Quarterly Report: SCALE

The purpose of SCALE is to develop local economies in Malaita at a community scale to support further growth at the provincial and national levels. Interventions under SCALE will support three objectives: improving the enabling environment for trade and investment, strengthening and expanding the agribusiness sector, and improving natural resource governance with a focus on the forestry sector. The SCALE-Architecture and Engineering (SCALE A&E) contract is a key component of the SCALE Activity. The contract aims to acquire qualified architectural and engineering services to support SCALE, particularly in the area of agribusiness sector strengthening. The SCALE A&E contract will complete analyses, feasibility studies, design, and construction oversight of small-scale infrastructure at approximately 10-20 sites. The Solomon Islands are a sovereign state consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands. The country has a weak political system, with highly unstable parliamentary coalitions. Local government is divided into ten administrative areas, with nine provinces administered by elected provincial assemblies and the tenth being the capital Honiara. Land ownership is reserved for Solomon Islanders, and land is generally held on a family or village basis. Economic input and infrastructure constraints are significant challenges in the Solomon Islands. Transportation is a major issue, with over 900 islands and a low population density. Marine transport provides access to most of the population, but the country lacks an improved port in Malaita. The National Transport Plan identifies the need for an improved port in Malaita, and the National Transport Fund is responsible for road development and maintenance, as well as marine transport. The SIG National Transport Core Initiative aims to achieve cross-cutting economic and social enhancement through increasing the scale, efficiency, and resilience of the national transport arrangements in the Solomon Islands. The initiative aims to connect 74% of the population under an initial 10-year first phase (2020-2030), and ultimately 100% of the population under a second phase by 2035. Phase One will be achieved through the development of a series of road networks, bridges, and roll-on-roll-off ferries on Guadalcanal, Western, and Malaita Provinces. The SCALE Activity will focus on developing local economies in Malaita, with a particular emphasis on the agribusiness sector. The activity will support the development of small-scale infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and ports, to improve access to markets and increase economic opportunities for local communities. The activity will also focus on improving natural resource governance, with a particular emphasis on the forestry sector. The SCALE Activity will be implemented over a period of two years, from October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2022. The activity will be implemented by Green Power Technology LLC, with subcontractors CDM Smith, Planet Partnerships, and Kramer Ausenco. The activity will be funded by USAID, with a total budget of $X million. The activity will be monitored and evaluated through regular progress reports and assessments, with a focus on measuring progress against the activity's objectives and outcomes.