Project Description
Activities
Institution building leading to the birth of ODTFThe previous thrusts were on empowering and in upgrading the skills of the masons individually as these very masons were considered a key factor in the delivery of housing. But in the present course of action, the Movement encompasses shoe horning/ catalyzing the group of ASHGs (Artisan Self-help Groups) so that the ‘mason force’ will emerge as an institution. The exercise is called as ‘Institution Building’ since the emerging force will take the shape of an institution over a period of time. The institution arrangement is an institution of the masons, by the masons and for the masons.
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As the number of trained masons grew, the idea of grouping these trained masons with artisans related to the construction sector came up not only for better capacity building of the groups but also to promote them in an entrepreneurship mode towards taking up and managing construction projects and developing micro-enterprises at the grassroots. The groups are formed in the style of Artisan Self-Help Groups (ASHGs) and subsequently at the district level these ASHG groups are federated as Artisans’ Federation (AFed) to coordinate the works of the ASHGs and liaise with the district administrations to take up construction projects. This includes projects in water and sanitation having the women and children in focus. Presently there are 153 ASHG groups spread over 8 districts and attempt to federate these ASHGs have been initiated.
Towards developing a self-supporting institutional framework, the most competitive masons/ artisans/ leaders working in each district along with the UNVs are being shaped as a rural construction consultancy to technically support the ASHGs/ AFeds in the style of Development Technocrats’ Forum (DTF). As the support from the mother project SDC-UNDP tapered off, to bank upon the new avenues work within the field of operation was sought after. This proved to be a successful venture, therefore, the Volunteers proposed to steer themselves as an entrepreneurial team. To harmonize the effort all the ex-UNVs joined together and formed into a registered society styled as Orissa Development Technocrats’ Forum (ODTF) with its own memorandum and article of association and setting proper goal and mission relating to housing and habitat. ODTF would work in collaboration with the ASHGs, AFeds and DTFs on housing and habitat related works within the province of Orissa as well as outside.
The current activities of ODTF can be categorized under four heads, which are also implemented by specialised cells created for specific purposes. The cells are:
A - “Institution Building” cell B - “Training and Capacity Building” cell C - “Documentation and Learning Platform” cell, and finally the cell that all the three cells above stimulate, viz. D - “Housing and Habitat Development” cell
Institution Building
As described in the earlier section “Institution building leading to the birth of ODTF”, this cell refers to institutionalisation of the construction artisans who are presently working as individuals informally in an unorganised way. The artisans involved include all connected to the construction industry like brick-layers, bar-benders, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, etc. The productivity of the masons as well as their direct entrepreneurial quality develops through skill training, which also includes book-keeping, project management, negotiation and networking skills, marketing, etc.
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The institution building process started with the masons in the villages as a bottom-up approach and has seen the birth and operationalization of ODTF, a team of like-minded, committed young Social Architects/ Engineers/ Planners.
It is still an evolving process; the organization ODTF is being strengthened by building purposeful systems with several subsystems. Efforts are on to strengthen the individual behaviour so that people work together as a team in a coordinated way to achieve the goal of the organization. Various team building exercises are the order of the day. Besides, a systematic training programme for its members has been organized through a series of OD (Organizational Development) exercises spread over two years, where eminent gurus from management schools are taking part as guest faculties.
Capacity Building
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ODTF being a team of Social Architects/ Civil Engineers/ Planners have specialized in the field of Appropriate Housing, Disaster Mitigation and Social Mobilization after having received intense trainings on all these aspects by eminent experts since the year 2000.
By now the team has been involved in Training and Capacity Building of local masons/ allied construction artisans, panchayat leaders, Govt. Engineers, etc. for the last 6 years. Various course modules have been devised suiting to the target groups, eg. training of local women construction labourers on basic construction practices to upgrade them into semi-skilled masons, training of masons on multi-hazard resistant construction practices appropriate to the Vulnerable Zone the area falls under, sensitization of Panchayat leaders on Habitat issues including water & sanitation, training of women SHG (Self- Help Groups) on micro-enterprise like brick-making, sanitary mart, etc.
ODTF has carved a niche in the field of “Training of Masons”. About 3000 masons have been trained in Orissa besides the skill upgradation efforts for about 500 women construction labourers in partnership with the Women and Child Development (W & CD) Dept, Govt. of Orissa in the districts of Malkangiri, Gajapati, Boudh, Nuapada, etc.
In partnership with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India, Foundation de France (FDF, Paris), Govt. of Uttar Pradesh, Govt. of Bihar, Govt. of Nagaland, UNDP Disaster Risk Management programme (DRM), various NGOs and Corporate agencies like HOLTEC (P) Ltd., the team has conducted various training programmes for practising Engineers, Architects and Masons on good construction practices and on multi-hazard resistant building technologies in the states of Uttaranchal, Bihar, Karnataka, Tsunami-affected Tamil Nadu, Nicobar Islands, Uttar Pradesh, North eastern states of India, etc. In the front of Water and Sanitation in partnership with UNICEF, child-friendly barrier-free toilets in schools and Anganwadi centres were designed and grounded; this also involved training and supervision of production of cement concrete blocks through women construction labourers.
A Few Project details
Training of Women Construction Labourers:
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The training module devised by ODTF to train the women construction labourers in masonry work was highly appreciated by W & CD Department as well as by many other government and non-government departments/ organizations of the state. Considering this first training as a pilot initiative, the W & CD Department of Govt. of Orissa adopted this training module to impart trainings to 225 Women Construction Labourers in 7 districts of Orissa through technical resource support from ODTF.
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Training of women Production Centre Functionaries
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UNICEF-ODTF partnership For better and cleaner habitat, as part of the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC), UNICEF is promoting child-friendly, barrier-free gender-sensitive School and Anganwadi toilets and training of women Production Centre Functionaries. UNICEF entrusted ODTF for preparation of appropriate architectural drawings, designs including 3D models and training of women SHG members in production of cement concrete blocks in different production centres. As a pilot project the training programme started in Dhenkanal and Angul districts wherein 382 women Production Centre Functionaries (PCF) were trained. During the second phase of training 64 Production Centre Functionaries got trained in Rayagada district. The blocks manufactured were used in the construction of model Individual Household Toilets, School and Anganwadi centre toilets in Dhenkanal, Angul and Koraput districts.
Documentation and Learning Platforms
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Towards Documentation for Large Scale Replication and creating Learning Platforms
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The cell “Documentation and Learning Platform” has been committed towards documentation for large scale replication and creating learning platforms. The Orissa Appropriate Technology Forum (OAPTech Forum) formed under the patronage of UNDP is disseminating knowledge on appropriate technologies – a good learning platform. Many villages to district level meetings/ workshops are being conducted for sharing local knowledge on various related subjects.
Regular documentation on technical aspects has been done for dissemination as a prime project objective. Many bi-lingual reports/ manuals and materials for sensitization have been prepared. A manual on "Good practices in Building Construction Technologies" in local Oriya language has been published and circulated. Data collection formats and Artisan Self Help Group manuals have been drafted in bi-lingual formats incorporating Oriya, such that the ASHG members can readily use the formats for keeping track of the building movement. Documentation has also been done on the Institution Building process, best construction practices, etc. Resource maps both at regional level and at province level have been prepared and circulated. For large scale replication, brochures on locally designed community centres, leaflets, technical reading materials, etc have been developed.
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Efforts have also been directed towards sensitization of students from various schools of Architecture and Engineering, which include Jadavpur University - Kolkata, School of Planning and Architecture - New Delhi, Indian Institute of Technology - Kharagpur, ABIT- Cuttack, CET- Bhubaneswar, Indian Institute of Town Planners, etc. The Eastern India Zonal Workshop was organized at the regional level on appropriate disaster-resistant technologies at Bhubaneswar with a two-fold objective of orienting the students on appropriate disaster-resistant building technologies and striving for inclusion of the same in Architecture/ Civil Engineering course curricula. The architecture and engineering institutes of the province are keeping regular contacts.
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From the International arena, young professionals and student Architects and Engineers are participating in this Housing Movement process and sharing their knowledge on best practices across the globe. Twelve young graduate architects from Tasmania University, Australia visited Orissa and participated in the programme for a few months to derive on-site experience; so have few research students from Switzerland and USA. There has also been experience-sharing of this model in country programmes of Cuba and France. One of the senior Architect-Planners participated in the BSHF sponsored Study Visit to the “Architects in the Community Programme” in Cuba in May 2003. The visit and subsequent experience-sharing has tremendously inspired the team and guided the movement in many ways.
The organization has been able to develop partnerships with many National and International organizations working on housing and habitat sector and is an active member of various networks. ODTF is one of the Governing Council members of INHAF (Habitat Forum-India) Knowledge Management Platform.
basin-SA:
basin-South Asia Regional Knowledge Platform (basin-SA) is committed to “developing knowledge systems and promoting collaborative action within South Asia to enable access by the poor to sustainable habitat and livelihoods.”
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ODTF is an active member of the Basin-SA network for sharing of knowledge. Till date, ODTF contributed the editorial page under the Capacity Building Title of the Basin Newsletter Vol. No.2 in November 2005 and an article “A New Thrust in Housing from Technology Transfer to Artisan Guild by ODTF”. The details can be downloaded in the Page path.
ODTF has also conducted a study on a local housing project, where a building material services bank was promoted.
Workshop on ‘Greening of Brick Industry’
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To initiate a difference in the life of the Brick Industry of Orissa a workshop was organized in February 2006 by Development Alternatives - New Delhi, Orissa Development Technocrats’ Forum - Bhubaneswar and Department of Industries, Government of Orissa, with support from the India Canada Environment Facilities. The programme conceived, as Way Forward, an intensive capacity building programme aimed at improving environmental and social conditions in the brick sector and envisaged a high degree of collaboration between brick manufacturers, policy makers, regulatory agencies, financial institutions and technology promoters. The workshop also highlighted the scope for utilisation of industrial waste especially in this province as one of the ingredients in brick making.
Housing and Habitat Development
This cell undertakes construction of different construction projects at no profit no loss basis, primarily to inspire housing using appropriate disaster-resistant technologies. The second purpose is building capacities among the local masons on-job. Generation of employment is one of the intentions but the main challenge lies in successfully undertaking the works in most difficult remote areas where no contractor or departmental engineers venture to work. The works like the community centres, the Anganwadi centres, Common Facility Centres, food storage godowns, etc. have not only proved their worth but also demonstrated cost optimization in construction which is one of the main planks of ODTF. The important works undertaken so far have been listed below.
A Few Project details
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As commitment to Transfer of Appropriate Housing Technologies, the primary aim was to trigger off a Building Movement (inspiring the community to construct their houses using these technologies without financial aid from UNDP/ this team) has been quite successful, with more than 3509 houses constructed till date all over the state. The main agent of change identified was the “Mason” and hence more than 3663 masons were trained during these six years through intensive theoretical and hands-on exercises. This was followed by on-site supervision by the UNVs during the construction of houses and other buildings. The comparative cost matrix for a typical IAY house - a one roomed dwelling unit of 144 sq. ft. plinth area has been attached as Annexure – III.
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Anganwadi Centres (a place for children of age group 2-5 years from the village and its hinterland to initiate schooling): Some of the Govt. buildings and the buildings funded by NGOs/ donors were built where there was a departure from the conventional construction methods. The people oriented projects like the Anganwadi centres in Rayagada district not only helped the team to ground buildings where appropriate technologies have been infused for transfer of technologies but also helped in skill upgradation of local masons and generation of employment. This project routed through the Women and Child Development Department (W&CD), Govt. of Orissa was funded by World Food Programme (WFP).
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Tribal Housing and Habitat Development
The tribals of Rayagada were under stress, so far as housing was concerned. Neither they were able to build traditional houses in the face of depletion of natural resources nor did they have accessibility to masonry construction materials and skill-sets. The Govt. grant available under IAY head for these vulnerable communities remained unutilized. The intervention of this team could materialize houses for these tribals. Within a couple of years, 945 houses could be built with a habitat approach. The houses were built by the tribals themselves, after their capacities were built. The tribal housing project catalyzed by this team in inaccessible areas on forest hills is a classic example of volunteerism, since this involved daily trekking of kilometres on foot. The Australian Professor Richard Burnham of Architecture and Development department of Tasmania University evinced great interest to have a feel of the area and remarked it to be a laudable effort as the volunteers have not only helped in removing homelessness but also injected the spirit how to build a house absolutely smokeless.
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The primitive “shack” was an igloo-house with a hearth in the middle where animal and man shared the same place. In the redesign, animals are visible but they stay apart of the members of the household. Had this effort not been made, these hapless people without any skill would perhaps continue to reel within these shacks, which were extremely vulnerable to fires and lead a sub-human life.
Target Groups
The main groups benefiting from the project include: • The families who are intending to build houses • The construction artisan group who are leading a subhuman life as construction is still considered as a non-productive venture • Transformation of Women Construction Labourers into Trained Masons • The savings accrued to Public Exchequers due to lesser investments now require towards grounding houses and public infrastructure • Housing activities have a multiplier effect – all involved in the backward and forward linkages of the housing market are benefited. Example – the brick manufacturer, the transporters, etc. • The project may add new dimensions to the knowledge field, which can help researchers, policy makers and academic institutions.
Partnerships
Designing and Planning
In the initial phase of conceiving the project there was a planning workshop in July 2002 at Bhubaneswar with stakeholders from different agencies like Govt. of Orissa, UN Agencies, NGOs, INGOs, civil society organisations, international agencies, etc. working in India. The recommendations of the workshop were guided by Project Directors – District Rural Development Agencies (DRDAs), Block Development Officers (BDOs) and Govt. engineers from different districts, representatives from HUDCO, Orissa Rural Housing Development Corporation (ORHDC), DFID, SDC, local NGOs and UNVs.
Development
Towards sustainability of the ASHG-AFed-ODTF model many partnerships have been crystallised. A few partners have been listed herein.
Government agencies
• Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India • Women & Child Development Department, Govt. of Orissa • Panchayati Raj Department, Govt. of Orissa • Rural Development Department, Govt. of Orissa • The Collectorate of Rayagada • The Collectorate of Nuapada
Bilaterals/ INGOs/ NGOs
• SDC • Architecture & Development, Paris • Habitat Forum - India • Care-Today • Centre for Youth and Social Development (CYSD) • Sanjeevani • Vikalpa • Lokadrusti • Arikoma Building Centre • Sabuj Sangha • Goal India • Development Alternatives (DA) • Plan International • ADER
UN Agencies/ Others
• UNDP • WFP • UNICEF • ORMAS (Orissa Rural Agro Marketing Services) • OPEPA (Orissa Primary Education Programme Authority) • OSDMA (Orissa State Disaster Mitigation Authority) • KIIT (Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology)
Financing
This movement has been ongoing for six years now since January 2001, the first project being the mother project supported by SDC – UNDP. This joint initiative of SDC-UNDP partnership led to the birth of the organization, ODTF as consequence of this project. Today the same team styled as ODTF continues the movement. Interestingly, as designed in the project proposal document, the human resource support costs from this mother project decreased over the years to 50% and then to 25%. Presently the movement is but nominally supported by this mother project. All housing - habitat initiatives and capacity building initiatives of the movement are presently supported by various development partners mentioned above.
On-going management
The shelter team manages the entire programme with help and guidance from UNDP, UN House–II Bhubaneswar from time to time. SDC has also been closely monitoring and guiding the process. ODTF has a democratic approach in the management of its system. All members who have subscribed to the Memorandum of Association are members of the General Body headed by the President nominated from the members. The General Body elects the executive body known as the Governing Body. The Secretary of ODTF, who is the Chief Executive, is nominated by the General Body along with other executives. Since the society is a legal entity, it is accountable to the laws of the country in all respects.
Financial Information
The budget for this SDC-UNDP supported project that triggered off this initiative was of the order of approximately INR 18,943,000, (407,580 USD). SDC has also offered commitments to support the initiative for some more time.
This project has been able to attract many partnerships, thereby mobilising partners’ investment of about 520,000 USD. Peoples’ direct investment on housing using Appropriate Disaster-resistant Building Technologies would be approximately INR 210,540,000 (4.7 million USD). However the project could generate a benefit/ savings of the order of approx. INR 52,635,000 (1.2 million USD) accrued to people at large as well as the public sector till date within a period of approximately six years.
The funding for the project was earlier largely met from SDC-UNDP sources. With the support of SDC-UNDP tapering, the activities of ODTF will be largely directed towards revenue earning enterprises but without any element of profit. The organization is already generating its own revenue by rendering technical services for design and construction, trainings, etc. It also undertakes research and documentation works on consideration.