Transcript Document

Removing the Band-Aid
The Contribution of Codes and Standards to the
Long-Term Viability of Foreign Assistance
Ashley W. Vincent
University of Idaho
Washington Internships for Students of Engineering
Photo: http://www.astm.org/SNEWS/ND_2010/rowell_jackson_nd10.html
Terms and Acronyms
• USAID: United States Agency for International
Development
– This is the United States’ primary channel for bilateral
foreign assistance
• NGO: Non-Governmental Organization
– In this report, NGO refers mainly to humanitarian
organizations such as the American Red Cross, Habitat for
Humanity, the Cooperative Housing Foundation
• OIG: Office of the Inspector General (for USAID)
• January 2010: 222,570 people killed in magnitude
7.0 Haitian earthquake
• February 2010: less than 1000 killed in magnitude
8.8 Chilean earthquake
• Chile had well-developed building codes; Haiti had
none.
Photo: http://sharing.krqe.com/sharewlin//photo/2011/01/04/Haiti-Year-Of Crisis_Gree_20110104113650_640_480.JPG
Technical Difficulties...
Construction done without adequate structural
resistance make populations extremely vulnerable to
natural and man-made disasters.
If quality assurance for construction is not incorporated
into foreign assistance, efforts are wasteful and
counterproductive
Case in Point
Consequences for structures built to international
codes: in Port-Au-Prince, the US Embassy building and
the Jamaican-owned Digicel Tower were virtually
unaffected by the 2010 earthquake.
Consequences for structures not built to adequate
code: destruction of more than 100,000 homes in PortAu-Prince, and severe damage to many other buildings
including ministries and the Presidential Palace
Digicel Building Survives Amidst Rubble
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5139/5571318535_42015affdd_b.jpg
Cause for Concern
• The welfare of these many of these countries is of
strategic and economic interest to the United States.
• 90% of population growth in developing countries
occurs in cities, where populations are most vulnerable
to structural failure
• USAID is increasing involvement in city development,
yet still has no consistent system for quality assurance
in building projects
• US foreign assistance programs are under pressure to
demonstrate improvements in effectiveness, or risk
drastic program cuts
2015 Forecast: Poor, Seismic Megacities
http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a001200/a001290/
The Role of Codes and Standards
• Standards refer technical documents which explicitly
describe test methods, procedures, or specifications
for products or materials
• Building codes are regulations which control the
methods, materials, and uses of buildings as well as
dictate how the building must perform, especially as
it applies to safety of the occupants.
A system of codes and standards, can serve to
ensure the safety and durability of structures
• Performance codes dictate behavior and durability of a building
both during its intended use and in the face of unusual stresses or
disasters.
• Prescriptive codes specify methods materials that must be used to
meet performance requirements
• Codes allow governments or other authorities to guarantee safety
and minimize losses
• Standards provide concise technical descriptions of methods and
procedures, as well as product and material specifications.
• By referencing standards, codes provide specific, useable guidance
to those who must obey the code.
Policy Gap
Due to the structure of United States foreign assistance
administration, regulation of building practices is a complex
issue. The administrative framework lacks mechanisms for
quality assurance.
http://www.usaid.gov/performance/afr/afr10.pdf
System Weaknesses
• USAID has no set of codes or standards which it
consistently requires contractors to follow
• When working through non-governmental
organizations, USAID does provides little to no
guidance with respect to structural quality
“Our review of the task force’s 35 existing
seismic reports revealed that 12 structures were
considered to have no resistance to seismic
activity, while an additional 13 were only
minimally resistant to seismic activity.”
-Analysis of USAID-built structures in
Afghanistan by the Office of the Inspector
General
http://www.usaid.gov/oig/public/fy10rpts/5-306-10-007-p.pdf
Above: a USAID-built school built without seismic resistance. An earthquake
could cause students to be crushed under tons on debris.
“As of October 2009, the [USAID] mission had internally budgeted
approximately $123 million through fiscal year 2011 for repair or
reconstruction of defective buildings”
-USAID Office of the Inspector General, Audit of USAID/Afghanistan’s Human
Resources and Logistical Support Program, March 31, 2010
Barriers to Implementation
Contrary Arguments:
• Code requirements are too restrictive
• One size does not fit all for such varied
situations
• Enforcement is difficult
• NGOs do not want or need technical guidance
• Developing codes and standards would be too
resource-intensive
Recommendation for Humanitarian
Response Situations
Increase technical coordination and guidance
at the outset of disaster-response in two ways.
• Select one or more standard shelter designs to be
referenced by all grantees and contractors.
• Require that those responsible for humanitarian
consult with those responsible for long-term
development objectives in the region, in order that
strategies be complementary and not conflicting.
Recommendation for Pre-Planned
Development Projects
Place contingencies on non-emergency
construction contracts for structures that have
potential for high risk.
• Require that construction funded by United States
foreign assistance adhere to US-based codes and
standards
• Phase this requirement in, starting with high-risk
structures.
• Develop a consistent system for risk-analysis to be
applied during the bidding process.
Justifications for Investment in Quality
Assurance
• Ethical: safer construction has the potential to largescale prevention of human suffering due to death,
injury, and reduced standards of living.
• Economic: recipients avert financial losses associated
with structural failure, donors see a reduced need for
disaster relief, and the economies of international
trading partners are preserved
• Strategic: distressed populations are prone to social
and political instability, as well as the influence of
extremism- all threats to US national security.
Photo courtesy of Hailey Jones, 2011