Re-Qualification, Rehabilitation, and Accessibility Program (CV0002)

Commitment 2:
Develop and Execute Re-qualification,
Rehabilitation & Accessibility Program (RRAP)
May 2017 — July 2022
NEW
Lead implementing
agency or actor
What is the public problem
that the commitment
will address?
Ministry of Infrastructure, Territorial Planning, and Housing (MIOTH)
The right to housing is established in Article 71 of the Constitution
of the Republic of Cabo Verde and is further safeguarded in the
Charter of Human Rights. Nevertheless, Cabo Verde continues to
face serious challenges related to housing and urban planning. The
country’s overall housing deficit continues to grow despite numerous
projects carried out by successive governments.
In particular, urban areas have seen the steady degradation of
residential and commercial structures, along with the general
deterioration of public spaces. A lack of modern infrastructure
(sanitation and basic road networks), coupled with the poor financial
standing of families, contribute greatly to the accentuation of social
asymmetries.
Thus, a commitment to urban renewal and rehabilitation is not just a
national priority but also an opportunity for active intervention to
revitalize cities, towns, and neighborhoods. Doing so enhances the
day-to-day living conditions for all Cape Verdeans. At the same
time, the commitment allows for greater social integration and
inclusion of the underprivileged by strengthening essential
precursors to happiness, prosperity, and hope. What is the commitment? The Re-qualification, Rehabilitation and Accessibility Program
(RRAP) is an integrated operational instrument that renews social
and urban infrastructure (housing, sanitation, urban regeneration)
and aligns initiatives with economic development needs. PRRA is
constituted by the following Axes of Intervention:
I. Re-qualification of Urban Areas and Neighborhoods
1. Urban Areas
2. Neighborhoods and Accessibilities
II. Rehabilitation of Housing
III. Regeneration of Historical Centers
IV. Rehabilitation of Historical, Cultural, and Religious
Heritage
1. Historical and Cultural Heritage
2. Religious Heritage
V. Re-qualification of the Maritime Rim
VI. Access Roads with High Agricultural and Tourism Potential
VII. Construction / Rehabilitation of Landing Stages
VIII. Special Projects
1. Chã das Caldeiras
2. Tarrafal of Monte Trigo and Monte Trigo
3. Municipal Market of Coco
4. Municipal Market of Assomada
This program aims to: rehabilitate 21 buildings of historical, cultural
or religious scope classified by the Institute of Cultural Heritage
(IPC); re-qualify, re-generate, and add environmental value to 20
county seats; rehabilitate 5,640 homes of needy families; improve
82km of accessibilities; re-qualify approximately 100 hectares of
urban space; construct or rehabilitate 96 km of roadways; construct
or rehabilitate five landing stages; and complete the four special
projects identified in Axis VIII.
All work will be executed through contracts meeting the full
requirements of public procurement. How will the commitment
contribute to solve
the public problem?
In addition to increasing the quality of housing, the commitment
targets families, responds to their real needs and capabilities, seeks
their social inclusion, and contributes to job creation. The
commitment facilitates the mobility of people and goods by
attempting to bring all areas of the national territory closer together;
improves social conditions by providing greater access to urban
environments, schools, health centers, and other public facilities; and
profoundly alters the conditions of some rural communities by
allowing them to take greater advantage of inherent agricultural and
tourism potential. At the same time, PRRA’s execution will improve
environmental and health conditions by connecting all individual
sanitation facilities to a public sewage drainage system. Why is the commitment
relevant to OGP values?
The PRRA fully reflects both the general values of OGP and the
specific priorities of the National Action Plan working group.
Beyond making critical improvements, the main contribution of this
commitment in advancing OGP’s values is found in the management
model adopted. The promotion of small and micro-sized enterprises
headquartered in the same municipalities where work is carried out
is a powerful force for strengthening local entrepreneurial capacity.
PRRA also represents an opportunity to move from an informal
growth model to a planned one, extending the good practices already
in use in the main cities of Cabo Verde to the whole of the country.
Also important to note, PRRA will be implemented in direct
partnership with Cabo Verde’s municipalities, thus bringing the
program within greater proximity to citizens and their needs.
The program was implemented on a pilot basis from March 2017 to
December 2018; it has since been given a budget of €100M.
RRAP is consistent with the UN’s Sustainable Development Agenda
(Goal 11) for 2030 as well as Habitat III’s New Urban Agenda, both
guiding resources for sustainable urbanization over the next two
decades.
The commitment is also consistent with, and has been registered in,
Cabo Verde’s Strategic Development Plan (PEDS) verifiable deliverable
May 2017 — June 2020
Develop
Operational Instrument
September 2018 — January 2021
Execute
Construction Work
September 2018 — August 2020
Administer
Procurement Process
June 2017 — July 2020
Ongoing Consultation
with MOITH and
Approval Process
Contact information
for lead actor
Other actors involved
(Government)
Other actors involved
(Non-Government)
Eneida Morais
Chief of Staff
Ministry of Infrastructure, Territorial Planning, and Housing
eneida.morais@mioth.gov.cv
+238 333 6712
Institute of Cultural Heritage
Institute of Roadways
Ministry of Maritime Economy
Municipalities
ENAPOR - Ports of Cabo Verde

