of Punjab, the Project Steering Committee (PSC) and the implementing agency, so that corrective actions could be undertaken in a timely manner.
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