Rehabilitation of Rural Schools and other Social Infrastructures in Fergana Valley of Kyrgyzstan

Location

Kyrgyzstan

Duration

2009 - 2010

Donor

EuropeAid

Budget

874.000 EURO

Description and Deliverables

The overall objective of the project is to contribute to alleviating poverty in Fergana Valley of Kyrgyzstan through improving the social welfare infrastructure by rehabilitation of Rural Schools, infrastructure development and capacity building for community development.
The purpose of this project is to provide necessary technical assistance for the rehabilitation of rural schools, development of related infrastructure (esp. clean water supply infrastructure) and capacity building in the Batken, Osh and Djalalabad regions of Kyrgyzstan.
The project will build on the Country Development Strategy, which reflects the needs of poverty alleviation targeting the most vulnerable regions to improve the social infrastructures and safety nets.
The main considerations for the project implementation originate from the lessons learned from the EC's current and past support and are mainly related to the need to:

Ensure competent and proper management arrangements by the project Implementer;
Establish close cooperation and coordination among all stakeholders including regional and local government and administration levels;
Actively involve village communities into the process of implementation of each rehabilitation project:
Provide community-based deliverables based on low cost initiatives carried out by international agencies or local civil organisations and village communities to bring positive poverty-alleviation benefits and to assist in the transition from social and economic dependency to self-help and self-determination, and to achieve best sustainability;
Improve accountability and provide incentives;
Assure ownership by the beneficiaries responsibility for implementing and maintaining local investments and managing the funding provided and investments:
Cooperate with established community-based organizations to empower people, engendering confidence and local ownership, to reduce the risk of post-project loss of purpose and commitment.

The project will support the Government's effort to rehabilitate/construct up to 25 rural schools and related social infrastructure in Fergana Valley to deliver primary and secondary education to children, who are mainly from disadvantaged families in poor rural areas.
The current needs for the proposed actions in target areas are very urgent since rural poverty remains significantly high at 68% and combines with the lowest rate of health care, making the region more than others prone to social unrest. According to the Ministry of Education and Science at the moment a third of the schools functioning in the Republic are in a very bad condition; 325 schools require immediate major repair works. The rehabilitation of rural schools and related social infrastructure development will form a basis for equality of access to education and to further employment opportunities and support the reduction of structural disparities and existing social tension.

The technical assistance provided will serve to efficiently prepare the technical specifications and drawings for the investment of EUR 2.400.000 and EUR 600.000 allocated to the works and supply components correspondingly, further supervision and monitoring of the works and supply contracts, and the capacity building for the schools administration and parents committees.

Services

Selection of beneficiary primary and secondary schools;
Development of criteria for the selection of the relevant primary and secondary schools
Assessment of type of necessary rehabilitation / construction works with the preliminary budget estimations
Assessment of type and quantity of necessary school furniture, equipment, textbooks and other teaching materials with the preliminary budget estimations
Preparation of Needs Assessment Report
Preparation of Technical Designs (Specifications) for the works tenders and Technical Specifications for the supply tenders in accordance with EC PRAG
Administrative assistance and technical support to the Contracting Authority in works tendering process
Supervision of works contracts
Overall administration of the rehabilitation/construction works contract for each school
Capacity building for the schools administration and parental committees
Development of cost-sharing finance system for further schools' and infrastructure maintenance by the administration and communities
Promotion and involvement of parental committees (together with school administrations if possible) in income-generating activities, examining small business opportunities in the communities