Document of
The World Bank
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Report No: ICR00006016

IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETION AND RESULTS REPORT
H884-WS ON A GRANT

IN THE AMOUNT OF SDR 13.30 MILLION

(US$20.00 MILLION EQUIVALENT)

AND

TF017563 ON A GRANT

FROM THE PACIFIC REGION INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITY MULTI-DONOR TRUST FUND

IN THE AMOUNT OF US$3.83 MILLION

AND

TF0A6371 ON A GRANT

FROM THE AUSTRALIA-PACIFIC ISLAND PARTNERSHIP TRUST FUND

IN THE AMOUNT OF US$5.88 MILLION

TO THE

INDEPENDENT STATE OF SAMOA

FOR THE
ENHANCED ROAD ACCESS PROJECT

April 27, 2023

Transport Global Practice
East Asia and Pacific Region
CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS

(Exchange Rate Effective, October 31, 2022)

Currency Unit = Samoan Tala (WST)
WST 2.79 = US$1

FISCAL YEAR
July 1 - June 30

Regional Vice President: Manuela V. Ferro
Country Director: Stephen N. Ndegwa
Regional Director: Ranjit J. Lamech
Practice Manager: Benedictus Eijbergen
Task Team Leader(s): Sean David Michaels, Florentina-Alina Burlacu
ICR Main Contributor: Naoki Kakuta
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

ACDMD Aid Coordination and Debt Management Division
APIP Australia-Pacific Island Partnership
ARAP Abbreviated Resettlement Action Plan
CD Country Director
CPS Country Partnership Strategy
CRWCR Enhancing the Climate Resilience of the West Coast Road Project
CTSSU Centralized Technical Services Support Unit
DFAT Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
EIRR Economic Internal Rate of Return
EMP Environmental Management Plan
ERAP Enhanced Road Access Project
ESMP Environmental and Social Management Plan
FM Financial Management
GCLS Grievance and Complaint Logging System
GDP Gross Domestic Product
GoA Government of Australia
GoS Government of Samoa
GRM Grievance Redress Mechanism
ICR Implementation Completion and Results Report
IDA International Development Association
IFR Interim Financial Report
ISR Implementation Status and Results Report
LTA Land Transport Authority
M&E Monitoring and Evaluation
MNRE Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
MOF Ministry of Finance
MWTI Ministry of Works, Transport, and Infrastructure
NOLA Nuanua O Le Alofa
NPV Net Present Value
OHS Occupational Health and Safety
PAD Project Appraisal Document
PDO Project Development Objective
PMC Project Management Company
PMD Project Management Division
PTRP Post Tsunami Reconstruction Project
RPF Regional Partnership Framework
PRIF Pacific Region Infrastructure Facility
RVP Regional Vice President
SARIP Samoa Aviation and Roads Investment Project
SCRTP Samoa Climate Resilient Transport Project
SIAM-1 Samoa Infrastructure Asset Management Program, Phase 1
SIAM-2 Samoa Infrastructure Asset Management Program, Phase 2
TCE Tropical Cyclone Evan
TF Trust Fund
TISCD Transport and Infrastructure Sector Coordination Division
TTL Task Team Leader
WCR West Coast Road
TABLE OF CONTENTS

DATA SHEET .......................................................................................................................... 1
I. PROJECT CONTEXT AND DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES ....................................................... 6
A. CONTEXT AT APPRAISAL .........................................................................................................6
B. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES DURING IMPLEMENTATION (IF APPLICABLE) .......................................9
II. OUTCOME .................................................................................................................... 13
A. RELEVANCE OF PDOs ............................................................................................................ 13
B. ACHIEVEMENT OF PDOs (EFFICACY) ...................................................................................... 14
C. EFFICIENCY ........................................................................................................................... 19
D. JUSTIFICATION OF OVERALL OUTCOME RATING .................................................................... 20
E. OTHER OUTCOMES AND IMPACTS (IF ANY) ............................................................................ 20
III. KEY FACTORS THAT AFFECTED IMPLEMENTATION AND OUTCOME ................................ 22
A. KEY FACTORS DURING PREPARATION ................................................................................... 22
B. KEY FACTORS DURING IMPLEMENTATION ............................................................................. 23
IV. BANK PERFORMANCE, COMPLIANCE ISSUES, AND RISK TO DEVELOPMENT OUTCOME .. 26
A. QUALITY OF MONITORING AND EVALUATION (M&E) ............................................................ 26
B. ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND FIDUCIARY COMPLIANCE ..................................................... 28
C. BANK PERFORMANCE ........................................................................................................... 30
D. RISK TO DEVELOPMENT OUTCOME ....................................................................................... 31
V. LESSONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................. 31
ANNEX 1. RESULTS FRAMEWORK AND KEY OUTPUTS ........................................................... 33
ANNEX 2. BANK LENDING AND IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT/SUPERVISION ......................... 39
ANNEX 3. PROJECT COST BY COMPONENT ........................................................................... 41
ANNEX 4. EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS ........................................................................................... 42
ANNEX 5. BORROWER, CO-FINANCIER AND OTHER PARTNER/STAKEHOLDER COMMENTS ... 44
ANNEX 6. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS .................................................................................. 45
ANNEX 7. PROJECT MAP ...................................................................................................... 47
The World Bank
Enhanced Road Access Project (P145545)

DATA SHEET

BASIC INFORMATION

Product Information
Project ID Project Name

P145545 Enhanced Road Access Project

Country Financing Instrument

Samoa Investment Project Financing

Original EA Category Revised EA Category

Partial Assessment (B) Partial Assessment (B)

Organizations

Borrower Implementing Agency

Samoa Land Transport Authority

Project Development Objective (PDO)
Original PDO
To restore key road sector assets damaged by extreme weather events and enhance the climate resilience of critical
roads and bridges in Samoa.

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The World Bank
Enhanced Road Access Project (P145545)

FINANCING

Original Amount (US$) Revised Amount (US$) Actual Disbursed (US$)
World Bank Financing
20,000,000 20,000,000 18,041,617
IDA-H8840
6,346,000 3,756,108 3,756,108
TF-17563
5,879,008 5,873,371 5,873,371
TF-A6371
Total 32,225,008 29,629,479 27,671,096
Non-World Bank Financing
0 0 0

Borrower/Recipient 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0
Total Project Cost 32,225,008 29,629,479 27,671,096

KEY DATES

Approval Effectiveness MTR Review Original Closing Actual Closing
17-Oct-2013 20-Feb-2014 08-Aug-2017 30-Apr-2019 31-Oct-2022

RESTRUCTURING AND/OR ADDITIONAL FINANCING

Date(s) Amount Disbursed (US$M) Key Revisions
29-Feb-2016 5.35 Change in Results Framework
Change in Components and Cost
31-May-2018 17.50 Additional Financing
Change in Results Framework
Change in Components and Cost
Cancellation of Financing
Reallocation between Disbursement Categories
25-Oct-2018 17.83 Change in Loan Closing Date(s)
22-Apr-2020 20.95 Change in Loan Closing Date(s)
20-Apr-2021 24.72 Change in Loan Closing Date(s)
27-Oct-2021 25.85 Change in Loan Closing Date(s)

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The World Bank
Enhanced Road Access Project (P145545)

KEY RATINGS

Outcome Bank Performance M&E Quality
Moderately Satisfactory Satisfactory Modest

RATINGS OF PROJECT PERFORMANCE IN ISRs

Actual
No. Date ISR Archived DO Rating IP Rating Disbursements
(US$M)
01 09-Feb-2014 Satisfactory Satisfactory 0
02 22-Aug-2014 Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 1.00
03 16-Mar-2015 Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 1.10
04 21-Jul-2015 Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 1.10
05 23-Dec-2015 Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 4.08
06 29-Jun-2016 Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 7.56
07 05-Jan-2017 Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 11.07
08 23-Jun-2017 Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 14.79
09 30-Nov-2017 Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 16.25
10 09-May-2018 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 17.46
11 18-Sep-2018 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 17.83
12 22-Mar-2019 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 18.97
13 23-Sep-2019 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 19.50
14 29-Mar-2020 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 20.95
15 25-Sep-2020 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 22.93
16 21-May-2021 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 24.72
17 02-Dec-2021 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 25.85
18 25-May-2022 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 26.33
19 31-Oct-2022 Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 27.20

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The World Bank
Enhanced Road Access Project (P145545)

SECTORS AND THEMES

Sectors
Major Sector/Sector (%)

Transportation 100
Public Administration - Transportation 7
Rural and Inter-Urban Roads 93

Themes
Major Theme/ Theme (Level 2)/ Theme (Level 3) (%)
Finance 13
Finance for Development 13
Disaster Risk Finance 13

Urban and Rural Development 86
Rural Development 47
Rural Infrastructure and service delivery 47

Disaster Risk Management 39
Disaster Response and Recovery 13

Disaster Risk Reduction 13

Disaster Preparedness 13

Environment and Natural Resource Management 98
Climate change 98
Adaptation 98

ADM STAFF
Role At Approval At ICR

Regional Vice President: Axel van Trotsenburg Manuela V. Ferro

Country Director: Franz R. Drees-Gross Stephen N. Ndegwa

Director: John A. Roome Ranjit J. Lamech

Practice Manager: Michel Kerf Benedictus Eijbergen

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The World Bank
Enhanced Road Access Project (P145545)

Sean David Michaels,
Task Team Leader(s): James A. Reichert
Florentina-Alina Burlacu
ICR Contributing Author: Naoki Kakuta

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The World Bank
Enhanced Road Access Project (P145545)

I. PROJECT CONTEXT AND DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES

A. CONTEXT AT APPRAISAL

Context

1. Samoa is a small and remote Pacific Island nation located approximately 3,000 km from New Zealand and
4,000 km from Hawaii and Australia. With a total land area of 2,935 km2, the country consists of the two large islands
of Upolu and Savai’i, and eight smaller islands. At appraisal in 2013, Samoa was one of the wealthier and strong
performing countries in the Pacific with its gross domestic product (GDP) US$4,038 per capita.1 In 2011, the country’s
population was 187,820, of which 76 percent lived on Upolu and 24 percent lived on Savai’i.2 The country’s poverty rate,
based on the national basic needs poverty line, was 13.4 percent of households and 18.8 percent of the population in
2013/2014.3

2. At appraisal, Samoa’s vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters was high and growing. The
frequency and intensity of extreme weather and climate events (for example, heavy rainfall, strong winds, storm surges,
and high sea levels) was on the rise throughout the region.4 These and other events, such as earthquakes and tsunamis,
had severely damaged infrastructure and other economic assets, and adversely affected livelihoods. For example, the
combination of Cyclone Ofa (1990) and Val (1991) caused 21 fatalities and widespread destruction, with total economic
losses estimated as high as US$500 million,5 equivalent to four times the country’s GDP. Flooding has occurred regularly
throughout Samoa’s history, particularly in built-up areas such as the capital Apia, which suffered numerous floods over
the years. Samoa has also experienced high seismic activity, and on September 29, 2009, was hit by an earthquake-
triggered tsunami. As a result, there were 143 reported deaths and nearly 5,300 people were affected, mainly on Upolu.6

3. The Enhanced Road Access Project (ERAP) was prepared as an emergency operation in response to the impact
of Tropical Cyclone Evan (TCE), which struck Samoa on December 13 and 14, 2012. Over the two-day period, five people
were killed and approximately 4,250 were temporarily displaced. The Government of Samoa (GoS)’s Damage and Loss
Assessment of TCE estimated the combined physical and economic losses to transport infrastructure, houses, and
tourism facilities at US$204 million, about 28 percent of the total value of goods and services produced in Samoa in 2011.
Several key road sector assets were damaged, including Central Cross Island Road (a key economic artery between North
and South Upolu) and Leone Bridge (which could no longer be used by vehicles and was one of two bridges capable of
carrying heavy vehicles between Apia Port and the principal industrial area at Vaitele).

4. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) was established on July 1, 2009, to reform and consolidate road asset
management and road use functions. Mandated by the LTA Act 2007, LTA is responsible for implementing sector policy
and for planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and supervising the country’s national roads and land transport
infrastructure. It also oversees road use and is accountable for registering vehicles, issuing driver’s licenses, enforcing

1 World Bank. World Development Indicators.
2 GoS. Population and Housing Census 2011. Analytical Report.
3 GoS and United Nations Development Programme. 2016. Samoa Hardship and Poverty Report: Analysis of the 2013/2014

Household Income and Expenditure Survey.
4 Pacific Climate Change Science Program. 2011. Climate Change in the Pacific: Scientific Assessment and New Research, Volume

2: Country Reports.
5 Pacific Catastrophe Risk Assessment and Financing Initiative. 2011. Country Risk Profile: Samoa.
6 GoS. 2009. Samoa Post Disaster Needs Assessment. Following the Earthquake and Tsunami of September 29, 2009.

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The World Bank
Enhanced Road Access Project (P145545)

vehicle load limits, and promoting road safety. LTA was the Implementing Agency for the World Bank-funded Samoa
Infrastructure Asset Management Program, Phase 2 (SIAM-2, P075523); Post Tsunami Reconstruction Project (PTRP,
P120594); and Enhancing the Climate Resilience of the West Coast Road Project (CRWCR, P126504).

