Summary of Terminal Evaluation
I Outline of the ProjectCountry: Kyrgyz Republic
Issue/Sector: Transportation
Divisionincharge:Economic
Infrastructure Department, JICA
Periodof R/D: From March 15, 2008
Cooperation to March 14, 2011
Extension: From March 15,
2011 to September 30, 2011

Project title: The Project for the Capacity Building ofRoad Maintenance
Cooperation scheme: Technical Cooperation Project
Total cost (estimated at completion of the Project):
Approximately 218 million Yen
Partner Country’s Implementing Organization:
Supporting Organization in Japan: Katahira &Engineers International
Related Cooperation Project: Dispatch of a long-term
expert as “Road Administration Advisor”, Grant aid of
the “Project for the Improvement of the Equipment forRoad Maintenance in Naryn”

1-1 Background of the Project
The transport sector in the Kyrgyz Republic (hereinafter referred to as Kyrgyzstan) depends
nearly fully on the road traffic, which accounts for 95％ of all transport modes, and it plays asubstantial role in connecting major cities in Central and Southwest Asia and providing community
roads to the local residents. Currently, the total length of road in Kyrgyzstan is approximately
34,000km, of which the public roads under jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transport andCommunications (hereinafter referred to as “MOTC”) occupy about 19,000km and the rest is used as
agricultural and rural roads. Forty percent (40%) of the public roads are paved. Some part of main
roads connecting large cities are not in good condition. It is estimated that some 200km in the
country’s road network is functionally lost every year due to the lack of maintenance management.
Consequently, the nation is in urgent need of improvement of the roads and strengthening of themaintenance management capability.
The road inventories, though indispensable for road maintenance management, have scarcely
been updated since the collapse of the USSR, and as for the pavement design, the standards usedduring the USSR era and those issued by the American Association of State Highway andTransportation Officials (AASHTO) are in use in parallel; these aspects apparently have to be
improved. In addition to that, due to the lack of maintenance management with the life cycle cost
taken into consideration, the efficiency of the work is undermined.
In an attempt to address these issues, the Government of Kyrgyzstan requested the Governmentof Japan to extend technical cooperation assistance to the Project and dispatch a long-term expert as“Road Administration Advisor.” In response to this request, JICA conducted a preparatory study
from October to November 2007, in order to confirm the appropriateness and relevance of therequested details of the Project, and signed the Minutes of Meeting (M/M) that stipulate that the
Project would start in March 2008 with the MOTC acting as the counterpart, based on the discussions
held with the parties concerned on the Kyrgyz side regarding a general outline of the Project.
Furthermore, the study team signed the Record of Discussion (R/D) on the implementation of the
Project in January 2008. The focal points in the agreed M/M are as follows:• To create a format for the road inventory, which includes all necessary items in a well-organizedmanner, and to distribute it across the country.
• To analyze the SNIP and other road design standards that are currently used in the country and todevelop practical manuals that the MOTC can utilize.
• To implement specific techniques for road maintenance management mainly in Kochkor (DEP),
where the Government of Japan has extended a grant-aid project for providing major necessary
equipment and building.
1-2 Project Overview(1) Overall Goal
Road network is properly maintained and economic activities and accessibility to public
infrastructure are improved.
(2) Project Purpose
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Road maintenance capacity (institution, management, technique) is improved.
(3) Outputs
1) Revised Road Inventory2) Revised Road Design Standard3) Enhanced Road Maintenance Management(4) Inputs
Japanese side: Dispatch of Experts: 9 persons (47.77 man/month), Training in Japan: 10 persons,
Provision of equipment: 186 thousand US dollars, Local cost expenditure: 216 thousand US
dollars
Kyrgyz side: Counterpart personnel: total about 20 persons, Provision of land and facilities: officespace, local cost expenditure, Budget for the pilot project
II Evaluation Team
Members of 1) Leader: Dr. Nobuyuki TSUNEOKA, , Senior Advisor, JICA
Evaluation
2) Cooperation Planning: Mr. Yoshinori KITAGUCHI, Transportation and ICT
TeamDivision 3, Transportation and ICT Group, Economic Infrastructure Department,
JICA3) Evaluation Analysis: Mr. Masahiro OSEKO, Consultant, Nevka Co., Ltd.