2. Develop and Execute Re-qualification, Rehabilitation and Accessibility Program (RRAP)

Language of the commitment as it appears in the action plan:

“The Re-qualification, Rehabilitation and Accessibility Program (RRAP) is an integrated operational instrument that renews social and urban infrastructure (housing, sanitation, urban regeneration) and aligns initiatives with economic development needs. PRRA is constituted by the following Axes of Intervention:”

1. Re-qualification of Urban Areas and Neighborhoods
2. Urban Areas
3. Neighborhoods and Accessibilities
4. Rehabilitation of Housing

III. Regeneration of Historical Centers

1. Rehabilitation of Historical, Cultural, and Religious Heritage
2. Historical and Cultural Heritage
3. Religious Heritage
4. Re-qualification of the Maritime Rim
5. Access Roads with High Agricultural and Tourism Potential

VII. Construction / Rehabilitation of Landing Stages

VIII. Special Projects

1. Chã das Caldeiras
2. Tarrafal of Monte Trigo and Monte Trigo
3. Municipal Market of Coco
4. Municipal Market of Assomada”

Milestones:

1. Develop operational instrument
2. Ongoing consultation with MOITH and approval process
3. Administer procurement process
4. Execute construction work

Editorial Note: the commitment description provided above is an abridged version of the commitment text; please see the full action plan here.

Context and Objectives

This commitment seeks to address the country’s housing and urban planning challenges. According to a study by the UN-Habitat and the National Statistics Office, there is a housing deficit of 70% in urban areas and substantial issues in terms of the quality of the households. In Cabo Verde, 40% of the urban households do not have access to the public network of water supply, and only 29.4% have access to basic sanitation facilities. ^[10] In addition, as reported in the action plan, urban areas have seen the steady degradation of residential and commercial structures along with the general deterioration of public spaces. ^[11] A lack of modern infrastructure, sanitation, and basic road networks, coupled with the poor financial standing of families, contributes greatly to social inequality.

As written, this commitment only appears relevant to the OGP value of civic participation, as milestone 2 mentions consultations. However, the IRM researcher’s interview with Carlos Silva from Infrastructures of Cabo Verde ^[12] revealed that the Ministry of Infrastructure, Territorial Planning and Housing’s (MOITH) activities will be conducted with a high level of public participation. Moreover, MOITH intends to expand citizens’ access to information in the course of implementation. Therefore, this commitment may have a broader influence on open government practices if implementation extends beyond activities listed in the milestones. However, the milestones themselves lack details and are therefore not specific enough to be verifiable.

According to Carlos Silva, milestone 1 to “develop an operational instrument” will offer opportunities for public participation and oversight of government activities. This is a continuation of standard government practice, as MOITH usually meets with citizens to "align expectations" and eventually incorporate changes to the initial projects. MOITH will also oversee the consultation and approval process stated in milestone 2. MOITH ultimately determines which projects are approved and allocates the budget. Citizens may participate in the design and the implementation stage of the projects. ^[13]

According to Carlos Silva, the government considered an interactive portal with information on the projects approved within RRAP. Currently, citizens can see basic figures on ongoing and concluded contracts and projects along with public procurement procedures on the Infrastructures of Cabo Verde webpage. Citizens can explore an interactive map that graphs construction projects territorially. However, because the map is not sufficiently detailed or user friendly, MOITH was exploring new solutions at the time of writing. ^[14]

Milestone 3, although not explicitly written, intends to increase citizens’ access to procurement information. The government aims to make more public procurement information available on the Infrastructures of Cabo Verde webpage. ^[15] Finally, milestone 4 seeks to implement construction work with mechanisms for citizen oversight of government spending and progress on infrastructure projects. MOITH discusses projects with residents as part of its standard practice. Consultations are usually proposed by either the residents or technical team. Neighborhoods often have local leaders and community associations that encourage citizens to participate and mediate interactions with the government. ^[16]

According to the text, this commitment’s policy objective is to formalize and expand public participation in MOITH projects. ^[17] Additionally, interviews revealed that activities will be conducted in a highly participatory manner and increase citizens’ access to government-held information. However, the milestones listed do not include activities that advance these goals. Rather, the milestones outline a project already underway outside of OGP processes. This project includes admirable open government practices. Yet IRM research suggests that public consultations are standard procedure for MOITH. Therefore, it is not clear how inclusion of this commitment in the action plan will result in a change in government practices. For this reason, this commitment is not considered to hold any potential impact. This commitment could have a notable impact on open government practices if implementation ultimately results in the expansion and formalization of public participation and oversight of infrastructure projects beyond standard practice.

