Dear colleagues,

This is the electronic news bulletin of the Mobility desk within the Social Development Division of SDC. We are sending this message to people who we believe are involved in transport related subjects and initiatives. Subscription issues for this twice yearly mailing are handled at www.skat.ch/transweb/news.htm.

This medium lives through interaction. You are invited to send us your suggestions, requests and information flashes to transweb@skat.ch. The editors are grateful for any contributions received!

Contents:

SDC Operational Guidelines for Rural Transport Initiatives published

The new "SDC Operational Guidelines for Rural Transport Initiatives" (April 2005) have been published. The purpose of these guidelines is to describe the context and trends of, and SDC's involvement in the rural transport sector and to provide an outline of the strategy for SDC supported rural transport initiatives. They combine relevant experiences of SDC with the global state of the art knowledge in the transport sector.

The guidelines are based on the former "SDC Rural Transport Strategy" (May 2001), which they replace, and provide an update of the sector context and the global trends within the donor community, a redefinition of the role of rural transport in SDC's development agenda and the respective operational set-up and capacities as well as a lean and easily accessible strategic part regarding the institutional, legal, economic, socio-cultural, technological and environmental framework. This republishing process has to be seen within SDC's effort of reordering its policies / strategies as well as against the backdrop of new sector trends and the accordingly reoriented profile of SDC in the field of mobility.

The guidelines can be downloaded at www.skat.ch/transweb/mobility/policy.htm. For hardcopies and / or further information, contact Roger Schmid or Juerg Christen transweb@skat.ch.

"Any questions?" - Advisory support from the SDC Mobility support team

Within the current support mandate in mobility, SDC funds advisory services to sector practitioners for up to 100 human-hours a year. The support team at Skat provides through this advice, free of charge to, SDC staff and project / programme partners, TransNet members, Swiss NGOs and Swiss based consultants related to enquiries on policy and operational (planning, implementation, construction, O&M, M&E, etc.) level as well as regarding sector documentation. Advisory support relates to the provision of:

• A question & answer (Q&A) service: Up to ½ day of advice can be provided within a 2 weeks time to enquiries (submitted electronically, by phone or fax) through answers based on the team's and the institution's experience and / or literature study, or through a consultation process within Skat's large network of communities of practice, organisations and individuals
• Advice to visitors: Face-to-face advice as well as access to the documentation centre can be provided to visitors at the premises of Skat in St. Gallen (Switzerland). Please make an appointment beforehand.

Any questions? - Please contact Roger Schmid by e-mail (roger.schmid@skat.ch), with copy to Juerg Christen (juerg.christen@skat.ch), by phone (++41 71 228 54 54) or by fax (++41 71 228 54 55).

SDC support to IFRTD core funding continued

SDC has renewed its support to the International Forum for Rural Transport and Development (IFRTD) by providing 900'000 CHF to the core funding of the network for 2005-07. IFRTD (www.ifrtd.org) is a unique and southern driven network of rural transport specialist that is lobbying at all levels to make transport more accountable to poor people's need, thus perfectly in line with SDC's rural transport strategy. IFRTD is (beside the Skat support mandate) SDC's only resource centre for mobility and transport and offers a perfect vehicle to share experiences in this area. SDC funds IFRTD since the establishment of a full time secretariat in 1995 and is a member of its executive committee, which defines the Forum's overall policy and strategy.

IFRTD's vision is a world in which rural communities, particularly those who are poor and disadvantaged, have improved accessibility to resources and services and increased mobility to satisfy their needs and develop their assets. Throughout 2005-07, IFRTD will contribute to this vision through:

• Advocacy for more poor people centred transport policies and their application
• Filling knowledge gaps by promoting and disseminating research focused on transport to fight poverty
• Exchange of information to create awareness of issues to be debated or tackled
• Ensuring that the interests of developing countries are represented in the global rural transport agenda
• Promoting improved and pro poor planning frameworks, financing mechanisms and technologies

More information at www.skat.ch/transweb/mobility/desk.htm or contact Peter Njenga ifrtd@ifrtd.org

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Decentralisation of Trail Bridge Building in Bhutan
(Observation from a review and backstopping mission in February 2005)

Bhutan is following a careful policy of decentralisation. The Government's vision is cautious modernisation - combining traditional values with modernity. The overarching goal is to ensure future independence, security and sovereignty of the Kingdom. The national development concept of "Gross National Happiness" stresses this goal in its development objectives. The decentralisation reform in 2002 marked an important step in Bhutan's process of modernisation of its political system. The reform provides local and regional authorities democratic legitimacy and political powers and has introduced the system of direct election of local leaders representing their constituency at the district level. The national planning system has been modified through a complementary bottom-up process and the administration has partly been decentralised.