Periodof From May 27 to June 11, 2011
Type of Evaluation: Terminal Evaluation
Evaluation
III Results of Evaluation
3-1 Achievement(1) Achievement of the Overall Goal
Achievement: Unable to evaluate at present. The target figure and target year of both of
Objectively Verifiable Indicators (hereinafter referred to as OVI) 1 (IRI: International Roughness
Index) and OVI 2 (road closure days in winter season) are not specified, and no data of these two OVIs
are available. Therefore, both of OVI 1 and OVI 2 are unable to evaluate at present. The current
Kyrgyz national policy of “Road Sector Development Strategy for 2007-2010” (hereinafter referred toas “the Strategy”) is obsolete and new version is under drafting. The Evaluation Team recommends
MOTC to monitor and evaluate the achievement of OVI 1 and OVI 2 by specifying the target figure
and target year according to the new version of the Strategy. Meanwhile, it is expected that MOTC
keeps collecting data with the assistance of the Road Administration Advisor of JICA.
(2) Achievement of the Project Purpose
Achievement: A 1) The Road Maintenance Management Manual is planned to be completed by
the end of the Project. The Manual was introduced and disseminated to representatives of all local
offices through seminars and training courses. But the Manual and knowledge acquired has been
stayed in the hands of the personnel participated in seminars and training courses, not welldisseminated to every corner of local offices. 2) The road inventory format is mostly completed andhas been distributed to all local offices together with computers and the Internet communication
devices. The infrastructure for road inventory has thus built for putting it into practice. 3) With
regard to the quality management of pavement, procurement of laboratory equipment has been
completed. The laboratory test handbook attached to the Road Design Standard Manual and partial
translation of ASSHTO have been completed and ready to use. Training courses have been
conducted in order to train MOTC personnel on material test in laboratory and to introduce anddisseminate the handbook and manuals inviting representatives from all regions. However, since
there is no laboratory in most of their work places, even though they participated in training courses,
skills and knowledge learned in the training cannot be practiced. 4) Since ADB was conducting asurvey on contract-out and privatization of road maintenance business, avoiding the duplication ofworks, the Project has abandoned its activities on this issue. For making the decision ofabandonment, the Project requested JICA Kyrgyz Office to carry out an extensive survey on thecapacity of private construction companies in the country and found that the private sector
circumstances were not matured enough to promote outsourcing of road maintenance works. 5) The
pavement roughness monitoring system with using simple and inexpensive measuring device namely
Vehicle Intelligent Monitoring System (hereinafter referred to as VIMS) has introduced and applied
for IRI measurement mainly in model areas of the Project covering about 1,800 km. There are at2

present five (5) personnel in total who can operate VIMS in and out of MOTC. The monitoring
system thus has been established.
(3) Achievement of Outputs
1) Output 1: Revised Road Inventory
Achievement: A
The development of new format of road inventory has been almost
completed. The road inventory using the new format has been prepared in model areas of the
Project, while they are now under preparation in non-model areas. The system was developed
to indicate pavement deficiencies with IRI, and it is now possible to indicate road maintenancepoints on the inventory.
2) Output 2: Revised Road Design Standard
Achievement: B Items of manuals for road design standard have been determined. Theasphalt pavement manual has been prepared. MOTC staff concerned has understood road andpavement study methods through training courses. And they have been employed in model
areas of the Project but not in non-model areas. The laboratory prepared by the Project is now
able to conduct material tests, and its staff has been trained to be able to be trainers. While theknowledge and techniques about asphalt mixing have been improved to some extent fromnothing, asphalt mix composition design has not been conducted yet. Training on asphalt
pavement repair design is planned to be conducted by the end of the Project.
