Vanuatu Transport Sector Support Project -Phase 1 Implementation Management

The VTSSP was one of the first of its kind where a serious effort was put into the development of local island based road maintenance capacity. Management and preservation of roads is expensive in any country, but in island states such as Vanuatu this is especially challenging and costly due to vast distances and difficult travel conditions between islands. Mobilisation of equipment but also inspection of roads, and supervision of works is time consuming and resource intensive. It is therefore that the Government of Vanuatu in partnership with Ausaid initiated a programme in order to develop a more cost effective local resourced road maintenance system. This required intensive island based capacity building. OCA is recognised to have built an excellent track record in training and development of low cost community based and local resourced contracting capacities in various Pacific and African countries. URS International Development (Australia) associated with OCA and took the lead in the management of the implementation of phase 1 ,starting in September 2009 and ending in June 2012. OCA was specifically tasked with the technical direction of the island based contracting development and resourced specialist project labour based training engineers. The project tested out various materials and techniques for use by the local contractors and developed specific implementation standards. The project worked with a total of 30 emerging small contracting firms on three outer islands Tanna, Malekula and Ambae, and developed and improved PWD procurement and outsourcing capacity both in Port Vila and in the three project provincial centres. In addition the project undertook larger backlog road maintenance and rehabilitation works through direct supervised equipment hire arrangements.