The Management And Issues Research Of Urban Transport Project Technical Assistance Component Loaned By The World Bank

In recent years, the World Bank has provided continuous support for the development and improvement of urban transportation in China to assist fast developing cities to resolve urban transportation problem and improve traffic condition. Technical Assistance (TA) is an indispensable component of urban transportation project loaned by the World Bank, which is usually called "soft-item" or non-physical project. Technical assistance project aims to solve technical problems in the process of project implementation, and to provide the necessary support for project management through carrying out a series of targeted trainings and studies. At the same time, technical assistance project will focus on major urban transport problems of borrower city, put forward related research projects and analyze these key issues in the hope of providing feasible solutions and policy recommendations for the urban traffic department and policy makers. However, local government and project implementation agency are often not fully aware of the importance of technical assistance project, and neglect its implementation and management, so these "soft-item" cannot play its important role in urban transportation project.This research takes Wuhan Urban Transport Project loaned by the World Bank as an example, endeavors to summarize technical assistance project management system and operation method of loaned projects, and assess the characteristics and advantages of the technical assistance project. Furthermore, this research intends to reveal the difficulties and problems during project implementation through research interview, and propose corresponding solutions and suggestions, which can be used as frame of reference for similar projects both under implementation and still at preparation stage. Hence, all levels of government agencies can gain greatest profit from project implementation and enhance institutional management capacity and scientific research ability.This research proposes that we should attach great importance to the added-value of the World Bank's loans, and realize that a more significant role of the loans is to introduce scientific management concept and system of project management through the loaned projects, apart from making up for the lack of government investment on the transportation construction. In the mean time, the projects loaned by the World Bank will introduce research methods, advanced technologies and successful experience of urban development and urban transportation development for the sake of avoiding disorderly development and urban transport development model based on cars. Therefore, when implementing an urban transport project, governments and implementation agencies should give adequate support to technical assistance project, make sufficient project planning and have good communication with the World Bank, and establish an appropriate management and evaluation system to ensure the successful implementation of technical assistant project, and maximize its role of technical support and intellectual support.