5. Samoa’s road network remains of critical importance to the country’s economic development. At appraisal,
the road system on Upolu and Savai’i consisted of about 1,150 km of classified roads (747 km on Upolu and 403 km on
Savai’i) and 52 bridges (44 bridges on Upolu and 8 bridges on Savai’i). It provided connectivity that supported trade and
promoted commercial activity by facilitating the movement of goods and services. It also provided safe and efficient
access to social services including schools and health facilities. Nevertheless, the country’s road network was faced with
a range of vulnerability issues, particularly: (i) coastal exposure to sea level rise, storm surge, and wave action during
cyclones and tsunamis; (ii) inland flooding and landslips during extreme rainfall events; (iii) damage from earthquakes;
and (iv) accelerated pavement deterioration due to extreme weather and rising water tables in some locations. These
were exacerbated due to the majority (approximately 70 percent) of Samoa’s population living within 1 km of the coast,
and critical infrastructure including roads, hospitals, schools, places of employment, port facilities, tourist facilities,
power plants, and airports all being located primarily in the coastal zones.

6. As the primary artery on Upolu, the West Coast Road (WCR) provided a vital land link connecting Samoa’s
capital and Apia Port with Faleolo International Airport, the Mulifanua inter-island ferry wharf (the main gateway to
Savai’i), and communities and industry along the north west coast. Its preservation was critical for continued economic
development as 53 percent of Samoa’s population7 and most of its industry was located along the corridor. Vaitele Street
is at the eastern end of the WCR and forms a critical part of the Mulifanua to Apia Economic Corridor. It is considered
the country’s most important section of road and supports heavy traffic with frequent congestion, especially from Vailoa
Road to Atone Road through the industrial zone. During TCE, it played a vital role in providing access to and from affected
areas and strengthening this asset’s resilience to climatic events was a priority for GoS.

7. The World Bank had historically engaged with GoS in strengthening road sector infrastructure and responding
to and building resilience against natural disasters. A series of World Bank-funded projects had supported reforms in
road maintenance and management arrangements, including the establishment of LTA, and major road rehabilitation
works under the Samoa Infrastructure Asset Management Program, Phase 1 (SIAM-1, 1999–2003) and Phase 2 (SIAM-2,
2004–2014), PTRP (2010–2016), and CRWCR (2012–2020).8 The World Bank had worked with GoS under the Cyclone
Emergency Recovery Project (2004–2008) supporting the recovery from Cyclone Heta and reducing coastal vulnerability.
ERAP in support of post TCE rehabilitation was expected to continue the World Bank’s engagement with Samoa in the
road sector.

8. ERAP was aligned with the World Bank Group’s Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) for Samoa FY 2012–2016
(Report No. 67194). The CPS defined the following three priorities for the World Bank’s engagement with Samoa: (i)
rebuilding macro-economic resilience and encouraging inclusive growth, (ii) generating opportunities from global and
regional integration, and (iii) strengthening resilience against natural disaster and climate change. The project was
directly consistent with the third priority. It was also guided by the Government’s own priorities articulated in the
Strategy for Development of Samoa (2012–2016), Samoa National Infrastructure Strategic Plan, and Samoa National
Adaptation Program of Action.

7 This corresponds to the population of Apia Urban Area and North West Upolu in 2011, two of the four statistical regions that
run through WCR.
8 PTRP also supported the rehabilitation of communities on Upolu affected by the tsunami in September 2009.

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The World Bank
Enhanced Road Access Project (P145545)

Theory of Change (Results Chain)

9. At appraisal, there was no theory of change in the Project Appraisal Document (PAD). However, the Results
Framework implied that ERAP was designed based on the theory of change presented in figure 1.

Figure 1. Theory of Change at Appraisal

Activities Outputs PDO/Outcomes Impact
Component 1:
Road and Bridge Reconstruction • 2.3 km of Vaitele Street
• Widening 2.3 km of Vaitele Street widened
• Repairing or replacing Leone • Leone Bridge repaired or
1
Bridge replaced
PDO: Restore key road sector assets damaged by
• Reconstructing other 7.7 km of • Other 7.7 km of roads and 6
extreme weather events and enhance the climate
roads and 6 bridges to be bridges to be selected during Safer and more
implementation reconstructed resilience of critical roads and bridges in Samoa
selected during implementation efficient transport
2 • Consultancy for detailed design
• Providing consultancy for services
and construction supervision PDO indicators:
detailed design and construction
provided • Roads rehabilitated to improved standards
supervision Improved reliability of
• Access audits completed and • Bridges rehabilitated to improved standards
• Completing access audits and road and bridge
shared with design consultants • Traffic flows less disrupted
sharing with design consultants infrastructure in the
• Project designs informed by access audits
event of a natural
Component 2: disaster
Technical Assistance • National road and bridge
• Revising national road and bridge Increased access to
standards revised
standards 3 economic activities
• Axle-load limit standards and
• Updating axle-load limit and social services
enforcement updated
standards and enforcement • Road sector management
• Improving road sector improved • Enabling environment strengthened for
management • Priority issues addressed planning and managing the road sector and
• Responding to existing or addressing sector issues
emerging priority issues

Component 3: • Project management support
Project Management 4 provided
• Project management support • Monitoring and evaluation
• Monitoring and evaluation conducted

Critical Assumptions
1. Contractors would have adequate capacity to rehabilitate roads and bridges to improved standards.
2. The detailed design and supervision consultants would be procured on time and fully engaged throughout the project.
3. GoS would have a strong commitment to revise/update the road and bridge standards and the axle-load limit standards.
4. The project management company would have sufficient capacity to assist with project management.

Project Development Objectives (PDOs)

10. The PDO, as stated in the Financing Agreement of the project, was to “restore key road sector assets damaged
by extreme weather events and enhance the climate resilience of critical roads and bridges in the Recipient’s
territory.” There were no changes to the PDO during implementation.

Key Expected Outcomes and Outcome Indicators

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The World Bank
Enhanced Road Access Project (P145545)

11. At appraisal, the PDO was expected to be measured through four indicators: (i) roads rehabilitated to improved
standard, (ii) bridges rehabilitated to improved standards, (iii) reduction in disruptions in traffic flows at targeted
locations,9 and (iv) instances when project designs are informed by access audits.

Components

12. ERAP consisted of three components, as summarized in table 1.

Table 1: Project Components and Financing Allocation at Approval
Component Description Financing Allocation
Component 1: To repair roads and bridges damaged by TCE and upgrade, rehabilitate, IDA financing: US$17.70 million
Road and Bridge and/or reconstruct existing road sector assets to higher standards, this GoA financing: US$10.90 million
Reconstruction would include: Total: US$28.60 million
• Widening of 2.3 km of Vaitele Street;
• Repair to or replacement of Leone Bridge;
• Reconstruction of other roads and bridges to be selected
during implementation based on both economic and social
factors; and
• Detailed design and supervision of the civil works.
Component 2: To support institutional and regulatory reforms for road sector assets IDA financing: US$1.30 million
Technical management and maintenance and to increase the sustainability of GoA financing: US$0.70 million
Assistance sector investments, this would include: Total: US$2.00 million
• Revision of standards for maintaining and constructing roads
and bridges to be more climate resilient;
• Update of legal, regulatory, and enforcement arrangements for
enforcing axle load limits;
• Strengthening of LTA’s technical capacity to effectively plan
and manage the sector; and
• Addressing of emerging priority issues that could have an
impact on the Government’s ability to create more climate
resilient road sector assets.
Component 3: To support the Government in project management, this would include IDA financing: US$1.00 million
Project a consulting firm to assist LTA in project implementation GoA financing: US$0.40 million
Management Total: US$1.40 million
Source: PAD.
Note: IDA = International Development Association, GoA = Government of Australia.

B. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES DURING IMPLEMENTATION (IF APPLICABLE)

Revised PDOs and Outcome Targets

13. Although the PDO remained the same throughout the project lifetime, the PDO indicators and corresponding
outcome targets were revised through a Level 2 restructuring and additional financing approved on May 31, 2018.
Changes to the PDO indicators and corresponding targets are detailed in paragraph 14.

9 Disruptions included those associated with weather events and traffic flow due to functional capacity constraints.

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The World Bank
Enhanced Road Access Project (P145545)

Revised PDO Indicators

14. All four original PDO indicators were dropped through the restructuring and additional financing in May 2018.
Two new PDO indicators were added: (i) improved connectivity through rehabilitation or construction of the road network
to improved standards (such as through raising the road elevation, strengthening the pavement, and improving the
drainage capacity) and (ii) improved connectivity through rehabilitation or replacement of water crossings to improved
standards (such as through single span designs, raised crossings, and scour protection).10 The target value of the first
revised PDO indicator was 3.9 km, down from 10 km for the original first PDO indicator for the kilometer of roads
rehabilitated to improved standards. The target value of the second revised PDO indicator was 3, down from 7 for the
original second PDO indicator for the number of bridges rehabilitated to improved standards.

Revised Components

15. There were no changes to the project components during implementation. However, a Level 2 restructuring in
February 2016 added a new activity of ‘construction and supervision of parts of the East Coast Inland Route, including
pedestrian access routes’ to Component 1.

Other Changes

16. ERAP was restructured six times, including the restructuring and additional financing in May 2018. Other than
the abovementioned revision of the PDO indicators and addition of a new activity under Component 1, the major changes
included (i) an additional financing in a net amount of US$3.36 million provided by GoA, (ii) revision of the intermediate
indicators (table 2) (both through the restructuring and additional financing in May 2018), and (iii) extension of the
project’s closing date for a total of 42 months (through four restructurings in October 2018, April 2020, April 2021, and
October 2021). Table 3 provides the timeline and rationale for the restructurings.

Table 2. Original and Revised Intermediate Indicators
Original Intermediate Indicators Revised Intermediate Indicators
1. Agreement on key roads for construction 1. Roads constructed
2. Identification of specific bridges to be improved 2. Roads rehabilitated
3. Water crossings rehabilitated or replaced
4. Reduction in disruptions in traffic flows at targeted locations
5. Instances when project designs are informed by access audits
6. Grievances registered related to delivery of project benefits that are addressed
7. Number of gender-responsive design features

Table 3. Project Restructurings
Restructurings/Date Reasons
Level 2 restructuring To expand the scope of Component 1 to finance outstanding claims associated with the construction
approved by the CD and supervision of relatively minor parts of the East Coast Inland Route, including pedestrian access
on February 29, 2016 routes under PTRP.11 This restructuring also revised the end target of the second original PDO indicator
on the number of ‘Bridges rehabilitated to improved standards’ from seven to six.12

10 Water crossings include bridges, fords, and culverts.
11 Although these activities fell within the objective and scope of ERAP, given that these were outstanding claims, the outcomes
were accounted for under the Results Framework of PTRP.
12 This is due to the use of the estimated US$500,000 in ERAP funds for the new activity on East Coast Inland Route.

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The World Bank
Enhanced Road Access Project (P145545)

Level 2 restructuring and To (i) provide an additional financing in a net amount of US$3.36 million provided by GoA, and (ii)
additional financing restructure the project to (a) change the financing arrangements through part cancellation, (b) adjust
approved by the CD the Results Framework to reflect project outputs and outcomes, and (c) revise the disbursement
on May 31, 2018 estimates to account for the additional financing. The additional financing was needed to cover cost
overruns for Leone Bridge and projected overruns for Mali’oli’o Bridge and support financing of the
climate-resilient road network associated with the new access road for Mali’oli’o Bridge.
Level 2 restructuring To extend the project’s closing date by 18 months from April 30, 2019 , to October 31, 2020. The
approved by the CD extension was needed to allow sufficient time for completing primarily the civil works for Mali’oli’o
on October 25, 2018 Bridge, but also for the remaining activities, including the axle-load limit reforms and construction
standards, and the design and construction of Moamoa Crossing, Aia Bridge, and Nu’usuatia Bridge.
Level 2 restructuring To extend the project’s closing date by six months from October 31, 202 0, to April 30, 2021. The
approved by the RVP extension was needed due to major implications of the COVID-19 pandemic which Samoan road
on April 22, 2020 projects were facing. It was needed to allow the civil works and other outstanding contracts to be
completed.
Level 2 restructuring To extend the project’s closing date by six months from April 30, 2021 , to October 29, 2021. The
approved by the RVP extension was needed to finance the rectification works of the most critical road safety hazards on the
on April 20, 2021 WCR financed under CRWCR and ERAP. The road safety hazards were identified through the post-
construction road safety audit in March 2021.
Level 2 restructuring To extend the project’s closing date by 12 months from October 29, 2021, to October 31, 2022. The
approved by the RVP extension was needed to rectify road safety hazards on the WCR and enhance the safety of Mali’oli’o
on October 27, 2021 Bridge, Moamoa Crossing, Aia Bridge, and Nu’usuatia Bridge, using additional project savings of
around US$1.6 million identified by GoS in September 2021.
Note: CD = Country Director, RVP = Regional Vice President

17. The amount of co-financing provided by GoA to ERAP was US$9.7 million, down from US$12.0 million at
appraisal. The PAD noted that GoA agreed to provide a preliminary amount of up to US$12.0 million as co-financing. It
also showed that ERAP was prepared with GoA’s financing of this preliminary amount. However, the extent of funding to
be made available was unknown then (pending approval of GoA’s infrastructure and financing strategies). After the
approval of the GoA’s strategies, the PRIF TF of US$6.35 million was formalized through the signing of the PRIF Grant
Agreement in October 2014. In addition, the APIP TF of US$5.88 million was formalized following the restructuring and
additional financing in May 2018, which included partial cancellation of the PRIF TF of US$2.52 million. 13 Thus, the
additional financing in 2018 was in the net amount of US$3.36 (=5.88–2.52) million, as noted above. The co-financing
reason was the alignment of the GoA’s infrastructure strategy for Samoa with the ERAP investments that focused on
supporting more climate resilient infrastructure and improving access to economic activities and social services. There
were no specific conditions of the co-financing. As with the case of the IDA grant, both TFs were used to assist in financing
activities related to the project.

