Government of Nepal

Ministry of Finance

AID MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR NEPAL

Multi year project

1.1.1       Improve bamboo treatment processes to increase production (quantity/speed), improve quality, and/or reduce costs.

1.        Continuous assessment of bamboo treatment center (technical and business)

·         A Business Advisor to develop and support a business plan for 2 treatment centers (e.g. market linkages, promotions)

·         Ensure Partners take ownership of the treatment center and maintain a record-keeping of treated bamboo. Develop QA/QC document to ensure quality treated bamboo poles. NGO partners would be responsible for funding and following up on proposed treatment center changes.

·         A partial financial contribution for infrastructure upgrades relating to quality assurance can be provided if required.

2.       Promote and support bamboo farming

·         This would include identifying bamboo farms and providing bamboo harvest tips and training

·         Support linkages between farms and treatment centers. (Agreements with bamboo farmers including negotiating of prices, quantities, and timely deliveries)

3.       ·         Proposed changes/improvement plans that take into account market affordability. They will also include financial viability projections of treatment center operations.·         Provide support to all four NGOs with the expectation that at least two NGO partners will reach implementation at scale.·         NGO partners to carry out changes.Habitat Nepal seeks technical support from the Hilti foundation and its partners to commission a study proving/validating the strength and durability of treated bamboo, particularly concerning untreated bamboo.

1.1.2       Design bamboo housing models and construction technologies.

1.        Continued design consultation (community, local body, partner) and revisions to design as per need. Constant design review from all parties (community, local body, partner, Habitat, Base Bahay) for finalization of designs.

2.       Incorporate feedback from communities and other stakeholders into new house designs. Design a bamboo house costing less than $3,300 in direct construction costs in order to accommodate communities’ capacity and local government budgets.

3.       Designs accommodating incremental housing construction to be developed: (a) affordable bamboo designs that adjust to family size; (b) a bamboo vertical extension design for second floors. (c) extension component.

4.       BASE and Habitat to engage national research institutes during the design process to encourage local awareness and knowledge of the technology.

5.       Design consultation and review with the local bodies for a durable and disaster-resilient bamboo public building to construct in collaboration with the local government in a strategic location.

6.       Continuous communication with Base Bahay for improvement of house designs appropriate to the context.

1.1.3       construction of 500 houses through a cost-sharing grant scheme with the Government aimed at low-income families living in vulnerable conditions.

1.        Government coordination for expanding and replicating the Hilti fondation housing project model to several locations.

2.       Houses will be built for disaster-affected, marginalized ethnic groups and/or highly vulnerable families, attracting the participation of LGUs, given their mandate to address the housing needs of such population.

3.       Local government units (LGU) will provide land (where necessary), release funds allocated for housing, and grant or facilitate approvals necessary. 

4.       Habitat Nepal will offer a partial cost-sharing (with the Hilti foundation support) to ensure sufficient leadership over the project.

5.       Habitat Nepal will provide technical support for land assessment, plotting of land, drawings, and supervision on the construction site for the families.

6.       Habitat Nepal will provide social support and conduct a baseline survey to ensure target communities receive housing and that communities are motivated to work on their houses.

1.1.4      Develop Market-based Approach to encourage families to choose to build with bamboo.

1.        Applying a HCD (human-centered design) approach, rapid prototype solutions that will increase the adoption of bamboo housing solutions on the demand-side.

2.       Pilot test most promising strategies during year 2.

3.       Support to providers - including contractors, hardware stores, treatment centers, and others - from a technical and business perspective to ensure sustainable mechanisms for delivering treated bamboo solutions in the Eastern Terai.

4.       Monitor and evaluate outcomes by end of Phase II, with the intention of defining scale up strategies.

1.1.5       broader ecosystem strategy to shape perceptions and practices regarding use of treated bamboo in housing constructions.

1.        Identify and create a coalition with multi-stakeholders (government, NGOs, individuals) to jointly promote bamboo housing and influence behavior of both demand and supply-side actors.

2.       Coordinate with local government to identify possible incentive schemes to promote bamboo housing.

3.       Activities to ensure government policies accommodate treated bamboo technology in home construction

4.       Identify, design, and implement a joint promotional strategy with the Government and other stakeholders, including private sector actors.

5.       Conduct mason training to strengthen construction techniques that they can utilize for bamboo house construction.

1.1.1       Treatment Centers:

1          Position the treatment centers as a central hub for farmers to sell bamboo and communities, local bodies, other stakeholders to buy treated bamboo.

2        The supply-side of bamboo; bamboo cultivation is improved such that construction-worthy bamboo is available.

3        Suppliers of construction-worthy bamboo are identified and have the capacity to deliver sufficient bamboo poles to build a minimum of 750 homes annually through formal agreements given that these meet the projected needs of Phase III.

