AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT FUND

GHANA

WOMEN’S COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

(LOAN NO. 2100150000352) (GRANT NO. 2100155000125)

PROJECT COMPLETION REPORT

Ex. OCSD AUGUST 2003

TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY DATA SHEET, CURRENCY AND EQUIVALENCES, MEASUREMENTS, ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS, PROJECT MATRIX. i-v EXECUTIVE SUMMARY vi - x 1. INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Geographic Setting 1

1.2 Recent Economic and Political Developments 1 1.3 Government’s Development Strategy 1 1.4 Bank Group Portfolio 2

2. THE PROJECT 3

2.1 Project’s Origin and History 3 2.2 Project Objectives 3 2.3 Project Description 3

3. PROJECT FORMULATION AND DESIGN 4

3.1 Project Formulation 4 3.2 Project Design 4

4. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION 5

4.1 Effectiveness and Start-up 5 4.2 Modifications 5 4.3 Implementation 5 4.4 Reporting 6 4.5 Procurement of Goods and Services 7 4.6 Source of Project Financing and Costs 7 4.7 Project Disbursement 8

5. PROJECT PERFORMANCE AND OUTCOME 9

5.1 Operational Performance 9 5.2 Institutional Performance 10

5.3 Performance of Consultants and Contractors 11 5.4 Financial Performance 11

6. SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT 11

6.1 Socio-economic Impact 11 6.2 Environmental Impact 12

7. PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY 12 8. PERFORMANCE OF THE BANK AND THE BORROWER 12

8.1 Bank Performance 12 8.2 Borrower Performance 13

9. CONCLUSION, LESSONS LEARNT AND RECOMMENDATIONS 13

9.1 Conclusions 13 9.2 Lessons learnt 14 9.3 Recommendations 16

ANNEXES I. Administrative Map of Ghana II. Matrix of Follow-up and Recommendations III. List of Contractors IV. List of Reference Documents

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SUMMARY DATA SHEET 1. Project : Women’s Community Development 2. Loan Number : 2100150000352 Grant Number : 2100155000125 3. Borrower : Government of Ghana 4 Beneficiary : Poor Women in rural Ghana 5. Executing Agency : 31st December Women’s Movement A. LOAN DETAILS 1. Loan Amount : 1 825 000 UA Grant Amount : 38 000 UA 2. Interest Rate (%) : 0.00 3. Service Charge : 0.75% 4. Repayment Period : 40 Years 5. Grace Period : 10 Years 6. Repayment Rate : 1% Per Annum from 11th to the 20th year, 3% there after. 7. Loan Negotiation Date: 4th September 1991 8. Loan Approval Date : 18 June 1991 9. Loan Signature Date : 04 September 1992 10. Date of Entry into force: 23 December 1992 B. PROJECT DATA (UA Million)

Appraisal Actual Estimate Exp.

1. Total Project Cost Foreign Exchange 1.631 1.164 Local Cost 0.857 0.606 Total Project Cost 2.488 1.770 2. Source of Financing (UA Million) (UA Million)

Appraisal Actual Source F.E L.C Total % F.E L.C Total LOAN 1.169 0.656 1.825 90 0.909 0.479 1.388 GOG - 0.202 0.202 10 - 0.202 0.202 GRANT 0.438 - 0.438 95 0.447 - 0.447 GOG - 0.023 0.023 5 - 0.023 0.023 Total 1.607 0.881 2.488 100 1.365 0.704 2.060 3. Effective Date of First Disbursement : 22 July 1993 4. Effective Date of Last Disbursement : 30 June 2001 5. Commencement of Project Activities : 01 February 1993 6. Date of Completion of Project Activities : 30 June 2001

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C. PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 1. Cost Overrun None 2. Time over run 7 years Slippage on Effectiveness (%) 33% Slippage on Completion date (%) 233% Slippage on last Disbursement (%) 233% Number of Extensions of Last Disbursement 4 3. Project Completion Status Completed 4. List of verifiable Indicators and Levels of Achievement: Appraisal Actual Target Regions 10 10 Total beneficiaries 13,200 13,200 Female beneficiaries 13,200 13,200 Credit allocation 13,200 13,200 5. Implementation Performance Institutional Performance: Unsatisfactory1 Contractor’s Performance: Satisfactory Consultant Performance: Satisfactory D. SUPERVISION MISSIONS

Missions Date No Persons Person

Weeks Identification N/A N/A N/A Preparation N/A N/A N/A Appraisal Feb/Mar 1991 4 21 1. Supervision Mar/April,1996 2 10 2. Supervision August,1997 2 13 3. Supervision Sept,1998 2 15 4. Supervision May, 1999 2 15 5. Supervision May/June, 2000 3 20 6. Supervision July 2001 2 14 7. PCR Dec 9-19, 2001 2 11

1 Institutional performance is rated unsatisfactory due to a scanty coverage of the beneficiaries even though all were covered by project activities. For instance, the credit scheme revolved only twice for the entire 9 years of the project life.

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E. DISBURSEMENT (IN MILLIONS) Appraisal Actual Total disbursed (Loan and Grant) 2.266 1.835 Amount to be cancelled N/A 0.431 Unused Balance N/A 0

CURRENCY EQUIVALENCES

At Project Appraisal (1991) At Project completion National Currency = CEDI (GHC) December, 2002 UA 1 = GHC 353.748 UA 1 = GHC 10,101 UA 1 = USD 1.181 UA 1 = USD 1.271

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

ADB : ADF : CC : GCB : CSP : DWM : ERP : GDP : GNP : GoG : IEC : MOWAC : NCWD : NFE : NGO : PCR : PIU : PMU : PRSP : TBA : UA : UNICEF : USD : WID : WCDP :

African Development Bank African Development Fund Coordinating Committee Ghana Commercial Bank Country Strategy Paper December Women’s Movement Economic Recovery Program Gross Domestic Product Gross National Product Government of Ghana Information, Education and Communication Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs National Council on Women and Development Non-Formal Education Non-Governmental Organization Project Completion Report Project Implementation Unit Project Management Unit Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper Traditional Birth Attendants Unit of Account United Nations Children’s Fund United States Dollar Women in Development Women in Development

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GHANA: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

PROJECT MATRIX

GHANA WOMEN’S COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

RETROSPECTIVE MATRIX OF PROJECT LOGICAL FRAMEWORK2

Hierarchy of Objectives Verifiable Indicators Means of Verification Assumptions and Risks

At Appraisal Ex-post

I. SECTOR GOAL To create women’s participatory self sustaining development at the rural and local levels.

II. PROJECT OBJECTIVES 1. To increase rural women’s productive capacity and income generation.

2. To increase women’s access to social services and amenities.

1.1 Incremental quantity of cash revenue earned by women as a result of their increased participation in income generating activities from 2000 on wards. 1.2 Increased amount of savings by rural women’s groups and Women’s Poverty considerable alleviated. 13 200 rural women trained in new production methods and techniques and income generation skills.

Women’s access to:

1.1 Community centers increased by 26 new centers. 1.2 Income generating sheds increase by 16 new sheds. 1.3 Boreholes increased by 42 new boreholes. Day care centers increased by 16 new centers.

