Equatorial Guinea - Highway Maintenance Project

 Highway maintenance project Report No: ; Type: Report/Evaluation Memorandum ; Country: Equatorial Guinea; Region: Africa; Sector: Highways; Major Sector: Transportation; ProjectID: P000635 Equatorial Guinea: Highway Maintenance Project (Credit 0362- EG) The Project Completion Note (PCN) on the Equatorial Guinea Highway Maintenance project (Credit 362-EG, approved in FY73) was prepared by the Africa Regional Office, without contribution from the Borrower. The credit for US$2 million was approved in March 1973. The project was declared effective but never implemented and the credit was canceled in April 1976. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) financed the technical assistance component of the project which was, haltingly, in progress at the time of cancellation. The project's objective was to establish a road maintenance organization within the Ministry of Public Works, Housing and Transport (MPW). The project consisted of: (a) technical assistance to help MPW improve highway administration and to enable it to carry out road maintenance and road improvement work efficiently; (b) the purchase of road maintenance and workshop equipment, vehicles, spare parts and materials for the MPW; (c) the construction or improvement of workshops, garages, and warehouses also for the MPW; and (d) execution of about 30 km of road improvement by contract. The technical assistance team mobilized in June 1973. Soon after mobilization it became apparent that the dialogue with the Government was difficult and that no suitable counterpart staff, essential for project success, were assigned to it. After several unsuccessful attempts to get the project started, the Bank decided, after the fifth supervision mission in 1975 and not withstanding the reluctance of UNDP, to cancel the credit. There was a clear lack of ownership of the project by MPW. This was not discovered during project preparation because the exact project content was to be determined by the UNDP experts as part of the technical assistance work, although there were protracted discussions with the Government on the UNDP project document. In retrospect the Bank should have reached very early on a clear understanding with UNDP and the Government on the respective roles of each party. The Operations Evaluation Department (OED) does not rate project outcome, sustainability and institutional development in light of the absence of disbursements. Bank performance is rated as unsatisfactory (as in the PCN). The PCN is satisfactory. No audit is planned.