Project Preparatory Technical Assistance
Project Preparatory Technical Assistance
Project Preparatory Technical Assistance
Proposed Loan
Viet Nam: Water Efficiency Improvement in Drought
Affected Provinces
PROJECT PREPARATORY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
A. Justification
1. Project preparatory technical assistance (PPTA) is required to prepare the investment
project. The overall project involves modernizing eight irrigation schemes (i.e. subprojects)
commanding about 33,500 ha in Binh Thuan, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Khanh Hoa and Ninh Thuan
provinces. The irrigation schemes are mainly open canal gravity schemes. There are some
pumped schemes in Dak Nong and Dak Lak provinces. The government has commenced
preparation of feasibility studies of the subprojects in advance of the PPTA. The PPTA
consultants will review and revise the subprojects (as needed) and undertake the due diligence
(i.e. technical, economic, financial, environmental and social) to meet ADBs requirements.
B. Major Outputs and Activities
2. The PPTA team will work closely with the government teams assigned to prepare the
feasibility studies of individual subprojects and the overall project. They will also work closely
with the climate risk and vulnerability assessment (CRVA) team1 to incorporate climate change
responsive measures in designing the project. Adopting a fully consultative process, they will
design outputs that meet the stated impact and outcome of the project. They will prepare the
project documents required to support processing and approval of the project by ADB. They will
also provide start-up support to the government to mobilize implementation consultants and for
advance implementation actions.2 Table A3.1 summarizes major outputs and activities.
Table A3.1: Summary of Major Deliverables
Major Deliverables Due Date
Inception report Nov 2016
Reports on agricultural sector assessment; environmental, social, poverty and gender Dec 2016
impact assessments; and river basin water resources assessments considering present
and future demands and likely climate change impacts
Reports on economic and financial analyses; financial management and fiduciary capacity; Jan 2017
gender action plans; summary poverty reduction and social strategy; initial environmental
examinations; resettlement plan; resettlement framework; ethnic minority plan; and climate
risk and vulnerability assessments, project procurement risk assessments and risk
management plan
Representative subproject feasibility studies complying with ADB requirements; summary Feb 2017
of the project’s contribution to the ADB results framework; summary of how the project
promotes development coordination; draft procurement plan and project administration
manual; and master bidding documents for each type of contract
Draft final report in the format of an ADB RRP Mar 2017
ADB = Asian Development Bank, RRP = Report and Recommendation of the President.
1
The CRVA will be carried out by a separate team of consultants who will mobilized coterminous with the PPTA.
2
The PPTA consultants may be required to undertake the detailed engineering designs (DED) of 1-2 subprojects.
This will be done through a variation of the contract, once the proposed financing for undertaking DED from the
Project Readiness Improvement Trust Fund is secured.
2
D. Consulting Services
4. The PPTA will require a consulting firm to provide 21 person-months (p-m) of
international and 42 p-m of national consultants. An additional 3 p-m of international and 4 p-m
of national inputs of participatory irrigation management specialists will be recruited separately
by ADB through individual consultant selection. The firm will be recruited using quality- and
cost-based selection procedures with a quality-cost ratio of 90:10 and simplified technical
proposal according to ADB’s Guidelines on the Use of Consultants (2013 as amended from time
to time). Consultants should have tertiary level qualifications from a recognized institution and a
minimum of 10 years’ relevant experience in developing countries of Southeast Asia. Table A3.3
shows anticipated consultant requirements.
Table A3.3: Summary of Consulting Services Requirement
International Specialist Position p-m National Specialist Position p-m
Irrigation Institutional Specialist/Team Leader 6 Irrigation Institutional (O&M) Specialist/Deputy
6
Team Leader
Irrigation Engineer 5 Irrigation Engineer 6
Hydrologist 2 Water Resources Specialist 4
Environment Specialist 1 Environment Specialist 4
Social and Gender Specialist 1 Social and Gender Specialist 4
Resettlement Specialist 4
Agronomist 1 Agronomist 3
Procurement and Start-up Specialist 2 Procurement and Start-up Specialist 3
Project Economist 2 Project Economist 4
3
compliance audit of existing project components to identify any pending involuntary resettlement
issues associated with them.
11. Agronomists (International, 1 p-m; National, 3 p-m) will work with the agronomists of
the CRVA team and recommend measures that can be supported by the project to promote on-
farm high efficiency irrigation practices, especially taking climate variability into consideration.
The specialist will also assess the potential for revenue generating models for O&M of irrigation
systems.
12. Procurement and Start-up Specialists (International, 2 p-m and national, 3 p-m) will
prepare (i) project procurement risk assessment report, including a procurement capacity
assessment; (ii) master bidding documents for all contracts; (iii) relevant parts of the project
administration manual including procurement plan; and (iv) implementation arrangements
including staffing of project management units. They will assist provincial agencies to establish
imprest accounts.
13. Project Economists (International, 2 p-m; and National, 4 p-m) will work with the
economists of the CRVA team to: prepare the economic and financial assessment of
subprojects and overall project in accordance with ADB Guidelines on Economic Analysis of
Projects including the economic analysis of climate change responsive measures. They will
assist with preparing sustainable O&M budgets.
14. Finance Specialists (International, 1 p-m; National, 4 p-m) will, in accordance with
ADB's Financial Due Diligence - A Methodology Note, review the EA/IAs' financial management
and fiduciary capacity and familiarity with ADBs financial management due diligence
requirements. They will provide estimate incremental recurrent costs and other inputs to the
economic and financial analysis. They will assess public debts status and borrowing capacity of
the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and five provinces in consultation
with ADBs public finance management TA consultants.
15. Participatory Irrigation Management Specialists – Individual Consultants
(International, 3 p-m; National, 4 p-m) will provide technical, institutional and capacity building
recommendations aimed at ensuring strong community engagement and water user
participation in scheme design and improvement of O&M. The specialists will develop water
productivity monitoring tools and indicators to inform beneficiaries, government and ADB of
potential performance improvements and support the development of a benefit monitoring and
evaluation framework. The specialists will also recommend ways to transfer ownership of
irrigation assets to WUGs.
E. Implementation Arrangements
16. The EA for the PPTA will be MARD’s CPO with the support of provincial people’s
committees. The PPTA will be implemented during August 2016 – September 2017. Advanced
procurement will be used to select consultants. Proceeds of the PPTA will be disbursed in
accordance with Technical Assistance Disbursement Handbook (2010, as amended from time
to time). Table A3.4 presents the proposed processing and implementation schedule.
Table A3.4: Proposed PPTA Processing and Implementation Schedule
Major Milestone Expected Completion Date
Government approval of project detailed outline May 2016
Concept clearance / PPTA approval 15 August 2016
Mobilization of PPTA consultants October 2016
Inception mission November 2016
Midterm review mission January 2017
Submission by PPTA of draft RRP and linked documents April 2017
TA closing date 30 September 2017
Source: Asian Development Bank estimates.