Project Master List Development Brief: Strengthening Competitiveness, Agriculture, Livelihoods and Environment (SCALE) Architecture and Engineering Support (A&E) Project

The project focuses on expanding market access and improving infrastructure, particularly in agriculturally related areas such as agribusinesses, training centers, energy, water, and transport network linkages. Investments supported by the project are intended to facilitate access to markets, reduce freight costs, generate livelihoods, stimulate investment additionality, advance environmental sustainability, and nurture commercial hubs in Malaita. The project master list development process involves a multi-tiered analysis and due diligence process, which includes the identification of project concepts, initial descriptions, and a rapid private sector landscape assessment. The project team prepared three stakeholder questionnaires to inform the project master list review and packaging. The questionnaires are accessible online and provide a comprehensive framework for developing a master list of projects that align with prioritized development objectives. The master list development process is guided by seven thematic objectives, including impactful, participatory, inclusive, sustainable, harmonized, transparent, and replicable. The process aims to deliver efficiency and productivity benefits over the long-term by identifying projects that align with core programmatic objectives of the SCALE A&E project. This approach ensures that further resources are invested only when there is preliminary evidence of feasibility, viability, and impact, while safeguarding environmental sustainability, strengthening climate resilience, and fostering social inclusion. The project master list is a critical organizing instrument that delivers efficiency and productivity benefits over the long-term. It provides a targeted description to frame the conceptual boundaries of each project and a concise narrative sketch of each project against preliminary assessment questions. The master list is developed with the support of key stakeholders and is intended to be iterative, with the assessment process being repeated throughout the implementation period to identify suitable projects. The project team has developed a screening and prioritization assessment tool to evaluate the project concepts. The tool is a functional instrument that provides a methodological basis for the assessment process. It includes an embedded Excel file that is an accessible version of the tool for reviewers. The tool remains in draft form, with the prioritization assessment completed only for four select projects. The project team has also provided illustrative concept notes for these four projects, which are accessible online. The project master list development brief is a critical document that outlines the methodology and process for developing the project master list. It provides a comprehensive framework for developing a master list of projects that align with prioritized development objectives. The brief is intended to guide the project team in developing the master list and to provide a clear understanding of the project's objectives, scope, and methodology. The project master list development process is a critical component of the SCALE A&E project, as it provides a framework for identifying and evaluating project concepts that align with the project's objectives. The process is guided by a rigorous methodology that ensures the development of a comprehensive master list of projects that respond to an identified need or opportunity and have the support of key stakeholders.