devinitorg/iati-policy-markers huggingface dataset:
Greater Mekong Subregion East-West Economic Corridor Agriculture Infrastructure Sector Project The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) East West Economic Corridor (EWEC) provides a conduit for Lao agricultural surpluses to reach the neighboring countries of Thailand and Vietnam and even beyond. There is essentially unlimited demand from these countries for Lao agricultural and rural produce. Better agriculture infrastructure will enable more diversity and value addition to agricultural produce from the target provinces. This will expand sustainable livelihoods opportunities. 

The Project aims to regenerate and upgrade existing but underdeveloped or outdated agriculture infrastructures in the two target provinces over a period of eight years. The proposed project is consistent with the government's sector development objectives as presented in its Seventh National Socio-Economic Development Plan (2011-2015), Strategy for Agricultural Development to 2020, Agricultural Master Plan 2011-2015, which promotes the expansion of market-oriented agricultural production in an environmentally sensitive manner. It will be a key component in the Government's new Southern Rural Development Program (SRDP), which is currently under formulation with the support of IFAD.

The design draws upon the experience of recent rural development initiatives that ADB has financed  as well as rural development initiatives financed by the World Bank - Poverty Reduction Fund, and by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) - Participatory Irrigated Agriculture Development Project (PIADP).
Road Sector Governance and Maintenance Project The Lao Road Sector Governance and Maintenance Project will improve the delivery of public service in road asset management. It will cultivate sustainable and efficient road asset management practices by strengthening governance and capacity in planning, financing, and implementing routine and periodic road maintenance. The project will rehabilitate and maintain a total of 327 kilometers (km) of national and local roads in the provinces of Salavan, Xekong and Attapu. It will contribute to the achievement of the government's goal of improving road asset management.

The expected impact of the project will be delivery of public services in road asset management improved. The outcome will be sustainable road maintenance implemented in the provinces of Salavan, Xekong and Attapu. The project will consist of three outputs, (1) governance and practice for road asset management improved; (2) institutional capacity for road asset management strengthened; and (3) road asset rehabilitation and maintenance completed.
Sustainable Rural Infrastracture & Watershed Management Sector Project The project is intended to address issues of PRI and watershed management in mountainous provinces of Northern Lao PDR by using an integrated land use planning approach that integrates efficient, sustainable and climate resilient rural infrastructure, and feasible watershed protection measures. For an ecosystem based sustainable rural development, infrastructure and the watershed have to be considered simultaneously. The expected impact of the project will be to achieve sustainable and inclusive rural development. The outcome of the project will be to enhance sustainable, market oriented agricultural production and natural resources management in selected watersheds.
Lao People's Democratic Republic: Northern Greater Mekong Subregion Transport Network Improvement Project The project will facilitate regional cooperation and increased economic growth in the GMS by improving the national highway linking the Louangphrabang area with the Lao PDR-Thailand border. Improvement of this road, much of which is currently gravel and earth, will facilitate increased exports to Thailand of agricultural goods produced in the project area and increased tourism from Thailand to Louangphrabang. The Project comprises (i) improvement of 367 km of the project road from Ziang Ngeun (the junction with National Route 13 near Louangphrabang) to Nakha, construction of a bridge over the Mekong River on the project (if financing is available), and improvement of approximately 100 km of rural access roads in the project area; (ii) procurement of equipment for use in operating the border post at Kenthao, now under construction, and for enforcement of axle-load controls on the project road; (iii) consulting services for construction supervision and monitoring and evaluation as well as detailed design for the rural access roads; (iv) maintenance of the national road network by financing consulting services to continue the ongoing road safety assistance program; and (vi) a program to reduce the risks of HIV and sexually transmitted infections and human trafficking that may develop during the rehabilitation and operation of the project road.
Rural Finance Sector Development Program (Program Loan) To promote the development of a sustainable and market-oriented rural and microfinance sector. It will assist the Government to implement the policy reforms embodied in its strategy to promote rural and microfinance sector.
Strengthening Public Finance Management Program (Subprogram 1) The program will help the Government of the Lao PDR achieve fiscal consolidation and
advance public finance management (PFM) by (i) strengthening public debt management and
reforming tax administration, (ii) improving medium-term fiscal planning and budgeting, and
(iii) enhancing governance and budget credibility. The program will support the government’s
Vision to 2030 and Public Finance Development Strategy to 2025 (Strategy 2025), 1 and help the
government realize its development priorities in the Eighth National Socio-Economic
Development Plan (NSEDP) 2016–2020.

