In order to achieve this, a unit for reconstruction of houses and technical infrastructure, whose members are 6 civil engineers and architects, carries out a continuous “training while working” of municipal technical personnel in the area of preparing project documentation, implementation of tender procedures and selection of contractor, contracting procedures and technical supervision and monitoring of contractors. Engineers and architects together with relevant municipal officials carry out “training while working” and knowledge sharing, aiming at improving and building capacities of employees of municipal technical services. Although a primary role of the SUTRA Technical Team is being a mentor, it also actively participates in the implementation of all activities related to reconstruction of houses and technical infrastructure together with municipal partners.
Consequently, it provides help to municipalities regarding project revision and preparation of tender documentation; it participates in tender commission for selecting a contractor, provides supervision and is a member of a commission for technical reception. This is often a tiring and difficult process being carried out by joint efforts of SUTRA Technical Team and municipal technical services, whose final objective is improving municipal technical capacities in the area of applying tender and contracting procedures related to reconstruction of housing units and technical infrastructure.
The facts that contractors are selected in a transparent way, according to the law on public procurement in BiH, that all reconstructed houses are technically received in a successful way and that our beneficiaries are satisfied with the quality and work done, all prove that this aim is achieved. So far, 1.021 housing units were reconstructed within SUTRA Project in accordance with the IMG standards regarding reconstruction of war damaged housing units. All reconstructed houses are connected to electricity and water supply. Applying the same procedures, 22 infrastructural projects were successfully implemented (road, water and electricity supply reconstruction).
In addition, two pilot initiatives were successfully implemented – reconstruction of apartment blocks in Vareš and Drvar on a co-financing basis. Within the SUTRA PLOD Project, it is expected that, by applying the same procedures, at least 400 housing units will be reconstructed along with their infrastructure. On the contrary to the first two phases of the project, the level of reconstruction is defined by “Manual about implementing procedures for selection of beneficiaries of aid in reconstruction of housing units with the aim of return”, which was adopted by the State Commission for refugees and displaced persons in May 2006.
According to the above mentioned, housing reconstruction is a very important result of the Project since it enables the return of individuals to their homes. But what is more important is the process itself and how this was done, thus making the element of physical building less important than the aspects of capacity building and training the personnel of municipal technical services.
Aiša Bijediæ, SUTRA Technical Expert