1.1.1 Increased participation in income generating activities from 2000 on wards. 13 200 women went through the training in improved production methods and techniques and could display these. 8 Community Centres were completed and in use. 10 Income generating sheds were completed and in use. The rest were in varying degrees of construction completion with varying construction quality. All 42 programmed boreholes completed, water quality tested and each community supplied with a repair kit. Some Day Care Centres built and operational.

Demographic and economic indicators measured through house-hold surveys to be conducted by Statistical Office and other statistical publications. Project supervision reports Project monitoring and evaluation reports. Project quarterly reports. Project site visits. Project Supervision Reports.

Government Policies and priorities remain unchanged. Project framework policies and practices agreed upon at start of the project are adhered to. Project implemented as planned.

2 This project matrix was first developed as part of the supervision mission of 1996 and improved upon as part of the preparation of the project completion report. Although based on the project appraisal report, it was not part of the project appraisal report.

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III. PROJECT OUTPUTS. 1. Trained women in new production methods and techniques and income generation

Training courses developed and conducted for 13,200 women on skills, basic principles of literacy, health, nutrition, family planning, environmental and other related women’s population and development issues in the target areas.

. All 13,200 women underwent the training courses on skills, basic principles of literacy, health, nutrition, family planning, environmental and other related women’s population and development issues in the target areas.

PMU records/reports. Training reports

Availability of technical expertise in the training areas. Women’s momentum in attending workshops is maintained and sustained.

2. Increased access to social amenities such as community centers, income generation sheds, boreholes/water wells and day-care facilities

.1 26 Community centers are

completed and in use 1.2 16 Income generating sheds are completed and in use. 1.3 42 Boreholes and water wells are completed and in use. 16. Day care centers available and used.

8 Community Centres were completed and in use. 10 income generating sheds were completed and in use. The rest were in varying degrees of construction completion with varying construction quality. All 42 programmed boreholes completed, water quality tested and each community supplied with a repair kit. Some Day Care Centres built and operational.

Project Monitoring and Evaluation reports. Project impact and beneficiary reports Supervision Missions’ Reports

Project is implemented according to schedule.

3. Increased access to credit and related management advisory services for finance and support to income generating activities executed by productive women’s groups.

A credit fund of UA.0461 million established and earning interest. More than 13,200 women would have benefited from the credit fund by 1997.

A credit fund of UA.0461 million was established, but very little interest earned as it revolved only twice. All 13,200 women benefited twice from the credit fund.

Same as above.

Ghana Commercial Bank accepts and co-operate with project. Women beneficiaries pay back loans

4. Strengthened 31st December Women’s Movement’s overall capacity for project management

4.1 December Women’s Movement able to effectively develop, execute and sustain replicable approaches to income generation and rural financial services for women and identify options for further institutional development.

31st December Women’s overall capacity for projects development was strengthened. However, financial management could not meet the expected level of proficiency.

Same as above. Project reports from other donor agencies like UNDP, UNFPA, etc.

31st December Women’s Movement exists and remains committed to project and its objectives even after the project. Its capacity is developed to cope with project demands.

IV. PROJECT ACTIVITIES 1. Design and conduct women training programmes 2. Construct 26 Community Centres, 16 Income generating sheds, 42 Boreholes and water wells and 16 Day-care centers. 3. Establish a micro credit fund. 4. Conduct training for the 31st December Women’s Movement.

RESOURCE/PROJECT BUDGET (UA Millions) Total project cost: UA 2.488 LOAN: UA 1.825 GRANT: UA 0.438 GOV: UA 0.225

RESOURCE/PROJECT (UA Millions) Total project cost: UA 2.060 LOAN UA 1.388 GRANT: UA 0.447 GOV: UA 0.225

Project monitoring and evaluation reports.

NCWD remains intact even after project completion. Officers of the NCWD remain committed and serve the project.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. Project Origins and History 1.1 In the context of the Ghanaian Government’s efforts to encourage effective measures to improve women’s social circumstances and economic position, the Government carried out a general assessment of the female population in the country. The assessment resulted in the identification and analysis of potential areas of concern, including access to basic education, financial support in the form of credit, health care, family planning services, vocational skills, supply of clean water, etc. The project sought to extend basic social and economic opportunities to women in village communities in all 10 regions of the country. The government of the Republic of Ghana submitted a formal request for funding of the project to the Bank in December 1990. A Bank’s mission visited Ghana in March 1991 to appraise the project, which was to be implemented by an NGO. 1.2 Previous to the Women’s Community Development Project (WCDP), the Bank had limited experience in working with civil society, in the area of micro-credit, in WID projects or in using a participatory approach. The approach that was proposed by the project was attractive in that it increased the role of the private sector organizations, the empowerment of local women to plan and act on their own behalf, the support to income generation and small businesses as well as their easier access to credit. In the effort to tackle these emerging issues, the WCDP was very much an innovative project for its time. It is against this background that the Women’s Community Development Project was submitted by the Government of Ghana for ADF consideration and was approved in May 1991. 2. Project Objectives 2.1 The overall objective of the project was to contribute to government’s efforts of creating participatory self-sustaining development at the rural and local levels, with major concerns given to the fuller participation of women both as participants in and beneficiaries from development initiatives. 2.2 To achieve this overall objective, the project had the following specific objectives: (i) to assist rural women, nationwide, to increase production; income and access to services, ensuring better family life by providing appropriate processing equipment, and training in improved production methods and techniques; (ii) to provide a credit facility and related management advisory services to finance and support income generating activities executed by productive women’s groups; (iii) providing social amenities such as day-care facilities and water wells: (iv) train women in the basic principles of literacy, health; nutrition, family planning; environmental and other related women population and development issues; (v) to strengthen 31st December Women’s Movement’s (DWM) overall capacity to develop, execute and sustain replicable approaches to income generation and rural financial services for women; and (vi) to assist in the re-organization of the National Council on Women and Development (NCWD) to co-ordinate, supervise and monitor effectively project activities as they relate to the full integration of women in national development.