 The program has been classified as effective gender
mainstreaming and contributes to gender equality (operational priority 2) under Strategy 2030 of
the Asian Development Bank (ADB). It will build the foundations for gender-responsive budgeting,
including gender capacity assessments to strengthen organizational structures and ensure
greater representation of gender stakeholders in key PFM reform structures. The program also
contributes to Strategy 2030 by strengthening governance and institutional capacity (operational
priority 6).
 The program addresses Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 by strengthening
governance and inclusive institutions, and SDG 17 by enhancing domestic revenue mobilization
and building capacity. The program is aligned with ADB’s country partnership strategy,
2017–2020,
4 and is included in the country operations business plan, 2019–2021 for the Lao
PDR.5
Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training Project The project seeks to improve the quality of, and access to, formal technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the Lao PDR, focusing on certificate and diploma programs. Quality improvements include developing skill standards, improving curricula, and training teachers in four priority skill areas: (i) construction and building trades, (ii) mechanical and  machinery maintenance and repair, (iii) furniture-making, and (iv) basic business. Access and equity will be enhanced through the introduction of a voucher assistance training scheme and construction of dormitories. A key project focus is on increasing private involvement in TVET and achieving greater alignment between TVET and labor market needs.
Pakse Urban Environmental Improvement Project The project will enhance the competitiveness of Pakse as a regional economic and tourism center of the southern Lao PDR. It responds to the local government's vision for Pakse to become a green city and for the greater Pakse urban area to gain official city status in the future  by improving citywide environmental improvements in solid waste management, flood protection and drainage, and riverbank erosion protection along the Xedon River; supporting community-driven initiatives in urban environmental improvements; strengthening local capacity in urban planning and services; and strengthening local capacity in project management and implementation.  The project contributes to the Government of the Lao PDR's long-term urbanization strategy and Pakse Urban Development Strategy, 2011-2030.
Flood and Drought Mitigation and Management Sector Project The project addresses current and future climate change risks while improving livelihoods of agricultural communities in the three central provinces of Bolikhamxai, Khammouan, and Vientiane Capital. The project will enhance floodwater management, strengthen climate-resiliency of irrigation infrastructure, support diversification into higher-value dry season crops with market linkages, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through adoption of climate-resilient farming practices. An estimated 38,223 people will benefit from the project, of which almost half are women. The project will support the country's economic recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and from ongoing food price inflation that was intensified by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The project has three outputs: (i) floodwater harnessed and damages reduced; (ii) water reliability during droughts improved; and (iii) agrometeorological information systems modernized.
Health System Development Project The overall goal of the Project is to improve the health and nutrition status of the population, in particular the poor, women and children, and ethnic groups in the eight northern provinces of Lao PDR. It aims to improve health and nutrition behavior and demand for health services and make the provincial health system more effective, efficient and equitable in delivering Primary Health Care (PHC).   The objectives of the Project are (i) to improve PHC delivery, in particular for vulnerable groups, in the eight northern provinces, and (ii) nation wide, to strengthen Ministry of Health capacity in health system development, including Human Resource Development, planning and budgeting, and coordination. The Project has two corresponding components and is based on a two phased PHC development concept covering 8 years, with the first phase of 4 years (2007 2011) to be supported by the Project.
Greater Mekong Subregion East-West Economic Corridor Towns Development Project This project is a first generation intervention of a long-term engagement in towns of the GMS economic corridors, and is aligned with the strategic framework of the GMS Economic Cooperation Program, 2012-2022, approved by the Fourth GMS Summit on 19 to 20 December 2011. It is also in line with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) country partnership strategy 2012-2016 for the Lao PDR and supports ADB's urban operational plan (2012-2020) and water operational plan (2011-2020).

The project will enhance the competitiveness of towns along the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC), and will complement years of work on trade facilitation and cross-border trade agreements. The project will transform the corridor towns of Kaysone Phomvihane, Phine, and Dansavanh into economic hubs by improving urban environmental infrastructure and strengthening the institutional capacity of provincial and local authorities. The productivity and sustainability of economic enterprises in these towns will be significantly improved, as the flood control measures will increase climate resilience. The environment will be improved through clean wastewater, disposal of solid waste, and enhanced mobility on improved urban roads. The project will provide environmental infrastructure that will, among others, help reduce the carbon footprint of the towns, making them cleaner and greener, and thus more livable. The project will finance seven subprojects in the three towns.
