Regional: Strengthening the Institutional Mechanism of the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Program
The TA will be aligned with the impact of economic cooperation and integration between SASEC member countries, and between SASEC and its neighboring subregions accelerated. The proposed outcome will be the implementation of SASEC programs, projects, and initiatives accelerated. The outcome will be achieved through the following outputs (i) national institutional mechanisms enhanced; (ii) working groups for program-, project-, and task-related initiatives and issues strengthened; (iii) SASEC Secretariat operationalized; and (iv) capacity of SASEC member countries to plan, implement, and monitor projects and initiatives strengthened.
Project Details
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Project Officer
Hayashi, Tadateru
South Asia Department
Request for information -
Country/Economy
Regional -
Sector
- Transport
| Project Name | Strengthening the Institutional Mechanism of the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Program | ||||||||||||||||
| Project Number | 54392-001 | ||||||||||||||||
| Country / Economy | Regional Bangladesh Bhutan India Maldives Myanmar Nepal Sri Lanka |
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| Project Status | Active | ||||||||||||||||
| Project Type / Modality of Assistance | Technical Assistance |
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| Source of Funding / Amount |
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| Strategic Agendas | Inclusive economic growth Regional integration |
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| Drivers of Change | Gender Equity and Mainstreaming Governance and capacity development Knowledge solutions Private sector development |
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| Sector / Subsector |
Energy / Energy sector development and institutional reform Industry and trade / Industry and trade sector development - Trade and services Transport / Multimodal logistics - Road transport (non-urban) - Transport policies and institutional development |
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| Gender Equity and Mainstreaming | Some gender elements | ||||||||||||||||
| Description | The TA will be aligned with the impact of economic cooperation and integration between SASEC member countries, and between SASEC and its neighboring subregions accelerated. The proposed outcome will be the implementation of SASEC programs, projects, and initiatives accelerated. The outcome will be achieved through the following outputs (i) national institutional mechanisms enhanced; (ii) working groups for program-, project-, and task-related initiatives and issues strengthened; (iii) SASEC Secretariat operationalized; and (iv) capacity of SASEC member countries to plan, implement, and monitor projects and initiatives strengthened. | ||||||||||||||||
| Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy | For the past 19 years, the SASEC program operated on an institution-light and projects-heavy format. The SASEC program's mechanisms for facilitation, coordination, and monitoring, as well as the platforms for discussions among the member countries, consist of_(ii) SASEC Nodal Officials, who meet at least annually to review and provide strategic direction and guidance for cooperation under SASEC; (iii) working groups and subcommittee, which meet at least once a year to review strategic priorities and project-based progress; and (iv) SASEC Secretariat which is based at the ADB headquarters and assisted by regional cooperation specialists and focal points based in the resident missions. The SASEC FMs met once to endorse the SASEC Vision. This served the program well as the countries enjoyed the flexibility to proceed on their own pace. However, with the SASEC program facing more intensified and increasing new demands and the pursuit of the SASEC Vision's goals through the Updated OP and APSI, the strengthening of its institutional mechanisms is necessary. The enhancements in the existing institutional mechanisms and arrangements aim to ensure that the SASEC Vision provides a coherent and strategic direction for the SASEC program, and that the SASEC OP and APSI set the frameworks, guidelines, and priorities for more deliberate planning and accelerated implementation of regional cooperation projects. |
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| Impact | Economic cooperation and integration between SASEC member countries, and between SASEC and its neighboring subregions accelerated |
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| Project Outcome | |
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| Description of Outcome | Implementation of SASEC programs, projects, and initiatives accelerated |
| Progress Toward Outcome | A minor change in TA scope and implementation arrangements was approved on 28 May 2021 to support a study on data analytics that would help in assessing SASEC logistics movement. The study is in line with the objectives of the draft Action Plan of SASEC Initiatives (APSI) 2021-2023, and would benefit SASEC's work in the priority SASEC corridors. Using appropriate data analytic tools, the study would aim to systematically capture, analyze and understand the origin, destination, and specific movement patterns of cross-border trade logistics among the region where the priority SASEC Corridors are planned. |
