Published in FOROYAA dated 24-27 May, 1999


GAMWORKS' 160 MILLION DALASI PROJECT

The Origin, The Objective, The Achievements, The Mistakes and The Lessons


GAMWORKS (1) is said to be completed on 30 June 1998. The public Works and
Capacity Building Project was funded by the International Development
Association (IDA), (World Bank) and OPEC Fund. IDA is reported to have
contributed 11 million dollars or approximately 121 million dalasis. The
OPEC Fund contributed 2 million dollars or 22 million dalasis. The
beneficiaries contributed 1.5 million dollars or 16.5 million dalasis. The
sum involved is rounded up to 14.5 million dollars or approximately 160
million dalasi.

Members of the public have seen sign boards with the name Public Works and
Capacity Building Project near markets, car parks and so on when they were
under construction. Serrekunda Market is one example.

Some people may have even become confused as to what GAMWORKS is all about
when they discover that both private schools like Marina International and
public enterprises have received GAMWORKS support.

What then is the origin of the project? What is its source of funding? What
are the achievements? What are the shortcomings? What lessons do they offer
for the implementation of GAMWORKS II which involves more than 17.5 million
dollars or approximately 190 million dalasi?

According to a press release from GAMWORKS, the project has seen +ACI-the
successful completion of works ranging from schools, car parks, community
centres, roads and drains.

According to the Gambia agency for the management of public works, GAMWORKS,
the project witnessed the training of 139 public servants, 89 construction
managers, 457 skilled workers and 49 consultants in the private sector. It
is reported to have conducted 60 community meetings, 3686 house to house
surveys as well as 90 radio programmes.

According to the press release, some 141 sub-projects were completed under
GAMWORKS 1.

One may now ask: How did the Public Works and Capacity Building Project
emerge? What were the objectives?

The project was contracted on 11 May 1994. It was preceded by notions in the
World Bank that the creation of a management independent of government could
facilitate competitive bidding in the award of projects and thus facilitate
their effective implementation. It was assumed that rather than have a
public works department under government management, it was best to give
awards to private entrepreneurs to implement the projects and thus
facilitate the development of a private sector that can deliver services.

The Gambia Agency for the Management of Public Works (GAMWORKS) is a by
product of such a policy. It is meant to be the independent agency which
should facilitate the implementation of projects under the Public Works and
Capacity Building Project.

The Gambia Government is the borrower of the money utilised to finance the
projects. It was required by the Development Credit Agreement it has signed
to take or cause to be taken all actions including the provision of funds,
facilities, services and other resources necessary or appropriate to enable
GAMWORKS to perform such obligations. The government is under the obligation
to repay the  loans as agreed.

THE NATURE OF THE PROJECT

The project was supposed to have three components, that is, an investment
component, a capacity building component and a study component.

The objectives of the project are as follows:

The Gambia Government is to be assisted in: (i) building local capacity
through private sector development and public reform+ADs- (ii) undertaking the
rehabilitation and maintenance of infrastructure+ADs- (iii) reducing current
unemployment through the creation of jobs in the public works and
construction sector+ADs- (iv) demonstrating the feasibility of labour-intensive
construction practices+ADs- and (v) alleviating poverty.

The various components of the project are as follows:

INVESTMENT COMPONENTS

1. Rehabilitation and maintenance of public infrastructure in urban areas
and on the road network through labour-intensive schemes carried out by
local contractors employed by GAMWORKS under contracts satisfactory to the
Association, including:

(a) public works programme consisting of:

(i) construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of street and road drainage
and of small bridges+ADs-

(ii) construction, repairs, rehabilitation and maintenance of street and
road pavement and shoulders+ADs-

(iii) construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of classrooms, health and
other public facilities+ADs-

(iv) street cleaning and garbage collection+ADs-

(v) water and soil conservation works+ADs-

(vi) construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of recreation areas and
sports facilities+ADs- and

(vii) tree planting activities+ADs- and

(b) a public service programme aimed at demonstrating the cost-efficiency
and sustainability of labour-intensive schemes consisting of:

(i) cleaning of streets, drainage and sewerage network and other public
infrastructure and facilities and removal of accumulated waste+ADs- and

(ii) collection and transport of waste to concentration points including
transport of waste to final deposits by local government authorities using
trucks and loaders.

CAPACITY BUILDING COMPONENT

1. Strengthening the technical and managerial capacity of small- and
medium-scale building and construction firms carrying out sub-projects under
the Project including a scheme for training domestic contractors and
consultants consisting of:

(i) preparation of an action plan for such training+ADs-

(ii) training of entrepreneurs and their administrative staff and local
consultants in business administration and financial management+ADs-

(iii) training of consultants in the techniques of works and services and in
the organisation of effective Project activities+ADs-

(iv) training of foremen in work organisation procedures+ADs-

(v) technical training courses to improve the skill of basic workers+ADs- and

(vi) the carrying out of training works in the main Project activities.

