ARTICLE - LESSONS FOUND ON OTHER SIDE

HAITI'S RECONSTRUCTION LESSONS ARE FOUND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD
(Miami Herald) - By Daniel O'Neil - www.imunitedforhaiti.org

As I rushed relief supplies from the Pan American Development Foundation through the streets of Port-au-Prince just after the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake, I could not fathom how Haiti would recover from the worst humanitarian disaster in the history of the Western Hemisphere.

Nearly a year later and on the other side of the world, I saw what could be Haiti's future.
In October, I traveled to Indonesia with a World Bank study group to see how that country recovered after the post-Christmas 2004 tsunami, which killed in excess of 200,000 and leveled some 139,000 homes, and the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake, which took the lives of more than 5,700 and damaged 175,000 buildings.

The study trip was an intense examination of how all stakeholders -- the government, civil society, the private sector, donors and others -- actually achieved what is desired in Haiti: ``To build back better.''

All stakeholders involved in Haiti can learn important lessons from the Indonesia's tsunami and earthquake recovery experiences. Here are my four takeaways from that success story:

• Leadership: Indonesia's president acted quickly by appointing a strong individual to oversee all the reconstruction efforts. He surrounded himself with qualified people and paid salaries that matched international wages.

Six months after the tsunami, the government enacted a policy of repairing all of the damaged houses and offering a basic structure to everyone who lost one. Clear rebuilding standards were set and conveyed to everyone involved in reconstruction. Progress was closely tracked. Officials coordinated the implementation of that mandate with international organizations and sought additional funding to fill the gaps.

Though time has passed, it is not too late for Haiti to set out this type of plan. Indeed, some government agencies are already forging ahead. For example, the Public Works Ministry (in collaboration with the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (PADF) and the private sector) has coordinated the assessment of all the quake-damaged buildings in the Port-au-Prince area -- nearly 400,000 in total! This is the largest and most detailed damage assessment ever done.

This database provides a clear picture of which buildings can be repaired and which need to be demolished.

When the next administration takes over in 2011, it needs to build on initiatives like the assessment project in order to move the country forward.

• Participation: Allowing home owners to rebuild their own houses and communities to lead their own reconstruction were keys to Indonesia's success. In addition to feeling a stronger commitment to the rebuilding effort, their involvement actually helped to save money and reduce local unemployment. Not only did that strategy dramatically reduce the costs, the beneficiaries were happier with the results. After all, how can they complain about a house that they helped to build?

The engagement plan also set the stage to resolve potential conflicts. For example, when a road needed to be widened, the residents were more willing to give up part of their land if they were involved in the initial decision to widen the road.

• Money matters: Although the tsunami caused $5 billion in damage, the government raised and spent $7 billion on reconstruction. That additional 40 percent allowed them to build back better. Not only were they able to guarantee a house to everyone who lost one, they were able to upgrade the roads, port and public buildings. These investments were made at all levels, from the seaside villages to the larger cities.

Haiti suffered $11 billion in damages. Only $9 billion has been pledged (though not every country has actually sent their checks). Unfortunately, little has been spent on anything beyond basic relief and some rubble removal. The real reconstruction has yet to even begin.

The lack of money and skepticism that all of the pledged funds will ever arrive makes it hard for policymakers to develop concrete plans -- much less to truly envision a future where Haiti is built back stronger.

• Accountability: The Indonesian government developed a strong monitoring system and used it to show how funds were being spent and the progress being made. They produced regular reports and used a web-based GIS tracking system for all projects.

The reconstruction ministry had zero tolerance for corruption within its own staff. It quickly developed an international reputation for effectiveness. Donors were confident that their contributions were well spent -- and the government used the monitoring system to pressure supporters to honor their pledges.

Though corruption exists in Haiti, transparency is an achievable goal -- and the government is doing so one project at a time. For example, one World Bank project provides money to the Haitian government, which it assigns to PADF to implement an effective community-based development program. The government's approval process of the program's budget is daunting, and auditing procedures are rigorous, which demonstrates that it can effectively supervise money. This is in addition to PADF's annual audit performed by a U.S. firm.

For all of us on the ground in Haiti during the months after the earthquake, I cannot imagine when the images of death and destruction will fade. Most likely, they will stay with me for the rest of my life.

However, the possibility of a brighter future that lives up to the often-promised slogan of building back better does not need to fade. Indeed, it can become a reality like we saw in Indonesia.

Daniel O'Neil is the senior director of Caribbean Programs at the Pan American Development Foundation. O'Neil ran PADF's on-the-ground relief and early reconstruction efforts for five months before rotating to Washington, D.C.