3) Output 3: Enhanced Road Maintenance Management
Achievement: B
The Road Maintenance Management Manual is under the finalization
process and planned to be completed by the end of the Project. The Project plans to conduct
seminars for introduction and dissemination of the Manual. Construction site management has
been improved through OJT in pilot project and the Construction Management Seminar. Road
maintenance plan has not been prepared in MOTC, because it is difficult to specify the volume of
construction work identifying new-born repair places such as holes and cracks. As stated abovein 3-1 (2), avoiding the duplication of works with ADB and finding the scarcity of private
construction companies through JICA’s survey, the Project has abandoned its activities
concerning outsourcing of road maintenance works.
3-2 Summary of Evaluation Results(1) Relevance: Very High
Objectives of the Project have been highly consistent with targets aimed at both of the national
development policies of Kyrgyzstan such as the “Country Development Strategy 2007–2010” andJapanese ODA policies such as the “Country Assistance Program for the Kyrgyz Republic (04.2009)”
that have placed high priority on the enhancement of economic potential through the construction
and rehabilitation of roads. Regarding the consistency with the needs of target group, since themain roads in the country form a part of the Asian Highway, the international requirement for the
improvement of road maintenance is significantly high.
(2) Effectiveness: HighDue to the political turmoil in April 2010 following the former President’ policy for reform ofgovernment organizations issued in October 2009, the Project was forced to suspend its activities forabout four (4) months. Under these circumstances, the Project has been facing the difficulties whichhave negatively affected the smooth implementation of the Project. However, expected outputs of
the Project such as the road inventory format, manuals for road design standards, road maintenancemanagement manuals and the pavement monitoring and evaluation method are to be completed by
the end of the Project. The capacity of MOTC staff has been improved through the process of thesesystem development works. The Project Purpose thus has been mostly achieved but only
dissemination of these newly developed systems to every corner of the target group has not beenrealized.
(3) Efficiency: HighThe Project has been implemented efficiently in terms of cost and time through the programmeapproach in collaboration with other Japanese cooperation projects such as the grant aid of the“Project for the Improvement of the Equipment for Road Maintenance in Naryn” and the dispatch of a3

long-term expert as the “Road Administration Advisor.” The introduction of newly developed roadroughness measuring method namely VIMS has been functioning for a contribution to low-cost andeasy-handling road monitoring. The quality, quantity and delivering timing of inputs (humanresources, equipment and facilities, training courses and others) from both sides of the countries wereconsidered to be appropriate.
(4) Impact: Very High
1) Achievement of Overall Goal
As stated above in 3-1 (1), the achievement of Overall Goal is unable to be evaluated at present.
2) Other Impacts
・ Recognizing the importance of bridge maintenance and winter season road maintenance, theJapanese Experts suggested preparation of those technical manuals and developed them
together with MOTC staff. This has extended the scope of work concerning road maintenance
perceived by the MOTC staff.
・ The World Bank has started its planning work for the project of road asset management using
the data and system developed by the Project with a particular focus on the road inventory
including road roughness measurement method.
(5) Sustainability: Fair
1) Political aspect:
As stated above in 3-2 (1), the “Country Development Strategy 2007–2010” places high priority
on the road maintenance management. According to the interview with MOTC counterparts,
new road sector development strategy, which is under drafting at present, is supposed to bemostly unchanged from the former strategy. Therefore, it is expected that the policy of thegovernment of Kyrgyzstan will keep supporting the development of road maintenancemanagement of MOTC.
2) Organizational aspect:
Due to an unbalanced age structure of MOTC engineers, the massive reduction of skillfulengineers is expected in a mid-term range for five to ten year.
3) Financial aspect:
While the budget of MOTC has been increasing until 2008, it has been decreasing since 2009.
The budget of MOTC is currently in short supply for its full operation and it could undermine thesustainability of financial aspect of the Project.
4) Technical aspect:
The project has aimed at preparing the foundation of management system with the developmentof manuals, methods and capacity of MOTC staff. Therefore, the improvement of practicaloperations of maintenance work at site is beyond the scope of the Project. Hence, the further
efforts and inputs of resources would be required for the application of the system developed by
the Project to the actual operation nationwide.