18. In addition to the formal changes described above, three water crossings of Moamoa, Aia, and Nu’usuatia and
1.82 km of WCR Lot 2b were added to the project.14 The rationale for these changes is provided in the following section.

Rationale for Changes and Their Implication on the Original Theory of Change

19. The major changes to the project were related to the scope of the civil works, Results Framework, and the
extension of the project’s closing date, which affected the original theory of change. ERAP was originally prepared as an

13This partial cancellation was due to the phasing out of the PRIF TF and its replacement with the APIP TF.
14The 12.5 km of the eastern half of the WCR consists of 6.6 km of Lot 1 between Malua and Afega and 5.9 km of Lot 2 between
Afega and Saina, which is further divided into sub-Lots 2a, 2b, and 2c.

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Enhanced Road Access Project (P145545)

emergency project. As a result, the project activities were not clearly defined during preparation as the extent of
intervention was relatively unknown. At appraisal, Vaitele Street and Leone Bridge were the only priority investments
identified for improvement during the first year of implementation. The investments in Mali’oli’o Bridge and access road
were confirmed at the restructuring and additional financing in May 2018. While the PAD noted that ERAP would finance
about 3 km of Central Cross Island Road, serious survey challenges were identified, and, in 2019, the Government decided
to invest in the three water crossings on Upolu.15 Further, WCR Lot 2b was transferred from CRWCR to ERAP in 2020 due
to budget constraint under CRWCR.16 While the PDO remained unchanged, the phased confirmation of the project scope
and its associated changes to the expected outcomes and outputs affected the original Results Framework. Figure 2
presents the theory of change after the restructuring and additional financing in May 2018 (changes from the theory of
change at appraisal are underlined).

Figure 2. Theory of Change at Restructuring and Additional Financing in May 2018

Activities Outputs PDO/Outcomes Impact

Component 1: • 2.3 km of Vaitele Street
Road and Bridge Reconstruction widened
• Widening 2.3 km of Vaitele Street • Mali’oli’o Bridge and 1.6 km of
• Constructing Mali’oli’o Bridge and 1 access road constructed
1.6 km of access road • Leone Bridge replaced
• Replacing Leone Bridge • Another bridge to be selected
• Reconstructing another bridge to PDO: Restore key road sector assets damaged by
during implementation extreme weather events and enhance the climate
be selected during reconstructed Safer and more
2 resilience of critical roads and bridges in Samoa
implementation • Consultancy for detailed design efficient transport
• Providing consultancy for and construction supervision services
detailed design and construction PDO indicators:
provided
supervision • Connectivity improved through rehabilitation or Improved reliability
• Access audits completed and
• Completing access audits and construction of roads to improved standards of road and bridge
shared with design consultants
sharing with design consultants • Connectivity improved through rehabilitation or infrastructure in the
replacement of water crossings to improved event of a natural
standards disaster
Component 2:
Technical Assistance
• Revising national road and bridge • National road and bridge Increased access to
standards 3 standards revised economic activities
• Axle-load limit standards and • Road safety improved for roads and water
• Updating axle-load limit crossings and social services
standards and enforcement enforcement updated
• Improving road sector • Road sector management
management improved
• Conducting road safety audits • Road safety audits conducted
• Responding to existing or • Priority issues addressed • Enabling environment strengthened for
emerging priority issues planning and managing the road sector and
addressing sector issues

Component 3: • Project management support
4 provided
Project Management
• Project management support • Monitoring and evaluation
• Monitoring and evaluation conducted

15 The Central Cross Island Road is funded by the Asian Development Bank under the Central Cross Island Road Upgrading Project.
16 The budget constraint under CRWCR resulted from the Government’s decision, in November 2019, to change the WCR surfacing

from chip seal to asphalt, which increased the costs of the design and supervision consultancy and the civil works contracts.

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II. OUTCOME

A. RELEVANCE OF PDOs

Assessment of Relevance of PDOs and Rating

20. At project closing, the ERAP PDO was consistent with the World Bank Group’s current Regional Partnership
Framework (RPF) for nine Pacific Island Countries, including Samoa, for FY2017–FY2021 (Report No. 120479).17 The RPF
was structured around four focus areas: (i) fully exploiting the available economic opportunities, (ii) enhancing access to
economic opportunities, (iii) protecting incomes and livelihoods, and (iv) strengthening the enablers of growth and
opportunities (macroeconomic management, infrastructure, and addressing knowledge gaps).18 The PDO directly
supported the fourth focus area, specifically Objective 4.2 on increased access to basic services and improved connective
infrastructure. The PDO also aligned well with the second and third focus areas, specifically Objectives 2.2 on addressing
education and skills gap and Objective 3.1 on strengthened preparedness and resilience to natural disasters and climate
change. ERAP was listed as one of the projects that would help achieve these three RPF objectives.

21. The PDO also remained fully relevant to the GoS’s current development priorities. Samoa 2040 identified a set
of transformational opportunities—in tourism, agriculture and fishing, the development of a digital economy, and labor
mobility—that have the potential to boost incomes and standards of living in Samoa by 2040.19 ERAP directly contributed
to the investment in climate-resilient physical infrastructure, which Samoa 2040 noted as a key action to fully realize the
potential of these opportunities. The Pathway for the Development of Samoa FY2021/22–FY2025/26 identified 21 key
priority areas in five key strategic outcomes.20 ERAP was highly relevant to Key Priority Area 15 ‘Build Climate Resilience’
and Key Priority Area 21 ‘Consolidated Infrastructure Management’. These goals were also echoed in the Transport and
Infrastructure Sector Plan 2022/23–2027/28, which sets out five goals, including ‘Goal 5: Improve connectivity, mobility,
and accessibility through safe and climate-resilient road infrastructure’.21 The LTA Corporate Plan 2023–2026 set out four
strategic goals to achieve the vision of “upholding resilient standards that sustain a safe, effective, and efficient national
land transport network which underpins Samoa’s prosperity.”22 ERAP directly supported the “development and
implementation of appropriate mechanisms for climate proofing and enhancing of all road networks,” one of the actions
listed under the second goal of “improving and sustaining road transport network.”

22. Rating: Based on the above, the relevance of the PDO is rated High.

17 The World Bank Group’s Pacific Islands Systematic Country Diagnostic Update is being finalized at the time of finalizing this ICR.
18 World Bank Group, Regional Partnership Framework for Kiribati, Republic of Nauru, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated
States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, Independent State of Samoa, Kingdom of Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu FY2017–FY2021.
19 GoS. 2021. Samoa 2040, Transforming Samoa to a higher growth path.
20 GoS. 2022. Pathway for the Development of Samoa FY2021/22–FY2025/26.
21 GoS. 2023. Transport and Infrastructure Sector Plan 2022/2023–2027/2028 (draft).
22 LTA. Corporate Plan 2023–2026.

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B. ACHIEVEMENT OF PDOs (EFFICACY)

Assessment of Achievement of Each Objective/Outcome

23. Efficacy is evaluated against both the original and revised outcome and output targets. Although the PDO
remained the same,23 the length of roads and the number of bridges under Component 1 were reduced with the PDO and
intermediate indicators and the associated outcome and output targets revised through the restructuring and additional
financing in May 2018.24 Therefore, a split rating has been applied (see section D for further details). It should be noted
that the PDO is not unpacked as, when building back better, restoring key road sector assets is an inseparable part of
enhancing climate resilience. It should also be noted that revision of national road and bridge standards and axle-load
limit standards were completed at the end of implementation; thus, while specifications for all ERAP works were in
accordance with international standards, the standards improved under Component 2 did not feed into Component 1.

24. The project restored Leone Bridge, the vital crossing collapsed during TCE and the only ERAP investment for
emergency response. The contract for the design and supervision consultant was signed in July 2014, with the initial plan
to complete the design by March 2015. However, finalization of the design completion report and bid documents was
delayed by several months due to the misalignment of the proposed technical solution between GoS and the World Bank
and the unresponsiveness of the design consultant to comments on various aspects of the design and bidding documents.
The Aide Memoire from the mission in June 2015 noted that these documents were five months overdue, adding that the
following issues contributed to the delay in finalizing them: (i) lack of specialized expertise in Samoa to design, construct,
and supervise a single-span superstructure made up of a pre-stressed, precast concrete hollow core beams; (ii) lack of
crane for placing the beams once cast in-country; (iii) unresponsiveness of the design consultant to LTA comments; (iv)
need for additional safeguards measures to manage the potential for noise and water quality impacts associated with
bridge removal and reconstruction; and (v) recent turnover and continued disruption of key LTA staff working on ERAP.
The Request for Bids was issued in November 2015, with the contract for the civil works signed in May 2016 and the
bridge open to traffic in July 2017.

25. Of the four original PDO indicators (all of which were output-oriented), two were partly achieved (57 and 71
percent), while the other two exceeded targets (114 and 175 percent). Of the two original intermediate indicators, one
was partly achieved (60 percent), while the other was almost fully achieved (83 percent). The assessment of each of these
original PDO and intermediate indicators is summarized as follows:

(a) Outcome 1: Length of roads rehabilitated to improved standards. At appraisal, the baseline value was 0 km, and
the target value was 10 km. At closing, ERAP rehabilitated or constructed 5.72 km of the project roads, indicating
57 percent achievement of the target. This indicator was dropped, and a same indicator measuring the length of
roads rehabilitated (but without the wording of ‘to improved standards’) and a similar indicator measuring the

23 The PDO formulation responds clearly to the original intent of responding to a specific disaster; however, through the life of
the project, the objective to a degree transitioned towards improved connectivity through enhancing the climate resilience of
critical roads and water crossings, as reflected by the revision of the PDO indicators in 2018. While the ERAP’s only emer gency
works for Leone Bridge were completed by then, the PDO remained unchanged due to the country’s high and growing
vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters as noted in the opening section.
24 This is partly because the original intent of “rehabilitation” was replaced by “rehabilitation and construction” for roads and

“replacement” for water crossings with greater climate resilience measures, which led to an increase in costs for Leone Bridg es
and Mali’oli’o Bridge and access road.

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length of roads constructed were added to the intermediate level, both at the restructuring and additional
financing in May 2018.

(b) Outcome 2: Number of bridges rehabilitated to improved standards. At appraisal, the baseline value was 0, and
the target value was 7. At closing, the project replaced 5 water crossings, representing 71 percent achievement
of the target. This indicator was dropped, and a similar indicator measuring the number of water crossings
replaced or rehabilitated was added to the intermediate level, both at the restructuring and additional financing
in May 2018.

(c) Outcome 3: Number of locations with reduced disruptions in traffic flows. At appraisal, the baseline value was
four, and the target value was zero. At closing, ERAP contributed to reducing disruptions in traffic flows at seven
locations (Vaitele Street, WCR Lot 2b, Mali’oli’o Bridge and access road, Leone Bridge, Moamoa Crossing, Aia
Bridge, and Nu’usuatia Bridge), indicating 175 percent achievement of the target. This indicator was dropped, and
a same indicator (but with the reversed baseline of 3 and target of 4) was added to the intermediate level, both
at the restructuring and additional financing in May 2018.

(d) Outcome 4: Number of instances designs informed by access audits. At appraisal, the baseline was ‘Access audits
not routinely carried out’, and the target was ‘seven project designs informed by access audits’. At closing, eight
project designs (the seven locations noted above and Central Cross Island Road) were informed by access audits,
showing 114 percent achievement of the target. This indicator was dropped, and a same indicator was added to
the intermediate level, both at the restructuring and additional financing in May 2018.

(e) Output 1: Agreement on key roads for reconstruction. At appraisal, the baseline was ‘No improvements’, and
the target was ‘Works finished for at least five roads’. At closing, works for three roads were finished, showing 60
percent achievement of the target. This indicator was dropped at the restructuring and additional financing in
May 2018.

(f) Output 2: Identification of specific bridges to be improved. At appraisal, the baseline was ‘No improvements’,
and the target was ‘Works finished for at least six bridges’. At closing, works for five water crossings were finished,
showing 83 percent achievement of the target. This indicator was dropped at the restructuring and additional
financing in May 2018.

26. The first revised PDO indicator ‘Improved connectivity through rehabilitation or construction of road network
to improved standards’ was exceeded, with 5.72 km of roads (147 percent of the revised target of 3.90 km) rehabilitated
or constructed to improved standards. At restructuring and additional financing in May 2018, the baseline value was 2.30
km (as Vaitele Street works were completed in 2016), and the target value was 3.90 km. At closing, ERAP rehabilitated or
constructed a total of 5.72 km of roads, including the rehabilitation of 4.12 km (2.30 km of Vaitele Street and 1.82 km of
WCR Lot 2b) and the construction of 1.60 km of Mali’oli’o Bridge access road to improved standards, such as through
raising the road elevation, strengthening the pavement, and increasing the drainage capacity (figure 3). For example, two
low spots with a combined length of 350 m within WCR Lot 2b were raised above 2.0 m mean sea level, while seven
drainage outfalls (five on Vaitele Street and two on WCR Lot 2b) were installed under ERAP. The ERAP investments in the
project roads enhanced road network connectivity, as demonstrated in the fourth revised intermediate indicator
‘Targeted locations where traffic flows will have reduced disruptions’.

