Project assistance completion report : St. Vincent infrastructure

The subproject was implemented by the Ministry of Communications and Works (MCW) and the Central Water and Sewerage Authority. The subproject improved 10.3 of a targeted 15 miles of road, including much of the island's feeder road distribution network, some of which had been become impassible to all but 4-wheel drive vehicles. As a result, farmers are now able to more quickly transport their produce to market. In addition, the project provided a water supply to the CIDA-funded Diamond Industrial Estate; the site is now ready for the construction of factory shells, scheduled to begin in 1995. The Government of Saint Vincent (GOSV) did not implement the project's road maintenance plan; instead, the GOSV obtained non-A.I.D. funding and engaged a consultant to prepare a comprehensive maintenance management system for the MCW; the system will cover roads that were rehabilitated under the subproject. The following lessons were learned. (1) The continuity of the supervision provided by an MCW technical team was an important factor in the success of the road rehabilitation effort. (2) The design of physical infrastructure improvement projects should provide for the procurement of and dedication of construction equipment, lest the project be forced to wait for the use of shared equipment. (3) Construction equipment should be accompanied by spare parts, and, wherever possible, training in equipment maintenance. (4) Where the Fixed Amount Reimbursement (FAR) method is used to fund construction works, each activity should be covered by a separate FAR agreement in order to preclude cash flow problems. (5) Wherever possible, a financial audit should be performed at the project's midpoint.