AGRICULTURAL FEEDER ROADS PROGRAM - FINAL REPORT (HIGHWAY ENGINEER)

REPORT COVERS THE PERIOD 8/1 TO 8/31/76, AND ALSO SERVES AS A FINAL REPORT FOR THE HIGHWAY ENGINEER PORTION OF THE FREDERIC R. HARRIS CONTRACT. THE HIGHWAY ENGINEER ARRIVED IN HAITI ON 6/10/76 AND IS SCHEDULED TO DEPART 9/3/76. HIS ASSIGNMENT CONSISTED OF 3 GENERAL TASKS: (1) TO SURVEY AND DESIGN THE INITIAL ROAD PROJECT TO BE USED AS A MODEL FOR THE CONTINUING PROGRAM, (2) DEVELOP A PROCEDURE FOR PREQUALIFYING LOCAL CONTRACTORS, AND (3) TO ASSIST THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, TRANSPORTATION, AND COMMUNICATIONS IN DEVELOPING THE INITIAL STAFFING NEEDS FOR THE AUTONOMOUS TRANSPORT SERVICE (ATS), WHICH WILL FUNCTION AS THE STAFF FOR THE AGRICULTURAL ROAD PROGRAM. STANDARDS SPECIFICATIONS AND TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS WERE DEVISED -- AT A LEVEL PRACTICAL TO A DEVELOPING NATION WITHOUT SACRIFICING QUALITY UNDULY. TO ENCOURAGE LOCAL CONTRACTOR PARTICIPATION, PREQUALIFICATIONS WERE SIMPLIFIED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAM AND A QUESTIONNAIRE FORMAT WERE DISTRIBUTED TO INTERESTED CONTRACTORS. HOWEVER, THE AUTHOR RECOMMENDS THAT THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE LOCAL CONTRACTORS BE REVIEWED PERDIODICALLY. THE REVIEW OF ATS STAFFING NEEDS WERE OUTLINED IN A SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT TO USAID.