BOLIVIA - RURAL ROADS II

IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES WILL ALSO BE STRENGTHENED AND EXPANDED THROUGH TECHNICAL ADVISORY ASSISTANCE, AND IN-COUNTRY AND ON-THE-JOB TRAINING. RURAL ROAD IMPROVEMENT WILL FACILITATE TRANSPORT OF AGRICULTURAL INPUTS AND COMMODITIES BETWEEN FARMS AND MARKETS, AFFECTING 44,000 SMALL FARM FAMILIES AND RAISING THEIR INCOMES BY 36%. THIS PROJECT WILL BUILD UPON THE GROUNDWORK LAID BY THE 1976 AID/GOB RURAL ACCESS ROADS I (5110888) PROJECT TO IMPROVE ROADS IN THE DEPARTMENTS OF SANTA CRUZ, COCHABAMBA, NORTHERN CHUQUISACA, AND LA PAZ. UPGRADING OF THE CAMINOS VECINALES(RURAL ROADS) DEPARTMENT OF THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SERVICE(SNC) WILL INVOLVE DECENTRALIZING ITS ROAD IMPROVEMENT AND MAINTENANCE PROGRAM INTO THE THREE TARGET DEPARTMENTS. DISTRICT HIGHWAY OFFICES AT THE CITIES OF SUCRE, TARIJA, POTOSI, AND TUPIZA WILL BE EQUIPPED TO MANAGE ACTIVITIES WITHIN THEIR JURISDICTIONS AND SUPERVISE CAMINO VECINALES HIGHWAY RESIDENCIAS WITHIN THEIR DISTRICTS. TEN HIGHWAY RESIDENCIAS WILL BE EQUIPPED TO SUPERVISE EQUIPMENT GROUPS AND LOCAL LABOR IN ROAD IMPROVEMENT, MAINTAIN ROADS, AND PERFORM MINOR ROAD REPAIRS AT RESIDENCIA WORKSHOPS. EACH OF SIX BASIC EQUIPMENT GROUPS WILL BE ABLE TO UPGRADE ABOUT 50 KILOMETERS OF ROAD PER YEAR WITH COMMUNITY HAND LABOR ASSISTANCE. FOUR SUPPORT EQUIPMENT GROUPS WILL PROVIDE OVERALL LOGISTICAL SUPPORT TO THE BASIC GROUPS. THE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEES(DDC"S) OF THE THREE TARGET DEPARTMENTS WILL WORK WITH AT LEAST 100 BENEFICIARY COMMUNITIES IN SUBPROJECT IDENTIFICATION, ANALYSIS, SELECTION, IMPLEMENTATION, AND EVALUATION OF ROAD IMPROVEMENT ACTIVITIES. IN-COUNTRY TRAINING WILL IMPROVE THE MANAGEMENT CAPABILITIES OF CAMINO VECINALES AND THE CAPABILITIES OF THE DDC"S TO CARRY OUT THEIR ROLES. TRAINING WILL BE FOCUSED ON SUPERVISORY, MECHANCIAL, TECHNICAL, AND EQUIPMENT OPERATOR NEEDS. Project Paper Amendment No. 1 of 9/82 reactivates project (suspended after the 7/80 coup), extends it until 12/85, and changes the geographic focus to the Rural Roads I project area (Cochabamba, La Paz, Santa Cruz, and Southern Chuqisaca), as better befitting the capabilities of the SNC - which are already in place in that area - and USAID/B"s assistance strategy for the Chapare region; 260 kms of rural access roads will be upgraded and bridges and drainage work installed. SNC institutional capabilities will be upgraded via provision of heavy equipment, two long-term advisors, and training (seminars for senior managers and courses for both district chiefs and various levels of operational personnel. (PD-AAN-714)