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3. Project Description The project had seven components: (i) preparation studies; (ii) support to the National Council on Women and Development (NCWD); (iii) social amenities; (iv) production units to improve social circumstances; (v) revolving credit facility; (vi) information, education and communication (IEC); and (vii) the Project Management Unit (PMU). The project had the following seven categories of expenditure: (i) consulting services; (ii) technical assistance; (iii) training; (iv) a revolving fund; (v) civil works; (vi) equipment and furniture; and (vii) operating costs. 4. Assessment of Project’s Outcome 4.1 The overall performance of the project in achieving its objectives is satisfactory. The information, education and communication component was well implemented, support to the NCWD was completed and all programmed 42 boreholes were completed. 17 community centres out of 26 were completed. 13 income-generating sheds were completed out of a target of 15. However, full payment of the firms who carried out the civil works and the consultant who supervised their construction has not been made due to disputes about contract payments. 4.2 The revolving credit intended to provide access to financial services for the women’s groups on a sustainable basis made small disbursements of small loans twice (once in 1996 and again in 1999). The revolving credit facility was not fully utilized or recycled to the beneficiaries due to the lack of institutional capacity of the implementing agency (DWM). 4.3 The loan proceeds were not fully utilized; 24% of the loan amount, or UA 435,532 out of a total of UA 1,823,683 were not disbursed by the Bank. However, the grant was over-expended by UA 4,523 which will be deducted from the un-disbursed loan. The balance of UA 431,000 should be cancelled and the project closed. 4.4 The inability of the Project Management Unit (PMU) to submit payment applications prior to the project closing date has impacted negatively on the completion of the civil works structures. Project implementation was slow due to the weak capacity of the PMU. 5. Performance of the Bank 5.1 The Bank’s performance in-terms of project preparation/appraisal and the strategy to involve communities and NGOs was satisfactory. The 31st of December Women’s Movement (DWM) was chosen to be the implementing agency of this project because it was the strongest NGO in Ghana at the time the project was planned and the only NGO with the nationwide coverage necessary to implement this project. However, the complexity of the process of implementing poverty reduction programs through the DWM, which was closely linked with the authorities at the time the President of the DWM was also the first Lady of the Nation, now appears to negate the impact of the project since the change of Government in Ghana. In addition, the necessary lead-time, capacity building and institutional strengthening of the DWM and the PMU appear to have been underestimated. 5.2 Project supervision was partially satisfactory. Early Bank supervision missions were few and composed of only two experts, yet the nature of the project required more. There were only two supervision missions between 1992 and 1996. Supervision improved in the

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latter part of the project cycle, with more frequent supervision missions that identified and remedied major constraints to project implementation.

6. Borrower’s Performance 6.1 Overall, borrower performance had mixed results. The DWM was not able to resolve in time the major issues that impeded the progress of the implementation schedule: recruiting personnel, construction of civil work structures and income generating sheds, managing contractors and design consultants, and following Bank’s procedures in disbursement requests. 6.2 The Coordinating Committee (CC) consisted of representatives of line Government Ministries and was chaired by the National Council of Women in Development (NCWD). The CC was established to oversee the project activities and provide input on development policies and operational guidelines. The NCWD and the CC were ineffective in overseeing the project and providing guidance due to their lack of leverage over the DWM. 7. Key lessons learnt The implementation of a nationwide project with seven components, such as the WCDP, is an extremely complex and demanding task. The managerial, administrative, research and technical skills and competencies required were formidable. Based on our evaluation of this project, we have drawn the following lessons on project design and project supervision: 7.1 Project Design The Bank correctly identified the need for community based development activities that would expand employment opportunities, improve incomes and offer opportunities for acquiring new skills among poor rural women as well as reduce malnutrition among women and children in the country.

(i) The breadth of project focus should be narrow enough to permit effective project implementation while at the same time large enough to achieve the objectives set and promote synergy between the different components. The design of a project should ensure that project components are simple and easy to implement.

(ii) Project design should take into account the implementation capacities of the agency concerned. The PMU should compose of staff with appropriate skills mix for effective implementation based on a thorough analysis of the competencies required.

(iii) The implementing agency through which assistance is channelled needs to have a sound governance structure, a high degree of autonomy from political interference and affiliations and an adequate administrative and financial systems in place to achieve accountability and transparency.

(iv) An effective Coordination Committee plays a crucial role in project implementation. A thorough analysis of the capacities of the members of this structure to effectively carryout their role should be made during project appraisal.

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(v) The revolving credit line did not specify the need to reflect market determined interest rates, the loan size nor address issues regarding sustainability of the fund. Sustainability should be built into all project components in the appraisal report, particularly for sizeable assets such as micro-credit funds. (vi) NGOs should not be given full responsibility for project implementation but rather should be a part of an overall implementation strategy to ensure sustainability of activities post project period. (vii) Innovative projects should be piloted first to facilitate implementation and expanded on later, once the ground has been cleared for smooth project implementation. 7.2 Project Supervision

(i) More in-depth procurement and disbursement training at the Bank’s headquarters and in the field should be envisaged as well as the need for improved communication between the Bank and the PMU, particularly at the early stages of project implementation. The present practice of project launching is a positive move in this direction.

(ii) In the early stages of project implementation, project supervision missions should be frequent and include a minimum of one field visit per year by the task manager to the project site(s) and one visit to Bank headquarters by the PMU and the implementing agency.

(iii) When projects are experiencing difficulty in implementation, a review exercise should be carried out and a revised implementation program in line with the current environment should be set, even if the appraisal report does not call for these measures.

(iv) An appropriate skills mix in supervision teams is necessary, particularly in projects that have a wide variety of components. 8. Recommendations 8.1 The ownership of the micro-credit fund resources and liabilities should be transferred from the DWM to the Social Investment Fund, or any other entity that has the proven capacity to provide adequate financial services, good financial and management information systems and internal controls to monitor the portfolio and the capacity to respond to the needs and interests of poor women in rural areas. 8.2 The overdraw of UA 4,523.53 of the grant should be subtracted from the remaining UA 435,532.01 un-disbursed from the loan. The remaining un-disbursed amount of UA 431,008.48 from the loan should be cancelled and the project closed. 8.3 The UA 254,527.91 in the project special account should be used for the activities for which it was disbursed namely the payment of amounts owed to contractors for civil works and consultancy fees. 8.4 We recommend that the facilities built by the project be formally handed over to the communities. The Bank should write a letter to the Government of Ghana to this effect and advising it to settle the outstanding contractual amounts and the project be closed.

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8.5 Given that the DWM has very limited implementation capacity, we recommend that ownership of the boreholes, community centres, income generating sheds, and the equipment and furniture supplied for these structures, be given to the communities where they are located and that all appropriate legal documents be provided to these communities.

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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Geographic Setting Ghana lies on the Gulf of Guinea on the West Coast of Africa. It is bordered by Cote d’Ivoire to the west, Togo to east and Burkina Faso to the northeast. Estimates from the 2000 population census data suggest that Ghana’s population is approximately 19.7 million and the total land area is 239 460 sq. km. Most parts of Ghana are ethnically mixed and there is a significant degree of cultural diversity across the country.

1.2 Recent Economic and Political Developments 1.2.1 After more than a decade of implementing economic reforms, macroeconomic performance improved in Ghana by the early 1990s. Macroeconomic imbalances were reduced, inflation was down, controls on foreign exchange had been removed, and the trade regime had been largely liberalized. Ghana remains one of the more liberal economies and one of the few to have successfully undergone both economic and a political transformation while maintaining stability in a sub-region of political upheaval. Nonetheless, the Government of Ghana continues to be faced with severe economic challenges. Growth has not been high enough to significantly reduce poverty, although census data shows a definite decline in poverty between 1990 and 1999. Therefore growth has contributed to poverty reduction, but the reduction has not been significant. 1.2.2 In 1999, the economy of Ghana came under a considerable stress due to a sharp deterioration in the terms of trade. The international prices of major exports (gold and cocoa) declined sharply while the price of imports (such as crude oil) rose. As a result, the rate of increase in real GDP slowed down to 3.7 percent in 2000, from 4.4 percent in 1999. The rate of inflation, which had declined to average 13.8 percent in 1999, shot up to 40.5 percent in 2000. Stabilization measures introduced at the beginning of 2001 contributed to a decline in the rate of inflation from 40.9 percent in January 2001 to 21.3 percent in December 2001 and an estimated increase in real GDP by 4.2 percent in the same year. The overall fiscal deficit, which had increased to 8.5 percent of GDP in the run up to the December 2000 elections, declined to 4.4 percent of GDP in 2001, while the primary balance improved to 4.7 percent of GDP in the same year. 1.3 Government’s Development Strategy 1.3.1 At the time of Appraisal in 1991, the Government of Ghana had completed the Economic Recovery Program (ERP 1984 -1988), with the support from bilateral and multilateral donors, introduced the as a response to a near economic and financial crisis. It is within this context and the desire to generate employment in the rural informal sector that the Women’s Community Development Project (WCDP) was designed. 1.3.2 In the mid 1990s, the Government produced the Ghana’s Development Vision 2020, a document that calls for a comprehensive transformation of the economy and society in order to effect significant improvement in the quality of life of Ghanaian

