Final report executive summary : mid-term evaluation for road resources management (RRM) project

The evaluation covered the period 6/87-5/93. Targets for km of maintained roads have been achieved in all but two districts despite changing local conditions (the Gulf War) and Pressler amendment funding cuts. Targets for rehabilitated paved roads had to be reduced by 10% for the same reasons. Targets for training in road maintenance management, road rehabilitation, and financial management also have not been met due to funding reductions. Most district engineers and their staff have limited or no equipment available for material hauling, and routine maintenance activities are limited to what work crews can do manually with hand-hoes and hand tampers; funding for equipment is badly needed. For periodic maintenance (e.g., resealing, new bituminous surface treatments), the district engineers rely on local contractors. This helps involve the private sector, and since the contractors generally have more skilled work crews and easier access to equipment, they can do a better job for less. Although Districts have begun to include a line item for road maintenance in their annual budgets, they are still underfunding by substantial amounts. Another potential funding problem is that District councils and engineers consider special grants from the Government of Sindh to be outside the regular budget and hence not subject to the same quality standards of construction as are required of the A.I.D. program. As a result, roads built with these funds will have higher rehabilitation and/or maintenance costs. In sum, despite severe reductions in funding, the objectives of an improved road maintenance program and an expanded system of maintainable roads have been met. At the same time, other objectives have had to be reduced or eliminated entirely -- training for District-level engineering, administrative, and technical staff; the experimental road construction program; and the upgrading of katcha roads. This reduction in the attainment of objectives also limits potential program sustainability.