Top Lessons by Subject

Time considerations 1. Monitoring and supervision: Investment officers and/or engineers should visit projects at least once a year outside the Annual Supervision Report, regardless of the strength of the sponsor. This is particularly important for: environmental supervision; hotel projects; and acquiring information when IFC has no board representation.   2. Underestimation of time requirements: IFC should be particularly careful in assessing the time requirements in the following cases: Risk Mitigating Action Land acquisition longer implementation schedule New product/market/supplier longer implementation schedule New technology  - longer implementation schedule  - more generous contingency allowance Agency line developing its project pipeline ex-ante allocation of more resources Credit line sub-project review  - training for intermediary staff  - direct assistance Family company transition to more formal structure define concrete steps and timing Managers in formerly centrally planned economies transition to western management standards training programs Changes in capital costs recheck late in appraisal process Long gap between site visit and disbursement do not rely on client's reassessment - recheck Recruiting and training skilled labor [not addressed] increases in agricultural production [not addressed]                       The above lessons are based on 26 lessons from past IFC investments. Last updated January 4, 1999.