1. CONTRACTING FOR LOCAL MAINTENANCE

2. Maintenance
Maintenance is mainly restoring the surface layer and repairing drainage to ensure that water is carried away from the surface
Preventive maintenance requires continuous inspection and repair of faults (repair and clean drains, fill potholes): it requires a permanent « lengthman » around every 2km
Periodic maintenance involves partial regravelling of the surface and drain rebuilding, usually after the rainy season
Emergency repairs (mudslides, massive erosion) can require heavy equipment and aid)
A low-volume road is unlikely to last longer than 8 years, without maintenance perhaps 2 rainy seasons
Expect to pay about USD per km.year (more if graders used)
(better than USD to rebuild if you do not)

3. Maintenance management
A contract will be issued for a length of road to a small formal or informal firm or an association
The contractor will engage, equip and supervise lengthmen using mobile supervisors
Close supervision will be needed to make sure that he is doing his job
A local user group will provide quality control
A bigger formal sector contractor may be necessary with light equipment for periodic maintenance over a part of the network

4. Performance-based management
Contractor not paid based on quantity of work done at unit prices as laid out in building contract
He is provided with the task of maintaining road assets according to minimum service levels specified in the contract
How he does it is up to him
More risk for him on a bad year but he has incentives to innovate to reduce costs
Management must be sure to get the service standards right and know what it should cost to detect bidding collusion

5. Contracting safeguards
Competent contractors are rare and training is necessary not only in doing the job but in bidding procedures and management generally
Contract documents must be simple otherwise bids are incoherent
Contractors are sometimes dishonest and controls are necessary:
Quality of work and respect of schedule
Make sure workers are paid and equipped with the right tools
Make sure clauses about gender are respected
Contractors are also vulnerable and regular and rapid payment is esential
Performance-based contracting is more effective if supervision is effective and honest

6. References
Perfomance based maintenance management
Road mainteance