2. Provision of technical assistance to Project beneficiaries and the
strengthening of community participation in the Project including:

(i) assisting beneficiaries to prepare feasibility studies and Project
technical proposals+ADs-

(ii) dissemination of information on Project works and activities to
neighbourhood committees, day labourers and micro-entrepreneurs to increase
public awareness and support for the Project+ADs- and

(iii) preparation of an action plan for community participation.

STUDY COMPONENT

1. Development of a comprehensive building and road maintenance management
policy for the public buildings and highway sector, including:

(i) the preparation of an appropriate action plan+ADs-

(ii) the development of appropriate policies and procedures for the
progressive use of private contractors in place of force account in road
maintenance works+ADs- and

(iii) development of an appropriate highway maintenance strategy and
investment programme including the adoption of life cycle economic
evaluation of investments and recurrent cost analysis.

2. Development of the construction industry and the establishment of a
dialogue between public agencies and the construction sector, including:

(i) preparation of an appropriate action plan+ADs-

(ii) the establishment of institutional arrangements: (A) to provide, on a
permanent and sustainable basis, technical and managerial training to
contractors, and (B) to provide educational schemes in the construction
trades+ADs-

(iii) the establishment of effective associations of contractors and
consultants+ADs-

(iv) strengthening of construction enterprises+ADs- and

(v) a review, and revision, as necessary, of relevant enactments affecting
the construction industry.

3. The carrying out of a study of the Borrower's procurement policies and
practices including the preparation of an action plan for the carrying out
of needed reforms and the development and implementation of sound and
efficient procurement practices.

REPAYMENT OF LOANS

Commitment charges and service charges shall be payable semiannually on
April 15 and October 15 in each year.

(a) Subject to paragraphs (b) and (c) below, the Borrower shall repay the
principal amount of the Credit in semiannual instalments payable on each
April 15 and October 15, commencing April 15, 2004 and ending October, 2033.
Each instalment to and including the instalment payable on October 15, 2013
shall be one percent (1+ACU-) of such principal amount, and each instalment
thereafter shall be two percent (2+ACU-) of such principal amount.

(b) Whenever: (i) the Borrower's gross national product per capital, as
determined by the Association, shall have exceeded +ACQ-790 in constant 1985
dollars for five consecutive years, and (ii) the Bank shall consider the
Borrower credit worthy for Bank lending, the Association may, subsequent to
the review and approval thereof by the Executive Directors of the
Association and after due consideration by them of the development of the
Borrower's economy, modify the terms of repayment of instalments under
paragraph (a) above by requiring the Borrower to repay twice the amount of
each such instalment not yet due until the principal amount of the Credit
shall have been repaid. If so requested by the Borrower, the Association may
revise such modification to include, in lieu of some payment of interest at
an annual rate agreed with the Association on the principal amount of the
Credit withdrawn and outstanding from time to time, provided that, in the
judgment of the Association, such revision shall not change the grant
element obtained under the above-mentioned repayment modification.

(c) If, at any time after a modification of terms pursuant to paragraph (b)
above, the Association determines that the Borrower's economic condition has
deteriorated significantly, the Association may, if so requested by the
Borrower, further modify the terms of repayment to conform to the schedule
of instalments as provided in paragraph (a) above.

The Gambia Government is, therefore, responsible for the repayment of the
loans.

The major shortcoming of the Project is inadequate social auditing of
projects. If one takes the Kolongba Road and the drains and consult  the
people in the area how they feel about the project, one should expect total
dissatisfaction. The drains lead to nowhere and many areas are uncovered.
There are no side walks and the main road is extremely tight. The drains
have robbed the residents of the area a side walk. Part of the drains are
covered, but another part is still uncovered. Hence people and transports
compete for access to the main road.

CONCLUSION

Need For Social Auditing


It is reported that the Government of The Gambia has secured another credit
to finance GAMWORKS II. The International Development Association (IDA) is
to provide 15 million dollars or approximately 65 million dalasis+ADs- OPEC Fund
is to provide 2.5 million dollars or approximately 27.5 million dalasi.

In short, the total sum will be more than 190 million dalasi.

What is important is to put in place a social auditing mechanism. GAMWORKS
needs to maintain a register of all projects, the sum involved, the address,
the name of contractors and its assessment of the work done which shall be
accessible to the public.
GAMWORKS needs to maintain a visitors' book where the register is kept for
comments.

Furthermore, grading system should be established for contractors. The work
and grade awarded should be announced. This should determine the basis of
awarding contracts in the second phase.

The National Assembly, the press and all Gambians should keep close watch
over the second phase since the debt repayment component will become
extremely excessive.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html

----------------------------------------------------------------------------