UN-HABITAT’s People’s Process in Aceh and Nias (Indonesia) 2005-2008
Film:
Film 1: Rebuilding Houses, Rebuilding Communities
Providing people with cash to organize post-disaster early recovery themselves is not a widely accepted humanitarian practice. UN-HABITAT, however, used its prior experience to mobilize 26 village communities in both urban and rural districts in Aceh and Nias. In this short film, managers, facilitators, community members and local government officials explain their experiences with the People's Process. Auditors and donor representatives also give their view. The film highlights how UN-HABITAT worked with communities in order to rebuild more safely and through transparent processes in which people control the funds. The impact on local livelihoods and social recovery is also illustrated.
Film 2: Achieving Social Mobilization
UN-HABITAT's People's Process mobilizes social capital of communities. Democratic and informed decision making is encouraged, with inclusion of women and poor community members. In Aceh and Nias, UN-HABITAT and communities signed 'social contracts', clarifying the rights and responsibilities of both the humanitarian organization and the community. Community committees for planning, beneficiary selection and procurement were set up. Subsequently, community groups of about 10 families were formed, each endowed with a bank account at the local government-owned micro-credit institution. UN-HABITAT signed a 'community contract' with each group, committing funds and facilitation, while expecting the groups to procure labour and materials for house building in a transparent and sound manner.
Film 3: Providing Facilitation
Good facilitation is a cornerstone of good community-based development and reconstruction work. UN-HABITAT employed more than 200 facilitators, each with either a social or engineering background. Facilitators are the front workers, dealing with community organization, the management of community contracts, quality control, technical advice and dispute settlement. Field facilitators will assist community groups throughout the process. Specialists will come in to look at more demanding problems, sign off on progress and quality and provide assistance to the community as a whole, for instance to the planning or procurement committees. UN-HABITAT's facilitators and specialists tell their lessons-learned in this film.
Film 4: Organizing Procurement
Good procurement requires know-how and transparency in conducting transactions and assuring quality control. In many villages, community groups managed more than one million dollars of UN-HABITAT funds, which was put in their bank accounts to be spent in less than one year. Village committees received training in standard procurement techniques: decisions on specifications, tender procedures, contractor selection, price comparison, price negotiation and dispute settlement. Subsequently, they learn about quality control, the right to reject supplies, the importance of considering transport and logistics, and the benefit of checking the quality before the materials are delivered.
Film 5: Improving Water and Sanitation
Community contracting can be used for encompassing reconstruction programmes, but also for small upgrading endeavours, such the improvement of water and sanitation amenities for poor families. UN-HABITAT's settlement support programmes provided several upgrading programmes where communities set up simple clean water supply systems or worked together with local water authorities to bring in a metered water supply. Sanitation improvements were also included, as a concrete follow-up to hygiene training programmes for adults and children. The process of allowing communities to decide on the priorities and to organize the necessary interventions assures ownership, local knowledge and sustainability.
