Ex-post Evaluation

1-1. Background of the Project

The agriculture, fishery and tourism occupy an important portion in the economic structure in Morocco.The Moroccan economic situation largely depends upon the above three sectors.

Upon the Fifth Five-Year National Programme (1988-1992),the Kingdom of Morocco aimed at further stable economic growth with strengthening the mining sector and also promoting export of mineral products through searching for the future possibility of development in mining sector.

Since 1970s, the Government of Japan implemented the dispatch of experts, the feasibility study and the mini-project to BRPM upon the official request from the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco.

The Government of the Kingdom of Morocco submitted an new official application form for the Japanese technical cooperation to acquire advanced technology of mineral exploration, ore dressing  and industrial materials which enables the BRPM engineers to find out the mineral resources hidden in the ground rather than the resources exposed on the surface of the earth.

The Record of Discussion signed in January 26,1998. The cooperation commenced on April 1,1998

As 3 years passed since the end of the Project, JICA Morocco Office implemented an Ex-post evaluation of the above Project.

1-2. Project Overview

With the advanced Japanese exploration technology, this project was implemented to strengthen BRPM'capacity to conduct systematical and practical exploration by a transfer of the technology and the enhancement of BRPM's mining skills with the special emphasis to:

• Allocate appropriate personnel and facilities to the Staff Section
• Procure and install advanced exploration equipments (ICP, POSAM)
• Collect and interpret existing data to select prospective areas (model areas)
• Elaborate a geological and geochemical survey plan
• Transfer comprehensive exploration technology on the basis of the results of geological, geochemical and geophysical exploration activities
• Organize internal seminars in BRPM with assistance of Japanese experts for share the technological information

(1) Overall Goal

New mineral resources will be found in Morocco.

(2) Project Purpose

BRPM will be able to continuously carry out the systematical and practical exploration

(3) Outputs

1) The Organization of Exploration Department of BRPM will be improved and it will be operated efficiently.

2) Equipment will be efficiently operated and properly maintained.

3) Planning method on efficient exploration will be acquired.

4) Practical technology on exploration will be acquired.

5) Comprehensive exploration technology will be acquired

6) Manual on exploration technology will be ready for use.

7) A system of transferring exploration technology will be established in BRPM

(4) Inputs

Japanese side:

Moroccan side:

3-1 Summary of Evaluation Results

(1) Impact

In the field of underground mining resource exploration technology, this project successfully produced meaningful outcomes to advance BRPM exploration engineers' capacities and to enhance the capacity of BRPM's overall technology to the level of international standard. Utilizing the donated equipments such as POSAM, the Project successfully transferred the technology of geothermal exploration to BRPM. As a result, this advanced technology minimized the exploration survey areas and facilitated highly precise exploration activities.

The achievement of the Project Overall goal is to be considered very interesting despite of  the factthat no major discoveries of new mineral deposit had been operated during 2002 – 2005 period. Because the discovery of new mineral deposit is considerably attributed to chance. BRPM is now engaged in exploring new mineral deposit considered to be with bright prospects in the southern region of Morocco.This consideration is based on the fact that many exploration projects have today reached in advanced phases and some of them will lead to new mineral discoveries during next years.

With development of technology in the mining exploration, BRPM developed, since 1998 until now, around 20 projects in gold, base metals mineralization and industrial minerals, of which the project launched in 2003, with the partnership of Energy and Mining Ministry, to explore precious metals in the south of Morocco with an investment of about 140 million dirham. BRPM operated also the session of 12 major projects to national and international companies, since 1998.

BRPM hereby acquired high international reputation, and it established as many as 25 partnerships of development of mineral resources with domestic and international institutions and enterprises. Before the project, BRPM were directly engaged with small- and medium-sized exploration activities. Nowadays BRPM is entrusted to implement exploration of mineral resources and chemical analysis, and moreover to implement technical transfer for engineers of domestic and foreign enterprises such as the Arabian and African countries.

To grab the correct mineral reserve, the Moroccan government ranked geological, geophysical and geochemical distribution charts of mineral resources in the whole country as one of the high-priority projects. The technology of Geographic Information System (GIS) introduced by the Project enabled BRPM to implement data processing for drawing up a high-precision chart of mineral resources throughout territory.According to the high level of acquired technology by the project, BRPM awaits an ISO 9001/V2000 Certification of its laboratories and also a 17025 Accreditation for the Gold analysis method.

(2) Sustainability

The Moroccan Government ranked the below policies as important in mining sector for developing  the mining industry:

• consolidate further the current efforts for mining research and development of mining sector
• develop the existing legal system to encourage the investment into the mining industry
• encourage the international market entry of domestic mineral products

With the result of cooperation, BRPM is now implementing the below activities to maintain sustainability of cooperation.

• BRPM introduced an efficient maintenance system for advanced equipment of ICP
• BRPM purchases advanced equipments with its own annual expenses of 2.5 to 3 million dirham and secure systematical training on the newly acquired equipments and software
• BRPM continuously dispatches its engineers to the international seminars and conferences to brush up their skills and experiences and integrates internal seminars in exploration management to develop engineers' competencies by information and knowledge exchange.