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Figure 3. Photos of the Project Roads

Vaitele Street, during ERAP Investment Vaitele Street, after ERAP Investment

WCR Lot 2b, during ERAP Investment WCR Lot 2b, after ERAP Investment

Mali’oli’o Bridge Access Road, during ERAP Investment Mali’oli’o Bridge Access Road, after ERAP Investment
Source: LTA and World Bank.

27. The second revised PDO indicator ‘Improved connectivity through rehabilitation or replacement of water
crossings to improved standards’ was also exceeded, with five water crossings (167 percent of the revised target of
three water crossings) replaced to improved standards. At restructuring and additional financing in May 2018, the
baseline value was one (as Leone Bridge works were completed in 2017), and the target value was three. At closing, ERAP
replaced five water crossings at Leone, Mali’oli’o, Moamoa, Aia, and Nu’usuatia to improved standards, such as through
single span designs, raised crossings, and scour protection (figure 4). For example, the old three-span Leone Bridge (which
became impassable after TCE) was replaced by a 27m-long single-span bridge. In addition, a new 37.5m-long two-span
arch plus box bridge was constructed more inland (see paragraph 28 for further details on Leone and Mali’oli’o Bridges).
Further, the old 6.7m-long Aia and 10.6m-long Nu’usuatia Bridges were both replaced by a 18.2m-long single-span
modular bridge and the old Moamoa crossing with three pipe culverts (hydraulic opening of 0.85m2) was replaced by a 3-
cell box culverts (hydraulic opening of 8.1m2), all with scour protection. As a result, these water crossings enhanced road

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network connectivity by providing year-round access to road users and this is reflected in the fourth revised intermediate
indicator ‘Targeted locations where traffic flows will have reduced disruptions’ (see paragraph 33 for further details).

Figure 4. Photos of the Project Bridges

Leone Bridge, before ERAP Investment Leone Bridge, after ERAP Investment

Mali’oli’o Ford, before ERAP Investment Mali’oli’o Bridge, after ERAP Investment

Moamoa Crossing, before ERAP Investment Moamoa Crossing, after ERAP Investment

Aia Bridge, before ERAP investment Aia Bridge, after ERAP Investment

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Nu’usuatia Bridge, before ERAP investment Nu’usuatia Bridge, after ERAP Investment
Source: LTA and World Bank.

28. The scope of the project revised at the restructuring and additional financing in May 2018 aimed to provide
greater climate resilience to Leone and Mali’oli’o Bridges. During TCE, excessive flooding damaged Leone Bridge causing
one pier to settle and the bridge deck to crack. The bridge had been closed to vehicular traffic since then. At appraisal, it
was unknown whether the bridge would be rehabilitated or replaced. During design, the Government chose to fully
replace the bridge with a single span design (rather than a relatively lower cost multi-span bridge) as this would offer
greater climate resilience by reducing the risk of debris blockage and overtopping during severe weather events, key
issues which caused structural damage during TCE. For Mali’oli’o Bridge, several alternatives were considered for the
bridge replacement including designs and alignments, and the Government decided to construct a new bridge at a new
location more inland. The new bridge has provided safer and more reliable access, particularly during severe weather
events. It has also provided redundancy as the original ford is still in service.

29. ERAP improved road safety on the project roads and bridges through engineering measures, including sealing
road shoulders; developing bus stops; installing signages; and providing thermoplastic line marking, rumble strips, and
additional safety furniture such as guard rails, flexible bollards, and reflectors. 25 A post-construction road safety audit
was completed under ERAP on the WCR, Mali’oli’o Bridge and access road, Moamoa Crossing, Nu’usuatia Bridge, and Aia
Bridge. It indicated that some drains and driveway culverts on WCR were a high-risk safety concern.26 To address this,
ERAP extended its closing date by a total of 18 months from April 30, 2021, to October 31, 2022, to allow for repair of the
critical drains, culverts, and other safety hazards on the WCR, Mali’oli’o Bridge and access road, and the three c rossings.
The project rectified all culvert driveway headwalls situated close to the road edge, by replacing the vertical culvert
headwall on the departure side with a sloping driveable endwall, to reduce the hazard presented to vehicles that leave
the road and hit the wall.

30. Of the seven revised intermediate indicators, two were fully achieved and five were exceeded, with the
achievements of the targets ranging from 140 to 179 percent. See annex 1 for further details.

31. The technical assistance activities were fully completed. ERAP funded a study to review and update vehicle
loading legislation and regulation, and design standards for roads and bridges in Samoa. The study recommended
measures that would facilitate improved enforcement of axle-load limits by LTA. The recommended reform and drafting
legislation served as an input for the institutional and governance review being carried out under SCRTP. In addition, to
improve engineering testing undertaken by LTA, ERAP purchased the much-needed laboratory equipment, such as a
binder content analyzer for asphalt, a light weight deflectometer for subgrade strength testing, and the California Bearing

25 These mainly follow the key recommendations from a road safety audit completed on WCR in June 2011. The recommendations

were reviewed under SCRTP in 2019 and were incorporated into the detailed design for the civil works.
26 Ministry of Works, Transport, and Infrastructure. 2021. Post-Construction State Road Safety Audit Reports for the 12.5 km

section of WCR, Mali’oli’o Bridge and access road, the Moamoa, Nu’usuatia, and Aia Crossings, Samoa.

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Ratio test machine. Training related to equipment repair, calibration, and introduction of a quality management system
was also provided to LTA. Beyond the project’s closing date, LTA hired a laboratory manager in February 2023, as
recommended by the laboratory specialist engaged under ERAP. Together, the project contributed to enhancing the
sustainability of road and bridge investments through improved climate resilience measures, standards, and quality
management.

32. The project’s principal beneficiaries are people who use the project roads and bridges. As ERAP financed several
roads and bridges on all the four statistical regions of Apia Urban Area, North West Upolu, Rest of Upolu, and Savai’i; a
large share of the entire population of Samoa of about 206,000 (of which 49 percent are female) are regarded as
beneficiaries of the project.27 Restoring Leone Bridge damaged by TCE and enhancing the climate resilience of all the
critical project roads and bridges made road travel safer and more reliable for users in the event of a natural disaster;
provided benefits to other sectors, including tourism, agriculture, and general commerce; and provided health care,
education, and social connectivity benefits.

33. ERAP had important impacts on access to market and social services, especially for rural communities. These
include improved connectivity from (i) re-establishing direct routes such as the replacement of Leone Bridge, and (ii)
increasing climate resilience and helping to ensure access during extreme weather events such as at the Mali’oli’o river
crossing and the three water crossings on Upolu. For example, the Mali’oli’o river crossing was impassible for about ten
days a year in an average wet season and the local population was cut off from basic education, health, cultural and
religious services, places of employment, and centers of economic activities. Population living south of the river was
unable to access the two secondary-level education facilities, which are both north of the river. On the other hand,
population to the north was unable to reach the only treatment-level health facility on the island, Tavasi District Hospital,
and the main economic center Salelologa without navigating about 120 km of the other way around the island.

Justification of Overall Efficacy Rating

34. Rating: Based on the above, efficacy is rated Modest against the original outcome and High against the revised
outcome.

C. EFFICIENCY

Assessment of Efficiency and Rating

35. An ex post economic analysis conducted at completion shows an economic internal rate of return (EIRR) of 18.5
percent and a net present value (NPV) of US$29.7 million, up from the EIRR of 16 percent and the NPV of US$19.7
million at appraisal and the EIRR of 15.6 percent and the NPV of US$20.0 million at the restructuring and additional
financing in May 2018. It follows the same methodology used at appraisal and the restructuring and additional financing
and focuses on the economic appraisal of Component 1, for which investments amounted to 90 percent of project costs
at completion. The analysis was based on the actual investment costs, implementation schedule, and latest traffic. As
with the case at appraisal and the restructuring and additional financing, it covers a 23-year period from 2013 to 2035
and uses a discount rate of 5 percent. The benefits quantified included the reduction of (i) vehicle operating costs, (ii)
passenger time costs, and (iii) disruptions due to improved climate resilience (see annex 4 for further details).

27 Samoa Bureau of Statistics. 2022. Samoa Population and Housing Census 2021. Basic Tables.

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36. The project had several aspects in its design and implementation which affected its efficiency. Despite the initial
delays mostly attributable to slow progress of design for Leone Bridge, performance challenges of the PMC, and frequent
changes in counterpart staff, all the project activities were completed before the revised closing date of October 31, 2022.
GoS used additional time addressing the unexpected events such as measles outbreak (2019), election challenge (2021),
and COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022). GoS also managed to maximize the use of the project savings through the last two
project restructurings, which proved more efficient than cancelling the savings and using them under SARIP, which
became effective on October 4, 2022, the same month ERAP closed. As presented in Annex 3, the actual cost for
Component 2 was US$1.73 million, down from the estimated cost of US$2.00 million at appraisal. Similarly, the actual
cost for Component 3 was US$1.07 million, down from the estimated cost of US$1.40 million at appraisal, together
indicating the efficiency of these components.

37. Rating: Based on the above, efficiency is rated Substantial.

D. JUSTIFICATION OF OVERALL OUTCOME RATING

38. The split rating, as summarized in table 4, results in an overall outcome rating of Moderately
Satisfactory.
Table 4. Split Rating Results
Without Restructuring and Additional With Restructuring and Additional
Financing in May 2018 Financing in May 2018
Relevance of PDO High
Efficacy Modest High
Efficiency Substantial
1. Outcome ratings Moderately Unsatisfactory Highly Satisfactory
2. Numerical value of the outcome ratings 3 6
3. Disbursement US$17.50 million US$10.17 million
4. Share of disbursement 0.63 0.37
5. Weighted value of the outcome rating 3 × 0.63 = 1.89 6 × 0.37 = 2.22
6. Final outcome ratinga 1.89 + 2.22 = 4.11, rounding it to 4 or Moderately Satisfactory
Note: a. Highly Satisfactory = 6; Satisfactory = 5; Moderately Satisfactory = 4; Moderately Unsatisfactory = 3; Unsatisfactory = 2; and Highly
Unsatisfactory = 1.

E. OTHER OUTCOMES AND IMPACTS (IF ANY)

Gender

39. ERAP was gender informed, although at the time of project preparation, gender did not represent one of the
Transport Global Practice’s corporate priorities. A social beneficiary survey for CRWCR and ERAP was conducted in 2014,
and women were specifically consulted to ensure that their concerns could be addressed in the project design and during
implementation. The survey identified that many women walked along the WCR and were dependent on public transport
to travel to Apia. While many of the survey respondents focused on enhanced connectivity for women, safety was also a
primary concern, particularly for pedestrians and those taking public transport. Footpaths, drains/drainages, streetlights,
speed humps, pedestrian crossings, road safety signs, bus shelters, and speed limits on roads were interventions that

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were desired by many respondents.28 This resulted in specific interventions to address these concerns along the project
roads.

People with Disabilities

40. ERAP contributed to reducing barriers for persons with disabilities by conducting access audits and constructing
the features of accessibility. Access guidelines from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) were
used as a construction reference for road and bridge work to ensure that designs were inclusive of persons with disabilities
and the features of accessibility such as raised sidewalks, ramps, wider pavements, and signage were considered before
construction.29 As noted previously, access audits were undertaken by Nuanua O Le Alofa (NOLA), a local disability
advocacy agency, to determine where improvements could be made to the designs (figure 5). NOLA also provided training
to LTA on how to communicate through sign language.

Figure 5. Access Audit

Source: NOLA.

Institutional Strengthening

41. The project has strengthened institutional capacity through the establishment of LTA Project Management
Division (PMD) in 2015, which was initially set up to manage the implementation of World Bank-funded projects (ERAP
and CRWCR). Its mandate was expanded in the following years to include not only the World Bank-funded SCRTP (2018–
2025) and the Samoa Aviation and Roads Investment Project (SARIP, 2022 –2029), but also other donor-funded projects
under LTA’s jurisdiction, including the Project for Reconstruction of Vaisigano Bridge funded by the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (2017–2020), the Project for Installation of Mabey Bridge funded by the Australian Department of
Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the Vaisigano Catchment Project funded by the Green Climate Fund, and the Central
Cross Island Road Upgrading Project funded by the Asian Development Bank (2020–2029).

Mobilizing Private Sector Financing

42. The project did not leverage private sector financing.

28 LTA, Social Beneficiary Survey for ERAP and CRWCR, March 2015.
29 World Bank. 2017. Results Brief. Improving Access and Disaster Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities in Samoa.

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Poverty Reduction and Shared Prosperity

43. ERAP supported the World Bank Group’s twin goals of eliminating extreme poverty and boosting shared
prosperity by providing a large share of Samoa’s entire population with reliable and climate-resilient transport and
contributing to more efficient access to market and services, as well as safer and more affordable road transport. As
indicated in the RPF, investment in public infrastructure, especially connective infrastructure, is essential for the wider
economy. Improved climate resilience of critical roads and bridges on both Upolu and Savai’i helped almost all of Samoa’s
population with enhanced access to market and services, as detailed in paragraph 33, and safer and more reliable road
transport in the event of a natural disaster. It also helped LTA manage and maintain the roads and bridges effectively,
contributing to long-term economic development in Samoa.

