We conduct projects on a cycle of plan creation, project operation, monitoring and evaluation. The method of this cycle is what is referred to as Project Cycle Management (PCM).
We conduct surveys before the start of the project, during operation, and just before and after completion (Detailed Planning Survey, Mid-term and Terminal Evaluation, and Ex-post Evaluation). Accurate project operation management is required.
INTEM Consulting, Inc. has considerable experience in using this method, and conducts consultation from an expert perspective.
In the regional road project of Tanzania, a road project utilizing Labor-based Technology (LBT: Other than the utilization of the minimum necessary equipment, this is a construction method of conducting road maintenance using a labor-intensive style) is promoted. This is a project that targets the regional road bureau employees (The client) and the road installation companies (contractors) and aims to support skill improvement. Our company will participate as a “Monitoring Expert”.
Regarding Tanzania’s regional road development/maintenance, there are the problems of insufficient financing, inadequate expertise and experience of the client/contractors, insufficient equipment and delays in the operational budget. Working within a limited budget, the skill improvement of government employees and contractors, as well as the improvement of the regional road development/maintenance management process is required.
Monitoring, after the start of the project, involves confirming the status of progress of the project activity based on the plan, and making course corrections as necessary. The process of re-evaluating the activity and results in response to the various changes that occur during the execution period is the main pillar of project management. For example, we conducted a survey of the degree of satisfaction of the primary users of the regional roads, the local residents. By reflecting the opinions of the local residents in the regional road maintenance project, we aimed to achieve construction of roads that would be easy for the local residents to use. Also, in order to enable continuation of the activity after the completion of the project, we assisted in the creation of the system of the monitoring method.
As Bhutan’s agricultural zone belongs to its mountainous region, the efficiency of agriculture is generally low, and as the shortage of agricultural workers has become apparent due to the movement of the younger generation to the urban areas and the aging of the farming village populations, a policy to shift to use of more farming equipment has been promoted. The introduction of farming equipment, which is the basis of this government policy, has been supported by Japan for a period spanning more than 20 years, and the organ in charge of the execution of this policy is the Agriculture Machinery Centre (AMC). In order to support the efforts of the Bhutan side to strengthen and improve the efficiency of its operational structure and to achieve independence, AMC is conducted the project in its main area, the “Strengthening Farm Mechanization Project (2008-2011)”. As further efforts, concerning farm machinery functionality and safety, we created a national certification standard, and to promote the improvement/development of farm machinery and its efficient use, we conducted the “Strengthening Farm Mechanization Project Phase II (2014-2017)”.
AMC established a monitoring/evaluation section (M&E), however, it was not able to perform effective monitoring. Under these circumstances, our company strengthened the function of the monitoring of the execution status, and we provided guidance for actions to lead to the improvement of the operations. On site, we held a workshop concerning the creation of the annual report, established a monitoring method that included a format for data collection, established AMC standards and took actions toward achievement of their realization, and also established indicators to measure the degree of achievement.
Evaluation Survey is a total survey conducted after completion of a project, and is referred to as an evaluation conducted in order to objectively investigate whether results can be observed even after the project completion.
In this project, the following 4 projects were evaluated.
(1) Cambodia: The Project for Replacement and Expansion of Water Distribution Systems in Provincial Capitals
(2) Thailand: The Project on a Comprehensive Flood Management Plan for the Chao Phraya River Basin
(3) Laos: The Project for the Improvement of School Environments in Champasack and Savannakhet Provinces
(4) Laos: The Project for the Improvement of School Environments in Three Southern Provinces
(1) In the post-project evaluation, visits were made to the water departments of Preah Sihanouk, Krong Battambang and Pursat, and interview surveys were made concerning whether the repaired water pipes were being properly used, and whether the users had increased according to plan. We were able to confirm that considerable results had been achieved.
While the regional surveys proceeded smoothly, although we repeatedly tried to arrange interviews with the government agency in charge, the Ministry of Industry and Handicrafts in the capital, Phnom Penh, we were not able to easily set up a meeting. We were finally able to have a brief discussion with the respective officials. In the activities outside the survey we experienced great difficulty.