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women in the year 2020. The Government recognized that access to financial service by poor women and creating employment has the greatest potential for uplifting household incomes, promoting investment, and thereby improving the living standards of the majority of the poor women in the rural areas. The project was therefore aimed at addressing these problems, thereby improving the standards of the majority of the poor women in rural areas. 1.3.3 In 2002, the Government of Ghana approved the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS). The overriding goal of the GPRS is to ensure sustainable equitable growth, accelerated poverty reduction and the protection of the vulnerable and excluded within a decentralized, democratic government. The Government of Ghana has also established a new Ministry of Women and Children’s Affair (MOWAC) with a minister in response to the weaknesses of the National Council on Women and Development (NCWD) in advancing issues related to women. 1.4 Bank Group Portfolio 1.4.1 As of 2002, the Bank's lending activities in Ghana are concentrated mainly in agriculture, followed by industry and transport, public utilities, multi-sector projects, and social sector projects. Since 1973, and as of 31 December 2001 the Bank had committed funds up to UA 619,030.40 million net of cancellations for 63 operations. There are currently 23 on-going operations, while 40 have been completed. 1.4.2 The last Bank Group Portfolio Review was undertaken in March 2002, and covered 21 on-going projects in agriculture, social sector, transport, public utilities and multi-sectoral projects. The Review noted the following general problems in project implementation: (i) delays in fulfilling loan effectiveness conditions; (ii) untimely provision of counterpart funds; (iii) non-compliance with the Bank rules and procedures on disbursement and procurement of goods and services; (iv) failure to conduct audits and prepare quarterly status reports; and v) weak administrative capacity, in particular in project accounting and monitoring of project implementation. Contributing external factors include the negative impact of sanctions on the project implementation, the need to strengthen the co-ordination between the ADB Desk in the Ministry of Finance and the PIUs and the length of time taken by the Bank to respond to disbursement requests from Government and to process and review documents sent by the Government. 1.4.3 This project completion report (PCR) is prepared based on an ADB mission to Ghana between 9 –19 December, 2001. The findings are based on a field visit to some of the project sites, consultation of project files and interviews with Government officials, the NCWD, beneficiaries, former task managers, the project implementation agency-the 31st December Women’s Movement.

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2. THE PROJECT

2.1 Project’s Origin and History In the context of the Ghanaian Government’s efforts to put into place effective

measures to improve women’s social circumstances and economic position, the Government carried out a general assessment of the female population in the country. The assessment resulted in the identification and analysis of potential areas of concern, including access to basic education, financial support in the form of credit, health care, family planning services, vocational skills, supply of clean water, etc.

2.2 Project Objectives

2.2.1 The overall objective of the project was to contribute to government’s efforts to create participatory self sustaining development at the rural and local levels, with major concerns given to the fuller participation of women both as participants in and beneficiaries from development initiatives. 2.2.2 To achieve this overall objective, the project had the following specific objectives: (i) to assist rural women, nationwide, to increase production; income and access to services by providing appropriate processing equipment, and training in improved production methods and techniques; (ii) to provide a credit facility and related management advisory services to finance and support income generating activities executed by productive women’s groups; (iii) to provide social amenities such as day-care facilities and water wells: (iv) to train women in the basic principles of literacy, health, nutrition, family planning, environmental and other related women population and development issues; (v) to strengthen 31st December Women’s Movement’s (DWM) overall capacity to develop, execute and sustain replicable approaches to income generation and rural financial services for women; and, (vi) to assist in the re-organization of the National Council on Women and Development (NCWD) to co-ordinate, supervise and monitor effectively project activities as they relate to the full integration of women in national development. 2.3 Project Description The project had seven components: (i) preparation studies to determine training and related support needed for respective income-earning activities; (ii) support to the National Council on Women and Development (NCWD) to equip them for proper programme coordination; (iii) social amenities to reduce women’s workload and improve their productivity; (iv) production units to improve social circumstances; (v) revolving credit facility to assist women at the village level; (vi) information, education and communication (IEC) to provide social mobilisation training and organisational and capacity building assistance; and (vii) the Project Management Unit. The project had the following seven categories of expenditure: (i) consulting services; (ii) technical assistance; (iii) training; (iv) a revolving fund; (v) civil works; (vi) equipment and furniture (vii) and operating costs.

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3. PROJECT FORMULATION AND DESIGN 3.1 Project Formulation 3.1.1 Between February and March 1991, the Government of Ghana and the African Development Bank Group appraised the Women’s Community Development Project (2100150000352). The project was consistent with the objectives of the Ghanaian Government’s on-going efforts to promote awareness of women’s issues and encourage effective measures to improve their social status and economic opportunities. After analyzing the objectives and components in terms of their impact on women at the village level and their compatibility with ADF policy, it was agreed that ADF would finance the project. 3.1.2 No major issues arose during negotiations, and the Bank and the Government accepted the objectives, design and implementation arrangements of the project as appraised. Negotiations for the project focused on conditions for first disbursement of the project. The project became effective on 23 December 1992 with a loan of UA 1, 825,322 and grant of UA 442,502. The project completion date was extended for the fourth and final time to 30 June 2001. 3.2 Project Design 3.2.1 Previous to the Women’s Community Development Project (WCDP), the Bank had limited experience in working with civil society, in the area of micro-credit or in WID projects. The project was designed to be implemented through a participatory approach to mobilize groups of poor women, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and leading partner organizations. The premise was that a participatory approach with financial intermediation was the most effective strategy in a setting in which the poor had limited economic activities. The 31st of December Women’s Movement (DWM) was chosen to be the implementing agency of this project because it was the strongest NGO in Ghana at the time that the project was planned and the only NGO with the nationwide coverage necessary to implement this project. 3.2.2 In the effort to tackle these emerging issues, the WCDP was very much an innovative project for its time. The strategy of the Bank Group to use new and innovative approaches to poverty reduction was commendable. The Bank correctly identified the need for community-based development activities that would expand employment opportunities, improve incomes and offer opportunities for acquiring new skills among poor rural women as well as reduce malnutrition among women and children in the country.

