1. Activities and Achievements of the Month
1.1 Summary of Progress
Starting from September, the Project Implementation (PI) Consultant Team’s national experts are constantly being present at the Project Office in SREDA. This has significantly improved the communication between the SREDA Project Implementation Unit (PIU) members and the PI Consultant Team. As the consequence, the Team’s activities expanded to include tasks directly related to the GoB portion of the Project. There were also better collaborative activities such as having the PI Consultant Team member accompanying the SREDA PIU meetings with the IFIs. The international consultant members also supported the national experts’ office activities by joining the activities through remote meetings on daily basis.
The PI Consultant Team’s data management works have also been going on, with the energy saving effect calculation standard setting work, energy intensity calculation work being continued. Not all of the work could be completed, as the Team is still gathering more information from some of the equipment manufacturers and suppliers.
The Project Director, SREDA, through an email communication on 21st September, expressed his expectation for the resumption of the PI Consultant Team’s international members’ field activities in Bangladesh. His expectation was based on the findings that some of the other JICA-funded projects’ implementation consultants have already started coming back to Bangladesh to continue their field activities. In view of such expectation, the PI Consultant Team is currently preparing for their earliest possible return to Bangladesh.
During the month, there was no progress with the NOC issuing activities. No new NOC request was received from the IFIs. It was, nevertheless reported from the IFIs that both IDCOL and BIFFL are eagerly preparing the submission of the new NOC requests.
1.2 Interactions with Other EEE&C Promotion Activities
A technical meeting with the IFC-led advisory activity, PaCT II (Partnership for Cleaner Textile II) was held on 2nd September at the IFC office. The PI Consultant Team shared technical information on the available EE&C equipment which can also contribute to the PaCT II activities. The focus was on the benefit of introducing the energy efficient once-through boiler, which also contributes to improving the safety against bursting disaster. The PI Consultant Team and the PaCT II advisory members agreed on continuing their dialogues to exchange technical and marketing information on EE&C promotion in textile and garment sectors.
1.3 Project Implementation Environment Improvement
Reinforcement of the equipment purchase and installation record facilities in the Project MIS was considered. The work is still ongoing, and is expected to take a while, as it requires complete consistency with the business process manual, therefore, careful study is taking place.
1.4 Project Administration Works
The PI Consultant Team, performing major part of the work at the SREDA Project office, requires strong administration to be connecting the international consultants in remote environment. The administration is also the core of communication between the Team and the SREDA PIU. Further, interactions with the other EE&C promotion activities (specifically, in this month’s discussion with IFC for PaCT II), was also another pivotal function played by the Team’s Project administration.
Another major task to be conducted by the Project Administrator included logistic arrangements for Project office equipment (hygienic and safety materials as a countermeasure against COVID-19 infections), office automation equipment (including a common PC in the office), and mobility management of the team members.
2. Appendices
There is no appendix to this month’s progress report.