3-3 Factors promoted realization of effects(1) Factors concerning to Planning・ The scope of the Project was planned properly without any excess and/or deficiency covering all
the necessary aspects of the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Action) cycle of the road maintenancemanagement.
・ Meeting system in the Project was well organized with a project team member weekly meeting, acounterparts meeting, an EC (Executive Committee) meeting and a pilot project weekly meeting,and they have been regularly conducted. This is noteworthy as a proper project managementaware of the importance of communication management in a project.
(2) Factors concerning to Implementation Process
・ Expecting the capacity development, MOTC staff has played the major roles in theimplementation of all activities in the Project under the guidance and assistance of the Experts.
・ The programme approach composed of the Road Administration Advisor, the grant aid project
and the technical cooperation project (the Project) has worked significantly effective. In thisapproach, the Road Administration Advisor has coordinated a variety of activities of roadadministration including construction, rehabilitation, restoration and maintenance. The
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grant aid project has provided facilities and equipment for them. And the Project has
structured the system of road maintenance management with the coordination of the Advisor
using facilities and equipment provided by the grant aid project.
When it was found that ADB was conducting a survey on contract-out of road maintenance, theProject had promptly made a decision to abandon its activities on the same topic avoiding the
duplication. And on that occasion, in order to make a solid basis for the decision, the Project
had requested JICA Office to carry out an extensive company survey and found the scarcity ofcapable companies in the country. This can be highly evaluated as a good practice of project
management demonstrating a flexible decision making with substantial back-up evidence.
MOTC’s high commitment to the Project deserves special mentioning.
It has been
demonstrated in the assignment of the Minster as the chairman of JCC (Joint Coordination
Committee), construction of a laboratory for the pilot project under the financial constraints,
and keeping core members of counterparts unchanging in the movement of reorganization of
MOTC.

3-4 Factors that impeded realization of effects(1) Factors concerning to Planning・ The Project has provided laboratory equipment for quality control of asphalt pavement andtrained laboratory staff in charge. However the role of the laboratory and how to use thelaboratory has not been clearly positioned in the current institutional/organizational structureof MOTC. Hence its activity has not been widely recognized among MOTC including local
offices, which has resulted in little assignment of the work and low morale of the staff.
(2) Factors concerning to the Implementation Process
・ The Project was forced to suspend its activities for about four (4) months due to the politicalturmoil in April 2010. Governmental organizations including MOTC have been reorganized
after that, and it is still affecting the proper operation of public services and the activities of the
Project.
3-5 Conclusion
The Project has aimed at the formulation of road maintenance management system, and thecapacity development of MOTC through its process. Under the guidance and assistance of theJapanese Experts, MOTC staff has played the major roles in developing the road inventory format,
manuals for road design standards and the road maintenance management manual, and they havebeen disseminated to all local offices through seminars and training courses. The standards andmanuals, though, have been acquired only by the limited number of local staff who participated in theseminars and training courses. The evaluation team therefore has reached the conclusion that the
Project mostly but not fully achieved the Project Purpose. Challenges which MOTC is facing now
are to disseminate and implement the system structured by the Project under the constraints ofhuman, equipment and financial resources.
3-6 Recommendations
Recommendations to the Project are as follows:(1) The Project is expected to complete the remaining activities such as finalization of the roadinventory format, seminars and training courses using the road design guidelines, concluding of
the road maintenance management manuals and local training courses using those guidelines
and manuals by the end of the Project; and(2) The Project is expected to make further efforts to disseminate its results.
Recommendations to MOTC are as follows:(1) MOTC is expected to apply and operate the system developed by the Project extending to its
jurisdiction.
(2) All local offices are supposed to complete data entry to the road inventory by the end of the
Project. MOTC is expected to support local offices and confirm their data entry results. The
road inventory would help road administrators track road condition, plan repair and restoration
work, estimate maintenance work and cost, and segment roads for more accurate management.
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It is expected that MOTC will introduce such a management cycle for better road maintenance by
the use of the road inventory.
