Rural Access Program – Phase II
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2. Meaning of access in RAP |
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Access is not simply about new roads or transport services; it is about removing the barriers that prevent people using services, buying or selling goods or even visiting friends and family. The barriers may be physical, as in the lack of roads or transport services, or non-physical, such as gender, caste, age or ethnicity. |
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3. What is RAP trying to achieve? |
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Improved access doesn’t necessarily benefit all people alike. Poor often find it difficult to benefit from the improved access. For these people RAP does more than simply improve physical access, and is working to help them develop more sustainable livelihoods. Improvements to access are intended to achieve in two ways:
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4. Where does RAP work? |
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RAP is working in seven hill districts in eastern, mid-western and far-western Nepal. They are Doti, Achham and Dailekh in the west, and Khotang, Bhojpur, Sankhuwasabha and Terhathum in the east.
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5. Goal, purpose and outputs |
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The goal of RAP Phase-2 is to promote “more secure and sustainable rural livelihoods for the poor and disadvantaged in hill areas in Nepal”.
The purpose of RAP Phase-2 is to improve connectivity of rural communities, enhanced economic and employment opportunities, and increased access to market and social services for the rural poor and disadvantaged. Following outputs are expected from the RAP Phase-2: |
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6. Programme components |
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The programme mainly comprises of: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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7. RAP implementation approach |
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The Rural Access Programme has piloted an innovative approach to transport development, which has aimed to spread benefits more equitably. In doing so, RAP has followed up on earlier work on Green Road Concept and tried to deliver direct access benefits to the poor residing in inaccessible areas in programme districts with some modifications in programme implementation approaches. The RAP engineering approach chosen is based on the cumulative experience of almost fifty years of road construction in Nepal. The road works are labour-based, planned and constructed in a phased manner that minimises environmental disturbance. Reliance on local labour, minimal use of outside technology and resources, careful programming of works that fit in with seasonal and cultural variations on labour availability are other key factors.
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8. Improved labour-based approach |
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Labour-based and labour intensive approach of works are although differ from one to the other, these approaches are found to be taken mistakenly in synonymous and are applied in physical development interventions. Sector development policies, strategies and guidelines have in most of the cases emphasised on labour-based works instead of labour intensive works. The labour-based works being replaced and adopted in implementation with the labour intensive techniques has created room to compromise quality of works by and get excuses for technicians and others involved in the infrastructure development initiatives. For quality works, use of small machines and equipment in combination with labour-based works, skilled labourers and/or small contractors to carry out complex and difficult tasks are some effective ways developed and RAP is adopting. These ways help control time and cost over-runs of the project as a whole. In order to ascertain quality under labour-based works and assure them, RAP is adopting material tests provisions before their uses, regular monitoring of works and appropriate test measures using simple, appropriate and low-cost equipment that reflect over all road pavement conditions and natural consolidation trends with focus in road fill sections. |
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RAP Phase 2 road corridors and estimated budget for road construction |
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* Project completion date is June 2010 in these corridors. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9. Social and economic development activities | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Social and economic development (SED) activities are aimed at enabling poorest section of the society to benefit from the new opportunities arising from the improved access. It begins right from the identification of poor and disadvantaged households and ends up with phase out of RBGs as able institution contributing to the social and economic betterment of the community. SED activities support RBG members in a gradual transition from road building into alternative longer-term livelihoods. The income generated from construction, through savings and credit schemes facilitated by the programme, will provide the base for future economic/enterprise development, building on and sustaining the improvements to livelihoods that have accrued during the programme period. It will be exclusively focussed on RBG households in road influence area and will be implemented simultaneously during the project period. The main activities of SED includes: |
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9.1 Organisational Development of RBGs |
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Formation and revitalisation/reorganization of road building groups and their capacity building | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Involving RBGs for road construction |
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Encouraging savings and credit ethics amongst RBG members | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Formation, strengthening and mobilisation of different committees | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Promote transparency though various means including public audit at least twice a year at each LRUC.Aware community on likely negative impacts of the road and non-physical barriers to benefit from the improved access | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9.2 Promotion of Income Generating Activities |
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Opportunity Identification for income generation and productive investment | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Development of Local Resource Person | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Promote demand led income generation activities | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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9.3 Coordination and linkages for institutional development |
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Linking RBGs to local service and support systems | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Execute phase out plan in accordance with interest and capacity of RBGs , and available opportunities | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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10. Environmental considerations |
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In compliance with the government legislative provisions RAP conducted environmental assessment studies and verified the effectiveness of mitigation measures designed and implemented them during construction to minimise negative impacts to biophysical environments. Apart from environmental mitigation measures other support and livelihood enhancement programmes focusing RBG households are implemented through social and economic development activities that helped creation of alternative means of livelihoods of the poor and disadvantaged people during and post road construction period.
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11. Institutional arrangements |
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Major stakeholders involved and their key functions are summarised below.