Northern Region Sustainable Livelihoods Through Livestock Development Project The Project will contribute to improved sustainability of livelihoods for upland smallholders in northern Lao PDR. The immediate outcome is to improve livestock productivity and profitability under integrated upland farming systems through (i) enhanced productivity of village livestock systems, (ii) capacity building for community driven development (CDD), and (iii) support for implementation management. The Project will contribute to sustainable livelihoods through improved cash incomes, food security, and nutrition for some of the poorest segments of the population. It will achieve this by providing access to appropriate  technology,  management and marketing systems, rationalizing household labor requirements, and improving returns to labor. It will contribute to gender equity by providing upland ethnic women with opportunities and support to participate in the selection and implementation of community and household investments in livelihoods improvements. It will support organization of village communities into small groups, training in credit management, and technical training in livestock rearing. Women will participate equitably in all training, group formation, and activities aimed at improved extension, production, and marketing. Environmental benefits are expected from the stabilization of shifting cultivation, improved hygiene, introduction of cut-and-carry systems, and environmental health through waste management, disease control, and controlled animal movements.  The project has the following outputs: (i) Improved on-farm livestock production technologies; (ii) Developed market efficiency and livestock enterprises; (iii) Strengthened participatory extension networks; (iv) Effective community driven development and (v) Strengthened project implementation management.
Northern Rural Infrastructure Development Sector Project The Project will address sector constraints by rehabilitating existing irrigation facilities and, where appropriate, developing new ones, as well as rehabilitating and upgrading rural access roads from district centers and village cluster centers to villages. To enhance the impact of subproject investments, the project will support (i) technical extension services to subproject beneficiaries, (ii) producer groups to coordinate supplies of agricultural produce to markets and/or processors, (iii) contracted agricultural production with price incentives based on quality, and (iv) initiatives to secure tenure and access to land for sedentary agricultural production and land rezoning to protect the integrity of watersheds and reservoirs
above rehabilitated irrigation systems. This will contribute to improving agricultural productivity, diversifying crops, and commercializing the low-performing agriculture sector in the northern region. These investments will be complemented by (i) institutional capacity building for national, provincial, and district agencies towards a sector development approach and (ii) heightened awareness of gender issues and the participation of local communities in designing and efficiently implementing about 25 subprojects. The project will be implemented in the four northern provinces of Bokeo, Luang Namtha, Oudomxay, and Phongsaly, which have a combined population of 760,000 people, a third of whom are considered poor.
Second Strengthening Higher Education Project The project will strengthen the links between higher education services and socioeconomic needs by improving higher education quality, enhancing access to modern higher education programs, and strengthening governance and management of higher education institutions HEIs).
Monsoon Wind Power Project The project entails a wind power project with a contracted capacity of 600-megawatt (MW) to be constructed in Lao PDR that will export and sell electricity into neighboring Viet Nam. It will be the first wind power project in Lao PDR, the largest in Southeast Asia, and the first cross-border in Asia. The project will provide a substantial source of clean renewable energy supply to Viet Nam to help meet the country's growing energy demand. The project will help unlock Lao PDR's significant untapped wind resource potential and provide social and economic benefits to the country in the form of employment, improved infrastructure, increased regional connectivity, and revenues through collection of royalties, lease payments, and taxes.
Northern Region Sustainable Livelihoods Through Livestock Development Project The Project will contribute to improved sustainability of livelihoods for upland smallholders in northern Lao PDR. The immediate outcome is to improve livestock productivity and profitability under integrated upland farming systems through (i) enhanced productivity of village livestock systems, (ii) capacity building for community driven development (CDD), and (iii) support for implementation management. The Project will contribute to sustainable livelihoods through improved cash incomes, food security, and nutrition for some of the poorest segments of the population. It will achieve this by providing access to appropriate technology, management and marketing systems, rationalizing household labor requirements, and improving returns to labor. It will contribute to gender equity by providing upland ethnic women with opportunities and support to participate in the selection and implementation of community and household investments in livelihoods improvements. It will support organization of village communities into small groups, training in credit management, and technical training in livestock rearing. Women will participate equitably in all training, group formation, and activities aimed at improved extension, production, and marketing. Environmental benefits are expected from the stabilization of shifting cultivation, improved hygiene, introduction of cut-and-carry systems, and environmental health through waste management, disease control, and controlled animal movements. The project has the following outputs: (i) Improved on-farm livestock production technologies; (ii) Developed market efficiency and livestock enterprises; (iii) Strengthened participatory extension networks; (iv) Effective community driven development and (v) Strengthened project implementation management.
