Govt blueprint for Aceh and Nias

Without meaning to be cynical, the aim stated in the draft of the government's blueprint for tsunami reconstruction of "creating a far better place to live for residents" (The Jakarta Post, March 29) sounds too optimistic. To me, this phrase means that the government will not only get Aceh and Nias back to normal, but after that, take both beyond normalcy.

That is one thing. Another thing, is it enough to summarize the stages of reconstruction -- from identification, preparation, appraisal and implementation, to monitoring and evaluation -- in a "blueprint project"? In particular, for the communities hit by the earthquake and tsunami? I am sorry to say that this sounds too optimistic.

According to the experts, the "blueprint approach" to projects was a product of the development projects of the 1960s and 1970s. They came to be called "blueprint projects" because of their relationship with the blueprints of engineering drawings. Therefore, these projects are often represented as engineering projects, such as bridge building or road construction, which have clear objectives, activities, costs and time frames.

By using the blueprint approach for the reconstruction of Aceh and Nias, does the government intend to show its domination in the planning process and technological expertise, and its ownership and control?

The other approach to projects is the "process approach", in which ownership and commitment from all stakeholders is essential to the success of projects, and therefore all stakeholders must be involved from the inception. The project must be a joint process between stakeholders, and the process is expected to build capacity and contribute to sustainability.

There are many NGOs that have made serious attempts to use a participatory approach to projects. I hope the government will also use the "process approach", especially for non-physical construction projects in tsunami-affected areas.

Perhaps there are many others who agree that the government's blueprint draft needs revision. I hope the government will sit down with more experts from Aceh and Nias themselves, as well as national and international development agencies, NGOs that work on the ground, etc., to formulate the most appropriate approach to the reconstruction work.

NENA MUSLIM, Jakarta