Lao PDR - Productive Rural Access sector project

Narrative: For this Project Preparation Technical Assistance (PPTA) OCA associated with Fraser Thomas to strengthen their team with experience in productive rural infrastructure, particularly the rural access component. Fraser Thomas and OCA combined provided an approximate 28 international staff months. The association further worked with a Laos based consulting firm CES who provided all national staff (48 person months).

The project targets rural communities within the East-West Road corridor, expanding the zone of influence of the economic corridor within Savannakhet and Salavan provinces, with its main objective to stimulate economic development and poverty alleviation through the provision of improved productive infrastructure such as irrigation schemes and improved access to farm gates and markets. Access needs to be predictable, safe and reliable, tailored to the type and volume of the transport needed. Design of access improvements therefore follows environmental optimised design standards, using a spot improvement approach where possible but ensuring especially that cost effective appropriate materials and work methods are used in order to increase sustainability and reliability of access. The sector project is designed for an initial 25 sub-project to be taken up. The project budget is 60 million USD and the implementation period 4 years.

Focal points / deliveries: Program design, Consultations with farmers, local and central government and commercial stakeholders, Management of Socio-economic, engineering and land acquisition surveys, Rural smallholder situation analysis, Irrigation and road subproject feasibility studies, Engineering design for irrigation system rehabilitation and road access improvement, Subproject screening, Environmental and social safeguards planning.