4        Treatment centers collectively are producing a minimum of 13,000 quality bamboo poles per month given that projected demand is for annual construction of 750 homes.

5        Two treatment centers are following formal business plans and are on a pathway to reach financial sustainability/profitability by 2023.

1.1.2       Bamboo Housing Designs:

1          A minimum of 1 affordable, durable, culturally appropriate, and disaster-resilient bamboo house option, costing below $3300 to build, per community. (Note: Due to COVID-19 and predicted inflation of material prices over the course of 2 years, a 10% increase in the cost of the house considered.)

2        A modular disaster-resilient bamboo house and extension components that can be built from treated bamboo and can be sold on the market.

3        Design a durable and disaster-resilient bamboo public building to construct in collaboration with the local government in a strategic location.

4        Have an archive of bamboo house design options that are affordable, durable, culturally appropriate and disaster-resilient on an online platform.

5        Continuous improvement of house designs appropriate to the context through the research center of Manila - Base Bahay.

1.1.3       Government subsidized house construction:

1          Through the Government Subsidized Housing Initiative, build 500 durable and disaster-resilient bamboo homes. Create safe and sustainable environments for families in need and provide them with skills that strengthen their income-earning potential as masons.

2        Together with the Government, innovate site planning and management for each site; consider the larger scenario for sites to provide communities access to health, sanitation, livelihoods, and infrastructure.

3        Understand financial mechanisms to define a model for scale, social housing models, for when Hilti foundation funds are phased out for top-ups.

4        Increased acceptance of treated bamboo as an affordable and appropriate and preferred building material in Eastern Terai.  20 local bodies choose to build with treated bamboo.

1.1.4      Market-based house construction:

1          Using human-centered design techniques and small, action-research activities, identification of several options for increasing the availability and purchase of bamboo housing solutions. Housing solutions could range from simple home improvements, expansions, up to new construction. Options would prioritize demand and/or supply-side routes and possible providers.

2        Baseline and end-line surveys indicate growing consideration of and acceptance of treated bamboo as an affordable, durable and preferred building material in Eastern Terai.

3        Increased supply of market-based, treated bamboo housing solutions.

4        Identification of potential providers of bamboo housing solutions, and testing of complementary marketing and delivery channels for bamboo housing solutions. These will be promoted and scaled up in Phase III.

5        Identification of potential MFI-financing options for treated bamboo housing solutions.

1.1.5       Ecosystem Strengthening:

1          A multi-sectoral coalition of stakeholders (govt, private sector, civil society) has been formed and has developed a plan to promote the use of treated bamboo in housing constructions in Eastern Terai.

2        An initial roadmap has been developed with the government to provide incentives for bamboo house constructions.

3        An innovative, multi-stakeholder promotional strategy underway to promote treated bamboo use in housing.

4        The Government of Nepal supports and promotes treated bamboo for use in housing. The inclusion of bamboo in the National Building Code of Nepal is underway.

5        Provide and manage training and technical support for a minimum of 200 masons to impart and improve construction and disaster-resilience knowledge, to enable self-managed construction.

1.        Treatment centers will be operating according to a clear business plan that will guide them to sustainability/profitability during Phase III. This entails a combination of supply-side sourcing of quality poles, obtaining operational improvements and efficiencies, and coordinating storage and delivery of poles to construction sites and other customers. Habitat Nepal will seek technical guidance from Base Bahay in making recommendations and monitoring progress of the treatment center improvements. Of the four treatment centers currently in operation, two will be supported in becoming financially viable.

2.       A plan will be in place for bamboo houses built through government subsidies to reach scale without relying on construction cost subsidies from the Hilti foundation during Phase III. During Phase II, 500 homes will be built with an approximately 50-50 cost share between Hilti fdn/Habitat and the local government[1]. Sufficient momentum is needed to carry forward scale up and greater financial commitments from the various government entities in Phase III. Habitat Nepal intentionally seeks broad geographic outreach through Phase II, engaging 20 communities in 10 municipalities, spread across five districts of the Eastern Tarai. Unlike larger middle-income countries such as India and the Philippines, Nepal’s government is very decentralized and local bodies possess great autonomy in determining priorities and allocating budget; thus, the need to productively engage with as many key municipalities as possible during Phase II. The project will also involve identifying and successfully incorporating sources of financing/funding to ensure that homes will continue to be built during Phase III without a direct subsidy from the Hilti fdn/Habitat.

3.       A scalable market-based strategy for selling bamboo housing solutions will be designed and validated .