What are RMGs?
- Small groups of 3-10 local people hired to carry out routine maintenance
- In Laos, women only groups (same in China, Vietnam):
- Basic cleaning and clearing activities + minor repairs
- Clean and excavate side drains
- Clean culverts
- Clear causeways and bridges
- Control vegetation
- Remove obstacles and landslides (up to 3m3)
- Repair carriageway (potholes, ruts, rills)
- Repair road shoulder (cuts, depressions, banks)
- Repair retaining walls (erosion, missing stones)
- Average input of 50 persondays per km per year
- RMG paid a fixed monthly lumpsum
- Monthly inspection of road conditions
- Deductions if road conditions do not comply with performance standards
- Pilot funded from SDC Innovation Fund
- 2 districts: Viengkham (Luang Prabang) + Sepone (Savannakhet)
- 50 km of roads (PRF cycles 8-13)
- 11 roads with 11 RMGs
- 56 women RMG members from 11 villages
- Pilot design in first half of 2017
- Road selection from previous PRF cycles
- Design of RMG approach and procedures
- Draft Guide/Manual and translation
- Training in June 2017
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- Training-of-trainers in both pilot districts
- Training of RMGs
- Implementation June-December 2017
- 2 RMGs started later
- Evaluation in January 2018
- 2 districts, 5 of 11 RMGs
PDF File: Road Maintenance Groups (RMG), Pilot evaluation (Jan 2018)
Sustainability
- PRF III to further develop and test approach
- Provide some sustainability to PRF road subprojects
- Full sustainability and scaling-up requires involvement of MPWT
- Sustainable funding of RMGs
- Expansion to non-PRF village roads
- Replication in other roads (district, provincial, national)
- This will require some adjustments to the approach (systems + RMG responsibilities)
- Example Nepal
- ILO pilot in 2008/2009 – 100 km
- Replication RAP3 – all district roads in 10 districts (>3,000 km) by 2014
- Replication by SNRTP – all district roads in additional 36 (of total 75) districts
- Adoption government – standard approach for district roads, funded by government since July 2016
What can we do in Laos? Can MPWT replicate and sustain the approach?
RMG in progress, Jan to June 2018
The road maintenance group (RMG) is a new PRF initiative to help keep roads to the village in good condition. It also provides additional income to group members. However, only a few people are needed in each RMG and therefore the selection process needs to be carefully targeted and transparent. PRF III has piloted the approach inviting women predominantly from poor/poorest households to participate as RMG members.
From June to December 2017, the Road Maintenance Groups (RMGs) were piloted by the Poverty Reduction Fund (PRF) in Viengkham district (Luang Prabang province) and in Sepone district (Savannakhet province). The pilot covered a total of 50 km of road from previous PRF cycles, which were maintained by 11 RMGs involving 56 RMG members. The pilot was funded by the SDC Innovation Fund.
The training of trainer for the RMG are going to start for 54 road subprojects in 7 provinces and 24 districts with a total length of 340 km that will be maintained by 73 RMG made of 356 members (Details are in Annex 10). The 356 members will receive the payment from PRF through the village committee by maintaining the road in their village during a period of 18 months (1/6/2018 – 30/11/2019).
The training of the trainers is organized by the PRF and DPWT staff in province and districts level. The trainings will be organized in three different locations: two in the north and one in the south, with a total 109 participants. The RMG training plan will be completed in the end of June 2018.
To measure the RMG poverty alleviation impact on the RMG members, the WB has allocated an additional financial support in order to launch the RMG impact evaluation based on the 54 rural road sub-projects supported during the cycle XIV and ongoing for rural road maintenance by RMG group member in 2018-2019. After some challenges to find out the best methodology for the selection of the control and treatment groups, the RMG selection is now on-going.
RMG pilots have been funded by PRF. Therefore, needs to consider how the Government can proceed with these activities with the Government budget available; pilots must not only demonstrate the end result but they must also be feasible, this would be useful to get some experience from Vietnam, Philippine and other ASEAN’s countries.
PDR file: Continues on RMG after pilot. RMG target area and budget final Update 05-03 -18