Synthesis report on the validation of 2020-2021 Project Completion Reports & Expanded Supervision Reports

The African Development Bank (AfDB or “the Bank”) undertakes self-evaluations of its sovereign operations (SOs) and non-sovereign operations (NSOs) through Project Completion Reports (PCRs) and Expanded Supervision Reports (XSRs) produced by the designated operations departments. IDEV independently validates a sample of these PCRs and XSRs each year, and produces a biennial synthesis report. For the 2020-2021 period, IDEV prepared a combined synthesis report on the validation of 126 PCRs and 16 XSRs. The purpose of this report is to provide credible evidence on project performance, the quality of PCRs and XSRs including project Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) systems, compliance with the Bank’s PCR and XSR guidelines, and key lessons drawn from the findings.

The synthesis report showed that overall, SO project performance was found satisfactory, as 94 percent (118) of PCRs achieved a positive rating. Project performance was found strongest in the area of relevance, and sustainability had improved, but efficiency and effectiveness were weaker. The performance of the various project stakeholders (Bank, Borrowers and others) remained satisfactory. The validation found that the overall quality of PCRs was also satisfactory, with about 79 percent of the PCRs achieving a positive rating. However, there is need for improvement in quality, and also in the design and implementation of project M&E systems.

93.8 percent (15 of 16) of the NSOs reviewed demonstrated positive development outcomes (a composite of business success, economic sustainability, environmental and social effects, and private sector development). Good performance was attributed to the quality of the sponsor/management, structuring of the projects to include technical assistance components aimed at improving governance, and environmental management or risk management practices by the borrower or Sponsor Company. In terms of quality, 15 of the 16 XSRs (93.8 percent) were rated satisfactory. Notwithstanding this, the validation found room for improvement in identifying and formulating lessons for XSRs.

The report drew a number of lessons, that included:

SO project preparation, design, and implementation:

• Involving all stakeholders, including beneficiaries, in all steps of the project cycle is critical for ensuring high quality design, and for enhancing ownership and sustainability of project outcomes.

• Beyond a robust results framework, the monitoring capacity of countries and the availability of timely and reliable data are of paramount importance to ensure interventions’ responsiveness to country needs and their effective delivery and reporting.

The Bank’s support to its RMCs in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic:

• Harmonizing support from development partners to align interventions to the country’s specific needs, improve complementarity, and avoid duplication and missed opportunities promotes an optimal utilization of resources during emergencies.
• Accompanying the implementation of reforms with complementary support in the form of technical assistance and institutional support is important to achieving success and a long-lasting result.

NSOs

• Local Currency Financing is better suited to both a wider range of financial intermediaries and to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) than foreign currency financing. It also improves targeting of Bank projects for SMEs and for women and youth entrepreneurs.

• Innovation is crucial in the Bank’s use of risk management instruments.

 

Task Manager:  Mabarakissa Diomande, Principal Evaluation Officer 

Khaled Samir HUSSEIN, Principal Evaluation Officer