Evaluation of the structural replacement and project preparation unit components of the irrigation management systems project

One component aims to replace small- and mid-size irrigation structures and the other is to establish a project preparation unit (PPU) within the Ministry of Public Works and Water Resource (MPWWR) to carry out feasibility and prefeasibility studies of prospective investment in irrigation. External evaluation covers the period 1981-4/89. Both components have benefited from project TA and produced useful, high-quality products. Structural replacement has resulted in more than 7,000 new small- and mid-size masonry and concrete structures to take the place of old or no longer functional structures controlling water in the Nile Basin irrigation system. About 2,000 additional structures are currently under construction and/or scheduled to be completed by mid-1989. The structures are functional and of satisfactory quality. This component has also increased the capability of Egyptian contractors to contribute to construction projects in rural parts of the country, and it has strengthened the supervision capacity of the MPWWR. The PPU has produced 11 high-quality reports in English and a number of reports in Arabic assessing the economic feasibility of a wide range of potential investment projects in the irrigation sector. Some of these studies have led directly to construction and completed projects, while one helped the MPWWR avoid an uneconomic investment. In addition, this component has resulted in substantial numbers of people better trained in feasibility analysis, a skill which needs strengthening in the MPWWR. Despite these achievements, neither component will meet all objectives by their respective completion dates. Approximately 2,000 more irrigation structures need replacement, and the PPU is not yet considered capable of producing high-quality reports in English on its own. These shortfalls are attributed to overly ambitious project targets, particularly regarding the time needed to institutionalize a new agency such as the PPU. It is recommended that the structural replacement component be extended for 2 years, and that the PPU receive scaled-down TA comprised of one multidisciplinary advisor and a generous supply of short-term consultants for 3 more years. However, before these extensions are improved the MPWWR must take steps to resolve certain key administrative constraints in such areas as staffing, salary incentives, and per diems.