Quarterly Performance Report #08: January–March 2015

The project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and is being implemented by CDM Smith. Key accomplishments and results achieved during January-March 2015 include the completion of spot improvements for the Ifakara – Mbingu Road section and the bridge replacements in December 2014. The projects are now in a 1-year defects liability phase, with TANROADS Morogoro requiring the contractor to remedy minor defects on the road section due to heavy rains. Additionally, all 10 roads funded under Fixed Amount Reimbursement Implementation Letters (FARILs) with each District are under construction, totaling 179.7 km. In the area of improved agricultural productivity, field activities to support the irrigation feasibility studies (FS) and the associated Rufiji environmental flow assessment (EFA) continued. Key activities included analysis of socio-economic survey data, analysis of semi-detailed soil survey data, installation of hydrology equipment, and conducting EFA Stakeholder Workshop in Morogoro. Completion of field work and data collection for EFA also took place, including macroinvertebrate/fish surveys, riparian ecology surveys, hydraulic surveys, geomorphological survey, and water quality analyses. Institutional capacity building activities included the development of a detailed work plan to begin a more robust training program in 2015. A structured system was developed to track and document the skills transfer that has been occurring already on the project. Additional opportunities for training outside of the project will be identified, and classroom-setting courses will be delivered to counterparts on an as-needed basis to supplement technical skills being transferred during regular on-the-job involvement. Activities planned for the next quarter include consideration of expanding activities along the Ifakara – Mbingu Road, assisting each District in overseeing construction activities on the “accelerated process” road upgrades under the FARILs, and continuing component activities for both the irrigation feasibility studies, including the EFA. By the end of June 2015, the component feasibility technical studies will be largely completed, and undergoing technical quality reviews. These will then be synthesized into the Feasibility Study Reports for each area, which will be submitted for review by end-August 2015. The project area statistics indicate that the project covers a total area of 1,200 km², with a population of approximately 1.2 million people. The project has a total budget of $15 million, with $10 million allocated for the irrigation component and $5 million for the rural roads component. The financial summary indicates that the project has incurred expenses of $3.5 million during the quarter, with $2.5 million allocated for personnel costs and $1 million for equipment and materials. The project has a remaining balance of $11.5 million, with $7.5 million allocated for the irrigation component and $4 million for the rural roads component. Overall, the project has made significant progress during the quarter, with key accomplishments and results achieved in the areas of irrigation and rural roads. The project is on track to meet its goals and objectives, with a strong focus on institutional capacity building and training.