Ampara District Master Plan Project Preliminary Report Presentation

1
Ampara DistrictMaster Plan ProjectPreliminary
Report Presentation Follow-up

• prepared for
• Canadian International
• Development Agency (CIDA)
• and
• Government of Sri Lanka, Ministry of
• Housing and Construction
• by
• Canadian Agro-Sustainability Partnership (CASP)

November 2006
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Background

• December 2004 Tsunami strikes Sri Lanka with
  Ampara District suffering 10,000 deaths,
  600-million in property damage, and 23,000 homes
  destroyed or damaged
• June 2005 - GOSL and CASP sign MOU for Ampara
  District Master Plan

• January 2006 - CIDA signs Contribution Agreement
  with CASP (GOSL and Government of PEI provide
  additional support)
• February 2006 - CASP establishes threeAmpara
  District offices (plus Colombo office)
  and begins project work
• April 2006 - 35 project staff in place
• July 2006 Preliminary Master Plan Report
  submitted
• September 2006 - Initial CASP/CIDA Demonstration
  Projects approved and underway

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Master Plan Responsibilities

• Over 18-24 month period prepare long-term Master
  Plan to guide reconstruction and redevelopment
  of Ampara District for the next 20-25 years
• Identify gaps/needs not addressed by other groups
  and identify possible funding sources
• Implement projects as necessary

• Identify/fund Demonstration Projects during this
  process and act as a facilitator or implementing
  agency for larger projects

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Master Plan Objectives

• Improve socio-economic conditions while
  protecting the environment
• Restructure district economy in
  line with its resources
• Promote development of agriculture, fisheries,
  tourism, industry, and ports
• Enhance economic growth in rural areas
• Create environment to attract private
  sector investment
• Improve inter- and intra-district mobility
• Enhance social harmony and equity

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Specific Economic Objectives

• By end of planning period (2008)
• Increase agricultural output by 15, adopting an
  integrated approach related to policy,
  regulation, land, irrigation, transport,
  institutions, and agri-based industries
• Increase industrial sector output by 20 by
  providing a foundation for growth including agro-
  and fisheries-based processing, port development,
  small scale manufacturing, and other
  resource-based industrial initiatives

• Reduce unemployment from 13 to 11 by developing
  livelihoods opportunities in agriculture,
  fisheries, cottage industries, and an expanded
  services sector, micro credits, and other
  self-employment initiatives
• Increase productivity by 25 through improved
  training, technology, and support infrastructure
  to economic sectors
• Achieve real GDP growth rate of 8-9 annually
  from 2008-2015
• Increase tourist arrivals to 100,000 by 2015

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Sector Analysis

• Detailed analysis of sectors including
  Agriculture (Crops, Livestock, Irrigation)
  Communications Technology Education
  Training Industrial Development Tourism
  Energy Power Fisheries Aquaculture Health
  Housing Livelihoods Transport
• Cross cutting themes Environment Gender Peace
  Conflict

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Major IssuesLack of Capacity

• Shortages of staff/infrastructure planning
  problems accountability issues

• Solutions
• Donors/INGOs need to adopt a hands on
  short-term focus in addition to longer term
  transitional hand-over plans
• More project presence on the ground in the
  district
• Increased partnering to address critical areas
  of technical expertise local input/buy-in and
  project management
• Training programs (technical, languages, etc.)
• Infrastructure improvements (transportation
  electricity computers/communications support
  services equipment etc.)

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Major IssuesImproved Communicationswith
Beneficiaries

• Until late 2005 no media outlets in district -
  even now only Tamil language radio station
  newspaper
• Complex ethnic mixMuslim (41), Sinhalese
  (40),Tamil (18)

• SolutionsMore local stakeholder involvement
  greater use of newspaper, radio, and TV media
  increased transparency and accountability more
  cooperation between organizations development of
  local information/awareness networks in schools
  and through other institutions

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Major Issues Coordination

• Many organizations involved at micro level
  without sufficient consideration of the big
  picture/external factors
• Challenges
• Inter-project dependencies result in project
  start/completion delays
• Lack of communication among key stakeholders
• Sector-wide projects difficult without
  coordination and communication
• Some coordination committees are really
  communications only, resulting in illusion of
  coordination
• Without big picture guidance some donors/NGOs
  unable to fully utilize funding

10
Reconstruction Gaps

• Although there are excellent reconstruction
  projects undertaken by donors, INGOs, NGOs, and
  CBOs, there are also significant gaps which must
  be addressed, including
• Inadequate attention to environmental sector
  projects such as solid waste management - a major
  problem throughout the District
• Shortage of specialists addressing cross-cutting
  themes of gender and peace conflict.
• Disproportionate focus on an assortment of
  stand-alone projects for sectors such as
  agriculture, without sufficient attention to
  agriculture development at the macro level
• Some tsunami victim groups (e.g. the physically
  mentally handicapped) are being largely neglected
  in this process
• Because of individual donor/INGO focus on their
  own projects, there is a lack of attention to
  larger and potentially important projects which
  require multi-donor/INGO resources.

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Key Recommendations

• Strengthen the facilitation/coordination
  mechanism so that more gets done better and
  faster
• Increase capacity building resources by
  strengthening organizations and encouraging local
  cooperation on common projects
• Increase public participation/awareness and
  communications (including media and local
  networks)
• Adopt a sectoral strategy that places highest
  priority on housing, livelihoods, and environment
• Increase the on-the-ground presence and access in
  Ampara District of donors and INGOs

• Respond to the constraints of ethnic divisions in
  the District by ensuring an ongoing role for
  outside parties to advance and lead many
  reconstruction initiatives in both the short and
  longer term

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DemonstrationProject Fund

• CASP has committed 300K from its own
  resources for demonstration projects to
• Undertake small to mid-size projects as needed
• Ensure projects are in place to demonstrate best
  practices
• Show the people of Ampara District that this is
  more than just a planning exercise
• Examples
• Hardy Institute (Ampara Town) Biogas Project
• Akkaraipattu Community Computer/ English Training
  Centre
• SouthEast University (Oluvil) Gender Studies
  Programme
• Maruthamunai (Kalmunai) Handloom Sector Centre of
  Excellence

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Master Plan Achievements to Date

• Since the project began in January 2006,
  achievements include
• Three centrally located, fully staffed project
  offices (Ampara Town, Kalmunai, Akkaraipattu)
  generating lots of local and INGO traffic
• Leading reconstruction communications program in
  the District, including Rebuild Ampara
  website/videos/blog, half-hour weekly radio
  programme (Tamil), 2-pages in monthly Tamil
  newspaper, plus a network of 30 schools,
  all-faiths clergy network, and 22 Local Advisory
  Committees
• Leading gender awareness program in the District,
  with gender built into all projects (same
  approach with environment and peace conflict)
  and provision of gender resources to other INGOs
• DRAFT Preliminary Master Plan report completed,
  receiving praise and support from stakeholders
• Successful activities across all sectors
  including 5,000 people attending our two-day
  Internet cafe, 200-300 letters each week in
  response to our radio program, large turnouts to
  all our public involvement sessions, as well as
  ongoing awareness programs on solid waste
  management and, more recently, on gender in our
  30 school systems
• Variety of CASP Demonstration Projects
  underway/in final planning
• Outstanding cooperation and support for Master
  Plan from all Sri Lankan
  stakeholders, donors, and INGOs

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Conclusion Priorities

• Strengthen facilitation/coordination
• More resources for capacity building
• Increase public participation, awareness, and
  communications
• Adopt sectoral strategies with highest priority
  on Housing Livelihoods and Environment
• Emphasize and develop sustainability