ROAD MAINTENANCE II (AUDIT REPORT)

EVALUATION IS BASED ON PROJECT DOCUMENTS, INTERVIEWS WITH PROJECT PERSONNEL, AND VISITS TO PROJECT SITES. A 1979 GRANT AMENDEMENT INCREASED AID FUNDING TO $5.6 MILLION. TO DATE, ATOTAL OF $4.4 MILLION HAS BEEN EXPENDED. ALTHOUGH MAINTENANCE TARGETS FOR 1979/80 WERE REVISED DOWNWARD DUE TO LATE ARRIVAL OF EQUIPMENT, MISSION BELIEVES SEPPERN WILL ACHIEVE BOTH CURRENT YEAR AND END OF PROJECT MAINTENANCE TARGETS. CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS HAS BEEN SATISFACTORY. THE PORT AU PRINCE ADMINISTRATION AND CENTRAL GARAGE ARE 10% COMPLETE, AND ONE DISTRICT AND ONE SUB-DISTRICT FACILITY ARE 60% AND 80% COMPLETE, RESPECTIVELY. OTHER FACILITIES HAVE NOT BEEN BEGUN. SEPPERN IS NOW EVALUATING A MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT REPORTING SYSTEM INITIATED 1/79 THAT DEFINES THE ROAD INVENTORY, SERVICE LEVELS, MAINTENANCE STANDARDS, AND WORK ACTIVITIES FOR THE MAINTENANCE BRIGADES. ALTHOUGH BRIGADE ORGANIZATION HAS NOT PROCEEDED AS PLANNED DUE TO LATE EQUIPMENT ARRIVAL, BRIGADES NOW NUMBER 50, AGAINST A TARGET OF 36, AND COMPRISE 2,181 OF SEPPERN"S 2,862 EMPLOYEES (2,564 WERE TARGETED). PROJECT AMENDMENT OF 7/31/79 INCREASED IN-COUNTRY TRAINING OF SEPPERN PERSONNEL, WHICH IS THE KEY PROJECT SUCCESS, WITH EMPHASIS ON DEVELOPING MECHANIC EXPERTISE. IF THIS EXPANDED PROGRAM IS NOT SUCCESSFUL, THE PROJECT SHOULD BE DISCONTINUED. DUE LARGELY TO THE FAILURE OF SEPPERN"S DIRECTOR GENERAL (NOW REPLACED) TO DELEGATE AUTHORITY TO LINE MANAGEMENT, SEPPERN HAS NOT YET ACHIEVED MAINTENANCE SELF-SUFFICIENCY AND WILL REQUIRE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR A FEW MORE YEARS. LAUNCHING OF SEPPERN"S COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM AWAITS THE RESULTS OF THE PHASE I LABOR INTENSIVE PILOT PROGRAM. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT MISSION: (1) WORK WITH SEPPERN TO ELEVATE PAY SCALES TO LEVELS OF OTHER GOH AGENCIES; AND (2) URGE SEPPERN TO ALLEVIATE DEFICIENCIES IN REGARD TO SPARE PARTS MANAGEMENT AND IN INVENTORY CONTROLS THAT ARE HAVING AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE.