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A bird’s eye view on project execution in Guyana

February 9, 2023 by Clevern Liddell - Ravena Gildharie - Derise Williams Leave a Comment


During the pandemic, the IDB Country Office in Guyana embraced drone technology to advance project supervision, an innovative way of yielding greater value in project execution. 

“What date was that picture taken?”  asks the contractor looking at an image of a road construction project in Georgetown, Guyana.

“On May 4,” the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) transport consultant replies.

The Project Manager of the Project Executing Unit (PEU) chimes in, reminding the contractor he previously shared photos of the same site, and although it was now May 25, there were still work safety matters to be resolved. The contractor pauses before admitting the Manager is right and commits to having a dedicated team address each concern raised within one week.

For this transport project, that one image proved pivotal in reaching a timely and positive outcome for improving safety for stakeholders affected by the project’s implementation.

IDB project execution in Guyana
New and improved Sheriff Street with modern road safety features

Improved supervision

In fact, drones have become integral elements of IDB project supervision in Guyana. It is an innovation advanced during the pandemic when physical site visits were restricted.

The Country Office of Guyana first procured drones in 2018 to support sharing project success stories. IDB staff were trained to use these devices to capture images and videos at site visits. When the pandemic emerged in 2020, the Operation Teams saw an opportunity to maximize its resources while conducting regular site visits by developing visual progress reports to ensure consistent project monitoring, while minimizing health risks.

This approach to project execution has brought many benefits – especially considering Guyana’s vast landscape with rural communities scattered across challenging terrains where transport systems are often limited, costly, and constrained by erratic weather. Physical site visits require weeks of planning, budgeting, and logistics. A visit to one project site can take several days.

Before drone supervision, IDB-funded operations in Guyana, like the Citizen Security Strengthening Program (CSSP) that involved civil works at rural police stations, incurred high monitoring costs with physical site inspections. Supervisors travelled periodically from the City of Georgetown to the project area, requiring two or more travel days and overnight stay. Progress reports took several days to be finalized.

Now, with drone supervision, PEUs have real-time, reliable data to approve project deliverables and process payments faster.

Bartica Solar Farm under construction in 2022.

Environmental and social safeguards

Additionally, wide-angle images cover nearby communities that could be potentially impacted by project activities. This forms part of the new IDB Environment and Social Policy Framework (ESPF) fulfilling the Bank’s commitment to its Environmental Social Performance Standards (ESPS), especially those that address community health, safety, and security. The IDB’s environmental and social safeguard teams can access the data and make prompt inputs even when not physically present in the country.

In October 2021, a drone-led supervision exercise revealed a dire flooding situation at a police station, which previously went unnoticed due to the site’s remote location. Equipped with photos of the site, the IDB team was able to quickly engage the PEU to resolve the issue. The result? A more rapid response and an improved working environment for police officers.

IDB project execution in Guyana
With drone supervision, real-time, reliable data allows PEUs to approve project deliverables and process payments faster.

Similarly, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) at Guyana’s Ministry of Housing and Water uses drones to gather data on occupancy levels, informal settlements, and conduct assessment of beneficiary compliance. This has proven cost-effective and requires less manpower. Reliable data is captured more quickly and over larger areas.

One image at a time, this innovation is adding value to IDB-financed projects in Guyana allowing greater efficiency in project execution and strengthening synergies among internal and externals stakeholders. The result – continuously improving lives in Guyana!  


Filed Under: Caribbean, Digital Transformation, Guyana, infrastructure, Transportation Tagged With: Guyana, project management, project supervision, technology

Clevern Liddell

Clevern works in the Operations Team at the IDB Country Office in Guyana. As an Operations Associate, she has been providing portfolio analysis and project management services to several sectors including transport, trade, social services and public-sector management. Passionate about sustainable development, every day she gets to share her expertise in project management and procurement to help deliver project results to Guyanese, among other stakeholders. Clevern holds a BSc in Economics and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. She is an advocate for evidenced-based decision making, strategic planning, innovation, and results.

Ravena Gildharie

Ravena Gildharie is a Communications Consultant at the Inter-American Development Bank Guyana Country Office, where she concentrates on fostering public awareness on the IDB, its strategies, operations, and vision for the region. She also holds responsibility for engagements and dialogue with civil society in Guyana supporting the Bank’s processes for inclusive consultations, collaborations, and knowledge exchange with stakeholders. Ravena has previous experience in public relations, development communications, and journalism.

Derise Williams

Derise Williams is a multi-skilled project management professional with over 18 years of experience working at the Inter-American Development Bank and Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce in Guyana. She is currently an Operations Senior Associate at the Bank’s Country Office in Guyana supporting development projects in Energy, Housing, Fiscal Management and Innovation for Citizens while also working on initiatives to improve execution and strengthen the capacity of clients. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Post Graduate Diploma in Development Studies from the University of Guyana and a Master’s Degree in Project Management from the University of the West Indies.

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We provide unique and timely insights on the Caribbean and its political, social, and economic development. At the IDB, we strive to improve lives in the Caribbean by creating vibrant and resilient economies where people are safe, productive and happy.

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