Vientiane Sustainable Urban Transport Project The Vientiane Sustainable Urban Transport Project (VSUTP) will improve the quality of life in Vientiane by improving access and mobility. The project will do this by establishing a sustainable urban transport management agency (SUTMA), a high-quality public bus transport system, a parking management system, and a national electronic vehicle registration system, and by improving traffic management and accessibility for pedestrians and nonmotorized transport (NMT). The project promotes gender mainstreaming, greenhouse gas reduction, and publicprivate partnership.
Governance and Capacity Development in Public Sector Management Program - Subprogram 2 The GCDPSMP will achieve its outcome by delivering three outputs: (i) implementation of multiyear budgeting and intergovernmental fiscal relations; (ii) strengthening of civil service capacity at the central and subnational levels, including gender-responsive capacity; and (iii) strengthening investment management capacity in the public sector for private sector investments and identifying potential public–private partnership (PPP) arrangements.
Second Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training Project Building on the lessons of the Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and
Training Project, the proposed project will continue to support efforts to realign technical and vocational education and training (TVET) with current and future labor market needs by (i) upgrading teaching and learning environments at eight vocational colleges, (ii) strengthening teachers’ competencies to deliver student-centered practical training in skill areas that are in demand, and (iii) improving the management of colleges and fostering an environment that demonstrates the principles of entrepreneurship and promotes involvement of companies and communities in TVET. The project will increase poor and disadvantaged students’ access to TVET through targeted direct stipends and more dormitory spaces at colleges. The project will also undertake TVET promotion measures to improve the public image of TVET and enhance understanding of TVET products and services among youth, their parents, and communities.
Private Sector and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Development - Subprogram 2 A grant of $15,000,000 is proposed for subprogram 2 of the Private Sector and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Development Program (PSME)—the second grant of a program cluster to build on support initiated under subprogram 1, approved by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in September 2007. Subprogram 2 is to be provided as a single tranche, based on completed prior actions demonstrating satisfactory progress. The subprogram 2 focuses on implementing business climate reforms and SME institutional development. Subprogram 2 supports the Government’s efforts to improve trade policy capacity, especially as the Lao PDR increases its efforts preparing for WTO accession.
Northern and Central Regions Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project - Supplementary The project will improve the quality of life of residents in small towns in the Lao PDR and make the small towns better able to function as market, services, and manufacturing centers
supporting the rural hinterlands. The project will support the government's National Growth and Poverty Eradication Strategy (NGPES 2004), which is aimed at reducing poverty through strong economic growth and increased emphasis on the poorest districts.

The outcomes of the project will be (i) improved access, quality, reliability, and sustainability of water supply services in about 12 small towns in the northern and central regions of the country; and (ii) improved living conditions in the small towns through urban and village environmental improvements.
Strengthening Higher Education Project The Strengthening Higher Education Project (the Project) aims to expand and improve the higher education system and institutions mainly by upgrading the three public universities: National University of Laos (NUOL) in Dong Dok, Vientiane; Champasak University (CU) in Pakse; and Souphanouvong University (SU) in Luang Prabang, to produce skilled graduates in key disciplines responding to labor market demands. The investment project has the four outputs: (i) strengthened management, financing, and governance of the higher education system including private higher education institutions; (ii) enhanced relevance and capacity for quality improvement of higher education; (iii) increased equity and access in higher education; and (iv) effective project management and implementation.
Fourth Greater Mekong Subregion Corridor Towns Development Project The project will support the government of the Lao PDR in improving urban environmental services and enhance regional economic connectivity in the towns of Paksan and Thakhek, two towns located along the North-South Economic Corridor in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). It will finance: (i) sewage networks and eight small-scale  wastewater treatment facilities to improve sanitation; (ii) two controlled landfills and solid waste collection vehicles for municipal waste to improve waste collection and management, (iii) improved drainage and riverbank protection, (iv) rehabilitation of the old-town center to promote regional tourism in Thakhek, and; (v) city master plans to promote regional economic connectivity.  The project will accelerate urban node development along the GMS North-South Economic Corridor in Lao PDR.