LOCAL MONITORS PREVENT USE OF LOW QUALITY BUILDING MATERIAL AT A SCHOOL AND A CLINIC IN JALALABAD
Community Based Monitoring-infrastructure program promotes social accountability through community mobilization and social audits. The program empowers communities to monitor infrastructure projects that are implemented in their area. The aim of this program is to empower citizens in holding authorities and aid entities accountable and to create active and responsible citizenship by decreasing the gap between the state, aid actors and civil society. Communities engaged in local monitoring can become more autonomous in solving their problems through dialogue with various government and private sector players.
Local Monitors working with Integrity Watch in Jalalabad identified that SCALE STRUCTURE COMPANY, a construction company involved in the construction of a school and a clinic in Jalalabad, was using low quality bricks for both projects. The local monitors requested that they use a better quality of brick, but they refused. After two days the local monitors observed that that the construction company had not stopped using the low quality bricks and they informed Integrity Watch’s staff in Jalalabad of their concern. The local monitors also shared this issue with the provincial development board. The provincial development board then ordered the construction company to stop the work and destroy and then rebuild the 21 meter built wall in accordance with a higher standard of brick.
The names of these projects were Nasir Khan and Haji Hussian Both projects were constructed by Scale Structure Company, were funded by Japan and were monitored by UNOPS.
