Accountability Mechanism Offices' Joint and Independent Outreach and Knowledge Work
Outreach Activities
- 1–4 March, 36 participants
- 31 May–3 June, 36 participants
- 30 August–2 September, 25 participants
- 22–25 November, 25 participants
Knowledge Work
OCRP and OSPF produced two short videos capturing the AM’s positive impacts through mock stories based on real cases. The videos did not use the real names of complainants to keep their identities confidential. These compliance review story and problem-solving story short videos explain that accountability is not bad for development and, if used efficiently, can change the lives of people affected by ADB projects. These videos also show that accountability of ADB projects not only leads to an improvement in people’s lives but also helps ADB achieve greater development impact.
OCRP is leading the preparation and publication of the joint learning report, which is prepared every 3 years by the OCRP, OSPF, Independent Evaluation Department, and Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department in accordance with paragraph 212 of the AMP. This time, the theme of the Joint Learning Report will be "ADB Accountability Mechanism strengthens good governance." The theme is based on the rationale that AMs exist to ensure good governance of the multilateral development banks that enjoy immunities and privileges. In addition, this theme is also selected because ADB has recently initiated a transformation exercise by defining its core values to be "client-centric," "trustworthy," and "transformational" to ensure good governance and enhance development effectiveness. The ADB AM not only reinforces all the eight characteristics of good governance but has also, since its inception, been the prime example of these core values.
Outreach Activities
OCRP organized deep-dive learning sessions with the Private Sector Operations Department and the Strategy, Policy, and Partnerships Department on 16 May and 3 June 2022, respectively. These sessions were well-attended by the staff and Management and generated very interesting and candid discussions. These sessions were customized to the needs of the host departments and, in addition, included introductory information about the ADB AM, detailed information about the CRP, and some lessons learned.
Knowledge Work
This series of publications from OCRP provides practical insights on project design, implementation, and the process of compliance review. It focuses on the compliance review of eight projects: (i) Sustainable Urban Transport Investment Program—Tranche 3 in Georgia, (ii) Visayas Base-Load Power Development Project in the Philippines, (iii) Integrated Citarum Water Resources Management Investment Program–Project 1 in Indonesia, (iv) Mundra Ultra Mega
Power Project in India, (v) Sri Lanka Southern Transport Development Project, (vi) CAREC Transport Corridor 1 (Bishkek-Torugart Road) Project 1 in the Kyrgyz Republic, (vii) Fuzhou Environmental Improvement Project in the People’s Republic of China, and (viii) Rehabilitation of the Railway Project in the Kingdom of Cambodia. The lessons shared through this series provide opportunities for improved project design and implementation and a strengthened compliance review function. It aims to contribute to capacity development in project management and good institutional governance.
This summary lessons learned report gathers trends in the roots of noncompliance and the triggers of the compliance review. This discusses lessons and insights gathered from the eight compliance reviews conducted during 2004–2020 by the CRP. Common threads signify those common issues in project processing and implementation that have formed a trend in emerging complaints. The publication emphasizes that knowledge and understanding of these trends—and corresponding behavioral and operational improvements—can improve project design and reduce grievances thereby strengtheningthe development effectiveness of ADB.
Among the common threads identified are (i) Comprehensive baseline data is essential for impact modeling, good project design, appropriate risk control and mitigation measures and effective monitoring of project outcomes; (ii) Meaningful and inclusive stakeholder engagement, including vulnerable groups, allows ADB to design better quality projects and contributes to practical and innovative project solutions and design inputs; (iii) A thorough understanding of ADB policies enhances compliance by enabling implementers to distinguish between ADB safeguards and national policies thus minimizing the risks and cost of remedial and corrective actions; (iv) Understanding of the ADB Accountability Mechanism Policy helps clarify its objectives and processes and gives stakeholders confidence in ADB’s grievance redress and accountability mechanisms; (v) Prompt and regular supervision and monitoring minimize the risk of noncompliance and the likelihood of harm and reduce reputational risk; and (vi) A timely and comprehensive remedial action plan prevents further marginalization of project-affected people, brings effective relief to affected people and ensures the sustainability of development outcomes.
Outreach and Knowledge Work
With the goal of building the capacities of ADB project team staff in addressing complaints, the OSPF, together with the Budget, People, and Management Systems Department, organized the pilot Basic Mediation Training in 2021. This was conducted by the Singapore International Mediation Institute primarily for ADB staff from different ADB operations departments who play a role in project implementation. This training program aimed to equip ADB project staff with skills and knowledge to conduct mediations and apply mediation concepts and processes complementary to the design of project-level GRM, ADB operations complaint-handling processes, as well as the OSPF overall problem-solving framework. Elements, key features and stages of mediation, cultural considerations in mediation, and contextualizing stages of mediation were discussed.
Some participants from the Basic Mediation Training decided to join the Advanced Mediation Training in December 2021. This advanced training focused on conflict management styles, power imbalance, self-awareness and internal bias, impartiality, problem-solving skills, overcoming impasse, managing multiparty/multi-representative mediations, cultural awareness, and diversity and their impact on mediation. A total of 50 ADB staff completed the Basic and Advanced Mediation Training.
An assessment was conducted in Maxwell Chambers, Singapore, in August 2022. Six ADB staff have now been certified as Tier 1 Mediators by the Singapore International Mediation Institute. Due to the high demand and excellent feedback from training participants, OSPF will lead another Mediation Training in 2023.
With the continuing demand across regions, OSPF, in 2022, conducted seven training workshops on GRMs under the OSPF technical assistance for Capacity Building for Grievance Redress and Dispute Resolution during Project Implementation in India, Mongolia, and Pakistan.
The GRM training aims to (i) improve the function of project GRMs, (ii) equip project staff with communication skills and knowledge of proper handling and management of grievances received from affected households and stakeholders, and (iii) improve participants’ skills, knowledge, and practice in addressing problems encountered in ADB-assisted projects.
Through this capacity building, the goal of OSPF is to help project teams to address risks and emerging issues more effectively in ADB-assisted projects and avoid escalation of complaints that may affect project implementation.
The training in Mongolia was the first in-person training since the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the high number of nominations, participants were divided into two cohorts and the two trainings were held during 19–21 and 22–24 May 2022. The training sessions were attended by 54 participants from around 20 executing and implementing agencies of ADB-assisted projects in Mongolia. An overwhelming number of nominations was received from India. Thus, for India, three cohorts were done through virtual sessions of the training in June–July 2022, which were attended by 116 participants from across more than 50 sectors. As mentioned under the joint activities of the accountability mechanism offices in December 2022, OSPF conducted two batches of GRM training in Islamabad and Lahore. A total of 47 staff from 18 government agencies attended the training on GRM in Islamabad (6–8 December 2022) and Lahore (12–14 December 2022).
In May 2022, OSPF started the analytical work for the case study on the closed complaints under problem-solving in Mongolia. The case study aims to support ADB operations departments, government and private sector partners, and other stakeholders by documenting the complaint management experiences and identifying important lessons and good practices on problem-solving that are useful for future projects. OSPF intends to present the findings from this case study and lessons learned from the Mongolia complaints with ADB project teams across different departments and with other international independent AMs.
In line with the AMP 2012 requirement for ADB management to undertake a study on the benefits and costs of the AM, OSPF has been leading this study. The objective of this study is to guide future policy design and implementation of the AM. OSPF initiated this study in November 2022.