Strengthening road maintenance

Eleven expatriate personnel will provide ONFAR with TA and training in key management and operational areas and help OFNAR manage a private road rehabilitation contract. A senior engineer from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will serve as advisor to OFNAR"s Director, a DOT planning engineer will advise OFNAR"s Road Maintenance Planning Division, and an accountant from a U.S. firm will advise OFNAR"s chief accountant. Five other expatriates - a shop superintendent, a parts specialist, and engine maintenance, machine shop, and service foremen - will direct the recommissioning, equipping, and everyday operations of OFNAR"s Equipment Maintenance Division and will provide on-the-job training of virtually all personnel at the Division"s Central Workshop. Under supervision of a field engineer advisor to OFNAR"s N"Djamena subdivision, an equipment and a maintenance foreman will create, equip, and direct operations of an OFNAR Maintenance Training Brigade. The Brigade will receive funds for new maintenance equipment and for the recovery of existing equipment assets, which will be made serviceable. No less than 2 Brigades will undergo up to 12 months of training by performing actual maintenance on N"Djamena subdivision roads. Small maintenance units of Brigade graduates will be deployed at subdivision levels throughout Chad and will use new and rehabilitated equipment provided by the project for continuous light maintenance of approximately 200 km of roads. Using documents prepared by OFNAR and the TA team, the Ministry of Public Works will contract a private sector construction firm to rehabilitate the 63-km road from Djermaya to Dandi. OFNAR will administer the contract with help from the TA team. The project will also standardize OFNAR equipment items. Overall, 18 supervisors and managers, 40 equipment operators, and 50 mechanics and shop technicians will be trained and provided tools and equipment; OFNAR"s central office and equipment repair facilities will be upgraded.