| Implementation Progress | |
| Description of Project Outputs | Regional and national institutional mechanisms enhanced Working groups for program-, project-, and task-related initiatives and issues strengthened. SASEC Secretariat established and operationalized in the subregion Capacity of SASEC member countries to plan, implement, and monitor projects and initiatives strengthened. |
| Status of Implementation Progress (Outputs, Activities, and Issues) | The TA supported the recruitment of web expert, web content manager, web content editor, and GIS expert. The experts will help upgrade and update the SASEC website as a dynamic information portal for projects, activities, and initiatives, leading to enhanced external and internal visibility of the SASEC program. The TA supported the recruitment of a tourism expert who will help to come up with an action plan for the SASEC subregion that will showcase and demonstrate the benefits to be gained by the member countries from such initiative. A firm was recruited to undertake the SASEC Data Analytics Study. The study aims to consolidate a comprehensive data collection and enable an analytical model or methodology that can be used to understand logistics movement across SASEC borders in an objective and quantitative way, based on data analytics.The TA supported the recruitment of resource persons who conducted a dissemination workshop for concerned officials from the Government of Bangladesh on the country and regional study on SPS-TBT. A regional cooperation specialist was hired to serve as a key focal point on regional economic cooperation in India,_and will coordinate directly with all government agencies concerned and other stakeholders RCI projects and activities. A regional cooperation expert was engaged to support the preparation of reports, documents and other relevant materials for SASEC meetings (Working Group Meetings, Nodal Officials Meetings, and Finance Ministers Meeting), including the program's activities in transport and trade facilitation, energy and other initiatives (i.e. activities (i.e. highly facilitated trade corridors, India-Bangladesh railway study, food regulators forum, SASEC corridor 7, and BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement), as well as the SASEC Operational Plan. One Health experts on human health and animal health were recruited to support ADB's activities related to One Health in South Asia. This would involve, among others, the conduct of country and development partner consultations, and facilitate knowledge-sharing events on enhancing health security through regional cooperation. Several experts are planned to be recruited for the SASEC Secretariat to support the SASEC Program's initiatives on the following areas: Climate and Disaster Resilience, Maritime, Tourism, Transport and Logistics, Supply Value Chain, Energy, Inland Waterway, SPS-TBT, & Trade Policy and Trade Facilitation. |
| Geographical Location | Bangladesh - Nation-wide; Bhutan - Nation-wide; India - Nation-wide; Maldives - Nation-wide; Myanmar - Nation-wide; Nepal - Nation-wide; Sri Lanka - Nation-wide |
| Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects | |
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| Environmental Aspects | |
| Involuntary Resettlement | |
| Indigenous Peoples | |
| Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation | |
| During Project Design | |
| During Project Implementation | |
| Business Opportunities | |
|---|---|
| Consulting Services | 18 person months of international consultants and 32 person-months of national consultants |
| Procurement | No procurement to be made |
| Responsible ADB Officer | Hayashi, Tadateru |
| Responsible ADB Department | South Asia Department |
| Responsible ADB Division | Regional Cooperation and Operations Coordination Div, SARD |
| Executing Agencies |
Asian Development Bank |
| Timetable | |
|---|---|
| Concept Clearance | 26 Nov 2020 |
| Fact Finding | 04 Sep 2020 to 04 Sep 2020 |
| MRM | - |
| Approval | 11 Dec 2020 |
| Last Review Mission | - |
| Last PDS Update | 09 Dec 2022 |
TA 6674-REG
| Milestones | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approval | Signing Date | Effectivity Date | Closing | ||
| Original | Revised | Actual | |||
| 11 Dec 2020 | - | 11 Dec 2020 | 31 Dec 2023 | - | - |
| Financing Plan/TA Utilization | Cumulative Disbursements | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADB | Cofinancing | Counterpart | Total | Date | Amount | |||
| Gov | Beneficiaries | Project Sponsor | Others | |||||
| 3,700,000.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3,700,000.00 | 02 Dec 2022 | 993,581.72 |
Project Data Sheets (PDS) contain summary information on the project or program. Because the PDS is a work in progress, some information may not be included in its initial version but will be added as it becomes available. Information about proposed projects is tentative and indicative.
