Ex-post Evaluation

1. Outline of the Project

Country:

Bangladesh

Project title:

The Project for the Construction of Portable Steel Bridges for Rural Roads

Issue/Sector:

Roads

Cooperation Scheme:

Grant Aid

Division in Charge:

Grant Aid Management Department

Total Cost:

780 million yen

Period of Cooperation

(E/N): FY1995~1996

Partner Country’s Implementing Organization:

Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development & Cooperatives

Supporting Organization in Japan:

Related Cooperation:

1-1 Background of the Project

The access to roads play an important role among basic infrastructure in Bangladesh, with nearly 60% of physical distribution dependent on road transport. However, in contrast to national roads, most rural roads were unpaved and thus were impassable especially during the rainy season due to a lack of bridges. Due to frequent floods in those years, the damage on roads in flooded areas was extremely serious, and many bridges had collapsed. The condition of these poor rural roads signifies not only the lack of local transportation of local people but also obstacles for the entire rural economic development.

In light of this situation, the government of Bangladesh through the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development & Cooperatives (LGED) developed a flood rehabilitation plan where it was planned and implemented to rehabilitate rural roads, to replace damaged and destroyed bridges and to construct bridges at crossing points where a bridge was not built, and requested Grant Aid from the government of Japan aiming to provide portable steel for the construction of bridges.

1-2 Project Overview

This project aimed at constructing 74 bridges in order to contribute to the socio-economic development of the rural areas in accordance with the government’s flood rehabilitation plan.

(1) Overall Goal
1) To contribute to the overall socio- economic growth.
2) Economic activities are promoted by the cooperation of the market and rural areas.

(2) Project Purpose
Traffic hindrances due to damaged and destroyed bridges are removed by bridge construction at crossing points.

(3) Outputs
1) Seventy-four portable steel bridges are constructed.
2) Fifteen access roads are developed.

(4) Inputs

Japanese Side:

780 million yen (1995: 38 million yen, 1996: 742 million yen)

Bangladesh Side:

Land and Facilities

2. Evaluation Team

Members of Evaluation Team

M Shah Alam, Crown Agents

Period of Evaluation

February 4 –March 20, 2003

Type of Evaluation:

Ex-post Evaluation by Overseas Office

3. Results of Evaluation

3-1 Summary of Evaluation Results

(1) Impact
This project was the pilot program for the construction of portable steel bridges in rural areas. Based on the experiences gained through the project, LGED received aid from other donors and has constructed bridges in 123 places and is currently working on 138 other locations. These experiences have been utilized heavily in these construction works— for example, the safety railing pipes that LGED adopted for the bridges in this project were also used for all the other subsequent bridge construction projects.

Since it was not possible to measure the impact that all the bridges had on regional residents in this evaluation, the project focused on two bridges as a case study. The table below describes the impact as explained by discussions with residents. The study targets were Motukpur and Viti Maldah.

One of the negative effects has been the higher cost of traveling. Currently, there is no mass transport system such as buses, and residents have to use auto-rickshaws, which became more expensive. A bus route is not feasible because of the risk involved in crossing the narrow bridge and opposition from existing rickshaw drivers.

The above were the impacts observed from the bridges in two targeted areas for this study. The same socio-economic impact can probably be seen in other areas where bridge use is high.

(2) Sustainability
All of the seventy-four bridges that were constructed through the project have been available for traffic but at thirty-two sites a lack of pavement has put limits on the kinds of vehicles that can cross. Among them, two bridges do not have access roads and one site’s access road has eroded so vehicles cannot cross them. The bridges are all in good condition. If all the bridges are to be equipped with access roads, the bridges would be used more and the impact will also be increased. However, current budget shortages mean that access roads have not been built as intended. There was no study done on status of bridge use after construction, so it is not possible to grasp the situation quantitatively.

LGED has over 9,000 staff, mostly technical staffs; however, there is not enough staff in charge of maintenance of portable steel bridges, and this problem has become most serious in local offices. As a result, the local work groups made up mostly of women and the traveling maintenance team formed of local technicians follows the guidelines, monitors conditions and performs basic maintenance work.

LGED prioritizes maintenance of rural roads and bridges in its budget allocations, and its fiscal 2001 budget was about 120 million taka, with twenty million taka used for bridge maintenance. The maintenance budget has increased by six to seven percent every year, and LGED has allocated sufficient funds for this from the budget.

3-2 Factors that promoted realization of effects

(1) Factors Concerning the Planning
N/A

(2) Factors Concerning the Implementation Process
1) The aid that donor organizations provided for access road construction and requests made by residents to the government for access roads made it possible for an increase in the bridges that enable vehicle transport.
2) About ninety-one percent of LGED staff is assigned at the local level, making it possible to establish a monitoring system.

3-3 Factors that impeded realization of effects

(1) Factors Concerning the Planning
N/A

(2) Factors Concerning the Implementation Process
Since the total maintenance budget is allocated at the local level, little of the budget is actually used for the bridges, and is instead used for road maintenance.

3-4 Conclusion

The project targeted rural villages, in particular poor areas, and the bridges were constructed to meet the needs of the residents. It was not possible to obtain quantitative data that cover all the bridges built in this study, but dialogue with residents demonstrated that access from rural villages to towns had improved and that their social activities had been promoted. These effects would likely be extended even further if access roads were laid at all bridges. LGED has a maintenance system at the local level and has sufficient funds for maintenance, so sustainability is high. However, there are some reasons for concern about the ability to deal with maintenance at the local level.

3-5 Recommendations

(1) To achieve the project purpose, training for maintenance staff at the local level should be improved, and they should carry out and supervise regular tests and inspections. Highly accurate maintenance reports should also be submitted. In particular, training should include specific methods for identifying problems and trouble-shooting.

(2) LGED should supply the local offices with equipment and spare parts, and should have the trained staff carry out maintenance on a regular basis.

(3) LGED should prepare a more detailed maintenance plan, specifying the scope, method, necessary staff and type of equipment for daily, regular and emergency maintenance. It is crucial that a maintenance manual for steel bridges be prepared concerning the deterioration of portable steel bridges.

(4) The bridges that cannot be used due to erosion of the access roads should be dealt with as soon as possible to avoid danger. There have been delays in laying down access roads, and the Bangladesh government should prioritize this issue.

3-6 Lessons Learned

(1) In future similar projects, a social survey on the traffic volume and socio-economic impact should be held before the bridge is constructed, and data should be compiled to measure the effect of bridge construction.

(2) It is very important that access roads are laid to extend the project results. It is necessary to promote the development of access roads, which the recipient’s government promised.

3-7 Follow-up Situation

N/A