Other Unintended Outcomes and Impacts

44. ERAP contributed to enhancing the capacity and sustainability of the local contracting industry with all the
works contracts, except for Leone Bridge, awarded to local contractors. Historically, major road pavement works in
Samoa were conducted by one large local contractor. To provide greater opportunities for local contractors to qualify,
WCR Lot 2 was unbundled into three smaller lots. While Lots 2a and 2c were awarded under CRWCR to the same large
local contractor, Lot 2b was awarded to a joint venture of three local contractors who had previously not worked on the
World Bank-funded transport projects in Samoa. While the Letter of Acceptance for this contract was issued in July 2019,
the works contract could not be signed until November 2019 as the joint venture had problems meeting the stringent
documentation required for environmental, social, health, and safety, and financial compliance, as well as confirmation
of key staff. The contractor carried out surveys and site establishment in December 2019 and physical works started in
January 2020. The works on Lot 2b were completed in December 2020 as satisfactory as those on Lots 2a and 2c.

III. KEY FACTORS THAT AFFECTED IMPLEMENTATION AND OUTCOME

A. KEY FACTORS DURING PREPARATION

45. The World Bank’s successful and long-term engagement in the Samoa’s transport sector through SIAM-1,
SIAM-2, PTRP, and CRWCR helped put in place the foundations for quick preparation of this emergency operation.
Under these past and ongoing projects at appraisal, assistance had been extended to support the country’s strategic
direction for managing road assets through financial support for works and technical assistance to formulate and carry
out sector reforms. It is also worth noting that, at appraisal, Samoa had joined the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Assessment
and Financing Initiative, which provides tools to support ex-ante disaster risk reduction measures, such as planning,
emergency preparedness, climate change adaptation, disaster risk financing, and post disaster support such as rapid
assessment. ERAP was built on the achievements and lesson learned from these projects and initiative.

46. Given the urgent need of assistance due to a natural disaster in a small state, ERAP was processed under
Emergency Procedures, which contributed to a compressed preparation period. The memo to seek the CD’s approval
to apply paragraph 12 of Section III of the Investment Project Financing Policy was issued on March 19, 2013, followed
by the combined preparation and appraisal mission from June 11 to 27, 2013; the Decision Review meeting on July 17,
2013; and the World Bank’s Board approval on October 17, 2013. This means that the total project preparation time was
seven months, which was much shorter than the average of 12–13 months in the Pacific. ERAP benefited from an
expedited and simplified approval process, which shortened the overall preparation time.

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47. The project design was simple and realistic and consisted of the activities required to achieve the PDO. It
focused on ‘hard’ infrastructure investments combined with ‘soft’ transformative activities, including the update of the
road and bridge standards and axle-load limit standards, improvement of the LTA laboratory through the purchase of
new equipment, and provision of training to introduce a quality management system. These ‘soft’ activities provided LTA
with the revised standards for designing and constructing roads and bridges to be more climate resilient, updated axle-
load legislation and regulations for heavy vehicles, and institutional capacity to plan and manage the road sector more
effectively.

48. Although the project’s implementation arrangements followed the successful implementation of PTRP, SIAM-
2, and CRWCR, institutional capacity risk rated ‘Moderate’ at appraisal should have been rated higher. ERAP involved
activities in several different locations both on Upolu and Savai’i, which stretched Government capacity. The Ministry of
Finance (MOF) was the executing agency, LTA was the implementing agency, and the Project Steering Committee
oversaw the project and monitored implementation. To mitigate the institutional capacity risk, the PAD identified the
need to hire a design and supervision consultant, and a private consulting firm as a Project Management Company (PMC)
to assist LTA with project management, procurement, financial management (FM), and contract administration.
However, the need for international advisers or additional support for safeguards was not mentioned in the PAD,
implying the expectation that the PMC would provide sufficient support to LTA to implement the project.

B. KEY FACTORS DURING IMPLEMENTATION

(a) Factors Subject to the Control of Government and/or Implementing Entities

49. During the first years of implementation, ERAP suffered from project management issues, including
performance challenges of the PMC, contract management shortcomings, procurement delays, and a concerning level
of staff attrition within LTA PMD. The continuous underperformance of the PMC was highlighted as a reason to
downgrade the project management component rating to Moderately Unsatisfactory in the Implementation Status and
Results Report (ISR) in December 2015. The ISR also noted that there was a general lack of proactivity from the PMC in
supporting implementation. The procurement documentation and semi-annual progress reports submitted to the World
Bank for review typically required significant modification, and the PMC’s support in terms of effectively monitoring
project indicators was limited. The high staff turnover within the LTA PMD, most notably for the project manager (LTA
had three project managers over 1.5 years since March 2015) also affected implementation. To address these challenges,
in May 2017, the Government prepared an action plan. FM responsibilities handled by the PMC were transitioned to
MOF Aid Coordination and Debt Management Division (ACDMD), effective from June 1, 2017, to allow the PMC to
increase its level of support to LTA on procurement and project and contract management. In addition, LTA hired a
technical adviser in late 2016 using ERAP funds to strengthen the project management function. The contract with the
PMC was expired on June 30, 2019, after which support for LTA was replaced with the new arrangements provided by
MOF ACDMD, the Centralized Technical Services Support Unit (CTSSU), and the Transport and Infrastructure Sector
Coordination Division (TISCD).30

50. The capacity for implementing donor-funded infrastructure projects was limited within the LTA PMD.
Frequent changes in project staffing within the PMD was also a major contributor to capacity sustainability challenges.

30 CTSSU is housed within MOF and is staffed with senior specialists (that is,
international consultants) tasked with providing high-
level guidance, training, and hands-on support on project implementation to all agencies working on development projects in
Samoa in the areas of procurement, FM, safeguards, and M&E; while TISCD is a coordination division within the Ministry of Works,
Transport, and Infrastructure (MWTI) that was established and financed through SCRTP.

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This resulted in long delays in procurement of consultants and civil works contractors, document preparation
(particularly procurement and safeguards documentation), and contract management such as delays in providing
contract extension resulting in contracts to expire before works were completed.

51. The implementation arrangements for safeguards management were inadequate for several years but
eventually strengthened over time. Although LTA was required to carry out the project in accordance with the
safeguards documents, MNRE also had an integral role in providing necessary safeguards-related clearances for LTA to
carry out road works. The PMC was tasked with providing day-to-day management and monitoring and implementation
support to LTA. However, it was not clear who was responsible within LTA and/or the PMC for managing the safeguards
process. The PMC, in part, was engaged to coordinate the activities of the agencies within the Project Steering
Committee; however, the lack of effective communication between LTA and MNRE on survey and land acquisition issues
resulted in significant delays. To address the safeguards capacity gap, a safeguards specialist was hired under ERAP in
October 2017, and a safeguards officer was added to the LTA PMD in January 2018. This highlighted the importance of
having designated environmental and social specialists in either LTA and/or the PMC.

52. The project’s focus shifted from emergency to non-emergency investments upon completion of the ERAP’s
only emergency works for Leone Bridge in mid-2017. While ERAP financed the emergency works for Leone Bridge, its
majority of funds were used for non-emergency works for Vaitele Street, Mali’oli’o Bridge and access road, three water
crossings on Upolu, and WCR Lot 2b, all of which focused on improving their climate resilience. This led to the ERAP’s
relatively long implementation period as an emergency project.

53. In 2019, the Government decided to invest in the three water crossings of Aia, Nu’usuatia, and Moamoa under
ERAP based on the bridge condition assessment undertaken with the assistance from DFAT.31 The assessment used a
multi-criteria analysis to rank the structures on Upolu in terms of their priority. It first established the bridges’
vulnerability based on (i) bridge condition, (ii) load rating, (iii) scour and undermining of the foundations, and (iv) climate
change. The 12 most vulnerable bridges were then assessed using a second set of social/economic factors, including (i)
traffic volume, (ii) alternative route (impact on connectivity), (iii) safety, and (iv) population (impact on community). Of
the top five priority structures, the two highest ranked involved maintenance repairs only, while the next three —
Moamoa, Nu’usuatia, and Aia—were selected for replacement under ERAP.

54. The Government’s decision to change the WCR surfacing to asphalt in November 2019 led to additional costs
and time for CRWCR, which led to the transfer of WCR Lot 2b from CRWCR to ERAP. During the detailed design, the
chip seal surface was selected based on technical and budget considerations. The bidding documents and civil works
contracts for Lots 1 and 2 were all prepared based on this design option. However, the Government decided to switch
the entire WCR surfacing from double bituminous surface to asphalt. As a result, the full width (carriageway and
shoulders) of the completed sections, which already had a double bituminous surface was overlaid with an asphalt
surface. While the change in pavement type contributed to improving long-term sustainability and the ride quality of
the road sections, it also increased the costs of the design and supervision consultancy and the civil works contracts, and
the time required to complete the works. CRWCR did not have sufficient financing for all the works, which led to a
decision to transfer WCR Lot 2b from CRWCR to ERAP.

55. The newly completed Moamoa Crossing was overtopped during the severe floods in December 2020 and again
after heavy rainfall in February 2022, which raised concerns about the capacity of the new crossing. In December 2018,
the design consultant submitted detailed design for a new multiple box culvert to replace the old crossing of three pipe

31 DFAT. 2016. Bridge Conditions Assessment and Maintenance Design (Samoa). Completion Report.

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culverts with the diameter of 0.60m (hydraulic opening of 0.85m2). The proposed design involved construction of 5-cell,
1.8m x 1.8m culverts (hydraulic opening of 16.2m2) based on the structure passing a 1-in-100-year storm. This compared
to the 2016 DFAT-funded bridge assessment that recommended 2-cell, 2.0m x 1.3m culverts (hydraulic opening of
5.2m2). The ISR in March 2019 included the over dimensioned design and costs for this crossing as one of the key issues,
stating that the World Bank was critical of the unnecessarily large size and cost of the proposal, given the catchment and
level of road importance. Subsequently, the project adopted 3-cell, 1.8m x 1.5m culverts (hydraulic opening of 8.1m2).
According to LTA, the cause of the recent flooding was primarily due to large debris and logs that were dumped into the
river channel upstream of the crossing during site clearing for residential developments in the upstream catchment area.
These materials were subsequently washed downstream and blocked the culvert inlet.

56. In September 2021, GoS identified additional project savings in the amount of US$1.6 million on top of
US$0.26 million identified in April 2021. This was mainly caused by (i) the variation to the CRWCR-funded WCR Lots 2a
and 2c contract to add an asphalt concrete overlay (valued at about US$1.3 million) that was scheduled to be paid under
ERAP but was actually paid under CRWCR to exhaust its available funds; and (ii) additional savings that were identified
from technical assistance contracts. As a result, the Government proposed to use the project savings to complete the
repairs of the road safety hazards on WCR and enhance the safety of the ERAP bridges, both identified in the post-
construction road safety audit. As noted in the Restructuring Paper, the option of cancelling the project savings to be
used for a forthcoming World Bank-funded project that could implement the needed road safety repairs was disregarded
as it would prolong the time to complete the repairs, and not address the imminent risk for those using the upgraded
roads and bridges. This led to a 12-month extension of the project’s closing date from October 29, 2021, to October 31,
2022.

(b) Factors Subject to the Control of the World Bank

57. Implementation support was adequate. For most of the project implementation period, the project
implementation support missions were carried out quarterly (rather than semi-annually), and the task team closely
monitored project progress and proactively addressed problems. Opportunities for improvement were identified and
acted upon, as noted in the agreed action plan at the mid-term review in August 2017, and as reflected in the
restructuring and additional financing in May 2018. Overall reporting in ISRs and Aide Memoires was candid throughout.

58. The travel restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic caused interruptions to the implementation
when the country was recovering from a measles outbreak. In November 2019, a measles outbreak claimed 83 lives,
infected around two percent of the country’s population, and had a severe economic impact on tourism and services.
On March 21, 2020, the Government declared a state of emergency in response to COVID-19, locking down its
international borders and imposing internal travel restrictions, social distancing measures, and limited working hours of
all government ministries and state-owned enterprises staff. Until Samoa’s international borders reopened on August
1, 2022, international travel was restricted with scheduled international flights suspended except for occasional
Government approved flights. These delayed the (i) import of materials for Moamoa Crossing, Nu’usuatia and Aia
Bridges, (ii) travel from Upolu to the Mali’oli’o Bridge site on Savai’i, (iii) consultant’s workshop for reviewing the
legislation and design standards with relevant local stakeholders, (iv) training by the laboratory specialist, and (v)
finalization of the bid evaluation of Nu’usuatia and Aia Bridges. These issues led to the six-month extension of the
project’s closing date from October 31, 2020, to April 30, 2021.

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IV. BANK PERFORMANCE, COMPLIANCE ISSUES, AND RISK TO DEVELOPMENT OUTCOME

A. QUALITY OF MONITORING AND EVALUATION (M&E)

M&E Design

59. The original M&E design was weak and did not measure project progress appropriately. The original design
included several weaknesses, including no information for demonstrating the achievement of the expected outcomes and
no information on what constitutes the target of all the original PDO indicators (for example, the target of 10 km was
provided in the PAD’s Results Framework without specifying which roads). As a result, all the original PDO indicators (four)
and intermediate indicators (two) were replaced through the restructuring and additional financing in 2018. The revised
PDO indicators (two) and intermediate indicators (seven) were designed to succinctly monitor progress made toward
achieving the PDO and advancing the project’s activities. They reflected the updated project scope under Component 1,
and the indicators chosen were straightforward to measure, time-bound, and did not imply an additional cost of
collection. However, the following three minor shortcomings were observed:

(a) Misalignment of the PDO and the two revised PDO indicators. To fully align the PDO with the revised PDO
indicators, the PDO could have been modified to “To improve the road network connectivity by restoring key road
sector assets damaged by extreme weather events and enhancing the climate resilience of critical roads and
bridges in Samoa” through the restructuring and additional financing in May 2018.