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| Title | Document Type | Document Date |
|---|---|---|
| Strengthening the Institutional Mechanism of the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Program: Technical Assistance Report | Technical Assistance Reports | Dec 2020 |
Safeguard Documents See also: Safeguards
Safeguard documents provided at the time of project/facility approval may also be found in the list of linked documents provided with the Report and Recommendation of the President.
None currently available.
Evaluation Documents See also: Independent Evaluation
None currently available.
Related Publications
None currently available.
The Access to Information Policy (AIP) establishes the disclosure requirements for documents and information ADB produces or requires to be produced in its operations to facilitate stakeholder participation in ADB's decision-making. For more information, refer to the Safeguard Policy Statement, Operations Manual F1, and Operations Manual L3.
Requests for information may also be directed to the InfoUnit.
Tenders
| Tender Title | Type | Status | Posting Date | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TA Coordinator (One Health/RCI) | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 17 Jan 2023 | 23 Jan 2023 |
| Trade and Traffic Expert | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 10 Jan 2023 | 23 Jan 2023 |
| Railway Expert | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 10 Jan 2023 | 23 Jan 2023 |
| Railway Expert | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 10 Jan 2023 | 23 Jan 2023 |
| Infrastructure Finance and PPP Expert | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 10 Jan 2023 | 23 Jan 2023 |
| Trade Policy and Trade Facilitation Expert | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 16 Dec 2022 | 22 Dec 2022 |
| SPS-TBT Expert | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 16 Dec 2022 | 22 Dec 2022 |
| Tourism Expert | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 22 Nov 2022 | 28 Nov 2022 |
| Regional Cooperation Analyst | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 08 Nov 2022 | 14 Nov 2022 |
| Lead Climate and Disaster Resilience Policy Expert | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 01 Nov 2022 | 07 Nov 2022 |
| Climate and Disaster Resilience Policy Expert | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 01 Nov 2022 | 07 Nov 2022 |
| Maritime Expert | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 12 Oct 2022 | 25 Oct 2022 |
| Regional Cooperation Initiatives Coordinator | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 12 Oct 2022 | 25 Oct 2022 |
| Supply and Value Chain Expert | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 12 Oct 2022 | 25 Oct 2022 |
| Inland Waterway Transport Expert | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 18 Aug 2022 | 07 Sep 2022 |
| Tourism Expert | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 18 Aug 2022 | 07 Sep 2022 |
| SPS-TBT Expert | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 18 Aug 2022 | 07 Sep 2022 |
| Transport and Logistics Expert | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 18 Aug 2022 | 07 Sep 2022 |
| Trade Policy and Trade Facilitation Expert | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 18 Aug 2022 | 14 Sep 2022 |
| Energy Expert | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 18 Aug 2022 | 07 Sep 2022 |
| Regional Cooperation Expert | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 20 Apr 2022 | 26 Apr 2022 |
| Regional Cooperation Specialist (National) | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 16 Feb 2022 | 22 Feb 2022 |
| Maritime Regulations Specialist | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 10 Dec 2021 | 16 Dec 2021 |
| Web Administrator | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 17 Jun 2021 | 23 Jun 2021 |
| Data Analytics for Assessing SASEC Logistics Movement | Firm - Consulting | Closed | 18 May 2021 | 22 Jun 2021 |
| Web Content Editor | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 15 Apr 2021 | 21 Apr 2021 |
| Supply Chain Mapping Expert | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 10 Mar 2021 | 23 Mar 2021 |
| SASEC Web Content Manager | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 21 Jan 2021 | 27 Jan 2021 |
| SASEC Web Administrator and Developer | Individual - Consulting | Closed | 21 Jan 2021 | 27 Jan 2021 |
Contracts Awarded
No contracts awarded for this project were found
Procurement Plan
None currently available.