Briefing Note 019 – Programme Briefing Notes
Briefing Note 019 – Programme Briefing Notes
1. BACKGROUND
Rural Access Programme started design in 1999 with the financial grant assistance of UK government to the
Government of Nepal and has completed two phases of implementation in seven rural hill districts of Nepal. At
present, the programme is extended to 14 districts focusing on mid-west hill and mountain districts of Nepal.
2. PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES
Phase 1 and 2 - During its first two phases of programme the main objective of the programme was to create more
secure and sustainable rural livelihoods for the poor and disadvantaged in hill areas in Nepal through improved
connectivity, enhanced economic and employment opportunities and increased access to market and social services
for the rural poor and disadvantaged.
Phase 3 – In addition to the earlier phases, the objective of the programme is extended to local road asset
management with a major focus on district road maintenance, capacity building of central and local level GON
organisations, the private sector and policy harmonisation across the sector as a whole in support of GON SWAp
onjectives.
3. IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD AND DISTRICTS
Phase1 of the programme was implemented for a period of 7 years starting from 2001 to 2008 in two cluster districts.
In the east programme districts were Khotang, Bhojpur, Dhankuta, Sankhuwasabha and Terhathum whereas districts
included in the west were Dailekh, Achham and Doti.
Phase2 of the programme was implemented during 2008-2013, for a period of 5 years in the same.
Phase3 of the programme started in 14 districts in November 2013, following a 5 month inception phase. New road
construction is planned in Bajura, Kalikot, Humla and Mugu while road maintenance is the main focus in Achham,
Dailekh, Doti and Jumla. These eight so called “core districts” will also have a social and economic development
programme. The current phase implementation activities in the 6 former Rural Transport Infrastructure (RTI)
maintenance pilot districts of Dadeldhura, Jhapa, Morang, Parbat, Sankhuwasabha and Sindhupalchowk is focussed
on maintenance of the DRCN.
4. PROGRAMME BUDGET
Phase 1 implementation
GBP 36 million
Phase2 implementation
GBP 39.13 million
Phase3 implementation
GBP 31.5 million
Total
GBP 106.63 million
(NRS160 =GBP1)
5. RAP IMPLEMENTATION OUTPUTS
5.1.
RAP PHASE 1
 Road construction – 600km of road (SRN and district roads) constructed following the labour-based
environmentally friendly approach and participatory approach of construction and connected 3 district
headquarters (Sankhuwasabha, Bhojpur and Khotang) with national road network system.
 6.5 million days of direct employment generated
March 2014
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Briefing Note 019 – Programme Briefing Notes
 14,000 households involved in income generating activities supported by the programme to help create
alternative and sustained means of rural livelihoods.
5.2.
RAP PHASE2
 Road construction – 396km fair weather standard district road constructed following the labour-based,
environmental friendly and participatory approach of road construction.
 Bridge construction – 2 major steel structure bridges with 120m single-span (over Arun River in Leguwa and
Sabha Khola in Tumlingtar) constructed.
 2,000km of district road maintained in 7 RTI pilot districts.
 30 District Transport Master Plans prepared
 7.79 million days of direct employment days generated
 15,000 households involved in income generating activities supported by the programme to help create
alternative and sustained means of rural livelihoods.
 Provided support to institutional capacity building on M&E and sector assessment studies, norms and
standards and other sector related policies through DoLIDAR and MoFALD.
 3 Haat Bazaar areas (1 in Bhojpur and 2 in Khotang) developed and renovated.
5.3.
CURRENT RAP3 PHASE 3
 Local road asset management

Road maintenance – 3,000km district road core network in 10 programme districts 1 maintained, 15%
of the total existing DRCN in the country.

New construction – 94km district road in 4 districts constructed2

Road improvement – 67km district road improved.
 Social and economic development in 8 core districts
i.
ii.
Economic infrastructure

140 trail bridges constructed

43 small irrigation projects constructed

13 market infrastructure developed

4,640 renewable energy systems constructed
Income generation activities

15,600 households involved in IGAs supported by the programme.
 Institutional capacity building and policy harmonisation

500 staff from GoN and private sector trained

Central and district level institutional capacity enhanced thru annual support
programme
 Generation of short-term direct employment
1
2

4.1 million of days of direct employment generated

11 DTMPs prepared
Achham, Dadeldhura, Dailekh, Doti, Jhapa, Jumla, Morang, Parbat, Sindhupalchowk and Sindhupalchowk
Bajura, Kalikot, Humla and Mugu
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Briefing Note 019 – Programme Briefing Notes
6. FUTURE AREAS OF COOPERATION
The existing DRCN in 75 districts totals 22,000km out of the 30,000km required to connect all VDCs by road. In the
meantime the road condition of existing road network is not good due to poor or no maintenance. Most of these roads
are seasonal and vehicle pliability is constrained to 6-8 months in a year. Owing to the present situation more
resources are needed in the following areas:

Connect 800 remaining VDCs with road network system by constructing about 8,000km DRAN roads.

Construct 30,000m length of bridge to ensure all weather DRCN access.

Extend the current road maintenance programme to the existing total DRCN network of 22,000km.

Institutional capacity building at central and local levels of GON and the private sector to improve service
delivery and governance
7. ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR RAP3 PROGRAMME
In view of the 14 programme district requirements, RAP3 is substantially under-funded at half the investment per
district of the former RAP2. This limits the potential of the programme to contribute to the economic development of
western districts, such as linking Humla and Mugu to the rest of the country by road. In addition, it constrains options
to build bridges in the existing programme districts. RAP3 needs to at least double its funding to GBP 66 million to
meet its potential to respond to local demand of programme districts.
March 2014
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