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4. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION 4.1 Effectiveness and Start-up 4.1.1 The project was approved by the Bank in June 1991 and the agreement was signed on September 1992 and became effective in December 1992. It took a period of six months for all of the loan conditions to be fulfilled, delaying the project slightly. Lack of knowledge of bank procedures on the part of the implementing agency also contributed to the slow start up of the project implementation. The loan conditions stipulated in the loan agreement were the establishment of the Project Implementation Unit and opening of an account with a local bank where proceeds from the loan and counterpart funds were to be deposited. 4.1.2 The other conditions were the submission of a detailed work-plan for implementation of the project, specific procedures for the management of the credit fund, and a detailed plan of the training that was envisaged by the project. In addition, the government had to prove that a deposit of its contribution had been made to the project account for the various components it was responsible for. The first two (2) conditions were met in February and June 1993 and the last two (2) in March 1994 and June 1995.

4.2 Modifications

Overall, the project activities followed closely those proposed at appraisal. However, under the Revolving Credit Fund, a memorandum of understanding for collaboration in the implementation of the revolving credit was instituted with Bank approval in 1996 between the project and Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB). The GCB assumed responsibility for the disbursement of funds to solidarity groups. This project modification was made due to the lack of expertise in establishing and managing a revolving credit component within the PIU. Under the training program, modifications were made in order to respond to the demand for trained traditional birth attendants. 4.3 Implementation The project was to be implemented over a three year period from January 1992 to January 1995, however, the project implementation took eleven years. There were delays of up to eight years in the schedule determined at appraisal. A comparison between the appraisal schedule and actual implementation are shown in table 3.1 below:

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Table 3.1 - Projected and Actual Implementation Schedule

Activities Appraisal Targets Implementation Slippage

Starting date End dates Starting date

End Date

In Years

1. Loan approval 06/91 - 06/91 - 0 2. Establish PMU 01/92 03/92 - 02/93 1 year 3. Recruitment of technical assistance & consultancy service

01/92 03/92

02/93

09/98

6 years

4. Procurement of vehicles & equipment 01/92 12/92 12/93 12/94 2 years 5. Submission of Initial work plan 06/92 12/92 06/93 09/96 4 years 6. Conduct preparation studies 06/92 05/93 07/94 06/96 3 years 7. Institutional strengthening & staff 01/92 12/94 02/94 08/98 4 years 8. Civil works 01/92 12/93 01/97 02/01 8 years 9. Implementation of WID Project 01/92 01/95 01/92 06/01 6.5 years

• While the capacity of the implementing agency to supervise and monitor all these

components was found to be adequate at project appraisal, it turned out to be insufficient during implementation. In addition, the Government of Ghana was in sanctions for 181 day in 2000 and for 14 days in 2001, contributing to the delays in disbursements and consequently implementation of project activities.

B. Capacity of the PIU

• The finalization of the preparatory studies was delayed thereby affecting the

timely construction of the income generating sheds, the community centres and boreholes. The recruitment of the credit specialist experienced a delay of almost 2 years, and adversely affected the credit scheme;

• There were extensive delays in procurement of goods and services through out the

project that was caused by the lack of knowledge of the Bank’s Rules of Procedure and lack of capacity to respect these by the implementing agency.

C. Government

• The falling into arrears of the Borrower for 181days in 2000 and for 14 days in

2001 halted project activities. Even though the number of days may appear insignificant, the negative effect this caused in the flow of disbursements in terms of interruptions was huge.

4.4 Reporting

4.4.1 The PMU submitted regular progress reports to ADF. Copies of Audit reports prepared by Deloitte and Touche for 1996 through to 1999 were sent to ADB. There is correspondence concerning a completed audit for 1994, even though the actual audit report could not be located. Audit reports for 2000 and 2001 were presented to ADB in October 2002. The PMU also submitted a draft project completion report, however, this report had little information and did not follow the Bank’s guidelines.

7

4.4.2 It may be noted here that there was no requirement at the time of this project to conduct a mid-term review. Such a review would have provided an opportunity to fully scrutinize the progress and problems of the project, thereby allowing for a restructuring of the implementation schedule accordingly before the last days of the project.

4.5 Procurement of Goods and Services 4.5.1 The Bank’s performance in the procurement of goods and services was satisfactory. These were undertaken as outlined in the appraisal report and according to the Bank’s rules of procedure. The consultancy services were procured through local and regional competition on the basis of a short list. All of the equipment and furniture were procured through local shopping. The mode of procurement for civil works is not specified in the appraisal report, however with Bank approval it was done through local competitive bidding. The technical and consultancy services were financed by the TAF grant, while the ADF loan financed the revolving credit, equipment & furniture, civil works and operating costs. The list of equipment and furniture for the PMU was revised in 1996 with no budgetary changes. 4.5.2 In general, the borrower had difficulties in applying the Bank’s rules and procedures, causing extensive delays in project start up, implementation and completion. Even though the Bank arranged for a short-term training of the project staff on Bank rules and procedures concerning acquisition of goods and services, disbursement and other relevant issues for ADF funded projects, this did not significantly reduce the problems that caused the delays in project implementation. The PMU staff visited Abidjan on numerous occasions during budget time to resolve some of the procurement and disbursement issues, but could not solve the problems.

4.6 Sources of Project Financing and Costs

4.6.1 At appraisal, the total project cost was estimated at UA2,488,000 with the loan and grant financing 91% of the total cost and the Government of Ghana contributing to 9% of the project cost (10% of the loan and 5% of the grant). The loan amounted to UA 1, 825,000, the grant amounted to UA 438,000 and the government contribution to UA 225, 000. 4.6.2 The following table shows the revised list of goods and services for the project that was approved by the Bank on 09 July 1998.

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Table 3.2 - Source of Finance by Category of Expenditure (in UA)

ADF

TAF

GOG

TOTAL

Category of Expenditure

Original List

Revised list

Original list

Revised List

Original list

Revised List

Original List

Revised list

A

Consultant Services

- - 166, 711

176, 969

- 166, 711

172, 969

B

Technical Assistance

- - 128, 946

163, 122

- 128, 946

163, 122

C

Training

- - 161, 790

121, 356

4, 000

4, 000

165, 790

125, 356

D

Revolving Credit Fund

460, 526

460, 526

- - - 460, 526

460, 526

E

Civil Works

230, 578

313, 044

- - 221, 659

221, 659

452, 237

534, 703

F

Equipment /Furniture

992, 894

825, 198

- - - 992, 894

825, 198

G

Operating Costs

119,736

204, 966

- - - 119, 736

204, 966

TOTAL

1, 803, 734

1, 803, 734

457, 447

457, 447

225, 659

225, 659

2, 486, 840

2, 486, 840

Source: ADB fax, July 9, 1998. 4.6.3 The variations in project costs between the appraisal estimates and the actual amount by source of financing are indicated in the table below.

