Introduction
 Malawi
relies heavily on roads for transportation of people and goods. About 90% of
Malawi population lives in rural areas and they rely on the rural feeder roads
to access to markets, health and school facilities, communication facilities
and socio-economic services in general. These rural feeder roads contribute
about 53% of the roads network in Malawi and are generally poorly developed
and in many instances impassable during the rainy season, making access to markets
and socio-economic services difficult.
 The
IGPWP roads component was therefore established to contribute to poverty reduction
by improving accessibility of the rural and peri-urban communities in the selected
IGPWP
beneficiary districts in Malawi and through creation of short-term and semi
long-term employment to communities where roads interventions are implemented.
The component is involved in the rehabilitation and upgrading of rural feeder
roads and bridges, and maintenance of the rehabilitated in the
IGPWP
beneficiary districts by use of labour intensive construction methods. The
roads are implemented through small scale contractors who recruit the communities
to participate in the construction of roads projects. The component is implemented
in all the fifteen
IGPWP
beneficiary districts of Malawi.
Objectives
 The
Roads Component's main objective is to improve accessibility of the rural and
peri-urban communities that will enable them access to various social services
and facilities such as markets, schools, health centres etc and to increase
income of the communities through creation of short-term and semi long-term
employment opportunities. By the end of the Programme the Roads Component is
expected to have rehabilitated and upgraded a total of 3 240 kilometres of rural
feeder roads and upgraded a total of 80 bridges on the rehabilitated roads in
the selected
IGPWP
beneficiary districts by labour intensive construction methods. It is also
expected to maintain a total of 4 050 kilometres of the rehabilitated rural
feeder roads by the end of the Programme. Through implementation of these interventions,
it is expected to inject a total of MK698 million to rural communities as wages.
Road Rehabilitation and Bridge Upgrading
- Implementation Modality
The District Assemblies (DAs) and the communities implementing the road projects
are involved from the very beginning with project identification and prioritisation
as a bottom up approach is used. In order to ensure sustainability rehabilitated
roads are put under routine road maintenance also executed by hand. The implementation
process followed is depicted in the diagram below:
|
Implementation Process - Road and Bridge Rehabilitation |
7.
Contract Execution
IGPWP Technical Staff in collaboration and coordination with DAs supervise
and manage contracts |
|
1. Project
Identification
Engineers conduct project identification and prioritisation meetings
with DAs and ADC |
6. Award of Contract
and Site Hand-Over
Approved tenders are awarded and the site of works handed over to
contractors |
 |
2. Roads and Bridges
Surveys for Inventories
Engineers and DA visit prioritised roads, carry out full assessment
of works to be done |
5. Tender
Openings, Evaluation and Adjudication
Submitted tenders are opened in public, with tender evaluation conducted
thereafter and recommendations presented to a Delegation through NAO
for approval |
4. Tender Advertisement
Works are procured in line with 9th EDF Procedures. Contractors registered
with NCIC are invited to tender for the works through adverts in daily
newspapers |
3. Design
and Documentation for Tenders
Engineers and DA prepare schedule of quantities, compile drawings
and technical specifications.
|
|
- Activities
Project Identification
 Road
projects are identified, prioritised and selected for rehabilitation and upgrading
in collaboration with the DAs and the Area Development Committees (ADCs) based
on the District Development Plans (DDPs). Based on the agreed list of roads
with the DA and ADCs IGPWP Engineers in conjunction with District Assembly
technical staff visit the prioritised roads and bridges and carry out detailed
inventories and then prepare schedule of quantities, prepare design drawings
and technical specifications, and compile tender dossiers.
Procurement of Works and Implementation
 The
implementation of the road projects is contracted out to local small scale
Civil Engineering Contractors registered with the National Construction Industry
Council (NCIC). Contractors are recruited in line with the 9th EDF procurement
procedures and with guidance of the Programme and in consultation with DAs
and local leaders contractors are given responsibility to employ the members
of the community who are willing to participate in the implementation of both
road and bridge works. The members of the community recruited on the road
projects are paid fortnightly by the contractors, a process that is closely
monitored by the IGPWP Engineers and DA technical Staff. In order to ensure
that the labourers are paid in time, contractors must submit their wages pay
sheets with their payment certificates for the period covered by the payment
certificate. No payment is effected without the labour's wages payment sheets
which show the labourer's signatures or an alternative identification as proof
of receiving payment.
Supervision and Management
 Supervision
and management of the road and bridge projects are the responsibility of the
IGPWP through its Engineers based at the Head and Zone Offices. Each Zone
currently has at least two Contracts Engineers and two Road Supervisors who
are responsible for supervision and management of road and bridge contracts
at zone level. The supervision is done in collaboration and coordination with
DA technical staff for each district where the projects are being implemented.
