Project assistance completion report [: rural reconstruction project]

All project goals have been achieved and, in some cases, exceeded. The country"s road infrastructure was repaired at a standard equivalent to or higher than that existing prior to the cyclone. This rehabilitation has resulted in the extension of rural bus services, improved access to rural health clinics, increased availability of agricultural production inputs, and greater access to markets. A major lesson learned is that disaster relief activities need to be clearly differentiated from ordinary development projects. In this case, the GOS continued to use normal development project procedures (i.e., for employment, procurement, budget allocations, etc.) rather than those for emergency relief activities, resulting in delays of implementation and an extension of the PACD by two years. Additional lessons learned are: (1) interministerial linkages are essential if more than one implementing office of the government is involved in project activities; (2) any infrastructure-related project must have clear commitment on the part of the host government for continuing maintenance throughout the project and beyond; and (3) private contractors are an effective alternative to government work forces for emergency assistance projects.