(3) There is a laboratory for pavement quality control in MOTC, the laboratory of which equipment
has been installed by the Project. However, the employment of the laboratory staff is on atemporally basis and their status is unstable. Since this causes uncertainty about thesustainability of the Project, it is expected that MOTC should deal with this issue.
(4) The laboratory has been able to work for securing quality of asphalt produced by the nearby
plant. It is also capable of doing quality control of asphalt pavement constructed by MOTC
and/or contractors. However its activity has not been widely recognized among MOTC including
local offices, which has resulted in little assignment in spite of its ability. MOTC should put
their function into a right place of its procurement process and clarify the role and responsibilityof the laboratory. MOTC is also expected to make an institutional/organizational arrangementof authorizing the institute in order for more use by local offices and contractors nationwide. In
addition, MOTC has to provide necessary resources for proper maintenance of the equipment of
the laboratory.
(5) Recognizing the importance of bridge maintenance and winter season road maintenance, theProject has just taken the first step of the preparation of those manuals and guidelines. It is
expected that MOTC should take over and complete those activities.
(6) MOTC is expected to address issues caused by unbalanced age structure of its engineers referringto the human resource development plan prepared by the Project.
(7) MOTC is expected to secure financial resources to cover proper maintenance work.
Recommendations to JICA
(1) JICA should help MOTC promote the system developed by the Project.
(2) MOTC will apply the road maintenance management system developed by the Project to an
actual operation as stated above. The Road Administration Advisor should help MOTC settle its
road maintenance activities into the entire picture of road administration along with the new
construction and rehabilitation of roads.
(3) It is also expected that the Road Administration Advisor should assist MOTC conduct anextensive road roughness measurement for entire length of major roads in the country using themethod introduced by the Project.
(4) JICA is expected to make further assistance in putting the maintenance of equipment provided by
the Project into proper practice.
3-7 Lessons Learned(1) A successful project must have its own clear scope. Focusing on such a scope and achieving its
purpose are utmost important. However in some cases it might create inflexible circumstances
resulting in a limited success. The Project has been inviting and using outside resources such as
the road administration advisor and equipment provided by other grant aid projects as well as
local contributions. Since road maintenance is a multi-component and multi-player activity, oneof the factors of the Project’s success is that the Project has been taking this kind of program-type
approach. This approach has been producing collaborated spillover effects and more fruitfulresults.
(2) The Project has introduced a road inventory system and provided manuals/guidelines for design,
construction and maintenance. MOTC is going to employ those system and manuals for a better
provision of road maintenance and management. Introduction of those system and manuals is
also expected to initiate reviewing their way of work and daily business. It is important toassign clear authorities among MOTC and local offices with a necessary restructuring of its
current organizational function. The road inventory requires DEP (Road Maintenance Office) tocollect and input data, PLUAD (Regional Road Maintenance Unit) to confirm accurate process ofeach DEP, and MOTC to establish data base over the country. Efforts in further effective use of
the road inventory are expected to realize development of a better provision of road maintenanceand management and to lead to better way of work and daily business.
(3) The Project has provided equipment for quality control of asphalt pavement for a PLUAD(Regional Road Maintenance Unit) and trained laboratory staff in charge. However the role of6the laboratory and how to use the laboratory has not been clearly positioned in the current
institutional/organizational structure of MOTC. Hence its activity has not been widely
recognized among MOTC including local offices, which has resulted in little assignment of thework and low morale of the staff. To improve such situations development of a better provisionof road maintenance and management is an urgent necessity.
(4) Participation of local offices in road maintenance work is a must. In this sense the Project has
not only organized seminars for local offices staff but also trained their staff directly by a visit toregional offices. MOTC counterparts of the Project have kept a close contact with regional staff.
Those arrangements have contributed significantly to a smooth implementation of the Project.
(5) It is important to provide a system and technical documents in accordance with needs andtechnical level of the counterparts. It is also important how to improve the current situation.
The program-type approach which has been taken by the Project has been useful for covering avariety of counterparts’ needs and improving their way of work and daily business as well as an
appropriate provision of road maintenance and management.

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