Lack of coordination slows Aceh rebuilding: Study

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Poor coordination has been blamed for the slow rehabilitation and reconstruction process in tsunami-struck Aceh, particularly in the areas of housing and economic recovery, a study reveals.

Conducted under the Aceh Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Appraisal (ARRA) project, the study found that coordination problems had given rise to the impression that certain service- providers had allocated certain budgets to themselves.

"With regard to housing, (tsunami) victims are questioning the lack of standards to be used as benchmarks for the service providers' performance. In addition, the ARRA survey's findings indicate that many services provided do not take into consideration the most vulnerable groups such as women, children, and the disabled," the study said.

"Many service providers have not provided space for community involvement, whether in planning, implementation, or monitoring and evaluation of the services being provided."

Conducted by non-governmental organizations and universities in five regencies/cities in Aceh between June and August, the research is aimed at giving an up-to-date picture of the current status of the rehabilitation and reconstruction process in Aceh. The views gathered in the study were collected from victims and from service-providers, governmental and non-governmental and national and international.

The specific areas of attention were the performance in providing health and education services, housing, the distribution of survival allowances, the restoration of ownership documents, and general economic recovery.

"It is hoped that the results of this rapid monitoring appraisal will serve as useful input for governmental and non- governmental organizations in taking concrete steps to accelerate and support the effective implementation of the rehabilitation and reconstruction process," the ARRA team said.

The team designed and executed the research in cooperation with the Asia Foundation and with support from Give2Asia and the Royal Netherlands Embassy.

In the housing and clean water sector, the study found there was too wide a variety of styles and types of housing, ranging from 27 to 70 square meters, such that the community did not know the minimum standards set by the Aceh and Nias Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency (BRR) for housing construction.

ARRA recommends that the BRR disseminate information on the minimum standards that must be met in house construction.

Also related to housing, the treatment of construction workers deserved greater attention, the study said.

"These workers often do not receive adequate protection. Unavailability of building materials, which is not the workers' responsibility, often means that they cannot work and therefore do not get paid," the report said.

In the area of economic recovery, the research found that many of the economic recovery programs being provided comprised only partial assistance that was not accompanied by appropriate, intensive guidance.

"For example, capital is provided to start production businesses, but with no information about marketing. ARRA recommends that service providers also provide support in the form of guidance, business capital, and provision of market access for the products that are produced," the report said.