Poverty in Nepal is closely correlated with poor physical access and the country has very low road densities for a landlocked country.
DFID has been supporting the Nepal Rural Access Programme (RAP) for the last 10 years. RAP aims to address lack of access and social exclusion through the development of an approach to rural road construction and maintenance that targets the poorest and most disadvantaged groups, including women. Itad is managing the independent Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Unit (MEL Unit) of the third phase of RAP.
The MEL Unit is supporting the RAP team by measuring progress against set benchmarks and milestones, and undertaking thematic studies to review the programme’s Theory of Change (TOC). A detailed impact assessment of RAP is being undertaken, using a combination of methods, including a large-scale household survey, quasi-experimental impact evaluation, and a range of qualitative tools, including the Reality Check Approach. The MEL Unit is also working to build M&E capacity at the District level.
To find out more about the programme, visit the RAP website.
Reports:
Reality Check Approach Baseline Report
Review of the RAP-3 Theory of Change
Reality Check Approach Study: Experiences and perspectives of direct beneficiaries
Direct Beneficiaries’ Feedback Report: Listening to the voices of RAP participants
Independent verification of RAP 3 Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLI)
Reality Check Approach (RCA) Midline Report 2016
Technical assessment of completed RAP roads (Independent Verification, Round 2)
Review of Rural Roads Maintenance Planning in Nepal
Mugu-Humla Link Road Household Baseline Survey 2019
Endline Impact Assessment Report 2019
Institutional M&E Review of DoLIDAR
A value for money analysis for RAP-3
Policy briefs:
Management of the Local Roads Network in Federal Nepal
The impact of cash for works: evidence from the RAP in the mid and far West of Nepal
The role of Road Maintenance Groups in the Local Roads Network sector in rural Nepal
Image: istock/Mieszko9
