Community Outreach and Capacity Building - International Relief ...

AN INTEGRATED APPROACH
TO INFRASTRUCTURE
Community
Outreach and
Capacity Building
INTERNATIONAL RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT
MAY 2012

Community
COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND
CAPACITY BUILDING
Policy Advisory
Capacity Building
Partnership
Economic Development
GovErnmEnt
Engagement
mobilization
Awareness
risk mitigation &
Capacity Building
PrivAtE SECtor
opportunity
training
Assistance
IRD’s Community Outreach and Capacity
Building model comprises an integrated
set of activities designed to improve
government buy-in and community
acceptance, reduce risk, and increase
local capacity to deliver high-quality
projects — and maintain them after
they are completed. While the approach
is tailored to each project, the overarching
goal is to support clients to manage
their infrastructure needs independently
for the long term.

The COCB Model
Rebuilding infrastructure in nations
emerging from conflict or natural disaster
requires capacities beyond those required
by typical construction projects. Since
1998, IRD has worked with thousands
of communities, contractors, and
government bodies to design and manage
infrastructure development projects on
both small- and very large-scale. Key to
our success working in unstable, kinetic,
and other difficult environments is use
of the service model we developed called
community outreach and capacity building
(COCB). The COCB approach ensures
successful project delivery by addressing
the capacity needs of three core players in
the infrastructure sector: the government
and public sector, the private sector, and
beneficiary communities.
IRD has learned that improvement in one sector
without gains in the others does not generally lead
to long-term growth and improved overall capacity.
Use of the COCB model improves
government buy-in and community
acceptance, reduces risk, and increases
local capacity to deliver high-quality
projects – and maintain them after they
are completed. While the approach is
tailored to each project, the overarching
goal is to support our clients to manage
their infrastructure needs independently
for the long term. This capacity must be
developed among all three stakeholders.
IRD has learned that improvement in one
sector without gains in the others does not
generally lead to long-term growth and
improved overall capacity.

While IRD’s clients and donors specify their
infrastructure needs, our community-based
approaches support project implementation and
simultaneously build capacity for the long term.
Benefits of COCB
A community’s infrastructure is the
most visible measure of its stability and
economic development. Residents and
visitors alike can easily gauge the number
and condi tion of schools, healthcare
facilities, water systems, power grids,
and roads. While IRD’s clients and donors
specify their infrastructure needs, our
community-based approaches support
project implementation and simultaneously
build capacity for the long term. Projects
that benefit from this approach include:
••
Projects in high-risk areas, conflict or
post-conflict zones, and remote and
rural communities
••
Horizontal projects affecting multiple
communities over a long distance, such
as roads, railways, pipelines, and power
transmission lines
••
Large-scale projects requiring
construction of industrial or support
facilities such as mineral extraction,
energy development, and
government facilities
••
Donor-funded projects that are
evaluated by results and long-term
impact
Targeted Capacity Building
In Afghanistan, where IRD successfully
applied the COCB model on a very large
road and bridge construction project
in 2008–2011, the engineering and
construction industry had seriously
atrophied as a result of decades of conflict.
Donors and contractors working there were
challenged by the high-risk environment
and the low technical and managerial
capacity of local firms. The national
government was also challenged to develop,
complete, and maintain projects. IRD met
these challenges with a variety of tailored
tools and training programs:
••
On-the-job mentoring for design-build
contracts to local firms
••
Creation of a construction trade
vocational school
••
Development of a mentor-protégé
program to train local staff in various
job skills
••
Training of subcontractors in
construction methodology and contract
and financial management
••
Training of technical monitors in quality
assurance and field monitoring
••
Design of labor-intensive construction
programs for combat-aged men
••
Provision of long-term advisory services
and mentoring to government ministries
••
Development of a GIS-based monitoring
system to track projects country-wide
••
Development of an internship program
for university engineering students
As a result of these responses, the capacity
of government to budget, plan, and oversee
infrastructure construction greatly
increased. In addition, dozens of local firms
now have the ability to bid on, manage,
and complete complex infrastructure
construction projects.

