Baseline Roads Evaluations and Economic Analysis: Niger

Status: Ongoing

On October 1, 2018, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) issued a contract to IDG to collect the baseline data and the endline data for an Economic Analysis and Independent Evaluation Services in support of the Niger Roads for Market Access (RMA) Activity. The RMA Activity is aimed at improving three roads totaling 300km in the Dosso region. The evaluation, designed to understand the impact of the MCC-funded RMA Activity on Niger’s economic growth, is an independent performance evaluation.  Since the MCC Niger Compact is ongoing, IDG is preparing for the baseline data collection and also collects the endline data for the RMA Activity in 2026, four years after the intended completion of the RMA Activity.

Region

  • Sub-Saharan Africa

Country / Countries

  • Niger
Africa

The evaluation is comprised of five Evaluation Areas:

  • Project design and implementation (EA 0): Review the design and monitor the implementation process to inform the evaluation regarding how the activity was implemented.
  • Engineering analysis and economic model (EA 1): Conduct a cost-benefit analysis and estimate the economic rate of return (ERR) and net present value (NPV) using Highway Development and Management (HDM-4) for the paved road and the Roads Economic Decision (RED) model for the gavel roads.
  • Maintenance (EA 2): Update the road maintenance assumptions and understand the organizational factors of road maintenance practices and the effect of MCC’s efforts to improve the practices.
  • Road usage patterns (EA 3): Identify changes in road usage patterns before and after the road improvement by analyzing expanded origin-destination (O-D) survey data.
  • Transportation market structure (EA 4): Analyze the market structure to understand whether road improvements cost savings are passed onto transport consumers.

This performance evaluation uses a mixed-methods approach with both quantitative and qualitative data collection. Primary data collection collected at the baseline includes an origin-destination survey, a vehicle operating cost survey, a road roughness study. Additionally, key informant interviews are conducted with road maintenance sector stakeholders and transportation market stakeholders. For the endline data collection, primary data collection includes two rounds of manual traffic counts, two rounds of origin-destination surveys, an axle load survey, a public transport user survey, a vehicle operating costs survey, a road roughness study, a deflection study, and a road condition study. Additionally, key informant interviews are conducted with road maintenance sector stakeholders and transportation market stakeholders.

Areas of Expertise

Public Financial Management

IDG conducts a cost-benefit analysis of MCC’s investment in the RMA Activity allowing MCC to compare the return on road investments consistently across countries and over time within them. The evaluation is designed to better inform future road investment decisions for MCC.

Cost-benefit Analysis (CBA)

IDG is conducting a cost-benefit analysis of MCC’s investment in the RMA Activity to model the Economic Rate of Return (ERR) on using Highway Development and Management (HDM-4) and the Roads Economic Decision (RED) Model, software systems developed by the World Bank for road management.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

IDG is conducting an independent performance evaluation of MCC’s Roads for Market Access (RMA) Activity in Niger by collecting the baseline data prior to road construction and the endline data four years after the road improvement completion. This performance evaluation uses a mixed-methods approach with both quantitative and qualitative data collection.

Knowledge Management and Learning

To maximize learning from the evaluation, IDG prepared a briefing note based on the evaluation findings report in English and French. In addition to the presentations, the brief aimed at targeting decision-makers within MCC and the Nigerian government and informing their decisions on future investments.