The Roads Manager and the Chief Engineer Rehabilitation based at the Head
Office monitor the overall management of the road contracts. Projects are
managed by use of a comprehensive Road Management System developed for the
Programme.
Road Maintenance
When the roads have been rehabilitated and upgraded, communities are further
involved in appropriate income generation activities through maintenance of
the roads by labour intensive methods in order to ensure that the asset created
are sustained.
-
Implementation Modality
The routine road maintenance system developed is village based and driven
through a model based on the length-man system where one person is responsible
for the annual maintenance of a one kilometer section of rehabilitated road.
The roads are maintained through road maintenance clubs. The road maintenance
system approach followed is depicted in the diagram below:
|
Road maintenance management system and implementation cycle |
7.
Length-man system
Maintenance work is done according to the length-man system whereby
one person is responsible for the maintenance of 1 km of road but
evaluation and payment is made to the club and the distribution of
income is done by the club management |
|
1. Sensitise
villages
The villages alongside the previously rehabilitated road is sensitised
by the Engineer/Road Supervisor & District Assembly |
6. Execution of works
Tools are provided to the clubs at reduced cost and payment certificates
are drawn up every month based on a bonus system |
|
2. Club establishment
The people who were identified by the local leader/chiefs are grouped
into maintenance clubs with one member responsible for 1 kilometer
|
5. Bank
accounts
Bank accounts are opened for every club and the management of the
club has dual signature signing rights for the account
|
4. Agreement
An agreement between the club and the PMU is drawn up and signed by
the club management. The agreement is in English and Chichewa |
3. Club
management
The members of the club elect the management, consisting of a chairman,
secretary and treasurer |
|
- Activities
Road Maintenance Clubs Formation
I n
consultation with the DAs and VDCs, village road maintenance clubs are formed,
capacitated by training and provided with the necessary tools and equipment
to maintain the roads. Preference is given to those who participated in the
rehabilitation of the road while it is a requirement that they must live alongside
the road. For proper management of the club, the members are required to elect
among themselves a club management team consisting of a chairperson, secretary
and treasurer. The number of club members per club is dependent on the length
of the road. An annual contract agreement, in the local language, is entered
into between the maintenance club and the Programme or District Assembly and
signed by both parties. The contract agreement stipulates all the activities
that each member is expected to do every month and the condition and mode
of payment for the work done every month.
Supervision of Maintenance Clubs
 Supervision
of maintenance clubs is currently done by District Assemblies with financial
and technical assistance from the Programme. A Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) is signed between the Programme and the respective District Assembly,
which forms a binding agreement spelling out the roles and responsibilities
of each party. This is part of capacity building of the DAs on various activities
of the Programme. The Programme's Engineers and Road Supervisors provide technical
backstopping and monitor the activities in order to ensure that the road maintenance
activities are undertaken as per designs. Since the DAs are expected to start
taking over full responsibility of the road maintenance in phase 2 of the
 programme
as stipulated in the Financing Agreement, the Programme decided to start involving
the DAs in the road maintenance activities from the outset so that they can
appreciate and adopt the system and the process. It is anticipated that the
DA involvement in Phase 1 will strengthen their capacity in the road maintenance
activities which will assist them to manage the activities in the second phase
when they assume full responsibility. The DA Road Supervisors are orientated
in the road maintenance management and supervision in order to ensure full
continuity of the system and they are always part of the training team that
trains the club members.
Currently, the system requires the DA Road Supervisors to visit each maintenance
club at least three times every month which follow a cycle of events in order
to ensure that all activities are done in time. The monthly road maintenance
system cycle is shown in the figure below:
|
Monthly Routine Road Maintenance Activity Cycle |
8 - 15th of each month
- Pay maintenance club members (IGPWP)
- Inform club members of payment (DA)
- Make copies of payment certificates (IGPWP)
- Conduct meetings with club members (DA)
- Normal supervision (DA)
|
15 -
20th of each Month
- Carry out measurements of work done (DA)
- Assign tasks to club members (DA)
- Normal supervision (DA)
|
1 - 7th of each month
- Process payment certificates IGPWP)
- Normal supervision (DA)
|
|
20 - 25th of each
month
- Prepare payment certificates (DA)
- Sign payment certificates (DA & Clubs)
- Prepare monthly supervision checklist (DA)
- Normal supervision (DA)
|
| |
25 - 30th of each month
- Submit payment certificates to IGPWP (DA)
- Submit monthly supervision checklist (DA)
- Normal supervision (DA)
|
|
Payment of Road Maintenance Clubs
Payments to maintenance clubs are performance based and are paid into the
club account that the clubs open with the financial institution of their choice
but normally found close to the area. Currently, the maintenance clubs have
bank accounts with Malawi Rural Finance (MRFC) and Malawi Savings Bank (MSB)
because their services are found and accessible in most rural areas.
