Construction Monitoring & Evaluation Program (Strengthening & Improvement of Peshawar – Torkham Road, Khyber Agency)

The road is part of National Highway (N-5) and spans 46 kilometers. The project to strengthen and improve the road was initiated in 2012 with an activity agreement between the FATA Secretariat and the US Agency for International Development (USAID), obligating $67 million for the project. The project is implemented by the FATA Secretariat and executed through the Frontier Works Organization (FWO) under the FARA contracting mode of USAID. FWO is responsible for the design and construction of the project, conforming to the National Highway Authority's specifications and standard engineering practices. NESPAK provides design and control services to FWO, while AGES Consultants is entrusted with construction monitoring and evaluation services, including quality assurance and environmental monitoring, on behalf of the USAID Pakistan Mission. The project has been split into multiple sections for designing and construction purposes, with seven Performance Indicator Letters (PILs) allocated for the identified Scope of Work (SOW). The PILs are as follows: PIL 01 (Section-I km 0+000 - km 9+000), PIL 02 (Section-II km 9+000 - km 14+000), PIL 03 (Section-III km 14+000 - km 19+000), PIL 04 (Bridges and multi-cell culverts), PIL 05 (Section-IV and Section-V), PIL 06 (Section-VII and Section-VIII), and PIL 07 (Section-IX). Each PIL has a specific allocated amount, signing date, and expiry date. As of the reporting month, physical progress has been made on all PILs, with some sections substantially completed and others in progress. The total physical progress achieved during the reporting month was 0.34%, totaling 98.10% with accrued expenditures of $82,760,564 out of $84,364,699. The total amount certified till the end of the month was $79,658,309. Matters requiring attention include the constitution of the remaining PIL, amendments in PIL 05, PIL 06, and PIL 07, payment issues for the relocated water supply system, and rain damages to road structures. The FWO has carried out some repair work on the damaged structures, and the revised cost of the relocated water pipelines will be reflected in PIL 07 following its amendment and reimbursed accordingly. The project staff consists of 32 members, including 7 technical and 25 non-technical personnel, with a security officer released from the project at the end of the reporting month. The project is expected to be completed by June 30, 2016, with an agreed completion date.