In this context the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, through Helvetas has been supporting trail bridge building in Bhutan since 1985 in the Suspension Bridge Programme (SBP) with technical and financial assistance. The overall goal of the SBP is to create the social, physical and administrative infrastructure to promote a balanced socio-economic development through the provision of safe and economic river crossings in remote and particularly poor locations. Trail bridges are planned and supervised by the District Engineering Sections, with substantial contributions from the beneficiaries through free labour. Until today, 407 trail bridges have been constructed in this manner and many already rehabilitated throughout the hilly districts of Bhutan. Over the years, planning design and construction procedures for suspension bridges have been standardised and production process and implementation quality continually improved. Substantial capacity building efforts have been undertaken at central and dzongkhag (district) levels, from which the country as a whole benefited, unfortunately not SBP because of the Government's staff rotation policy.

The current institutional and political environment is strongly influenced by the aforesaid decentralisation reform 2002 and the respective by-laws (chathrims) that are gradually being introduced in all dzongkhags and villages. The chathrims endow local authorities with more political powers but also delegate more financial and operational responsibilities. Under the new political framework planning and bridge site selection has become a participatory and transparent process. It ensures that communities define their needs, participate in decision-making and contribute substantially towards the realisation of a project. The new political structures empower communities to plan their priorities and to take greater control over their lives.

For centuries communities have developed various systems to deal with communal services and social infrastructures through the system of free labour. However, this system bears the danger of creating social disparities during the implementation process with the poor contributing most and the rich profiting most. On the other hand the bridges provide equal access to all. Ownership, so far is only a partial success, working well for construction, but not for maintenance. The ongoing reform process of decentralisation clearly opens new opportunities but also challenges at the local level, where it is enthusiastically received. With the new decentralised and democratic planning and decision-making processes, prioritisation of infrastructure projects including trail bridges has become more transparent and demand-oriented.

Juerg Christen, Managing Director, Skat, juerg.christen@skat.ch

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Rural Livelihood Development Programme of SDC in Tanzania to start

The first phase of the Rural Livelihood Development Programme (RLDP), aiming at poverty reduction through income increase and better access to services in rural areas with the support of the private sector, is about to start. Through the RLDP operations, poor Tanzanian households and communities shall be enabled to step out of their subsistence livelihood and participate in market-driven activities to realise higher incomes. RLDP therefore follows a value chain approach which analyses economic processes, their potentials and addresses their constraints in order to increase the value being created along the production-processing chain. The programme acts as a facilitator, emphasising on skill development and extension services. It further facilitates business development services and promotes financial services. Support to infrastructure is mainly seen to improve mobility as well as transport, storage and marketing of products.

RLDP intends to reach the target population through the support of their demand driven project initiatives. For project implementation, RLDP seeks the cooperation with private sector companies, trusts, NGO, etc. as implementing partners or providers of services. Programme management itself is done through a "not-for-profit" company is set up and gets assigned the tasks of programme supervision, planning and implementation. SDC has mandated a consortium consisting of Intercooperation and Swisscontact to provide technical assistance for the implementation of RLDP and to set up the company with consortium members as founder members. For this first phase (04.2005 - 03.2008), a budget of CHF 12'500'000 has been approved and should allow at any moment of time a project portfolio of about 8 to 12 projects.