Table 3.3 - Appraisal cost estimates and actual expenditures (UA)

Source: Actual Expenditure from Bank Disbursement Tables. 4.7 Project Disbursement 4.7.1 Disbursement started in July 1993, four months later than originally planned. The project suffered long payment delays caused by the lack of knowledge of Bank disbursement procedures by the project staff. As of 22 March, 2001, the total amount disbursed from the original Loan amount of UA1.8 million stood at UA1,388 million. This represents a disbursement rate of 76%. 4.7.2 The un-disbursed amount stands at UA 435,523 (24%). However there was an overdraw of UA 4,523.53 from the grant amount. This overdraw should be subtracted from the remaining UA 435,532.01 un-disbursed from the loan. The remaining un-disbursed amount of UA 431,008.48 from the loan should be cancelled and the project closed.

Source Appraisal Estimate Actual A ADF 1,825,000 1,388,000 B TAF 438,000 447,000 C GoG 225,000 225,000 Total

2,488,000

2, 060,000

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4.7.3 The UA 254,527.91 in the project special account should be used for the activities for which it was disbursed namely the payment of amounts owed to contractors for civil works and consultancy fees. 4.7.4 In all, 24% of the loan amount was not disbursed by ADB due to the inability of the PMU to submit payment applications prior to the project closing. The full payment of the firms who carried out the civil works for the community centres and income generating sheds and the consultant who supervised their construction has not been made. 5. PROJECT PERFORMANCE AND OUTCOME

5.1 Operational Performance 5.1.1 The IEC component and the support to the NCWD were successful. However, difficulties in recruiting contractors and monitoring civil works and supervision of consultants caused delays in the other components, there-by reducing the overall impact that the project would have had to the beneficiaries. 5.1.2 Social Amenities and Income Generating Sheds: The social amenities and income generating activities have not had the expected level of impact on the beneficiaries. Some of the facilities were not handed over to Government because of disputes about contract payments. Therefore the women’s groups were barred from accessing these facilities. A total of 13 out of 15 programmed income-generating sheds have been completed, one was incomplete and one was yet to be started (Techiman). 5.1.3 Information Education and Communication (IEC): The IEC component has been the most successful and has contributed to a greater awareness of women’s concerns, constraints and capabilities. In collaboration with the Non-Formal Education (NFE) Unit of the Ministry of Education, the WCDP carried out a comprehensive training program for beneficiaries in literacy and numeracy skills. IEC activities also covered family health, family planning, nutrition and HIV/AIDS. The effectiveness of these activities is due to the strategy of combining modern multi-media (radio, print media and theatre) with traditional means of reaching the population (word of mouth). Savings made through collaboration with different development partners in the implementation of this component were used to train Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA) on safe motherhood. This activity was carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. 5.1.4 Preparation Studies: The preparation of the architectural design and tender documents for the Community Centres, Income Generating Sheds and Boreholes was awarded to the consulting firm of Ben George & Associates in July 1994. The firm failed to submit a final preparatory report and its contract was terminated on April 1996. The PMU and the executing agency (DWM) contributed to these delays by failing to adequately supervise the work of the architectural/engineering firm, Ben George & Associates. The modified architectural designs and other relevant documents were

10

completed by a task force in four months and were approved by the Bank in December 1996. 5.1.5 Support to the National Council of Women and Development: The mission established that the programmed training, advisory/technical assistance, equipment and the supply of furniture were provided by the project to the NCWD. The post of technical assistant to the NCWD was filled in 1995, after two years of searching for a suitable candidate.

5.1.6 Social Amenities: For this component, 42 boreholes and 26 community centres were to be sunk and constructed respectively. A total of 42 boreholes were successfully drilled as per contract and the water quality certified as being acceptable. Seventeen (17) community centres have been completed while another nine (9) were at various stages of completion. 5.1.7 Revolving Credit: The revolving credit made disbursements of small loans twice, in 1996 and in 1999, rather than on a continuous basis. Beneficiaries found that the size of the loan was too small (USD 10). It appears that the revolving credit fund had a very limited impact on the beneficiaries. However, the women’s groups did appreciate the organization and management skills that they obtained through the credit training, but they lost interest in the credit program as a whole because of non-availability of funds for new loans. Some of the women’s groups have been waiting to get a new loan for three years without success. The women’s groups were to graduate from the credit program, after they had built up their savings, to become linked to the commercial banks to access bigger loans. This did not materialize because of lack of continuity of the credit program. 5.2 Institutional Performance 5.2.1 Project implementation was the responsibility of a Project Management Unit (PMU) housed in the 31st December Women’s Movement (implementing agency). The PMU unit was responsible to carry out day-to-day management and administration of the project finances, monitoring and evaluation of project activities. The strengthening of the Project Management Unit under the technical assistance was addressed through workshops and basic refresher courses and staff orientation in project planning, management and evaluation. Training provided appears to have been insufficient given the performance of the PMU. 5.2.2 Technical Assistance: The project had difficulties in recruiting qualified staff at the early stages of implementation. For example, the recruitment of the credit specialist under the planned technical assistance program was delayed for two years, which had an adverse impact on the commencement of the revolving credit component. Recruitment difficulties were due to the lack of availability of project resources caused by disbursement delays and the inability of the DWM to expedite the hiring process. 5.2.3 The NCWD was to coordinate the project within the context of the Government’s overall policy and WID initiatives. The Coordinating Committee (CC), composed of

11

representatives of line Ministries and chaired by the NCWD, was to meet monthly to receive reports and provide guidelines. The CC was to be an important tool for integrating and bringing together a variety of inputs so that the total impact of the project would be greater. Both the NCWD and the CC had difficulties in fulfilling their roles because they had no leverage on the DWM due to the organization’s political connections. 5.2.4 The lack of capacity of the implementing agency (DWM) and the PMU, as well as the lack of leverage on the part of the NCWD and the CC adversely affected the project implementation schedule as stipulated in the Staff Appraisal Report. According to project records, by May of 1999, after nearly eight years of project implementation, only 49% of the initial loan amount has been disbursed. 5.3 Performance of Consultants and Contractors 5.3.1 Consultants: The performance of consultants was varied. The project contracted a project manager, accountant/procurement officer and an advisor for the NCWD. The performance of the project manager and the accountant/procurement were unsatisfactory while that of the technical advisor for NCWD was satisfactory. 5.3.2 Contractors: Some contractors for the civil work performed well with punctual and quality work, others did not follow the specifications and standards agreed upon and their performance was not entirely satisfactory. The number of small contractors distributed throughout the country and the resources required to supervise construction were too complex for an NGO to ensure. 5.3.3 There was an 18 months delay in the preparation of the architectural design and tender documents awarded to the consulting firm Ben George and Associates that led to the delayed start-up and completion of the civil works. 5.4 Financial Performance

The financial and project records used by DWM were very simple and fragmented. This has limited the review team of calculating financial ratios such as the self-sufficiency of the project, loan-loss and portfolio-at-risk ratios for the revolving credit fund at PCR preparation. 6. SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

6.1 Socio-economic Impact

The appraisal report of the WCDP did not have quantitative performance indicators; there are numerous gaps in project reports and beneficiary surveys were not carried out. Despite the lack of information for measuring impact, the Ghana Poverty reduction Strategy Document (February 2002) asserts that poverty decreased in Ghana