(b) Limited indicators for technical assistance activities. While there were indicators related to access audits and
gender-responsive design features, there were no indicators related to the update of design standards for roads
and bridges and vehicle loading legislation and regulation. The Decision Note of Decision Review for the
restructuring and additional financing states that ‘there would not be significant value added in including an
indicator related to these activities, particularly as their measurement is not instrumental in providing evidence
as to whether the project is on track to achieving the objective’.

(c) Overlap of PDO and intermediate indicators. The target of the first revised PDO indicator was the sum of that of
the first and second revised intermediate indicators. The same observation is applied to the second revised PDO
indicator, which had the same target with the third revised intermediate indicator. The PDO indicators consider
not only these intermediate indicators, but also the fourth intermediate indicator on traffic flow to show
enhanced connectivity. However, the Results Framework could have been simplified by removing the first,
second, and third intermediate indicators.

M&E Implementation

60. The M&E reporting of the project was undertaken by the PMC up to June 30, 2019,32 and then by MOF ACDMD
and TISCD in the form of semiannual project reports. However, the submission of these reports was often delayed,
especially because the outgoing PMC did not prepare the semi-annual report for January 1, 2019, to June 30, 2019,
creating difficulties in monitoring actual project status. While TISCD managed to prepare the report using data provided

32 No issues were identified on M&E implementation before June 2019. The M&E rating in Aide Memoires was maintained as
‘Satisfactory’ from November 2017 (when the rating commenced) to February 2020 (when the rating was decreased to
‘Moderately Satisfactory’).

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by LTA in a new template developed for SCRTP and MOF ACDMD managed to submit it to the World Bank after review
and verification, the lack of handover from the PMC to MOF ACDMD and TISCD meant that there were some gaps in the
project history, leading to ineffective M&E implementation.

M&E Utilization

61. The M&E findings were regularly shared with various stakeholders through the World Bank’s Aide Memoires
and ISRs after each implementation support mission. The M&E information influenced positive shifts in the
implementation direction through the restructuring and additional financing in 2018. The M&E data were used to provide
evidence of achievement of the project’s outcomes of improved connectivity both through upgrading of roads and
replacement of water crossings to improved standards. In addition, the M&E arrangements under ERAP beyond July 2019
have been institutionalized, with TISCD established and providing oversight and support in M&E.

62. The restructuring in April 2020 could have been used to formally revise the target values throughout the Results
Framework. The final target values for the first and second PDO indicators and the second, third, fourth, fifth, and seventh
intermediate indicators were overachieved from 140 percent to 179 percent as the length of roads or the number of
water crossings financed under ERAP became longer or larger compared to what was intended at the restructuring and
additional financing in May 2018. The transfer of WCR Lot 2b from CRWCR to ERAP could have been reflected not only in
the ERAP restructuring in April 2020, but also in the CRWCR restructuring in May 2020, given that the contract was signed
in November 2019.33 It should be noted that even if this transfer were reflected in the respective restructurings, the first
revised PDO and the second revised intermediate indicators would have been fully achieved.

Justification of Overall Rating of Quality of M&E

63. Based on the above, the overall quality of M&E is rated Modest.

33This is in line with the CRWCR ICR, which notes that the CRWCR restructuring in May 2020 could have been used to formally
revised the target values for the relevant PDO and intermediate indicators.

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B. ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND FIDUCIARY COMPLIANCE

64. At appraisal, ERAP triggered three World Bank safeguards policies: (i) Environmental Assessment (OP/BP
4.01), (ii) Indigenous Peoples (OP/BP 4.10), and (iii) Involuntary Resettlement (OP/BP 4.12); however, it was later
decided not to typically trigger OP/BP 4.10 in the generally homogeneous island nations including Samoa and this
was reflected at the restructuring and additional financing in 2018. The project was rated with an Environmental
Assessment of Category B and adhered to the World Bank requirements for environmental and social safeguards.
During preparation, the Environmental and Social Safeguards Assessment Framework and the Land Acquisition and
Resettlement Framework were prepared and disclosed in-country on June 24, 2013, and the World Bank’s InfoShop
on July 30, 2013, respectively. During implementation, the Environmental and Social Management Framework was
prepared and disclosed on August 31, 2016. In addition, Environmental Management Plans (EMPs) were prepared for
the Vaitele Street and Leone Bridge works, while Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs) were prepared
for the Mali’oli’o Bridge and Access Road, WCR Package 1 (which includes Lot 2b), Moamoa Crossing, and Aia and
Nu’usuatia Bridges works. EMPs or ESMPs served as the basis for the contractor’s EMPs or contractor’s ESMPs. They
were also annexed to the Preliminary Environmental Assessment Reports, which were prepared to obtain
development consents from the Planning and Urban Management Agency. Further, Social Impact Assessment was
prepared for the Vaitele Street works, while Abbreviated Resettlement Action Plans (ARAPs) were prepared for the
Mali’oli’o Bridge and access road and WCR Package 1 works.

65. Environmental safeguards compliance was overall Satisfactory. Aside from Leone Bridge, which was built by
an international contractor, all remaining civil works were completed by national contractors with mixed
environmental and occupational health and safety (OHS) performance. Key issues noted in the Aide Memoires in early
years of implementation included (i) not obtaining complete development consent for the Vaitele Street works before
the works began, (ii) noise management for the Leone Bridge reconstruction and removal works, and (iii) quarry
management and materials sourcing from closed or unregistered quarries. The third issue was a significant OHS
concern under ERAP and other transport projects in Samoa with many quarries not safely established or operated. This
resulted in a subsequent capacity-building intervention on quarry safety in Samoa. During the COVID-19 pandemic,
LTA provided a series of drone-captured aerial photos of construction sites at Aia and Nu’usuatia Bridges. These helped
identify issues, including (i) earthworks established within the stream, (ii) poor sediment control procedures, and (iii)
construction machinery traversing the streams and dewatering of construction voids. This also highlighted the
relatively low environmental and OHS capacity of the smaller national contractors and the need for closer oversight
from the supervision engineer. OHS hazards associated with civil works were generally low; however, there were some
significant risks arising during works again reflecting the low capacity of national contractors. Centerline works along
WCR combined with inadequate traffic control posed a significant risk to both workers (from passing traffic) and
community safety (for example, excavator swing radius encroaching into the traffic lane). A serious incident involving
a crane tip over occurred during Mali’oli’o Bridge construction and it was fortunate that no worker was seriously
injured or killed. The World Bank continues to provide capacity support on OHS to national contractors and to the
Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Labor, which is responsible for OHS. Notwithstanding, the Aide Memoire of
February 2019 commended the Mali’oli’o Bridge contractor for its diligent approach to site OHS, including induction
and management of visitors, highlighting that it is discrete high-hazard activities that need to be better managed.

66. The social safeguards management system was well established. Compensation for 13 lots affected by
Mali’oli’o Bridge and access road works, as required in the ARAP, was paid before commencement of civil works.
Compensation for the loss of lands and non-land assets for WCR Lot 2b was also fully disbursed by April 30, 2020. No
permanent land acquisition was required for Moamoa Crossing and Aia and Nu’usuatia Bridges, as the works were

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carried out on the footprints of the crossings that were replaced. While there were temporary impacts and some loss
of trees and crops and minor structures associated with diversion roads and temporary crossings for Moamoa and
Nu’usuatia (not for Aia where temporary crossing was not needed), mitigation of these impacts was addressed in the
ESMPs and no ARAPs were required for the three crossings. A Grievance and Complaint Logging System (GCLS) was
used for all civil works contracts. The GCLS was regularly updated by the LTA’s safeguards officer. Information about
accessing the CGLS webpage was included on LTA’s Facebook site and public notice boards in the project areas. The
task team provided training on the GCLS to upload previous complaints into the system. Complaints received directly
by the contractor were being recorded in the contractor’s register. Complaints were related to requests for information
about the works schedules, boundary of the road reserve, and compensation rates for trees and crops. These were
dealt with adequately. The GCLS was replaced by a simplified Excel-based grievance redress mechanism (GRM) in the
last year of implementation.

67. Procurement under ERAP was carried out in accordance with the World Bank’s Procurement Guidelines,
relevant provisions in the Financing Agreement, and the project’s Procurement Plan. In January 2017, procurement
procedural errors (for example, not consistently submitting procurement packages for approval or review that follow
the World Bank’s guidelines, resulting in the need for extensive follow-up and additional implementation support) and
lengthy delays were noted as a reason to downgrade the procurement risk rating from Moderately Satisfactory to
Moderately Unsatisfactory. However, the rating was increased to Moderately Satisfactory in November 2017 due to
positive progress in taking measures to address capacity shortfalls and concurrent implementation progress. The
project was also transitioned to using the Systematic Tracking of Exchanges in Procurement (STEP) tool. This
Moderately Satisfactory rating was maintained until project closure.

68. A major issue cutting across the IDA portfolio and affecting CRWCR was the handling of contract tax
liabilities. The application of taxes to project contracts previously caused delays or an inability to complete
procurement for multiple contracts. In April 2017, GoS confirmed that all contracts should be inclusive of all taxes
(direct and indirect), with LTA/MOF deducting tax liabilities from contract payment obligations to the Ministry of
Revenue. To avoid issues and delays at contract negotiations, it was agreed that LTA/MOF would involve the Attorney
General’s Office and the Tax Unit of the Revenue Division in early review of Requests for Proposals and Bidding
Documents (including draft contract documents) to ensure consistency of language on taxes (including withholding
tax).

69. One of the key FM issues encountered during implementation was excessive burn rate of the PMC contract
compared to the rate of project progress. The PMC contract was time-based; however, invoices were raised for the
maximum monthly amount with no timesheets provided showing actual time worked. This led to an Integrity Vice
Presidency investigation concerning payments related to two consultant contracts (one under ERAP and the other
under CRWCR). The matter was raised as questionable expenditures and investigation and analysis into all the contract
invoices and payments performed, leading the World Bank to declare ineligible expenditures. On November 14, 2016,
the issue was reported to MOF, which oversaw the resulting corrective actions taken. Subsequently, MOF repaid the
declared ineligible expenditures.

70. In June 2017, FM responsibilities handled by the PMC were transferred to MOF ACDMD. In January 2017, the
increasing frequency of late submission of financial reports, lack of adequate information in the financial reports, and
declared ineligible expenditures were noted as reasons to downgrade the FM rating from Moderately Satisfactory to
Moderately Unsatisfactory. However, in August 2017, the rating was increased to Moderately Satisfactory due to the
improved quality of the audited financial statements and unaudited interim financial reports (IFRs) to include adequate

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information, improved timeliness of submission of IFRs, action and resolution of the declared ineligible expenditures,
and the Designated Account being active. This shows that the change in FM arrangements helped lead to improved
governance. This Moderately Satisfactory rating was maintained until the project closure.

71. An acceptable FM system was maintained throughout implementation; however, identification of
additional project savings in September 2021 led to the 12-month extension of the project’s closing date to October
31, 2022. All IFRs up to the quarter ending December 31, 2022, have been submitted and accepted. All required audited
project financial statements up to the year ending June 30, 2022, have been submitted and accepted. The audits were
conducted in compliance with International Standards on Auditing, providing opinion on the project financial
statements, such as Statement of Cash Receipts and Payments and Statement of Comparison of Actual and Budget,
along with the relevant notes to the financial statements. The auditor provided unqualified (clean) opinions for them.
The auditors recommended MOF to perform value added goods and services tax reconciliation for all payments made
to the WCR supervision consultant, and results will be reported in the final project audit, which will cover eight-month
period (including the four-month grace period) from July 1, 2022, to February 28, 2023, and will be due on December
31, 2023.

C. BANK PERFORMANCE

Quality at Entry

72. The task team considered lessons learned from SIAM-2, PTRP, and CRWCR including (i) designing structural
investments to incorporate the natural hazards and climate risks they will face and not merely to previous standards,
(ii) using proven and familiar technologies for designs and procedures for civil works, (iii) closely coordinating with
other donors for delivering assistance efficiency and effectively, and (iv) providing intensive implementation support
for emergency operations. The team adopted a systematic approach by integrating infrastructure investments with
complementary technical assistance activities. Although the project was prepared under emergency procedures, it was
strategically relevant to GoS development priorities and aligned with the World Bank’s guiding documents at the time of
preparation. As noted in paragraph 48, the ‘Moderate’ institutional capacity risk at appraisal was considered low;
however, overall, the team properly identified the risks of implementing a large transport infrastructure project and
prepared appropriate mitigation measures. The project’s preparation was overseen on the World Bank side by one task
team leader (TTL) who had worked on projects in similar contexts, including CRWCR.

Quality of Supervision

73. The task team conducted 22 implementation support missions, including the launch mission in June 2014 and
the mid-term review mission in August 2017. For most of the project implementation period, the team conducted project
implementation support missions quarterly rather than semiannually. TTLs were changed three times during its nine years
of implementation, which could have meant some loss of ‘institutional knowledge’ or history of the project. This was
mitigated through (i) the incoming TTL working as co-TTL with the outgoing TTL for a period in the first instance, (ii) the
outgoing TTL and co-TTL continuing as TTL and co-TTL for SCRTP in the second instance, and (iii) the incoming TTL being
the former TTL for ERAP with the same co-TTL maintained in the third instance. The Borrower’s draft ICR was provided on
October 6, 2022; however, the revised version is still pending at the time of finalizing this ICR.

