Kosovo - Digital Economy (KODE) Project

Overview & Synopsis

Ratings for the Digital Economy (KODE) Project for Kosovo were as follows: outcome and Bank performance was satisfactory, and monitoring and evaluation (M and E) quality was modest. Some lessons learned included: nurtured through preliminary pilots and dedicated technical assistances, strong political buy-in at entry of the project was a key factor in its successful delivery yet lost some momentum mid-way through the project. In Kosovo’s context, the progressive roll-out of least-subsidy reverse auction schemes proved to be a winning design for addressing market failures in both fixed and mobile connectivity, all the while mobilizing private capital. Capacity building efforts were paramount to the project’s success and should have been reinforced on the topic of M and E. While succeeding in increasing quality of connectivity, the project’s efforts to increase inclusion can have included more efforts on usage objectives. When backed with a proactive Project Implementation Unit (PIU) and clear targets, restructuring can be an opportunity to adapt project activities to just-in-time initiatives complementing and strengthening project’s reach. The establishment of a comprehensive citizen engagement framework, the consultations with vendors, municipalities and the wider private sector both prior and during implementation enabled quick delivery, responsive management and cost-effectiveness. The training conducted shows excellent satisfaction and promising results in boosting employability, notably due to the adherence to best practices such as effective preliminary targeting work.