1 Country:
  Lebanon
2 Region:
  Middle East and North Africa
3 Name of the Program/Project:
  Cultural Heritage and Urban Development
4 Start Date:
  October 2003
5 End Date:
  December 2009
6 Project/Program Budget
  US$m: 31.5
7 Project/Program Funding Source(s):
 
  • WB/IBRD
  • French and Italian Govt. Grants
8 Classification of the Overall Program:
  Tourism is a component
9 Main Objective(s) of the Tourism Program/Project/Component:
 
  • Culture Heritage Preservation
  • Private Sector-driven Development
  • Urban Environmental Integrity
10 Host Country Implementing Agency/Organizations Responsible and Affiliated:
 
  • Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR)
  • Directorate General of Antiquities (DGA)
  • Municipalities of Baalbeck, Beirut, Byblos, SaYda, Tripoli and Tyre.
11 Funding Agency Contact Information:
 
  • Vice President: Jean-Louis Sarbib
  • Countiy Director: Joseph P. Saba
  • Sector Director: Emmanuel Forestier
  • Task Team Leader: Mohammed Feghoul
12 Implementing Agency Contact Information:
  CDR
Address: Tallet Al-Saray, P.O. Box 116/5351, Beirut, Lebanon
  1. Contact Person: Mr. Jamal A.R. Itani, President
    Tel: 961-1-981-375; Fax: 961-1-981-252
  2. Contact Person: Dr. Wafa Charafeddine, Project Manager
    Email: Wafac@Cdr.Gov.Lb
13 Recipient Agency Contact Information:
 
14 Program/Project Priorities to be Addressed:
 
  • Component 1 - Rehabilitation of Historic City Centers and Urban Infrastructure Improvements.
  • Component 2 - Archeological Sites Conservation and Management.
  • Component 3 - Institutional Strengthening.
15 Program/Project Objectives:
  The proposed Cultural Heritage and Urban Development project (CHUD) has two key development objectives:
  1. to create the conditions for increased local economic development and enhanced quality of life in the historic centers of five main secondary cities; and
  2. to improve the conservation and management of Lebanon's built cultural heritage
16 Program/Project Performance Indicators/Triggers:
 
  1. Support to local development and enhancement of quality of life in the historic centers of
    five main secondary cities is measured by:

    (a) increased culture, tourism and heritage related local employment, facilitated by the municipalities;
    (b) increased number of rehabilitated historic properties and public spaces in use for communal and tourist purposes;
    (c) rising property values in and around areas of historic and cultural importance.

  2. Improvement of conservation and management of Lebanon's built cultural heritage
    overall and in selected archeological sites and historic city centers will be measured by:

    (a) increased employment of professionals in conservation and management of heritage;
    (b) increased efficiency of archeological site and urban protected zones management; and
    (c) increased rehabilitation activities in historic urban cores in compliance with approved regulations.
17 Program/Project Results Achieved:
  Ongoing - awaiting evaluation.
18 Program/Project Means of Monitoring and Evaluation:
  The Project Management Unit (PMU) at CDR is responsible for monitoring progress against agreed-upon performance monitoring indicators. A standard format for Quarterly progress reports would be validated
during the Project Launch Workshop, which would be organized following Loan effectiveness. The
progress reports would cover
  1. implementation status;
  2. deviations, if any, from the implementation schedule and procurement plan;
  3. problems and constraints and corrective actions being taken; and
  4. updated disbursement and commitment tables.

The PMU would prepare a detailed mid-term report to serve as the basis for a mid-term project review, scheduled for the second quarter of 2006.

The PMU will also prepare and submit an Implementation Completion Report to the Bank within six months of the closing date of the Bank loan.

Beneficiary assessment surveys would be conducted for representative areas and investments to monitor the impact of the project on the five selected communities.

Consultants would also undertake post-evaluation technical audits on a sample of operations to ensure quality control, especially for works requiring special skills (archeology, restoration, etc).

Beneficiaries, municipalities and the DGA, would participate in the on-going monitoring and mid-term evaluation process and would be helped to maintain a database with relevant physical, fiscal, and socio-economic data.
19 Related Websites and Useful Information:
  Destination Lebanon: http://www.destinationlebanon.com/