The Moroccan government integrated BRPM and ONAREP (Office National de Recherches et d'Exploitations Pétrolières) into a newly established organization ONHYM (Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines) for facilitating the sole organization charged with mining exploration. This integration is one important step for strengthening the system of BRPM. ONHYM is engaged with exploration of potential rare metal and basic metal, and is allocated with total 280 million dirham for its activities between 2005-2007.

ONHYM is now engaged to develop such potential areas as Ouarzazate, Tiznit, Tata, Figuig, Taroudant and Marrakech and also to prepare the verification survey of potential resources in the southern regions. This verification survey is realized upon the convention between the Moroccan Government and BRPM in March, 2003 which is to be financially assisted by the Canadian enterprise METALEX.

The ONHYM will play a major role in the exploration of mineral resources because the Moroccan government entrusts ONHYM with a mission to develop the mining sector with new mineral deposits discoveries. For this, an important financial budget is allocated with total 280 million dirham for its activities between 2005-2007.

The present public policy and strategy demonstrate the sustainability of the Moroccan mineral exploration activity and the economic importance of this activity.

For financial sustainability, BRPM's financial support is principally derived from government origin; to which is added the turnover of external services (32 millions MAS per year) and the royalties for BRPM's participations in active mines (37 millions MAD in 2004). In addition to this budget and royalties, BRPM partnerships in Moroccan exploration are more than 10 millions MAD per year of investment and this contribution will increase during the next years.

For the period 1998 – 2004, BRPM's budget had increased by 14%, from 75 millions MAD in 1998 to 86 millions MAD in 2004. For 2005, the budget accorded by the government to the newly ONHYM is of 110 millions MAD. For 2006 projection, a budget of 185 millions MAD is to be considered (source: MEM) and this represents an important budget increasing (68%).

These financial support show a stabilized public support for the BRPM's finance and attest of the sustainability of the Moroccan mineral exploration.

Concerning human resources sustainability, the BRPM's staff evolved from 1014 in 2003 to 953 in 2004. This reduction is operated in accordance with the government policy oriented on public charges reduction. However, BRPM operate a recruitment strategy oriented on specific needs in terms of competencies; hence, fifteen engineers (in exploration methodology, GIS …) had been recruited between 1998 and 2004.

3-2. Factors that have promoted project

(1) Impact

• The Moroccan government implemented such policies as the development of exploration technology and the promotion of competence toward international market. These policies accelerated the progress of the Moroccan exploration technology.
• The Moroccan government entrusted BRPM with the grand and ambitious verification survey of potential mineral resources in the southern region.
• The government integrated BRPM and ONAREP into the sole organization for strengthen the implementing structure of exploration activities.
• The government continuously allocated a sufficient budget for exploration activities of BRPM: 75million dirham in 1998, 95million dirham in 2002, 71million dirham in 2003 and 86million dirham in 2004.
• Since 1970, the Japanese government had commenced to collaborate with BRPM in bilateral cooperation. The precedent cooperation of the Project cultivated the good human relationship between Japanese and Moroccan engineers. This familiar relationship encouraged efficient technical transfer during the Project period.

(2) Sustainability

• Government's mining policies and stability of BRPM's organisational ability
• The increase of BRPM's budget
• Taking the opportunity of the bilateral cooperation with the Japanese government, BRPM opened up domestic and international partnerships. BRPM achieved high international reputation with partnerships.

3-3. Factors that have inhibited project

(1) Impact

None

(2) Sustainability

• The exploration manual which was introduced during the Project is not reviewed.

3-4. Conclusions

After the termination of cooperation period, the Project has steadily been producing a satisfying outcome. BRPM developed its exploration technology which covers high-precision charts of potential mineral resources. BRPM takes an important role in the technical transfer through the partnership with domestic enterprises. BRPM is entrusted to implement exploration activities and chemical analysis and also to implement technical cooperation upon the request of Arabian and African countries. It is highly appreciated that BRPM achieved high reputation in domestic and international mining world.

BRPM was integrated into ONHYM in 2004. ONHYM is expected to meet the high needs of mining sector. The Moroccan national policies of mining sector such as attainment of high productivity and high competence for international market as well as diversified needs of mining sector and BRPM's partnership assured the sustainability of BRPM as an important actor in the mining sector.

3-5. Recommendations

The exploration manual is an important tool. Therefore its regular revision should be continued to maintain BRPM's high standard of technology. Moreover the advanced technology should be shared among BRPM's engineers for avoiding the risk of appropriation and conserving institutional memory to be succeeded to younger generations.

To take into consideration the role of the BRPM's Training Department related to the Human Resources Direction whose mission is to plan and execute continuous and periodical training programme for BRPM's staff, this department was not clearly implicated during the implementation of the Project. Hence, its role is to be reinforced in view of the BRPM's significance in human resource development of domestic and international mining sector.

3-6. Lessons Learned

For preparing the technical cooperation in the advanced technology such as exploration of mining resources, the current and future national priority of policies and the grasp of needs of private enterprises are to be considered sufficiently. In Morocco, the government intervention is still important but the government highly respects the contribution of private enterprises in mining sector. Therefore the future diffusion of transferred technology to the private sector is contrived beforehand even though the cooperation is implemented in the scheme of bilateral cooperation. For example, inviting the private enterprises to the seminars organized by the Project is an ambitious attempt for increasing their understanding on the project purpose.