12

from 51.7% to 30.5% in 1991/92 to 26% in 1998/99 while extreme poverty declined from 36.5% over the same period. The IEC component was the strongest element in the project and contributed to increasing the awareness of women groups on numerous issues (e.g. family health, HIV/AIDS), improved their literacy and numeracy skills, and improved the quality of health care provided by the traditional birth attendants. The organization and management skills training provided through the micro-credit component improved the lives of the beneficiaries, but the micro-credit loans, the income generating sheds and the community centres had a negligible impact. The mission team was unable to gather information concerning the impact that the provision of training had on the NCWD. 6.2 Environmental Impact

The activities carried out in the framework of this project did not have a negative impact on the environment. Rather, women’s increased awareness on environmental issues such as the conservation of trees had a beneficial impact on the environment. 7. PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY

At project design, it was thought that sustainability would be ensured through the participation of women’s groups that would increase commitment and ownership of activities. Even though women participated in the training courses on new production methods, there were no mechanism that was established for follow-up training courses to keep updating information and therefore sustainability. While access to social amenities like community centres, income generation sheds, bore-holes/water wells and day care facilities was increased, the development of management and maintenance plans for theses facilities was not programmed, negatively affecting their sustainability. The issue of where the credit funds would be lodged once the project had been completed was addressed during project supervision and an agreement was reached with Ghana Commercial Bank to open project accounts in its regional branches. However, the revolving credit facility was only recycled twice to the beneficiaries due to insufficient institutional capacity of the implementing agency. The training on project management offered to the 31st December Women’s Movement was not sufficient given its performance, particularly with following Bank’s disbursement procedures. 8. PERFORMANCE OF THE BANK AND THE BORROWER

8.1 Bank Performance 8.1.1 The Bank’s performance interms of project preparation/appraisal and the strategy to involve communities and NGOs was satisfactory. The Bank correctly identified the need for community based development activities that would expand employment opportunities and improve incomes of poor rural women, reduce malnutrition among women and children in the country, reduce women’s workload, and give women access

13

to opportunities to acquire new skills and knowledge. The strategy of the Bank Group to use new and innovative approaches to poverty reduction was appropriate. In addition, the project was consistent with the objectives of the government’s strategy of promoting income-generating activities, based on a participatory process to assist the poor women in the rural community. However, the complexity of implementing poverty reduction programs through an NGO (DWM) closely linked with the authorities at the time, was under estimated. In particular, there was inadequate appreciation of the extent of lead-time, capacity building and institutional strengthening of the DWM and project management Unit. 8.1.2 Project supervision was satisfactory in the later stage of the project. Early Bank supervisions were inadequate and composed of one or two specialist yet the nature of the project needed more. This affected project performance. However, in the latter part of the project cycle, supervision missions were carried out on a regular basis and succeeded in identifying and remedying the major constraints to project implementation.

8.2 Borrower Performance

8.2.1 Overall, the implementing agency’s/borrower’s performance was mixed. The project was extended four times for a total period of seven (7) years and still some of the activities were not completed. The 31st WDM was given the mandate of coordinating, monitoring and evaluating the WCD project and its components. However, the administration and management requirements of the WCDP were under estimated during appraisal, resulting in lack of adequate staffing and skill mix at the PMU. The resulting lack of appropriate administrative and financial systems contributed to the ineffective and inefficient use of project resources. The DWM and the PMU were not able to resolve major issues that impeded implementation such as personnel recruitment, construction of civil works, management of contractors and consultants and following Bank procedures in procurement and disbursement. The DWM financial and management information system are inadequate for project management, particularly management of a micro-credit portfolio. 8.2.2 The NCWD was to coordinate the project within the context of the Government’s overall policy and WID initiatives. The CC was composed of representatives from line Ministries and chaired by the NCWD. The role of the CC was to oversee the project activities, development policies and operational guidelines. The NCWD had difficulties in playing its role as it had no leverage over the DWM. The CC was also largely ineffective and met seldom according to project records and interviews on the field. 9. CONCLUSIONS, LESSONS LEARNT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

9.1 Conclusions 9.1.1 In conclusion, the project had both strengths and weaknesses in its conception. This project was very much a pioneer for the Bank in that it was the first WID project as

14

well as one of the earliest initiatives to include civil society in project implementation and to integrate a participatory approach to development. Furthermore, the WCDP was one of the Bank’s first attempts to alleviate poverty through delivery of financial services, social amenities and business training to the poorest segment of society (rural women). 9.1.2 The complex nature and nationwide scale of the project made project management difficult. Added to this, was the lack of experience in project management of the DWM and the staff of the PMU, coupled with the strong links of the DWM with the political party in power. Sustainability was sufficiently integrated into the project design through the participation of women’s groups that increased commitment and ownership of activities. However, measures were not taken to ensure community ownership of the land on which civil works were carried out and the development of management and maintenance plans for the community centres, income generating sheds and bore-wholes were not programmed. The issue of where the credit funds would be lodged once the project had been completed was not addressed nor was there a long-term vision of reaching sustainability through loan disbursement. Finally, the strong party affiliation of the DWM and its poor performance in project implementation makes the continued management of project assets questionable. 9.1.3 Supervision on the part of the Bank was insufficient for a “problem” project. A mid-term evaluation was called for even if it was not a requirement at the time, as were major adjustments in the components and the implementation arrangements. 9.1.4 The poor quality of the borrower’s PCR, the lack of timely and regular submission of quarterly progress reports and poor maintenance of records by the borrower and the Bank on project execution, made it difficult to write a comprehensive PCR. 9.2 Lessons Learnt The implementation of a nationwide project with seven components, such as the Women’s Community Development Project, is an extremely complex and demanding task. The managerial, administrative, research and technical skills and competencies required were formidable. Based on our evaluation of this project, we have drawn the following lessons on project design and project supervision: A. Project Design

(i) The breadth of project focus should be narrow enough to permit effective

project implementation while at the same time large enough to achieve the objectives set and promote synergy between the different components. The design should ensure simple components that will be easy to implement and sustainability should be built into all activities.

(ii) Project design should take into account the implementation capacities of the agency concerned. The design of the PMU should provide for an appropriate skills

15

mix for effective implementation based on a thorough analysis of the competencies required.

(iii) The implementing agency through which assistance is channelled needs to have a sound governance structure, a high degree of autonomy from political interference and affiliations and an adequate administrative and financial systems in place to achieve accountability and transparency.

(iv) An effective Coordination Committee plays a crucial role in project implementation. A thorough analysis of the capacities of the members of this structure to effectively carryout their role should be made during project appraisal.

(v) The revolving credit line did not specify the need to reflect market determined interest rates, the loan size nor address issues regarding sustainability of the fund. Sustainability should be built into all project components in the appraisal report but particularly into sizeable assets such as micro-credit funds. (vi) NGOs should not be given full responsibility for project implementation but rather should be a part of an overall implementation strategy to ensure sustainability of activities post project period. (vii) NGOs should be trained before they are given full responsibility for project implementation to ensure greater sustainability of project impact. To this end, NGOs who have previous experience in implementing projects of a similar nature should be given preference. The DWM’s previous experience in IEC activities yielded positive results. (viii) Innovative projects should begin small in terms of geographical coverage to facilitate implementation. B. Project Supervision

(i) More in-depth procurement and disbursement training at Bank’s headquarters and in the field should be envisaged as well as the need for improved communication between the Bank and the PMU, particularly at the early stages of project implementation.

