SELF HELP HOUSING AGENCY (SHAD) OPG (FOUNDATION FOR COOPERATIVE HOUSING)

THE FOUNDATION FOR COOPERATIVE HOUSING (FCH) ADVISO STARTED IN 12/77, AND THE GABORONE TOWN COUNCIL (GTC) AGREED TO INCREASE THE SELF-HELP HOUSING AGENCY (SHHA) STAFF TO 60 FROM 10 IN 1977. THIS HAS BEEN DONE, BUT MORE SLOWLY THAN PLANNED. THE STAFF IS YOUNG AND INEXPERIENCED, AND MOST HAD NO PREVIOUS TRAINING IN HOUSING. THEREFORE, THE FCH ADVISOR HAS CONCENTRATED ON TRAINING ALL OF THE STAFF IN ALL FACETS OF SHHA ACTIVITIES. FORMAL CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES WERE DEVISED BY THE FCH ADVISOR FOR PLOT ALLOCATIONS WHICH HAVE EXPEDITED THE PROCESS AND ENSURED THAT LOWER-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS WOULD HAVE PRIORITY. ALSO, ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN DESIGNED AND IMPLEMENTED FACILITATING SHHA PLOT ALLOCATION, BUILDING MATERIALS INVENTORY, MATERIAL LOAN EXTENSION, AND PAYMENT COLLECTION. A TOTAL OF 1685 PLOTS HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED, AND 326 MATERIAL LOANS HAVE BEEN EXTENDED. AVAILABILITY OF SERVICED PLOTS IS NOTED AS A LIMITING FACTOR IN FUTURE ALLOCATION. ALSO, CHANGES IN THE CERTIFICATE OF RIGHTS AND POSSIBLE CHANGES IN THE BUILDING MATERIALS LOAN AGREEMENT COULD CAUSE DELAYS IF THESE FORMS ARE NOT AVAILABLE SOON. THE FOLLOWING LESSONS WERE LEARNED: 1)REQUIRE COMMITMENT OF LOCAL PERSONNEL ON A TIMELY BASIS, REASONABLY TRAINED AND TRAINABLE AS A CONDITION OF ASSISTANCE; 2)PLAN ON SUBSTANTIAL TRAINING OF LOCAL STAFF AS WELL AS CONTINUING ON-THE-JOB TRAINING; 3)WRITE SPECIFIC TERMS OF REFERENCEES AS BEST PERCEIVED AT ONSET, BUT ALSO ALLOW FOR FLEXIBILITY; 4)ALLOW FOR A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF SHORT-TERM TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO BE USED AT THE DISCRETION OF FULL-TIME CONSULTANT; 5)MAKE SURE THAT SUPPORTING FACILITIES AND SERVICES WILL BE AVAILABLE AS NEEDED; 6)PROVIDE FOR BASIC CONVERSATIONAL LANGUAGE TRAINING AT THE OUTSET FOR THE FULL-TIME CONSULTANT; 7)IT IS CRUCIAL THAT ADVISORS BE PLACED WHERE THEY CAN BE MOST EFFECTIVE; 8)ADEQUATE TIME AND CONSIDERABLE CARE IS NEEDED TO FIND QUALIFIED CONSULTANTS; 9)ALL PARTIES SHOULD UNDERSTAND THEIR MONITORING AND EVAL RESPONSIBILTIES