Poor rate of project implementation

Implementation of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) has once again followed the same sluggish pattern set for a long time now. In the past five months of the current fiscal year (FY'14-15) its rate has been as low as 21 per cent. Now should the traditional poor rate of project implementation in the first half of a fiscal year be considered a fait accompli? To go by the long list of negative facts advanced by Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal as causes for it, one has reasons to be convinced that there were certainly some that could easily be avoided.
The main reason, according to the planning minister, is the problem projects are facing in land acquisition. No doubt, some of the mega projects of infrastructure do involve land acquisition. But then not all projects have to acquire land. Also, complications over land acquisition for two mega projects like the Dhaka-Chittagong and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways have not been reported as yet. Does the worst performer, the ministry of foreign affairs, with 'zero' per cent performance to its credit need land acquisition?
Among other causes, the delay in appointing consultants, procurement dilemma, lack of monitoring, frequent changes of project directors, improper formulation of project plan and development project proposal (DPP), technical project proposal (TPP), incomplete design of structure also figure conspicuously. Now, who is to blame for such lapses? Delay in appointment of consultants is not a new phenomenon. If the authorities are mindful of this fact, they surely can take initiatives to get over the problem. Procurement is contentious for more reasons than one but all due to lack of transparent governance. Monitoring has ever remained an endemic problem for taking care of development projects. It is one area that could by this time give a better account of itself if the people in charge were serious enough. Clearly this has not happened as yet.
Why frequent changes of project directors are essential is beyond comprehension. When a director is appointed for a particular project, his or her competence is taken into account. If judicious appointment is made at the outset, such unwarranted changes can be avoided. Evidently, not enough thought is given to the matter before selection of someone for the job. If right people in the right places are not available, there is the option for not even considering a project proposal.
The next important negative factor in this category, though, is the improper formulation of work plan. If the process of execution is faulty, the entire project is bound to suffer. Making a most convenient routine for execution of different components of a project sets the right tone for proper implementation. How the works will be accomplished, however, depends on conceptualization of a project. Now the different components such as the development project proposal and technical project proposal need to be compatible and shaped likewise.
It is therefore baffling to know that incomplete designs of structure are passed off as projects. Or, how can there be such incomplete designs? Is political pressure from some quarters responsible for this by any chance? The planning minister should know better. When projects were selected for implementation under the ADP head, enough room was left deliberately for political manoeuvring. Morning showed the day. The poor implementation of ADP this time should be a lesson for not entertaining political and partisan considerations. Above everything else, the merit of a project should decide its inclusion in the list. A casual approach in the first half is in contrast with the flurry of activities in the later half. But the quality of work terribly suffers as a result.
In this context, the delay in getting committed finance from donors is certainly beyond addressing. But there are instances where Bangladesh failed to complete the official procedures in obtaining fund although the donor did complete its part of formality and was ready to release fund. In question here is no less an important project than the elevated expressway to be financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JAICA). If inordinately delayed for reasons of slow release of funds, the recipient country should better go for rescheduling the project.
In this connection the allegations of lack of interest in development projects funded by donors on the part of the bureaucracy may not be unsubstantiated. Of late donors make it a point that their funds are not misused. So they are serious about monitoring how the money is spent not quite to the liking of people involved at this end.
Bangladesh has got rid of many of its problems including acute fund crunch for different projects. But it still has to depend on foreign sources on development of its infrastructure including educational, scientific and other social set-ups. So, poor rates of implementation of ADP are unacceptable. In an emerging crisis like the global warming, Bangladesh's need for funds for adaptation to climate change has become even more compelling. Proper implementation of projects only demonstrates the country's stronger claim to climate funds to be pooled for distribution among the most vulnerable countries. And Bangladesh is surely one of them.
It is good to know that the ministry of science and technology has topped the list of the project implementers. It has spent Tk 18.45 billion at 80 per cent of its allocated fund. But at the same time the feeling is that its allocation is smaller than what it needs. Sure enough, in a country aiming to achieve its digitised status soon, it could allocate more resources for the purpose.                 
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