(ii) In the early stages of project implementation, project supervision missions should be frequent and include a minimum of one field visit per year by the task manager and one visit to Bank headquarters by the PMU and the implementing agency.

(iii) When projects are experiencing difficulty in implementation, a review exercise should be carried out and a revised implementation program in line with the current environment should be set, even if the appraisal report does not call for these measures.

16

(iv) An appropriate skills mix in supervision teams is necessary, particularly in projects that have a wide variety of components.

9.3 Recommendations

9.3.1 We recommend that the facilities built by the project be formally handed over to the communities. The Bank should write a letter to the Government of Ghana to this effect and advising it to settle the outstanding contractual amounts and the project be closed. 9.3.2 Given that the DWM has very limited implementation capacity, we recommend that ownership of the boreholes, community centres, income generating sheds, and the equipment and furniture supplied for these structures, be given to the communities where they are located and that all appropriate legal documents be provided to these communities. 9.3.3 The ownership of micro-credit fund resources and liabilities should be transferred from the DWM to the Social Investment Fund, or any other entity that has the proven capacity to provide adequate financial services, good financial and management information systems and internal controls to monitor the portfolio and the capacity to respond to the needs and interests of poor women in rural areas. 9.3.4 The overdraw of UA 4,523.53 of the grant should be subtracted from the remaining UA 435,532.01 un-disbursed from the loan. The remaining un-disbursed amount of UA 431,008.48 from the loan should be cancelled and the project closed. 9.3.5 The UA 254,527.91 in the project special account should be used for the activities for which it was disbursed namely the payment of amounts owed to contractors for civil works and consultancy fees.

ANNEX I GHANA

WOMEN’S COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

ADMINISTRATIVE MAP

This is intended exclusively for the use of the readers of the report to which it is attached. The names used and the borders shown do not imply on the part of the Bank and its members any judgement concerning the legal status of a territory nor any approval or acceptance of these borders.

Tumu

Wa

Navrongo

UPPER WEST

Bolgatanga

Bawku

UPPER EAST

Wulugu

YendiTamaleSawla

Bole

Bimbia

Salaga

NORTHERN

Bamboi

Dumbai

Kete Krachi

Hohoe

Kpandu

Ho

VOLTA

KintampoYeji

Kwadjokrom

Techiman

Wenchi

Berekum

Sunyani

BRONG-AHAFO

Gawso

Ejura

Mampong

Kumasi Konongo

Bekwai

Obuasi

ASHANTI

Nkawkaw

Koforidua

KetaNsawam

Kade

Oda

EASTERN

TemaTeshiAccra

GREATER ACCRA

Swedru

Winneba

Dunkwa

Cape Coast

CENTRAL

SekondiTakoradi

TarkwaPrestea

Axim

New Town

Awaso

Bibiani

WESTERN

Gulf of Guinea

TOGO

BURKINA FASO

COTE D’IVOIRE

ANNEX II

GHANA

WOMEN’S COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

MATRIX OF FOLLOW-UP AND RECOMMENDATIONS MAIN FINDINGS & CONCLUSIONS

LESSONS LEARNT / RECOMMENDATIONS

FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS RESPONSIBILITY

Need to finalize the ownership of project’s assets (infrastructure)

Projects assets are with the DWM which has less capacity to manage project’s assets. Projects assets to be handed over to communities in the sites in which they are built.

Projects assets in communities to be handed over to communities. Bank to write letter to Government

Government of Ghana and Bank.

Ensuring the continuity and sustainability of the micro credit fund of the project.

Micro credit fund with the DWM not revolving as desired because of lack of credit and financial management capacity of the DWM

Transfer the micro credit fund to the Social Investment Fund to carry out the credit lending to women’s groups as intended by project at design.

Government of Ghana and Bank.

There is an overdraw of UA 4, 523.53 from the Grant and an unused balance of UA 435,532 from the Loan

Overdraw was due to lack of financial management of project funds by the DWM. Overdraw from Grant to be deducted from loan to leave UA 431,008 as unused from the loan. This final balance to be cancelled and the project closed.

Deduct UA 4,523 overdrawn from Grant from UA 435,523 Loan, cancel loan balance and close project.

Bank (Disbursements office).

ANNEX III

GHANA

WOMEN’S COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

LIST OF CONTRACTORS Name Responsibility Date Contract

singed Date Contract Executed

Contract Duration

Total Cost (UA)

Financing

Vehicles. African Automobile Ltd.

1 4x4 WD Mitsubishi Pajero

1/6/93

December, 1993

4 Months 18,512.54 ADF Loan

Ghamot Company Limited

11 4x4 WD Pick-Ups vehicles

15/11/93 February, 1994 4 Months 175,667.52 ADF Loan

African Automobile Ltd.

1 4x4 WD Mitsubishi Pajero

15/11/93 April, 1994 4 Months 17,989.99 ADF Loan

Equipment and Furniture

Kludjeson International Ltd.

2 Personal Computers and Printers

February, 19993

2 Months 3,209.59 ADF Loan

Standard Systems

Computer Software

February, 1993 651.64 ADF Loan

Datasource Computer Products

2 UPSs February, 1993

694.42 ADF Loan

Datasource Computer Products

Filing Cabinets February, 1993

694.42 ADF Loan

Ghana Tourist Dev. Company Ltd.

3 Split Air Conditioners

February, 1993

3,594.89 ADF Loan

Datasys Limited

Accounting Software

2/4/93 2,401.59 ADF Loan

Caridem Development Co. Ltd

Office Furniture & Refrigerator

1/12/93 15,772.11 ADF Loan

Interlink Business Systems Ltd.

2 Photocopier 2/03/93 4,318.75 ADF Loan

Interlink Business Systems Ltd

1 Photocopier 12/04/94 2,695.98 ADF Loan

Bestchoice Computer Products

10 Vehicle Amplifiers, Fist Microphone & Cord

4/12/95 4,970.00 ADF Loan

Hyga Computing Services

28 Megaphones, 1 personal Computer & 10 Ceiling Fans

4/12/95 4,578.79 ADF Loan

Ivylaw Ltd. Audio-visuals, 1 Computer note book, 1 Personal Computer, calculators, etc

21/03/94 7,514.60 7514.60

ANNEX IV

LIST OF REFERENCE DOCUMENTS

1. Status of Women In Ghana National report on the Fourth Conference on Women (1985-1994).

2. Gender Policy, National Council for Women and Development, 1997.

3. African Development Bank Gender Policy, PPLB, June 2001.

4. Women’s Community Development Project Quarterly Progress Reports.

5. Republic of Ghana Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (2002-2004).

6. Republic of Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (1999-2001).

7. Republic of Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (2002-2004).

8. Project External Auditors reports (1996-1999).

9. Situation Analysis of Children and Women in Ghana 2000, UNICEF.

10. African Development Bank Disbursement Handbook.

11. African Development Bank Disbursement Reports.

12. African Development Bank Supervision Reports and project files.