The Ministry of Local Development (MoLD) is the line ministry of RAP and its secretary chairs the steering committee. The Department for International Development (DFID) has agreed to provide grant assistance through DFID to Government of Nepal for the implementation of RAP Phase-2 in seven districts. The Ministry of Finance is the co-signatory to the Bilateral Agreement for the implementation of RAP Phase-2. A Steering Committee under the chairmanship of the secretary, Ministry of Local Development has been established at national level to coordinate, facilitate and monitor the project performance and issues. It will meet at least every 4-month to review and decide on issues flagged up in the Trimester Progress Report. The Department of Local Infrastructure Development and Agricultural Roads (DoLIDAR)co-ordinates and monitors all programme activities in close consultation with the RAP TA consultants. The Programme Co-ordinator is the DoLIDAR representative who will oversee programme activities and maintain coordination with other national agencies and DDCs. The Technical Assistance Team is the centrally based team of RAP Consultants (WSPimc in association with Helvetas and GEOCE) led by the Programme Manager responsible for overall management and administration through national and district level institutions. The District Development Committee (DDC) is the executing authority responsible for coordinating and monitoring of all RAP activities undertaken in the district. The DDC will bear responsibilities for implementing supplementary infrastructures and road maintenance activities under the programme in the district. The District Technical Office (DTO) is the technical arm of DoLIDAR in the district. DTO, under the administrative umbrella of DDC is responsible in planning, management and implementation of development projects of the DDC. The Programme Focal Officers to be nominated from amongst the officers (Engineer and Social Development Officer) by DDC/DTO shall maintain coordination in RAP activities and are responsible for planning, coordinating and managing the supplementary infrastructures and road maintenance components. The District Implementation Support Team (DIST) is the co-ordination, planning and monitoring body for all important project activities implemented at the district level. It comprises the Local Development Officer, Chief District Engineer DTO, Programme Focal Officer and RAP District TA Team Leader. The District Road Co-ordination Committee (DRCC) is formed by the DDC representing all road users of the district and is responsible for entire network of the rural and agricultural roads. It’s roles and responsibilities will be as outlined in the “Approach for the Development of Agricultural and Rural Roads” of DoLIDAR. The DDC Chairperson will chair the DRCC. The District Level Line Agencies are sectoral governmental organisations, which have a significant role for implementing sectoral programmes and supporting other related programmes at the district level. The District Technical Assistance Team is the district-based element of the Technical Assistance Team responsible for implementation of district road construction, support to DDC and DTO for implementation of supplementary infrastructures and road maintenance and funding arrangements to be borne through the donor’s assistance. The Team comprises of Team Leader, Social and Economic Development Officer, Engineering Officer, Office Manager and Office Assistant. The District TA will be responsible to implement road construction and support DDC for implementation of supplementary infrastructure and road maintenance. The Village Development Committee (VDC) is the lowest level of government decentralisation. The VDC executes village road, trail and trail bridge construction and improvements and maintenance. VDCs will be encouraged to play a role in road maintenance, strengthening community participation in implementation of the programme. The Local Road Co-ordination Committee (LRCC) is responsible for a road section within a VDC. The LRCC is constituted through a mass meeting following democratic process, facilitated by the Programme Focal Officer and the VDC. Previously elected political representatives, women and other stakeholders will represent LRCC. LRCC will comprise of nine to eleven members including a chairperson, vice-chairperson, secretary and treasurer in the committee. The LRCC will help coordinate construction activities, land dispute settlements to RAP DTA, and DDC and create conducive work environment. The LRCC will have a key role in the formation of Road Building Groups. The Local Road Users Committee (LRUC) is constituted within a VDC representing people from Road Building Groups. At least one member from each of the RBGs will represent LRUC, including a chairperson, vice-chairperson, secretary and treasurer of the committee. With the support of the District TA Team, the LRUC will have a key role in wage payments. It will operate a separate bank account to deposit RBG wages for the purpose of receiving wage payments from RAP District TA office. The LRUC elects signatories to the sub-account to be operated from District bank in order to draw cash payment on behalf of their respective group. The Road Building Group (RBG) is formed with the assistance and support of Non Government Organization engaged by the programme, for the purpose of undertaking road construction activities in accordance with the RAP Approach. Preference shall be given to the poorest section of the community, women and socially excluded /disadvantaged persons within the immediate zone of influence of the road alignment. All RBG activities will be undertaken to the agreed standards on a task-work basis under the supervision and guidance of consultants and NGOs engaged by RAP. Each RBG will elect its own representative (Sahajkarta) from within the group with the help of a NGO programme coordinator and social mobiliser. Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are the non-profit, non-political and non-religious organisations engaged from within or outside of the district. They are responsible for implementation of social and economic development programmes and group mobilisation in construction. In addition, NGOs will also mobilise the Special Building Groups to be engaged in construction. In addition NGOs will help identifying income-generating activities that support sustained livelihood of people during post project period and purpose exit strategies to RAP DTA towards the end of the programme. Supervision Consultants are private organisations or individuals engaged through competitive bidding by RAP to provide technical services in accordance with specific Terms of Reference. The services vary, but can include survey and design, management and supervision of road construction and other specific technical studies as required. Consultants will be managed and supervised by the District TA team. |