 The
current basic rate for 100 per cent of scheduled maintenance works done is
MK 1,750 per kilometer. Members are also given a monthly incentive bonus of
MK 500 in addition to the basic rate for maintenance works, if the performance
and the quality of work done is above 75% of the scheduled work. The club
members are expected to spend only 30 - 40 % of their time (work-days) on
road maintenance activities. The breakdown of all funds distributed to the
clubs can be categorised as 81% spent on wages to club members (63% wages
on measured works and 18% on bonuses), 10% spent on training (road maintenance
and business skills training) and 9% spent on purchase of road maintenance
tools. Road maintenance tools are replaced after 24 months and this is estimated
at MK 3,000/Km or per club member.
 In
additional to road maintenance training, the clubs are also exposed to business
enterprises and management skills for further income generating activities.
The cost of training is estimated at MK 3,480 per club member or per Km. When
the cost for tools, training and supervision costs are included the cost distribution
of funds paid towards Road Maintenance activities is 80% of funds goes directly
to Clubs and 20% is spent on supervision. This is the case when the existing
implementation model is used.
- Future Improvement
Currently, the Road Component is investigating the possibility of reducing
the cost of road maintenance further by increasing the activities of the clubs
themselves where:
- Road maintenance clubs should be constituted to make the club collectively
responsible for an entire rehabilitated road while individual members will
remain responsible for a one km section of road (length-man system)
- One of the club members, who also has his own section to maintain, will
be appointed as a supervisor or capitao to ensure that the other members
are completing their work to the required standard. The current individual
bonus system would continue, but the bonus for satisfactory work (75% and
above) would only be paid to the club if all sections of the road are satisfactorily
maintained. In this way, each club member has an incentive to encourage
the other members to complete their allocated tasks
- Roads maintenance clubs be given training in operation of revolving
funds, and in enterprise skills. This together with other support, promotion
of labour intensive methods, reconstitution under capitao system and the
capacity building of DAs, could help to secure the future of maintenance
clubs as term maintenance contractors
This model will be investigated and tested through a pilot project to compare
the quality of road maintenance achieved and the cost vs. the original model.
Achievements
- Road Rehabilitation and Bridge Upgrading
A total of 645 kilometres of district feeder roads will have been successfully
rehabilitated by June 2007in the 15 IGPWP districts and the rehabilitation
of 745 kilometres of district feeder roads and upgrading of 28 timber deck
bridges to concrete decks will have commenced by July 2007. For more detail
about specific work done in the various districts please contact us.
- Road Maintenance
The 148 km of rehabilitated roads in Ntcheu and Dedza district which were
completed by the programme during the first PE is currently under routine
road maintenance which started on the 1st November 2006. For detailed information
about the roads being maintained please contact us.
Benefits to the Community
- Short-term and Medium-term Employment Opportunities
Communities have benefited and are continuing to benefit from the roads projects
through creation of both short-term (road rehabilitation contracts) and medium-term
(routine road maintenance) employment opportunities. To date, a total of 801,700
person-days have been created; 304,200 person-days on road and bridge rehabilitation/upgrading
contracts and 497,500 person-days on routine road maintenance activities.
A total of 12,605 people have benefited from employment so far with 7,792
male and 4,813 female - 38% representation. A total of MK96.2 million has
so far been transferred to communities as wages and this translates to an
average of MK7 632.00 (Euro 45.00) per employee. The communities are also
able to generate more income from the money paid on the roads interventions
by establishing small scale businesses. This is contributing significantly
to the overall increase in household income and rural livelihood as per capita
GDP was improved.
- Accessibility to Social Services
The roads rehabilitated and maintained under the Programme are providing a
year round access to various social services in the rural and peri-urban communities.
The fact that the roads are maintained all year around after rehabilitation,
the communities are able to access markets to sell their agricultural produce
or to buy from the markets their households needs. The communities are also
able to access other social services such as hospitals and health centres;
schools, trading and communication centres and to main roads that link to
big centres.
- Transfer of Skills to Communities
By involving the communities in the rehabilitation and maintenance of roads,
they do acquire skills and improve on their indigenous or local knowledge
for further use. The communities are able to do the routine road maintenance
through clubs with minimum supervision by the technical staff from the Programme
and District Assemblies.
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