For further information contact Georg Felber gf@intercooperation.ch

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"Empowerment, equity and poverty reduction in road maintenance" (SMDP, 2004)

The document provides findings of a support mission to the Strengthened Maintenance Division Programme (SMDP) of SDC Nepal. The SMDP started in 1994 with the objective of building capacity in the Department of Roads (DoR) to undertake planned maintenance of the strategic road network. The report assesses the performance of the SMDP along its 3 strategic thrusts: capacity building (enhancing the DoR); service delivery (roads in reasonable condition, reliable, safe and cost-effective); empowerment (road neighbours and road users contribution). DoR appears to be a highly visible government service. In the present conflict situation, it is in its interest to do its utmost to improve not only its service delivery but also its relationship to the public. Opportunities to involve people in mutually beneficial actions are currently not being fully realized. Also, the armed conflict dampens the interest of staff in interacting with the population. In this context of insecurity, however, every effort to improve interaction with the public can contribute to conflict mitigation.

The report can be downloaded at the SDC Nepal website (www.sdc.org.np/coofResources.php). For further information, please contact Robert Groeli robert.groeli@sdc.net.

"Partnerships to improve access and quality of public transport: Guidelines" (M. Sohail (ed), 2003)

The book provides a set of guidelines for policy makers and urban transport operators outlining how the poor and other disadvantaged groups might enjoy greater access and a higher quality public transport service. It highlights the need for a clearer understanding of the complex relationships between the provision of public transport and other services needed by low-income communities to sustain their livelihoods. The need for partnerships is illustrated, how they function and how relationships between partners can be strengthened in order to improve accessibility and quality of public transport. By focusing on key issues at policy and operational levels, the reader is given a greater understanding of how improvements in services can be introduced, and how all stakeholders, including users, regulators, administrators, planners and operators can be incorporated into the decision making process.

Published by WEDC, wedc.lboro.ac.uk/publications/details.php?book=1%2084380%20035%207

"Small scale contracting - strengthening local capacity for sustainable rural infrastructure" (A. Thongchai, 2004)

This publication is based on a study conducted by ILO ASIST-AP to assess the present situation in Thailand relating to small contracting of infrastructure construction projects by local administrative bodies. It provides an insight into the current challenges that local government institutions are facing because of the recent move to decentralize authority and responsibilities for planning and implementation of rural infrastructure works from central agencies. Equally, it provides a good description of the work environment in which the local private construction industry operates, when carrying out public works. Finally, the report outlines some interesting solutions to capacity building at local level.

ISBN 92-2-115705-9, www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/recon/eiip/publ/new.htm

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CONFERENCE: "15th Int. Road Federation World Meeting"
- Global gathering of experts in the road industry, where development and maintenance of better and safer roads and road transport systems worldwide is encouraged and promoted.
Bangkok, Thailand, 14-18 June 2005. www.irf2005.com

CONFERENCE: "11th Regional Seminar for Labour-Based Practitioners - Sharing of knowledge and experience on the innovative application of integrated labour-based approaches for socio-economic development".
Mombassa, Kenya, 2-8 Oct. 2005. www.krb.go.ke/regsem11.php

CONFERENCE: "13th Int. Conf. on Road Safety - New findings, transfer of knowledge and exchange of evaluated good practises".
Warsaw, Poland, 5-7 Oct. 2005. www.vti.se/templates/Page____3566.aspx

For further events or event agendas you may visit www.skat.ch/transweb/links/events.htm

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DFID Infrastructure Connect at www.infrastructureconnect.info
Provides information about the research engineering and infrastructure work of DFID. In the subject areas of transport, disability and urbanisation, amongst other things, it gives information regarding latest news and activities, newsletters and other publications, projects undertaken and associated success stories and best practices as well as useful links.

Sustainable Urban Transport Project (SUTP) at www.sutp.org
SUTP is a partnership between the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), CITYNET and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) which aims to help developing Asian cities achieve their sustainable transport goals, through the dissemination of information about international experience and targeted work with cities.

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-- DISCLAIMER --

The contents of "FOCUS ON MOBILITY" do not necessarily reflect the official policies of SDC. Information contained may be freely used for non-commercial purposes, as long as SDC is duly acknowledged. For further information, please visit www.skat.ch/transweb/news.htm

The "FOCUS ON MOBILITY" team are:
- Thomas Zeller (SDC), thomas.zeller@deza.admin.ch, ++41 31 322 34 42
- Roger Schmid and Juerg Christen (Skat), transweb@skat.ch, ++41 71 228 54 54

"FOCUS ON MOBILITY" is a service provided by Skat within the "SDC Support Mandate in Mobility"

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