It is no secret that the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) that operates under the ministry of planning, has its deficiencies. Last Saturday, this paper carried a report about indifference and, in some cases, irregularities in the selection and appointment of local consultants for monitoring and assessing impact of some selected public sector development projects. The report highlights how deep the rot has gone into this important government agency. The message that the FE story conveys is that the IMED has so far proved itself to be quite non-serious about accomplishing its assigned jobs of overseeing execution of public sector development projects and assessing their impact during their post-implementation period.
Since the IMED does not have enough manpower and logistics to carry out jobs properly -- a weakness that has escaped the notice of the government for unexplained reasons, it has to outsource in-depth evaluation of some ongoing projects and impact assessment of a few completed ones. But, wrong selection of consultants, as alleged, not only leads to non-fulfilment of the objectives behind such outsourcing but also deprives the policymakers of proper evaluation reports. However, funds and time allocated for doing the consultancy works, in a number of cases, have been found to be too inadequate to produce quality project evaluation reports.
Stories about irregularities, financial or otherwise, in the implementation of many development projects do very often hit the newspaper headlines. There is also no dearth of media reports on long delays and abnormal hike in cost of projects, both big and small. In some cases, the cost of projects goes up three-to-four-fold. Allegations have it that delays and cost-escalation are deliberately designed by a section of unscrupulous personnel, involved with the execution of projects. These are, as reported, deliberately done in order to increase their share in 'unearned income'. The relevant ministries/ agencies responsible for project execution are also found oblivious of the need for proper monitoring and supervision of their projects. Overall, the situation on the ground is quite favourable for the dishonest section of officials and contractors to carry on with their mission: embezzlement of a sizeable part -- a minimum of 30 per cent, according to an estimate, of the project funds.
Unhealthy developments involving execution of public sector projects point to the need for putting strong monitoring, supervision and evaluation mechanisms in place. Such a move can only ensure speed in project execution and quality of work. It is, however, indisputable that the IMED alone cannot carry out this huge task and the Division has to employ outsiders for doing part of its assigned tasks. But while selecting the external consultants, the agency needs to be transparent and unbiased so that only competent ones are selected. Otherwise, taxpayers' money would be wasted without any tangible progress. So, the ministry of planning should look into the issue and ensure that the IMED appoints competent external consultants.