| Project Detail |
Project Name
Measuring the Progress and Impact of Regional Cooperation and Integration
Project Number
58117-001
Country / Economy
Regional
Project Status
Active
Project Type / Modality of Assistance
Technical Assistance
The proposed knowledge and support TA will continue to improve the Asia-Pacific Regional Cooperation and Integration Index (ARCII) framework by expanding data coverage in underrepresented economies and exploring new indicators to strengthen its use and reliability. The TA will also aim at reflecting important aspects of ADBs regional cooperation and integration (RCI) initiatives and pursuant measurements, in particular the emphasis on subregional programs and applications in the areas of climate change and digitalization. Consultations with relevant operational departments and resident missions will be conducted to produce customized subregional ARCII estimates and assess progress in regional and global integration. The TA will also continue to produce ARCII estimates for ADB operations, including ADBs corporate results framework, monitoring of ADBs RCI Operational Plan, and assessing progress of ADB-initiated subregional programs. To complement ARCII and improve robustness, the TA will develop new bilateral and composite measures of regional integration. The ARCII and other RCI metrics will be employed in research and applications to assess the drivers of RCI and its impact on economic development outcomes.
Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy
RCI is one of the seven operational priorities (OP) under ADBs Strategy 2030 and is a fundamental driver underlying ADBs investments and TA support to its developing member countries (DMCs). Generating and strengthening RCI indicators is essential to inform, guide, and coordinate RCI strategies by policymakers. Quantifiable RCI measures are also important to assess the progress of ADBs RCI Operational Plan. From its inception in 2017, ARCII has provided policymakers, practitioners, and researchers with key indicators to track the scale, mode, and pace of RCI, helping to leverage RCI as a development strategy. It has been one of the leading indicators (Level 1) of ADBs Corporate Results Framework (CRF) and is regularly used in the evaluation of ADB-supported subregional initiatives. |
