KENYA RURAL ACCESS ROADS PROGRAMME. REPORT OF THE JOINT DONORS REVIEW AND EVALUATION

PROGRAM IS PART OF THE RURAL ROADS SYSTEMS PROJECT, THE REMAINDER OF WHICH MISSION WILL EVALUATE 7/79. PRESENT EVALUATION WAS CONDUCTED JOINTLY BY ALL PROGRAM DONORS AT REQUEST OF MINISTRY OF WORKS (MOW) OF GOVT OF KENYA IN ORDER TO DETERMINE FUTURE DONOR COMMITMENTS. EVALUATION WAS BASED ON REVIEW OF PROGRAM DOCUMENTS, VISITS TO WORK SITES, AND INTERVIEWS WITH RARP FIELD STAFF. DONORS ARE GENERALLY SATISFIED WITH PROGRAM PROGRESS AND WITH MOW MANAGEMENT. DONORS ARE COMMITTED TO FINANCING 40 OF THE 52 ALREADY REQUESTED ROAD CONSTRUCTION UNITS AND ADVISE AGAINST GOK RIGIDITY IN REGARD TO PROGRAM OUTPUTS. PRESENT ROAD MAINTENANCE IS SATISFACTORY, BUT DONORS EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER PROPOSED SHIFT TO PROVINCIAL-LEVEL MAINTENANCE GROUPS, WHICH ARE INADEQUATE, AND NOTED THAT MAIN ROADS MUST BE WELL-MAINTAINED IF RARP IS TO ACHEIVE ITS GOAL. DONORS AGREED THAT MOW CRITERIA FOR ROAD SELECTION NEEDS CLARIFICATION; THAT MORE TIME SHOULD BE SPENT ON INSPECTING PROPOSED ROAD SITES; THAT EQUITY BE OBSERVED IN DISTRIBUTING ROADS; AND THAT RARP BE INTEGRATED WITH OTHER KENYAN DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES, ESPECIALLY IN REGARD TO EXTENDING RARP'S LABOR-INTENSIVE METHODS. DONORS ENDORSED MOW'S DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS, WHILE SUGGESTING MORE ADEQUATE CRITERIA FOR MOW GRAVELING POLICY, WITH EXCEPTION OF AID, IBRD, AND EEC, DONORS ACCEPTED MOW DISBURSEMENT PROCEDURES. EQUIPMENT PROCUREMENT AND MAINTENANCE NEED MUCH IMPROVEMENT AND AN IMPACT STUDY SHOULD BE BEGUN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. TWO AREAS CAUSED SPECIAL CONCERN. DESPITE MOW DISCLAIMERS, DONORS CONSIDER UNDERSTAFFING AT RARP HEADQUARTERS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. PROCUREMENT OF VITALLY NEEDED QUALITY HANDTOOLS IS ALSO CONSIDERED A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND ONE THAT MAY WORSEN IF THE CENTRAL TENDER BOARD RELAXES STANDARDS. DONORS WISH TO BE KEPT CLOSELY INFORMED OF BOTH SITUATIONS. IN THE FUTURE, MOW WILL PREPARE JOINT QUARTERLY REPORTS FOR ALL DONORS, ALONG WITH SEPARATE APPENDICES FOR INDIVIDUAL DONORS UPON REQUEST. EVALAUTION IS PREFACED BY PES FACESHEET FOR RURAL ROADS SYSTEMS PROJECT (PD-AAK-284-A1).