ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has downgraded the performance of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Human Capital Investment Project (KPHCIP) of worth $200 million, after facing delays.
Official documents revealed that current progress towards the achievement of the Project Development Objective (PDO) and implementation progress are both rated as moderately unsatisfactory.
As of January 12, 2024, the KPHCIP has disbursed $31.76 million, which is about 16 percent of the total project amount. The project faced initial delays and its performance was recently downgraded due to prolonged approvals of the revised Planning Commission Proforma – Project Initiation Document (PC-1). The Environmental Safeguards rating was also downgraded.
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KPHCIP was approved on June 23, 2020 and became effective on March 31, 2021. It is a $200 million IDA operation that includes $125 million from the IDA Regional Sub-Window for Refugees and Host Communities. The current closing date of the project is June 30, 2025.
The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to improve the availability, utilization, and quality of primary healthcare services and elementary education services in Selected Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
These goals are supported by 3 components: i) Component 1: Improving Delivery of Quality Primary Health Care Services, Component 2: Improving Availability and Quality of Education Services, and Component 3: Strengthening Community Engagement and Accountability.
The project is currently operating in four refugee-hosting districts – Peshawar, Haripur, Nowshera and Swabi. Documents further revealed that a number of measures to expedite implementation, disbursements, and utilisation have been agreed.
These include: a. Revision of PC-1: The PC-1 has been revised to redirect funds towards urgent areas such as post-flood reconstruction and related interventions such as school-in-a-box kits. Activities that have been completed under other donor-funded or government initiatives have been removed. b. Completion of Approvals: All necessary approvals, including authorization from Additional Chief Secretary regarding the revised PC-1, have been finalized as of February 14, 2024. c. Fast-track Implementation Plan: A plan for fast-track implementation has been developed, with the Communication & Works (C&W) Department tasked to complete flood works amounting to US$18 million within 12 months. Surveys and necessary design, drawings, bill of quantities, and detailed cost estimates have been developed. d. Appointment of Deputy Project Director (Infrastructure): A senior Director Technical from the C&W Department has been appointed as Deputy Project Director (Infrastructure) at the Education PMU. This individual will lead all infrastructure work and ensure the fast-track implementation of civil works, representing approximately 65% of the project’s overall financing. e. Ongoing Civil Works: Civil works packages worth approximately US$4 million have been awarded, while packages worth US$9 million have been prepared for procurement. In response to the widespread flooding across the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the government of Pakistan requested that the geographic coverage of the project be expanded to include flood-affected districts.
This request was accepted via a letter from the Country Director to the Ministry of Economic Affairs on September 28, 2022. Subsequently, dated March 24, 2023 the government requested restructuring of the KPHCIP to help respond to reconstruction and rehabilitation needs following the floods emergency. The restructured KPHCIP will add major civil works, which were not included in the original project’s design.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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