Monthly Progress Report – January 2016: Engineering Design & Construction Supervision Program

The program was established in response to deficiencies in the housing and civil construction of the EKAM settlement, which was built between October 2011 and October 2013. The EKAM settlement was constructed to provide housing for households impacted by the 2010 earthquake and other critical groups in the Northern Corridor. However, an independent assessment revealed design and performance deficiencies, including leaking roofs, missing or sub-specification roof fasteners, sub-specification foundations, and substandard concrete reinforcement in wall construction. In October 2014, USAID contracted Tetra Tech to provide independent Architectural and Engineering (A-E) and construction management services to inspect the EKAM site, provide A-E recommendations, manage and supervise remedial works, and provide support to USAID for contractual adjustments. During the reporting period, Tetra Tech continued to provide construction supervision for both DFS and CEEPCO. However, work on site and the ability to monitor it were impacted by political unrest surrounding the elections. Roads to the sites were blocked with debris and groups of protestors for several days, and the EKAM site progress meeting was canceled due to the unrest and limited ability to travel. USAID made a trip to Cap Haitien to address Tetra Tech's concerns that the delays in getting DFS fully engaged on the project would adversely affect the budget and schedule. USAID met with DFS, Tetra Tech, and Global Communities to review the status of the proposed changes and sent DFS a revised BOQ. The revised BOQ will provide USAID with the revised project construction costs so they can provide appropriate funding. At the Caracol EKAM site, USAID issued a revised BOQ to DFS for the proposed project scope changes. DFS is finishing up the water tower foundation repairs and the steel for the water tower repairs has been delivered to the site. Tetra Tech visited the site to inspect the progress of the shear wall reinforcing and identified several issues that DFS is going to be resolving over the next few weeks. Tetra Tech is working with DFS to get them ready to start work on February 1st. DFS is working on the shear walls at the model house, and Tetra Tech performed a preconstruction inspection of the model house to validate their inspection checklist and to run DFS through an inspection so they are aware of their required scope of work for the houses. Review of DFS submittals began and will be ongoing for at least the next month. At the Terrier Rouge site, Tetra Tech continued monitoring of CEEPCO's progress on site. Leach field repairs are ongoing, and CEEPCO has continued to slowly repair work that was not originally installed correctly. Tetra Tech is working with CEEPCO to ensure that the repairs are completed to the required standards. The financial status update for the project indicates that the delays in getting DFS fully engaged on the project will adversely affect the budget and schedule. However, USAID has decided to allow DFS to finish the work they are currently working on and then have them wait until the funding is in place before issuing the NTP for the project. Once the NTP is issued, DFS will have the ability to perform all the work in their contract. The quality assurance process for the project involves regular inspections and monitoring of the construction activities to ensure that they are completed to the required standards. Tetra Tech is working closely with DFS and CEEPCO to ensure that the construction activities are completed to the required standards. The activities planned for the next reporting period include continuing to monitor the construction activities at the Caracol EKAM and Terrier Rouge sites, reviewing the DFS submittals, and ensuring that the repairs are completed to the required standards. The deliverables for the next reporting period include the completion of the model house, the completion of the shear wall reinforcing, and the completion of the leach field repairs.