Project 613-HG-001, Zimbabwe shelter project : interim evaluation

Special evaluation covers the period 1/82-3/84 and is based on document review and meetings with A.I.D., Government of Zimbabwe (GOZ), and contractor personnel. Despite delays - due mostly to GOZ institutional and housing policy changes - the project has increased the supply of low-cost housing and strengthened housing planning capabilities in Zimbabwe. Phase I outputs have included 6,748 housing units in the GOZ Chitungwiza project (funded retrospectively under the project) and infrastructure (sewers, electricity, etc.) for 4,104 plots at Parkridge/Fontainbleau. Some community facilities are being built, but this activity is far behind schedule. Designs for Phase I construction in Harare are being drawn up. Sites have been chosen for Phase II construction (5,764 units at Parkridge/Fontainbleau and in secondary cities), expected to begin in early 1985. An effective cadre of housing planners is being developed within the Ministry of National Construction and Housing (MNCH), the City of Harare (COH), and other local authorities; Phase II delivery plans showed good planning procedures. While training has not yet been provided to architects, engineers, planners, and quantity surveyors, a 2-week management training workshop was held for 27 COH, MNCH, and other officials. Since project initiation, GOZ housing policy, which initially retained remnants of racially motivated white Rhodesian attitudes toward the poor, has gone through several stages, first accepting, and then challenging, A.I.D. shelter principles. This process, as it represents true local initiative, will probably prove valuable in the long run, but certain project targets have lost ground; support of the informal construction sector, for example, has been overshadowed by MNCH use of public sector "building brigades." The MNCH has actively pursued design development, but more innovative and cost-effective housing designs are needed. Lessons learned: the project displays the value of the classic HG approach, which ties shelter provision to institution building; a fluid project management approach is effective, but needs careful monitoring and documentation; evaluations should be scheduled early, with input from the GOZ.