74. The task team and the Country Management Unit worked proactively with the GoS counterpart to respond to
the evolving needs of the country’s transport sector throughout implementation. The six project restructurings,

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synergies with other World Bank-funded projects, change in implementation modality, and frequent missions are all signs
that the team mobilized and brought constructive solutions to move the project forward. It should also be noted that,
despite the challenges flagged with implementation, safeguards, the need to modify the Results Framework, and the need
to extend the project’s closing date four times; the progress towards achieving the PDO and Overall Implementation
Progress were rated as either Satisfactory or Moderately Satisfactory in the ISRs through the project lifetime. The team
should be commended for its continuous high level of commitment to the project.

Justification of Overall Rating of Bank Performance

75. Based on the above, the overall Bank performance is rated Satisfactory.

D. RISK TO DEVELOPMENT OUTCOME

76. At completion, the risk to development outcome is considered Substantial due to frequent severe weather
events in Samoa. ERAP substantially improved the climate resilience of the project roads and bridges and made a
transformative impact in enhancing local capacity to develop a more climate-resilient road network. Natural hazards
and climate risks continue to pose threats to the sustainability of the investments. The likelihood of future severe
weather events in Samoa is almost certain, and the impact of these events could potentially be catastrophic. The design
of climate resilient infrastructure investments under ERAP was guided by the Vulnerability Assessment and Climate
Resilient Road Strategy prepared under CRWCR. The upgraded roads and bridges are covered under the Government-
funded area-based annual routine maintenance. However, with the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme
weather and climate events, there is still a substantial risk that the segment of the project roads and bridges upgraded
through ERAP could be affected within its lifespan, as already witnessed at Moamoa Crossing.

V. LESSONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

77. In smaller and highly exposed economies, a thematically structured yet flexible design in terms of PDO (as
ERAP had) may be better to accommodate likely changes. While the guidance is for the scope of the PDO to be specific,
having a broader PDO can provide the flexibility to accommodate emerging needs, which may only become apparent
during implementation. In this case, it was possible to add the Mali’oli’o Bridge and access road, three water crossings
on Upolu, and WCR Lot 2b to ERAP during implementation. This was possible as the PDO for ERAP was not too
restrictive by focusing on “critical roads and bridges in Samoa.” This ERAP design feature has been replicated under
the subsequent SCRTP and SARIP.

78. Intensive implementation support and careful expectation management are required for an emergency
operation. The World Bank’s longstanding engagement in the Samoa’s transport sector helped put in place the
foundations for quick preparation of this emergency project. However, it took 45 months from the Board approval in
October 2013 to the opening of Leone Bridge, the only ERAP investment for emergency response, in July 2017, due
mainly to slow progress of design, performance challenges of the PMC, and the frequent changes in counterpart staff.
The proactivity and efforts made by the team show that for a major infrastructure project such as ERAP, intensive
implementation support is required, and sufficient budgets need to be allocated to make it happen. This is particularly
the case for an emergency project that is put together over a shorter period and as a result, some details are left to be
defined during implementation. Managing expectation from both internal and external stakeholders is also key due to
the possible perception that an emergency project can be implemented quicker and not so much extension of the

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project’s closing date is required. These were not applied to ERAP as the project included both the emergency and non-
emergency investments and the objective transitioned from responding to a specific disaster to enhanced connectivity
through improved climate resilience after its only emergency works for Leone Bridge were completed in mid-2017.

79. A design-phase road safety audit is critical to avoid extra cost and time for rectifying some road safety
deficiencies that may be identified after construction. In March 2021, the post-construction road safety audit
identified that culvert driveways headwalls on WCR were a high-risk safety concern. As a result, ERAP extended its
closing date to replace the vertical culvert headwall on the departure side with a sloping driveable endwall. While this
contributed to improving road safety on WCR, it also led to rectification works in the amount of US$0.49 million and
extension of the closing date by 18 months. It is recommended that a road safety audit be conducted at baseline,
concept design, detailed design, and post-construction phases wherever possible, ensuring that climate resilience
measures also address road safety and do not pose risks for road users.

80. It is important to conduct an economic analysis to justify investments that are identified during
implementation. During design, hydraulic opening of Moamoa Crossing was reduced by half from the consultant’s
initial recommendation of 16.2m2 to 8.1m2. While the design modification was based on the then available cost,
catchment size, and level of road importance, it was not based on a robust cost-benefit analysis, which was noted in
the PAD as one of the four factors to be considered when selecting roads and bridges for improvement under ERAP.
To justify investments, economic analysis is critical, and this is especially the case for the Moamoa Crossing investment,
which yields the highest EIRR among all the seven investments due mainly to the relatively higher traffic of 6,831
vehicles per day (which affects benefits) and the smallest cost of investments (see annex 4 for further details).

81. The achievement of the project outcomes directly depends on the project management support. In weak
capacity environments, this is always a challenge—even more so when several donor-funded projects compete for the
limited number of consultants who can perform these roles—hence utilization of the same PMC for CRWCR and ERAP
and creation of centralized support arrangements under SCRTP. In addition, as illustrated in the theory of change, the
project assumed that the PMC would have sufficient capacity to assist with project management. However, this was
not the case and the PMC’s performance challenges led to poor outcomes, while also resulted in the high number of
missions (exceeding the requirements of two implementation support missions per year) and additional capacity
support not envisaged during preparation. It is also important to design an outcome-focused Results Framework from
the outset for a better project implementation monitoring and evaluation at completion.

82. Dedicated safeguards personnel should be in place to allow for effective facilitation and coordination
throughout preparation and implementation phases. ERAP required substantial safeguards input. Some safeguards
issues were exacerbated due to weak project management and lack of safeguard counterparts within LTA. Although a
consulting firm was initially hired to assist LTA during implementation, it was not specifically tasked with safeguards
responsibilities. While the situation improved once a safeguards specialist was appointed, this was only after the mid-
term review. Further, safeguards staff within LTA PMD and TISCD, as well as the high-level specialist under CTSSU were
only involved in the project at a later stage. Safeguards personnel dedicated to the project should be part of the project
from the beginning to ensure design optimization, reduce land requirements, and facilitate effective community
. consultations and documentation.

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Enhanced Road Access Project (P145545)

ANNEX 1. RESULTS FRAMEWORK AND KEY OUTPUTS

A. RESULTS INDICATORS

A.1 PDO Indicators

Objective/Outcome: Improved connectivity through rehabilitation or construction of roads to improved standards
Formally Revised Actual Achieved at
Indicator Name Unit of Measure Baseline Original Target
Target Completion

Improved connectivity Kilometers 2.30 3.90 5.72
through rehabilitation or
construction of roads to 31-May-2018 31-Oct-2021 31-Oct-2022
improved standards

Comments (achievements against targets):
Target exceeded (147 percent). This new indicator was added in the restructuring and additional financing in May 2018. Of the original target of 3.90 km,
2.30 km of Vaitele Street was rehabilitated and 1.60 km of Mali’oli’o Bridge access road was constructed to improved standards, such as through raising the
road elevation, strengthening the pavement, and increasing the drainage capacity, under ERAP. In addition, 1.82 km of WCR Lot 2b, which was transferred
from CRWCR to ERAP, was rehabilitated to improved standards under ERAP. Further, the ERAP investments in the project roads enhanced road network
connectivity, as demonstrated in the fourth revised intermediate indicator ‘Targeted locations where traffic flows will have reduced disruptions’.

Objective/Outcome: Improved connectivity through rehabilitation or replacement of water crossings to improved standards
Formally Revised Actual Achieved at
Indicator Name Unit of Measure Baseline Original Target
Target Completion

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Improved connectivity Number 1.00 3.00 5.00
through rehabilitation or
replacement of water 31-May-2018 31-Oct-2021 31-Oct-2022
crossings to improved
standards

Comments (achievements against targets):
Target exceeded (167 percent). This new indicator was added in the restructuring and additional financing in May 2018. Water crossings at Leone,
Mali’oli’o, Moamoa, Aia, and Nuusuatia were replaced to improved standards, such as through single span designs, raised crossings, and scour protection,
under ERAP. These water crossings enhanced road network connectivity by providing year-round access to road users and this is reflected in the fourth
revised intermediate indicator ‘Targeted locations where traffic flows will have reduced disruptions’.

A.2 Intermediate Results Indicators

Component: Road and Bridge Reconstruction
Formally Revised Actual Achieved at
Indicator Name Unit of Measure Baseline Original Target
Target Completion

Roads constructed Kilometers 0.00 1.60 1.60

31-May-2018 31-Oct-2021 31-Oct-2022

Comments (achievements against targets):
Target fully achieved (100 percent). This new indicator was added in the restructuring and additional financing in May 2018. As per the original target, 1.60
km of Mali’oli’o Bridge access road was constructed under ERAP.

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Formally Revised Actual Achieved at
Indicator Name Unit of Measure Baseline Original Target
Target Completion

Roads rehablitated Kilometers 2.30 2.30 4.12

31-May-2018 31-Oct-2021 31-Oct-2022

Comments (achievements against targets):
Target exceeded (179 percent). This new indicator was added in the restructuring and additional financing in May 2018. In addition to the original target of
2.30 km (which represents the length of Vaitele Street already rehabilitated prior to the restructuring and additional financing in May 2018), 1.82 km of
WCR Lot 2b was also rehabilitated under ERAP.

Formally Revised Actual Achieved at
Indicator Name Unit of Measure Baseline Original Target
Target Completion

Water crossings replaced or Number 1.00 3.00 5.00
rehabilitated
31-May-2018 31-Oct-2021 31-Oct-2022

Formally Revised Actual Achieved at
Indicator Name Unit of Measure Baseline Original Target
Target Completion

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Targeted locations where Number 3.00 4.00 7.00
traffic flows will have
reduced disruptions 31-May-2018 31-Oct-2021 31-Oct-2022

Comments (achievements against targets):
Target exceeded (175 percent). This new indicator was added in the restructuring and additional financing in May 2018. In addition to the original target of
four locations, traffic flows have reduced disruptions at the additional three locations where the ERAP investments were made.

Component: Technical Assistance
Formally Revised Actual Achieved at
Indicator Name Unit of Measure Baseline Original Target
Target Completion

Instances when project Number 4.00 5.00 8.00
designs are informed by
access audits 31-May-2018 31-Oct-2021 31-Oct-2022

Comments (achievements against targets):
Target exceeded (160 percent). This new indicator was added in the restructuring and additional financing in May 2018. Designs of Leone Bridge, Central
Cross Island Road, Vaitele Street, Mali’oli’o Bridge and access road, WCR Lot 2b, Moamoa Crossing, Aia Bridge, and Nuusuatia Bridge were informed by
access audits.

Formally Revised Actual Achieved at
Indicator Name Unit of Measure Baseline Original Target
Target Completion

Grievances registered related Percentage 100.00 100.00 100.00

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to delivery of project 31-May-2018 31-Oct-2021 31-Oct-2022
benefits that are addressed

Comments (achievements against targets):
Fully achieved (100 percent). This new indicator was added in the restructuring and additional financing in May 2018. LTA uploaded complaints onto the
Grievance Complaints Logging System (until the last year of implementation) and an simplified excel-based GRM (in the last year of implementation).
Complaints were dealt with adequately.

Formally Revised Actual Achieved at
Indicator Name Unit of Measure Baseline Original Target
Target Completion

Number of gender Number 5.00 5.00 7.00
responsive design features
31-May-2018 31-Oct-2021 31-Oct-2022

Comments (achievements against targets):
Target exceeded (140 percent). This new indicator was added in the restructuring and additional financing in May 2018. Gender responsive design features
were incorporated into the designs of Central Cross Island Road, Vaitele Street, Leone Bridge, Mali’oli’o Bridge and access road, Moamoa Crossing, Aia
Bridge, and Nuusuatia Bridge.

