Case Studies Of Project Sustainability

This report summarizes the discussions and conclusions of an Economic Development Institute (EDI) seminar on "Project Sustainability". The purpose of the seminar was to introduce the concept of project sustainability to senior government officials, to present an overview of project sustainability experience in Asia, and to assess the importance of the concept in Bangladesh. It discusses this concept, its importance to developing countries, and the factors affecting the sustainability of projects. It reviews project sustainability experience in agriculture, and in regional and urban development in Asia and summarizes the case studies that were used and the internal and external factors which affected the sustainability of the First Integrated Rural Development Project, the Universal Primary Education Project, and the Agricultural University Project. It considers some of the policy issues which arise in trying to ensure more sustainable projects, and it discusses the implications for project design and implementation. An annex presents a checklist which can be used to develop an index of the degree of sustainability of projects.