Next steps

The IRM researcher recommends greater interaction with the OGP values to increase the potential of the commitment. During the implementation of all milestones, it is important to:

• Convene a multistakeholder group with both government and nongovernment representatives to oversee implementation.
• Involve civil society in the implementation process. Identify its role in supporting local governments in determining the most pressing RRAP-related needs and outline the participatory tools to promote ongoing civil society
• Consult the public on how best to increase citizens’ access to information to advance commitment aims. For example, discuss whether the development of tools for open contracting or tracking progress and spending on public infrastructure projects would meet citizens’ needs.
• Engage civil society to consider opportunities for public accountability mechanisms during the implementation of this commitment. For example, see Kaduna State’s “Eyes and Ears” project to track government infrastructure projects. ^[18]

2. Develop and Execute Re-qualification, Rehabilitation and Accessibility Program (RRAP)

Limited:

The commitment sought to reduce the housing deficit and address degraded urban infrastructure, in addition to improving connectivity between the archipelago’s islands and boost the local economy. Although the commitment text does not explicitly refer to public consultations, a high-level government representative mentioned that participatory meetings would be held during implementation. [18]

Several milestones were completed during the implementation period including the development of operational guidelines for Ministry of Infrastructure, Territorial Planning, and Housing’s (MOITH) Requalification, Rehabilitation and Accessibility Program (RRAP) and publication of tender notices for construction projects. However, milestones with the greatest potential to open government were not implemented, such as MOITH’s implementation of a formal, standardized consultation process and creation of an online platform for citizen monitoring of construction projects. Therefore, implementation of this commitment as a whole is evaluated to be limited.

The government formalized MOITH’s operational program through Resolution 65/2018, which was published in Cabo Verde’s Official Gazette (Boletim Oficial) on 10 July 2018. [19] The resolution establishes the main guidelines, objectives, and governance of RRAP (Milestones 1 and 2). However, the resolution does not include explicit provisions for citizen participation in infrastructure redevelopment projects.

The government slightly increased citizens’ access to procurement information by publishing calls for tenders on the state’s infrastructure company’s website [20] and newspapers (Milestone 3). [21] However, other steps of the contracting process are not published. For instance, there is no information about the winner of the bids, the contracts, values, or documents related to contract implementation. At this time, only basic figures about the total number of ongoing and finalized contracts are available for 2019 and 2020. [22]

There has been little progress on both infrastructure projects and enabling citizen oversight of government spending (Milestone 4). CEO of Infraestruturas de Cabo Verde, Carlos Silva, reported that the government intends to launch a platform with a map that will allow access to information on the various infrastructure projects. The launch is expected to take place next year, but no date has been set. At the moment, it is possible to consult contract audit reports carried out by the General Inspectorate of Finance, an internal control body. [23]

The IRM did not find evidence that MOITH expanded or strengthened consultation processes with citizens around infrastructure projects. Carlos Silva shared that most meetings were spontaneous and informal. Since MOITH usually meets with citizens to present and discuss projects, [24] these consultations did not differ from standard practices. [25] For instance, in Bairro Craveiro Lopes (located in Praia), two meetings were held with the residents to present and discuss the requalification project. Silva identified a lack of time as the main obstacle to implement participatory processes. He also suggested that information technology could be used in the future to facilitate these processes. [26]

According to UN-Habitat specialist, Jeiza Barbosa, civic participation in the urban planning of Cabo Verde is still at an early stage. In her view, projects commonly are only presented for consultation when they are already developed, and there is not much space for public opinion during the elaboration phase. In addition, it is also common that consultations are held during short meetings and that there is not enough time for a more qualitative participation from the participants. [27] Additionally, civil society organizations do not have enough organizational capacity to make demands to the government. [28]

In February 2020, Cabo Verde approved the National Policy for Territorial Planning and Urbanism. [29] The document sets democratic governance and social participation as guiding principles, and gives several guidelines on methods and resources for increasing participation in urban planning. This was not a milestone, but it is a relevant policy document published during the implementation period that could help Cabo Verde toward greater civic participation in urban planning.

In regard to transparency, Barbosa recommends that Cabo Verde publish evaluation reports and the results of the projects carried out. For improving participation, Jeiza Barbosa recommends:

(1) deploying a regular capacity-building program for inclusive municipal urban governance;

(2) central and local governments should be more consistent about the role of participation in policy design and implementation;

(3) central and local governments should adopt more robust participatory methodologies to insure effective participation; and

(4) improve organizational capacity of civil society organizations and the quality of dialogue and participatory spaces. [30]