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Enhanced Road Access Project (P145545)

B. KEY OUTPUTS BY COMPONENT

Objective/Outcome 1: Restore key road sector assets damaged by extreme weather events and enhance the climate resilience of critical
roads and bridges in Samoa
1. Improved connectivity through rehabilitation or construction of roads to improved standards
Outcome Indicators
2. Improved connectivity through rehabilitation or replacement of water crossings to improved standards
Component 1
1. Roads constructed
2. Roads rehabilitated
3. Water crossings replaced or rehabilitated
4. Targeted locations where traffic flows will have reduced disruptions
Intermediate Results Indicators
5. Instances when project designs are informed by access audits
Citizen engagement
6. Grievances registered related to delivery of project benefits that are addressed
Gender inclusion
7. Number of gender-responsive design features
Component 1
1. 1.60 km of a road constructed
2. 4.12 km of roads rehabilitated
3. Five water crossings replaced or rehabilitated
4. Traffic flows at seven locations less disrupted
Key Outputs by Component
5. Eight designs for Leone Bridge, Central Cross Island Road, Vaitele Street, Mali’oli’o Bridge and access
(linked to the achievement of
road, WCR Lot 2b, Moamoa Crossing, Aia Bridge, and Nu’usuatia Bridge informed by access audits
the Objective/Outcome 1)
Citizen engagement
6. 100 percent of grievances registered related to delivery of project benefits addressed
Gender inclusion
7. Gender-responsive design features incorporated into seven designs for Central Cross Island Road, Vaitele
Street, Leone Bridge, Mali’oli’o Bridge and access road, Moamoa Crossing, Aia Bridge, and Nu’usuatia Bridge

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Enhanced Road Access Project (P145545)

ANNEX 2. BANK LENDING AND IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT/SUPERVISION

A. TASK TEAM MEMBERS

Name Role
Preparation
James Reichert Task Team Leader
Sean David Michaels Team Member
Miriam Witana Procurement Specialist
Stephen Paul Hartung Financial Management Specialist
Victoria Lazaro Social Specialist
Gerardo Parco Environmental Specialist
Isabella Micali Drossos Senior Counsel
Marjorie Mpundu Senior Counsel
Kuana Tupu Team Member
Shruti Pandya Team Member
MacKenzie Fillow Legal Support Consultant
John Lowsby Civil Engineering Consultant
Supervision/ICR
Sean David Michaels Task Team Leader (2016–2019, 2022–2023)
Rodrigo Archondo-Callao Task Team Leader (2019–2021)
James Reichert Task Team Leader (2014–2016)
Senior Transport Sector Adviser (2022)
Florentina-Alina Burlacu Co-Task Team Leader (2020–2023)
Keelye Hanmer Co-Task Team Leader (2019)
Oliver Whalley Co-Task Team Leader (2017–2018)
Eric Leonard Blackburn Procurement Specialist
Janet Virginia Gamarra Rupa Financial Management Specialist
Thomas John Callander Social Specialist
Craig Andrew Clark Social Specialist
Nicholas John Valentine Environmental Specialist
Rosemary Alexandra Davey Environmental Specialist
Nikolai Alexei Sviedrys Wittich Procurement Team
Nicholas Gerard Williams Procurement Team
Maeva Batham Vaai Liaison Officer
Lynn Ioana Malolua Team Member
John Lowsby Civil Engineering Consultant

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Enhanced Road Access Project (P145545)

B. STAFF TIME AND COST

Staff Time and Cost
Stage of Project Cycle
No. of staff weeks US$ (including travel and consultant costs)
Preparation
FY13 4.725 19,310.55
FY14 6.512 69,939.62
FY15 1.150 3,115.47
FY16 0 0.00

Total 12.39 92,365.64
Supervision/ICR
FY14 0 10,905.60
FY15 10.191 98,627.34
FY16 18.743 95,414.51
FY17 23.290 108,465.47
FY18 23.672 153,171.86
FY19 19.916 167,545.50
FY20 11.141 152,195.69
FY21 21.179 154,245.23
FY22 9.397 73,408.96
FY23 16.115 108,967.83
Total 153.64 1,122,947.99

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Enhanced Road Access Project (P145545)

ANNEX 3. PROJECT COST BY COMPONENT

Amount at Approvala Actual at Project Closing
Percentage of Approval (%)
Components (US$, million) (US$, million)
IDA GoAb Total IDA GoA Total IDA GoA Total
Component 1: Road
and Bridge 17.70 10.90c 28.60 16.21 8.65 24.87 92 79 87
Reconstruction
Component 2:
1.30 0.70 2.00 1.13 0.60 1.73 87 86 87
Technical Assistance
Component 3:
Project 1.00 0.40 1.40 0.70 0.37 1.07 70 93 76
Management
Total 20.00 12.00 32.00 18.04 9.63 27.67 90 80 86
Source: a. PAD
Notes: b. The GoA contribution after the restructuring and additional financing in May 2018 became US$9.71 million, which consisted of US$8.61
million for Component 1, US$0.70 million for Component 2, and US$0.40 million for Component 3 (see paragraph 17 for further details); and c.
In addition, GoA directly funded the supply of modular bridges for Aia and Nu’usuatia in the amount of US$1.07 million.

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Enhanced Road Access Project (P145545)

ANNEX 4. EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS

1. An ex post economic analysis conducted at completion shows an EIRR of 18.5 percent and a NPV of
US$29.7 million, up from the EIRR of 16 percent and NPV of US$19.7 million at appraisal and the EIRR of 15.6
percent and NPV of US$20.0 million at the restructuring and additional financing in May 2018. It follows the
same methodology used at appraisal and the restructuring and additional financing and focuses on the economic
appraisal of Component 1, for which investments amounted to 90 percent of project costs at completion. The
analysis based on the actual investment costs, implementation schedule, and latest traffic. As with the case at
appraisal and the restructuring and additional financing, it covers a 23-year period from 2013 to 2035 and uses
a discount rate of 5 percent. The benefits quantified included the reduction of (i) vehicle operating costs, (ii)
passenger time costs, and (iii) disruptions due to improved climate resilience.34

2. The analysis was based on observed data and informed assumptions on the abovementioned economic
benefits for with and without project scenarios. the key differences between the economic analysis at appraisal
and the restructuring and additional financing and that at completion include (i) the addition of WCR Lot 2b,
Nu’usuatia Bridge, Aia Bridge, and Moamoa Crossing to the project scope; (ii) the change to the investment
schedule from the period of 2014 to 2016 to 2015 to 2022; and (iii) lower actual investment costs for Vaitele
Street, Leone Bridge, and Mali’oli’o Bridge and access road than estimated at the restructuring and additional
financing, as presented in table 4.1.

Table 4.1. Cost Comparison by Investment (US$, thousand)
Investment Appraisal Restructuring and Completion
(2013) Additional Financing (2022)
(2018)
Vaitele Street 9,500 9,020 7,745
Leone Bridge 3,000 4,376 3,890
Mali’oli’o Bridge and access road 3,000 4,500 3,550
Subtotal 15,500 17,896 15,186
WCR Lot 2b — — 2,340
Nu’usuatia Bridge — — 1,330
Aia Bridge — — 1,285
Moamoa Crossing — — 739
Total 15,500 17,896 20,879
Source: PAD, Restructuring Paper, and IFR for Q4 2022.
Note: The costs of Nu’usuatia and Aia Bridges include those for supplying modular bridges in the amount of US$1.07 million,
which was procured separately from the civil works contract.

3. Traffic counts were conducted under ERAP from August to October 2021 at 80 stations on Upolu and in
February 2022 at 20 stations on Savai’i. For each station, traffic was counted for 24 hours over seven days. Table
4.2 presents the average daily traffic from the traffic counts for each ERAP investment location.

34 Although not quantified, it is considered that ERAP had a benefit from improved road safety through engineering measures.

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Enhanced Road Access Project (P145545)

Table 4.2. Average Daily Traffic from 2021/2022 Traffic Counts
Investments Average Daily Traffic Note
Vaitele Street 17,912 Traffic in 2021. Average daily off-peak traffic of 16,613
(92.7 percent of the average daily traffic) was used for
the analysis to be consistent with the earlier analyses.
Leone Bridge 5,774 Traffic in 2021.
Mali’oli’o Bridge and access road 851 Traffic in 2022.
WCR Lot 2b 9,009 Traffic in 2021.
Nu’usuatia Bridge 1,379 Traffic in 2021.
Aia Bridge 597 Traffic in 2021.
Moamoa Crossing 6,831 Traffic in 2021.

4. Total EIRR was 20.1 percent for the three priority investments and 18.5 percent for the seven
investments at completion. These increased from the EIRR of 16 percent at appraisal and 15.6 percent at the
restructuring and additional financing (table 4.3).

Table 4.3. EIRR Comparison by Investment (%)
Investment Appraisal Restructuring and Completion
(2013) Additional Financing (2022)
(2018)
Vaitele Street 10 10.3 12.4
Leone Bridge 49 35.2 41.7
Mali’oli’o Bridge and access road 4 2.3 7.7
Subtotal 16 15.6 20.1
WCR Lot 2b — — 7.0
Nu’usuatia Bridge — — 8.2
Aia Bridge — — 3.6
Moamoa Crossing — — 48.8
Total 16 15.6 18.5

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The World Bank
Enhanced Road Access Project (P145545)

ANNEX 5. BORROWER, CO-FINANCIER AND OTHER PARTNER/STAKEHOLDER COMMENTS

1. The ICR was shared with GoS and DFAT for review and comments on March 28, 2023. The following
comments were received from MOF on April 14, 2023, while no comments were received from DFAT:

Please find attached MOF’s comments on the ICR report received. We made note of the progress and findings,
our comments are specifically on the role of MOF especially the ACDMD in the project’s implementation and
monitoring oversight.

It is very important for the Bank to note for future reporting as well, that the roles perform and expected of the
division is integrated/incorporated in any assessments and reports. Given the limited number of staff in the
division that manage/monitor the Aid Portfolio including the Bank’s portfolio.

Comments
To consider the changes made when the PMC contract completed and transitioned to the MOF ACDMD and
TISCD to continue the roles previously performed by the PMC.

This change impacted on the progress/results on FM, procurement and M & E in later part of the project and
the ICR.

The changes whilst positively impacted on the project’s progress to completion, it also impacted on the
capacity of the ACDMD, where limited number of trained/experienced staff supported the functions and had
implications on performance on other projects in the Aid portfolio. The ACDMD is directly responsible to
perform the responsibilities require of MOF as the EA for this project and all other funded projects.
Reflect the ACDMD MOF support – FM, M & E verification and submissions etc.
MOF ACDMD is also part of this M & E process. The progress reports prepared and submitted by the TISCD
were reviewed and verified by MOF (including changes/clarifications sought on progress from the TISCD and
IAs) and MOF submits to the Bank.
The bidders (consultants/contractors) are obligated to do their own due diligence and research on the
applicable laws of Samoa. Including the tax obligations and treatment of taxes.
Only withholding taxes were deducted directly by MOF, and ONLY for the claims that were processed through
the Government financial management systems as per requirement of the tax laws. The funds deducted were
transferred directly to the Revenue accounts.

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Enhanced Road Access Project (P145545)

ANNEX 6. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

Government of Samoa. 2022. Pathway for the Development of Samoa FY2021/22–FY2025/26.
https://www.mof.gov.ws/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/MOF_PATHWAY-DEVELOPMENT-SAMOA.pdf.

Government of Samoa. Population and Housing Census 2011. Analytical Report.

Government of Samoa. 2021. Samoa 2040, Transforming Samoa to a higher growth path.
https://www.mof.gov.ws/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Samoa-2040-Final.pdf.

Government of Samoa. 2023. Transport and Infrastructure Sector Plan 2022/2023–2027/2028 (draft).

Government of Samoa and United Nations Development Programme. 2016. Samoa Hardship and Poverty Report:
Analysis of the 2013/2014 Household Income and Expenditure Survey.
https://www.undp.org/samoa/publications/samoa-hardship-and-poverty-report.

Land Transport Authority. 2015. Social Beneficiary Survey for ERAP and CRWCR.

Land Transport Authority. Corporate Plan 2023–2026.
https://lta.gov.ws/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Corporate-Plan-2023-2026.pdf.

Pacific Catastrophe Risk Assessment and Financing Initiative. 2011. Country Risk Profile: Samoa.

Pacific Climate Change Science Program. 2011. Climate Change in the Pacific: Scientific Assessment and New
Research, Volume 2: Country Reports.

Samoa: Strategic Program for Climate Resilience prepared for the Pilot Program for Climate Resilience. 2011.

World Bank. Aide Memoires for ERAP.

World Bank. Implementation Status and Results Reports for ERAP.

World Bank. 2013. Financing Agreement for ERAP.
https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/693631468303589712/pdf/RAD1267186163.pdf.

World Bank. 2013. Project Appraisal Document for ERAP. Report No: 78411-WS.
https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/142021468304469637/pdf/784110PAD0Samo0100OUO0900Box
379843B.pdf.

World Bank. 2016. Restructuring Paper on a Proposed Project Restructuring of ERAP. Report No: RES22088.

World Bank. 2017. Results Brief. Improving Access and Disaster Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities in
Samoa.
https://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2017/12/01/improving-access-and-disaster-preparedness-for-persons-
with-disabilities-in-samoa.

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World Bank. 2018. Project Paper on a Proposed Restructuring and Additional Financing of ERAP. Report No:
PAD2699.

World Bank. 2018. Restructuring Paper on a Proposed Project Restructuring of ERAP. Report No: RES29944.
https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/180851540519074344/pdf/Disclosable-Restructuring-Paper-
Enhanced-Road-Access-Project-P145545.pdf.

World Bank. 2020. Restructuring Paper on a Proposed Project Restructuring of ERAP. Report No: RES41313.
https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/800501587594617131/pdf/Disclosable-Restructuring-Paper-
Enhanced-Road-Access-Project-P145545.pdf.

World Bank. 2021. Implementation Completion and Results Report for CRWCR. Report No. ICR00005112.
https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/122611624539758002/pdf/Samoa-Enhancing-the-Climate-
Resilience-of-the-West-Coast-Road-Project.pdf.

World Bank. 2021. Restructuring Paper on a Proposed Project Restructuring of ERAP. Report No: RES46284.
https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/955081618929252469/pdf/Disclosable-Restructuring-Paper-
Enhanced-Road-Access-Project-P145545.pdf.

World Bank. 2021. Restructuring Paper on a Proposed Project Restructuring of ERAP. Report No: RES48641.
https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/377381635307572143/pdf/Disclosable-Restructuring-Paper-
Enhanced-Road-Access-Project-P145545.pdf.

World Bank Group. Country Partnership Strategy for Samoa FY2012–FY2016. Report No: 67194.
https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/518881468306858961/pdf/671940CAS0P1300Official0Use0Only
090.pdf.

World Bank Group. Regional Partnership Framework for Kiribati, Republic of Nauru, Republic of the Marshall
Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, Independent State of Samoa, Kingdom of Tonga,
Tuvalu, and Vanuatu FY2017–FY2021.
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/28546.

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ANNEX 7. PROJECT MAP

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