la República Democrática Popular Lao

The ILO has a long history of providing advisory support to the Lao Government for its rural infrastructure works programme dating back to the early 1980s. More recently, the ILO, with technical backstopping from ASIST-AP, has been supporting the Government in building up local capacity to plan and implement rural infrastructure works. As part of this support effective tools have been established for Integrated Rural Accessibility Planning (IRAP).

ASIST-AP also has a close collaboration with the formal training institutions involved in this sector - in particular the Polytechnic, the School of Transport and Communications and the MCTPC Telecom and Communication Training Institute (TCTI).

Further, ASIST-AP is providing technical assistance to the ADB loan funded Shifting Cultivation Stabilisation Pilot Project (SCSPP) in Houaphanh Province. This support consists of (i) technical inputs for the survey and design of two rural roads, (ii) assistance in contract supervision during the implementation of the road works, and (iii) strengthening of local capacity to undertake similar work in the future.

Local Level Planning

The "Rural Access Planning and Infrastructure for Basic Needs Project" or "IRAP" started in 1995 with UNDP funding, and was executed by the Lao Government with technical assistance from ILO. In 1997, Sida started co-financing this project. The main components included:

• development, promotion and institutionalization of local level access planning;
• training of Government counterpart staff and the establishment of local capacity;
• establishment of data bases and preparation of maps;
  Identification of priority projects and the formulation of project proposals;
• development of a community participatory process of planning and implementing rural access interventions;
• development and establishment of a rural road planning framework.

Rural Roads

Through the recent labour-based rural road works project in Savannakhet and Oudomxai, the ILO managed to develop a comprehensive strategy for construction and maintenance of rural roads in Laos. The viability of these policies and implementation strategies were clearly verified through the road works activities carried out in the two provinces. The main recommendations as regards to the viability of using labour-based technology in the road sector were summarised in a strategy document prepared for the government by this project. In addition, the project documented how labour-based technology can be applied under the prevalent conditions of Laos in a technical manual.

Through the Savannakhet/Oudomxai project, the ILO established a close working relationship with various training institutions in Laos, as they had taken interest in labour-based road works technology. Through their involvement in project training activities, these institutions decided to disseminate this experience to a wider audience by incorporating labour-based technology in their regular training courses. As a result, the ILO was involved in the development of appropriate training material on labour-based road works technology for the School of Transport and Communications and the Vientiane Polytechnic.

Current Activities

The ILO, through ASIST-AP, is currently providing technical assistance to the ADB loan funded Shifting Cultivation Stabilisation Pilot Project (SCSPP) in Houaphanh Province. This support consists of (i) technical inputs for the survey and design of two rural roads, (ii) assistance in contract supervision for the implementation of the road works, and (iii) strengthening of local capacity to undertake similar work in the future.

ASIST-AP inputs so far to this project have consisted of technical assistance to both the design and implementation stages through (i) training, carried out in collaboration with TCTI, for the provincial technical staff, and (ii) on-the-job training through the provision of a Field Engineer working together with staff from DCTPC in design and supervision of the road works.

As part of the above activities, ASIST-AP prepared complete bidding documents for the two rural roads, which has been designed in a manner allowing for labour-based work methods to be applied. Two local contractors were engaged, and works are now coming to completion. ASIST-AP is supporting the local authorities in work supervision, as well as providing technical advice to the contractors.

ASIST-AP was involved in the detailed formulation of the infrastructure component of the Smallholder Development Project, which is expected to commence in 2005. As part of the preparations for this project, the ADB requested ASIST-AP to assess the feasibility of applying labour-based work methods for the construction of provincial and district roads in Savannaketh and Champasack Provinces.

ASIST-AP staff has participated in several strategy workshops relating to the effective provision of rural infrastructure in Laos covering topics such as rural road maintenance and national road strategies. Together with the Government and the World Bank, ASIST-AP is currently formulating the terms of reference for a study on appropriate maintenance practices in Laos.

Más información

• Lao Houaphan Household survey - PDF 952 Kb
  Chloe Pearse, International Labour Organisation, June 2006
• Review of Rural Road Maintenance in Lao PDR: Current Status, Issues and Options - PDF 1,172 Kb
  Kirit Vaidya and Pisit Tusanasorn, August 2004
• Use of Labour based works Technology in the Smallholder Development Project, Feasibility Study - PDF 1,560 Kb
  Bjorn Johannessen, International Labour Organisation, February 2002. (1,560Kb)
• Strategy Document for a Labour-based Road Works Programme in Lao PDR - PDF 536 Kb
  Bjorn Johannessen and Geoff Edmonds, Project LAO/90/M01FRG, Vientiane December 1996
• Technical Manual Labour Based Road Construction Methods - PDF 1,795 Kb
  Bjorn Johannessen, International Labour Organisation 1997
• Labour Based Road Construction and Maintenance Technology, Course Notes for the National Polytechnic Institute - PDF 3,446 Kb
  Bjorn Johannessen, International Labour Organisation 1997
• IRAP Laos Issue Paper 1, Access and Income Generating Activities - PDF 294 Kb
  Chris Donnges, UNDP/Sida/ILO, 1998
• IRAP Laos Issue Paper 2, Guidelines on Integrated Rural Accessibility Planning, The Laos Experience - PDF 260 Kb
  Chris Donnges, UNDP/Sida/ILOn, 1998
• IRAP Laos Issue Paper 3, Rural Road Planning, Recommendations fo Improving the Rural Road Network in Lao PDR - PDF 155 Kb
  Chris Donnges, UNDP/Sida/ILO, 1998
• IRAP Laos Issue Paper 4, Integrated Rural Accessibility Planning and Community Participation in Rural Infrastructure Development - PDF 127 Kb
  Chris Donnges, International Labour Organisation, 1999
• Household Survey Report of Five Selected Sekong Villages - PDF 1,319 Kb
  Nadia Guillin, UNDP/ILO 1999. (1,319Kb)
• Impact Assessment Report IRAP Laos - PDF 46 Kb
  Chris Donnges & Linda Deelen, UNDP/ESCAP/ILO, 1999
• Guidelines for Transport Infrastructure Inventory, Preparation of Transport Network Analysis - PDF 32 Kb
  Chris Donnges, International Labour Organsiation, 1999