Community Engagement
Community buy-in and support are
sometimes difficult to gain but IRD knows
both are essential. Small communities,
especially in hard-to-reach or rural areas,
may have limited information, suffer
from low literacy, or do not communicate
regularly with government agencies based
in metropolitan areas. Without adequate
outreach and engagement, community
members may view the disruption created
by large construction programs as against
their interests, and this loss of goodwill
increases risk. Once a community accepts
the project, the dialogue must continue,
addressing new issues as they arise to
prevent or mitigate conflict. The continuous
outreach also assists in addressing any
short-term losses that may occur, such as of
land or homes.
Well-planned infrastructure development
projects address community priorities.
IRD helps identify these priorities
through outreach, dialogue, and rapid
needs assessments. IRD has worked with
thousands of communities worldwide
to identify and prioritize community
development needs. We also employ
local staff whenever possible to adapt
this community engagement approach
to the particular project. Among the
many strategies we employ to engage
communities are:
••
Outreach and dialogue with
community leaders
••
Hiring and training of community project
representatives
••
Mobilization of community leaders for
decision-making
••
Inclusion strategies to broaden
community ownership and support
••
Conflict mitigation to address issues as
they arise
••
Information sharing and media
campaigns
••
Comprehensive community needs
assessments
••
Implementation of small grants programs
to address gender, livelihoods, small
infrastructure, and other needs
••
Development of processes for redress of
land acquisition
••
Procedures to ensure compliant
disbursement of funds 1
• • Rigorous monitoring and evaluation and
reporting procedures
1 Successful community development programs comply with host-country government
regulations and ensure that beneficiaries receive the maximum benefits. IRD procedures
assure compliant disbursement of funds with documented results – a key to success in
high-risk environments.

Meeting the Government’s Needs
Building a nationwide transportation
or energy network requires access to
information as well as expertise in planning
and management. While donor funding
aids the process, government agencies
must also have adequate resources and
oversight capacity to maximize the benefits
and sustainability of public facilities. To
strengthen this capacity, IRD has developed
the following processes:
••
Baseline and gap analysis within
government oversight organizations
••
Partnering, mentoring, and shadowing
for knowledge transfer
••
Relationship building with stakeholders
and associations
••
Policy advisory services, including
planning and risk assessment
••
Training in management and specific
construction disciplines
••
Training in use of industry-standard
software and technology
COCB for Infrastructure
Outreach
Capacity Building
Community &
Stakeholder Management
Training &
Development Programs
• Outreach & promotion
• Needs assessment
• Conflict resolution
• Ongoing dialogue
• Needs-based grants
• Training & mentoring
• Economic opportunity
• Labor-based projects
• Community & local government support & inclusion
• Investment yields maximum benefits
• Monitoring & evaluation of impact on community
• Overall risk reduction

Addressing Private Sector Needs
In many emerging markets, construction
contracting firms are newer businesses
competing in a rapidly growing market. In
Afghanistan, the influx of foreign aid and
the transition to country-led development,
the need for local firms with strong design
and construction capabilities was stronger
than ever. While the capacity of these
firms is increasing and industry leaders
are emerging, many will require continued
support from organizations like IRD to
succeed. The same is true in many other
developing and post-conflict countries.
In countries like Kosovo, Jordan, Ethiopia,
Afghanistan, and elsewhere, IRD has
implemented the following strategies to
increase private sector capacity:
••
Training programs in collaboration with
trade associations and technical facilities
••
Internships for university students in
design, construction, quality assurance,
and project controls
••
Development of a construction
vocational training center
••
Training classes in design, scheduling,
quality assurance, and management
••
Contracting for on-the job experience
••
Provision and training in use of industrystandard
software
••
Development of alternate contracting
strategies to address risk factors and
ensure an achievable scope of work
••
On-the-job mentoring and partnerships
• • Provision of community outreach and
support to ensure successful project
completion
In many emerging markets, construction
contracting firms are newer businesses competing
in a rapidly growing market.
To succeed over the long term, local
contractors must complete progressively
larger and more complex projects. IRD can
facilitate this by advising donors and prime
contractors on how to adapt the tender
process to the capacity level of the region
or country. In addition, we can provide
linkages to other donors and stakeholders
to fill in gaps, for example, access to banking
services, credit, or insurance.

Partnering with IRD
IRD has staff on hand who can visit your
project site or office, and we have a large
network of strategic partners and in-country
relationships to support your project. We
also offer professional consulting services
in program development and can mobilize
staff quickly to any part of the world. Our
project development services include
concept paper development, development
of requests for proposals, feasibility studies,
and risk analysis. IRD’s other operating units
employ a vast array of experts in logistics,
agriculture, community stabilization,
health, governance, and relief who can
assist with your programs as needed. IRD
is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia,
and maintains offices worldwide. For more
information on our capacities and services,
contact Director of Program Operations
Gilbert Richard (grichard@ird-dc.org).
IRD’s mission is to reduce the suffering of the world’s most
vulnerable groups and provide the tools and resources
needed to increase their self-sufficiency.
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