The ADB financed project sought to improve the road infrastructure in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang in order to link different regions in the province and connect them with the prosperity in larger cities in the country via an efficient, safe, and reliable road network. The project was to upgrade 428 km of Jixi-Nehe provincial roads system and build the connections between the local roads to the national and provincial road network system. The improved accessibility of goods and services to and from remote, rural areas will help in reducing rural poverty and is an important goal of the project. HJI Group was selected as the consultants to carry to social safeguard implementation and monitoring work for the project implementation.

Due to the nature of the Project and its broad, vast spectrum of human variables and affected populations, the consultant team carried out monitoring work to assess the project benefits and impacts to the impacted people. The work was conducted in accordance with ADB’s procedures and requirements that analyzed social and poverty impacts and benefits of the project, estimated social and economic effect of the road-system, and established county, township and village level indicators of poverty and social development for households in each affected area of the project. Using survey techniques and other data collection tools, the consultants were successful in providing our client detailed and quality information regarding the project’s benefits and impacts.