Philippines: KALAHI-CIDSS National Community-Driven Development Project

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Lessons

Adequate supervision, consistent dialogue, and close coordination are crucial to timely and effective project implementation.

This project became effective 6 months after approval, with the signing of the loan agreement taking 3 months, and the issuance of legal opinion another 2.5 months. The delay could have been avoided through more effective dialogue between ADB and the government. Close supervision by ADB led to timely interventions in at least two instances: (i) adjusting the level of the advance account to support a surge in cash requirements; and (ii) acting immediately on procurement delays by batching procurement and informing potential suppliers through a workshop. Close coordination between ADB and government counterparts also contributed to effective implementation.

Project Cycle Stage:

Implementation

Community-driven development (CDD) approaches are effective but require intensive capacity building support.

CDD works well in delivering fast support to communities affected by disasters. The project deployed rapidly, reaching 10,572 barangays and about 3,668,000 households soon after approval. Two-thirds of subprojects received financing in the same year as loan effectiveness. However, CDD operations require investment in the capacity of communities and program staff. In a disaster setting, this can be challenging.

Project Cycle Stage:

Preparation

Implementation

Effective implementation of emergency assistance loans (EALs) requires greater attention to financial risk assessment and management.

Common issues in EALs are: (i) lack of and higher costs of supplies and service providers, (ii) limited staff capacity and availability, (iii) heightened land acquisition issues, and (iv) financial institutions and fund transfer conduits need recovery time and support. EALs will benefit from the early preparation of an extensive risk assessment to develop a risk mitigation road map in advance of implementation. To mitigate the risk of fraudulent transactions, the project executing agency, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), emphasized the specific fiduciary duties and responsibilities of the community project staff in the subproject implementation agreements and memoranda of agreement. The DSWD also included timely liquidation of fund transfers in performance evaluations to detect any incident of fraud.

Project Cycle Stage:

Implementation

CDD-based livelihood and enterprise development requires increased training and coaching and the involvement of other service providers and technical agencies.

Livelihood subprojects often have multiple components (e.g., skills, market linkages, organizational development, and financial literacy) compared with infrastructure subprojects. Communities require more time to prepare design proposals and be trained to comply with subproject fund flow and financial requirements. The added layer of complexity often requires increased training and coaching and the involvement of other service providers and technical agencies.

Project Cycle Stage:

Preparation

Implementation

Women could contribute meaningfully to construction works.

The project engineering staff conducted a pre-construction phase workshop where the workplans were clearly laid out and each job position was explained in detail. It was during this workshop that women realized that they could contribute meaningfully and were capable of taking on tasks beyond gender stereotypes. Presenting the civil works program to the community helped drive the recruitment of women into construction work.

Project Cycle Stage:

Preparation

Implementation

ADB coordination with relevant government agencies is critical to getting assistance to the beneficiaries quickly during emergency operations.

Though the CDD design of this project was appropriate for emergency operations, the government approval process delayed loan effectiveness. It is important that ADB coordinates closely with the government to ensure that actions for effectiveness (including special authorities to negotiate and clearances from monetary board authorities) are adequately and quickly addressed.

Project Cycle Stage:

Implementation

Background

In response to the devastating Haiyan or Yolanda typhoon in November 2013, the Philippines’ Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) utilized the existing Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan (Linking Arms Against Poverty)–Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) system to support recovery and rehabilitation. KALAHI-CIDSS, a nationwide, community-driven development (CDD) program that began in 2003, was present in about 90% of the Yolanda-affected areas. It had a well-established operating system to channel funds and provide technical support to community projects and social services for the poor.

To support the DSWD initiative, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved in December 2013 a $372.1 million emergency assistance loan (EAL) for the KALAHI–CIDSS National Community-Driven Development Project (KCNCDDP) to restore basic social services and rebuild communities in 512 Yolanda-affected municipalities. Other development partners supported in parallel the overall KALAHI-CIDSS DSWD-led program to maximize its reach. In March 2016, ADB also approved an additional financing (AF) grant of $5 million from the Typhoon Yolanda Multi-Donor Trust Fund to finance livelihood and enterprise subprojects in 262 municipalities.

The project’s expected impact was improved resiliency of poor communities to natural hazards. Its expected outcome was improved access to services and infrastructure for communities in affected provinces and their participation in more inclusive local disaster risk reduction and management planning, budgeting, and implementation. Its planned outputs were: (i) CDD subprojects selected, implemented, and completed; (ii) institutional and organizational capacity strengthened; and (iii) program management and monitoring and evaluation systems enhanced.

A total of 15,541 community subprojects, spread across 10,572 barangays (villages) in 512 municipalities and 38 provinces, were financed under the loan and AF grant. A total of 15,482 (99%) of these subprojects were completed as originally designed. Of the remaining 59 subprojects (1%),one was damaged by a subsequent typhoon, and the 58 others were discontinued after communities waived implementation because of insufficient time left. The last mile in project implementation was compressed by the delayed transfer of the AF funds to the DSWD, which consequently delayed community mobilization, provision of technical assistance, and training of implementers and beneficiaries of the livelihood component.

A total of 546,620 community volunteers, 61% women, were mobilized; 311,519 of these volunteers, 63% women, were trained in situational analysis and needs identification, preparing project proposals, financial management and procurement, and subproject implementation and management. Community mobilization and training supported the increased membership of people and civil society organizations in local development councils and special bodies in all the KCNCDDP municipalities. Development and maintenance of a system for fund requests, generation of sex-disaggregated data, and implementation of the gender action plan were likewise supported. The project-installed management information system in all covered municipalities, with both online and offline versions, helped improve monitoring and compliance with reporting requirements, including those on safeguards and gender.

At completion, the project thus successfully achieved its intended outcome. Reconstruction and livelihood activities under output 1 directly improved access to services and infrastructure for communities in affected provinces; output 2 supported project implementation by continuously building the capacity of the executing agency (EA) and communities, and output 3 supported systems to monitor and evaluate project results. The project also increased the confidence of households to participate in community activities and increased marginalized groups’ participation in barangay assemblies. A total of 3,681,644 households, as of project completion, were directly benefiting from completed subprojects, surpassing the target of 900,000 households.

Project contributions to ADB results framework were significant. A total of 3,689 kilometers of roads and 1,573 kilometers of footpaths were built and repaired. Rehabilitation/reconstruction of typhoon-damaged classrooms benefited 493,100 students. Construction of 744 water systems benefitted 152,232 households and improved sanitation facilities were provided to 17,000 households. The project also supported improved governance capacity and gender mainstreaming.

The DSWD, the EA, coordinated with other national government agencies and the local government units in implementing the project.

Project Information

Project Name:

KALAHI-CIDSS National Community-Driven Development Project

Report Date:

October, 2020

Main Sector:

Education

Public Sector Management

Country:

Philippines

Project Number: