Local Technical Committee and Notice Board Audit

May 23-26, 2006.

Introduction

On May 23-26, 2006 GFA-GTZ/RDP Technical Advisor HUN Sovadhanak and TSU Technical Assistant Sean Sarady and CD and LG Technical Assistant Peng San audited the status of LTC and notice boards and CC meeting in 4 CBDP Target Districts in Kampong Thom. The team met with 11 CC and 11 LTC in Santuk, Stong, Prasatbalaing, and Stungsaen.

Results

1- LTC Functions and Performance

CCs in all 11 communes recognised the important roles of LTC in the commune. The LTC has been legally recognised by the governor in the middle of 2005. The deika of the governor recognised the important roles of LTC and LTCs could even receive RIIF for O&M activities in the communes as well.

The Commune Chief in Phnuv felt that LTC could not have technical capacity to maintain the road, he would like to keep RIIF in the treasury and would contract to the private contractor to repair the road by using RIIF when it accumulate to good amount.

However, only 7 out of 11 LTCs had received RIIF in 2005. 4 LTCs who have not received RIIF in 2005 have different ideas on why they haven't received it in 2005. Some LTCs blame to the carelessness of TSOs responsible in the commune. Some felt that their RIIF is still in the treasury and they will get it this year together with RIIF 2006.

Not all RIIF 2005 in the 7 communes have been spent. Even they officially received 2,000,000 riel but much amount of the money is still in the treasury. This due to the payment instalment in the contract between LTC and CC. LTC received RIIF late in 2005 actually. The remained RIIF now could be withdrawn anytime.

Part of RIIF 2005 has been paid for maintenance equipments. While some communes are happy with the price of the maintenance equipments, some thought that the price was more than the market price and other said that they have to follow the price list made by the TSO. The chief of LTC together with commune clerk did the main roles in buying those equipments based on the price list made by the TSO.

The RIIF withdrawal process was not so difficult. The LTC should submit a request to CC with a list of works they are going to do with requested amount of money. CC has to make decision on the request. Once it was approved by CC, clerk has to prepare for LTC of the RIIF Withdrawal Request, The meeting minutes of the Project Implementation Committee, and the Cash Withdrawal Order attached by some necessary documents. There's no problem so far on the withdrawal.

Most LTC has set up boom gates in the commune. However not all the road lines in the commune have boom gate. CC in Srayov admitted that they could not set the boom gate in the commune, even if they have got officially instruction from the governor, because people will accuse the boom gates as the illegal check point that against to the order of Samdech Prime Minister. CC in Kampongchen Tbong also maintained that they could not set up the boom gates just for social harmonization in the commune. Social harmonization is much more important than road maintenance.

The boom gate has also brought problems as concerned. People refuse to stop at the boom gate to pay for the travelling fee. CC and LTC in Kokoh, Trea and Banteaystong had raise about the conflict between the user's fee collectors and the travellers; car sometimes run into the boom gate when it was stopped by the collectors asking for user's fee. There's little support from the police when problems arise. CC and LTC in Samaki and Krayear have revealed about the difficulties in maintain a joint boom gate with other 2 communes. LTC have to travel for long distance to the boom gate; difficult in work shift and loose in fund management. Some collectors even drink wine while they were on work. The boom gate has to reach 150,000 riel a month. This money will keep in the box for maintenance (No. 4 in the table). If they could raise more than 150,000 a month, the extra money will be shared as incentives for the collectors.

The LTC members have been apathy in their job, especially since they have been confronted with the powerful rich and officials. For instance, the LTC in Trea, and Banteaystong who used to be active in the past become drop in working quality. The use of heavy trucks to transport material for bridge project funded by Samdech Hun Sen and the rehabilitation of 30 Sept. Irrigation Schemes caused the serious damages to the road. The engineering unit of the RCAF and the irrigation contractor of 30 Sept. must responsible for the damages. There is recently solution to the damages made by the irrigation contractor, the contractor promised to pay $15,000 for the damages but we do not know where the money is.

In some road, especially the road funded by TRIP in Kokoh, Prasat and Srayov for in stance, the barriers in the beginning of the road have been destroyed by the powerful travellers when their car could not pass through the road; in Kokoh for instance. The offenders have not yet been arrested or found.

All LTCs have shown their concerns over the job. They have to confront with powerful richs and officials while their job were just the volunteers. There no physical incentives to them. Therefore, most of the LTC members have ignored the job. LTCs work has been going well on the not busy road only.

All CC and LTC realized that they haven't performed the maintenance work yet. RIIF 2005 they have received has been paid mostly to equipments, remained money was for buying sol and laterite for repairing the road, and they even are in debt as well.

Only LTC in Prasat has been involved with CC since the road feasibility study through handing over to community. LTC in Prasat even strongly perform their role during the construction period to make sure that the road has been constructed with quality.

All LTCs have recorded their income in the cash book. However, the cash books were not properly recorded. There's no appropriate guidance on how to record in the cash book. They have just learnt on how to record in the cash book in the training provided by CD and there's no actual guidance yet since then.

There's no good cooperation yet among LTC itself. They rarely meet with one another to solve the problems. CC meeting is only a chance for their meets, but they even rarely participated in the CC meeting. In Kokoh, LTC chief hold the money and the cash book by himself, not the LTC cashier. All LTC cash book record only the money received from travellers. There's also the column for expenses. They do not have any expense vouchers to proof what they have paid for. Income vouchers and expense vouchers is just seldom used.

Most LTCs have received some training on fund management, good governance, facilitation skill, and the O&M techniques from CD staff and TSOs. However, LTC in Tbong Krapeur and Srayov have not received yet the training on O&M techniques. All LTCs need more training on O&M techniques and refresher training on all subjects they have received so far.

2- CC Notice Board and CC Meeting

Each village gets a notice board, but some notice boards have not been installed yet; in a village of Samaki and a village of Kdey Dong for instance. The contractor who got contract for notice board must be responsible for that.

All commune councilors said that they have difficulties in keeping the printed materials on the boards. The boards are made of iron; therefore they could not stick the papers on it. The roof of the board is also small; then it could not cover the board from rain that make the papers rod. There are no keys for the boards as well; people especially the children always took papers away after sticking on the board for a while.

All councilors said that people is not interested in the information on the boards, it would be little interested if the information illustrated by pictures. However, a few surveyed boards were having hand-full and messy information. No updated information on the boards.
They never use the notice boards as a mean for CC meeting at all. Most of the surveyed boards are empty. The locations of the boards were mostly appropriate (on the junction of the road, pagoda, commune office), but they are not well care.

All councilors reported that their CC meeting have been conducted regularly. Most of the meetings are mainly participated by its councilors and the village chiefs. The survey on the attendance list showed that some commune stakeholders (teacher, CBOs, infirmary staff, LTC, Achar, Communal Police) occasionally participated in the CC meeting. They participated only when the agenda of the meeting related to their specific concerns.

The invitation letter is the most appropriate mean for encouraging people to join in the meeting. All CC never try to announce about the CC meeting publicly at all. All CC realised that communication between CC and the villagers has been made through the village chiefs only. Village chiefs usually participated in all kind of meeting in the commune.