Removing the Band-AidRemoving the Band-Aid

The Contribution of Codes and Standards to the The Contribution of Codes and Standards to the Long-Term Viability of Foreign AssistanceLong-Term Viability of Foreign Assistance

Photo: http://www.astm.org/SNEWS/ND_2010/rowell_jackson_nd10.html

Ashley W. VincentAshley W. VincentUniversity of IdahoUniversity of IdahoWashington Internships for Students of EngineeringWashington Internships for Students of Engineering

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 Port-Au-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

• 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.

Increase technical coordination and guidance at the outset of disaster-response in two ways.

Recommendation for Pre-Planned Development Projects

• 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.

Place contingencies on non-emergency construction contracts for structures that have

potential for high risk.

Justifications for Investment in Quality Assurance

• Ethical: safer construction has the potential to large-scale 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