Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund: Review of Performance

Abstract

1. The provisions set forth in the Board paper establishing the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund (APDRF) require a review before replenishment may be sought. Any request for replenishment must be based on such a review, including an assessment of the fund’s effectiveness and the appropriateness of its implementation arrangements. 2. The review covers the period from January 2015 to December 2016 in particular detail while also reporting on overall fund performance since its establishment in 2009. An earlier review covering the period April 2009 to December 2014 was circulated to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Directors in February 2015.2 As of January 2015, a total of eight grants were under implementation or awaiting submission of the audit report. A further eight new grants were approved by the President between January 2015 and December 2016. This review covers fund performance, including fund resources; fund allocations; timeliness; use of funds; liquidation; and auditing. It also assesses the implementation arrangements and grant effectiveness, including the appropriateness of arrangements, the satisfaction of eligibility criteria, the performance of eligibility criteria in targeting resources, the value-added contribution of the grants, and project impact. It concludes with a summary of fund performance and a discussion of opportunities for improvement.