International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) conducted supervision mission for the Rural Enterprises and Remittances Project (RERP) from 1 to 13 April 2021. The international support mission team members participated remotely where as in-country members joined to the field. The IFAD mission was led by Mr Nigel Smith, Mission Leader and Programme Management Specialist accompanied by Financial Management Specialist; Rural Finance Specialist; M&E and KM Specialist; Procurement Specialist; GALS Specialist; Migration Specialist; Business Development & Supply Chain Specialist; Gender and Social Inclusion Specialist. The main task of the Supervision Mission was to perform the regular supervisory, accountability and fiduciary duties in line with IFAD’s direct supervision policies.
The Ministry of Industry Commerce and Supplies (MOICS) Secretary Mr Arjun Prasad Pokharel, IFAD Country Director Asia and Pacific Division Mr Roshan Cook and Country Program Officer Mr Bashu Babu Aryal from the IFAD Nepal office joined for the mission kick-off and wrap-up meetings. A wrap-up was held on 15 April 2021 chaired by MOICS Secretary Mr Pokharel together with the project management and IFAD team that reviewed agreed actions of the Aide Memoire.
The Government of Nepal and IFAD officials during these meetings raised key issues, provided implementation support and directions as appropriate to speed up project activities in the field. Project Manager, Mr Shalik Ram Dahal delivered the overall managerial support. The Mission members worked closely with the entire RER Project staffs, including key stakeholders, implementation partners to discuss and agree on the actions to be implemented on a priority basis to improve the performance of the project during the remaining period.
The Supervision mission has concluded that the improved overall performance seen in the previous Supervision Mission has continued and remains moderately satisfactory (score = 4 out of 6). The mission concluded further progress has been made in all components and cross-cutting areas as project delivery begins to recover from the substantial disruption from COVID-19 seen in much of 2020. Performance data on all key aspects of the project have been increasingly available and a good range of knowledge products continue to produce. As given the solid progress being made across the project continued of high relevance.
The mission recognized the strong progress made over the last 12 months by the project in engagement with local and provincial authorities, which has been championed by the project management and leadership in MOICS. The mission has also considered it as sensible for IFAD and the Government to consider a “no cost” extension to the project of up to 12 months, to allow sufficient time to deepen impacts and increase sustainability and enable project team to better mitigate the external risks. IFAD and Government of Nepal during this period will continue to provide the needed implementation and supervision support. The Aide Memoire is endorsed by MOICS Secretary─ Mr Pokharel and IFAD Country Director─ Mr Cook.
