SPARK must be properly policed

The prime minister, Dr Andrew Holness, has announced the roll-out of the long-awaited project to rehabilitate the nation’s vast road network. The $45-billion Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network (SPARK) is to begin this quarter, so the first phase should be fully on stream in December.The state of our roads is one of the greatest contributors to the anxiety that bedevils the citizens of Jamaica. Water woes and health concerns are high on the list, but without the ability of people to move freely across the country to attend to their various needs, all other considerations seem to pale in significance.So it is very important that the Government of the day tackles this glaring problem, and do so in a comprehensive fashion. The selective and eclectic approach of the past has not worked, neither has the abysmal lack of maintenance that has largely led to the horrendous problems we face today and the remarkable cost to remedy them to boot.One of the important features of the SPARK programme is the involvement of local communities in identifying roads to be fixed in constituencies. This is a laudable development. For too long community members have been excluded from these important projects. They just simply see workers come in with all kinds of equipment to begin work and had no say in or knowledge of what is being done. The truth is that they were marginalised from the process and taken for granted. And in the end they are expected to be very grateful for what has been done, even if the work was shoddy.Another problem with the non-involvement of citizens was that the political directorate in each constituency would hold sway over these projects. Procurement guidelines tended to be breached, as the party in power allocated work on a partisan basis to ensure that its people were taken care of first.It is one of the greatest travesties to be travelling in a community where roads were fixed to a particular point, then skipped and picked up at a later point about a mile away. When you enquire about it, you are told that members of a certain political party live in the areas where the roads are unfixed. The net result of this chicanery is the shoddy work that taxpayers have to pay for and will have to pay for again when the next heavy shower of rain comes.Often these projects are not properly policed by the requisite authorities to ensure that the work is done at the standards expected. But with community participation, however, citizens will consider themselves to be critical stakeholders in the project. They will believe they have skin in the game and so will be more exercised to ensure that roadworks are completed in keeping with the quality, efficiency, and professionalism that is required. They may not have the necessary engineering expertise, but at least they can be vigilant and keep the work under scrutiny.This will also mitigate the politicisation of projects. And I say mitigate because one would be naïve to think that with such a big project there will not be some amount of corruption and reckless use of government funds to further political thirst for power. Forgive me for being cynical, but I have seen for too long the penchant of those holding political power to use such projects to maintain their positions. They have learnt over the years not to make their play too obvious, but experience has taught the discerning not to have any illusions about this.But while the Government is to be congratulated for embarking on this initiative, strong and enforceable measures must be put in place to ensure that the work meets the highest standards of probity and professionalism. Money must be paid only for good work done. Steps should be taken at every stage of the process to independently ensure that the work is up to standard and not at the mercy of the next hurricane or flood.Additionally, drainage systems must be maintained to ensure easy run-off of water and not clogged by debris. Engineers from the ministries that are directly involved in the project must ensure proper supervision, from design to completion. Outside of these being insisted upon, one can expect to see dismal outcomes not far down the road, pun intended.Dr Raulston Nembhard is a priest, social commentator, and author of the books Finding Peace in the Midst of Life’s Storms; Your Self-esteem Guide to a Better Life, and Beyond Petulance: Republican Politics and the Future of America. He hosts a podcast, Mango Tree Dialogues, on his YouTube channel. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or [email protected].