Finding traction: using an 'upgrading footpaths to motorcycle taxi accessible tracks' construction and maintenance manual to increase impact and reach

摩托车出租车在撒哈拉以南国家农村地区的普及大大促进了社会经济发展，改善了进入市场、保健和教育设施的机会。主要受益者属于最边缘化和最难触及的群体：半自给自足的农民、农村妇女和儿童。此外，数百万受教育程度低、就业前景有限的年轻人现在参与了骑摩托车打车，使其成为一个重要的就业部门。到目前为止，这一直是市场驱动的发展，没有政府或国际捐助者的支持。2017年，GIZ资助了利比里亚北部的一个新项目，将大约25公里的农村人行道(从农场到村庄和村庄到路边)升级为摩托车无障碍轨道。我们的ESRC/DFID 2015-2018年资助的研究“在支线公路的尽头”评估了其社会经济影响，发现它对农村生活和生计产生了重大和积极的影响，几乎没有负面影响。在参观了利比里亚项目现场后，世界银行的一名技术顾问--在该国帮助制定该国下一个战略性农村公路基础设施计划--很快被试点项目的优点和研究结果说服了。轨道建设作为农村通道的一个组成部分，随后被列入利比里亚农村公路基础设施国家总体规划草案(2018-2038年)。当研究结果于2018年11月在利比里亚提交给由政府官员、捐助者和民间社会代表组成的小组时，作为我们主要利益攸关方研讨会的一部分，提出了三个重要问题：-公共工程部长表示，需要(在不同的地理位置)开展第二个试点项目，以便产生更多的影响数据，并就如何将人行道升级为轨道提出明确的方法；-上述世行协定提到利比里亚农村社区自发改善人行道以便于摩托车出租车运输的例子，从清理侧边到加固人行桥。然而，这些举措受到缺乏基本技术/工程知识的影响；-国际公路协会和当地研究伙伴对缺乏轨道维护(任何类型的道路基础设施都存在的普遍问题)和明显缺乏社区商定的模式表示关切(在一份谅解备忘录中)。根据我们社会经济评估的令人鼓舞的结果，KfW与非政府组织Welthungerhelfe合作，决定资助利比里亚的第二个试点项目。在斯旺西大学内部全球挑战基金的支持下，PI监督了2019年5月和6月的基线数据收集工作。这解决了部长所表示的关切的第一部分，并将增加研究对国家政府和国际捐助者政策的影响。为了解决另一部分问题(缺乏方法)和上文提出的另外两个问题，我们提议编写一本关于轨道建设和维护的手册，供国家/地方政府、捐助者、执行伙伴、利比里亚工程师和当地社区免费查阅。本手册将有简单的技术图纸和二维码链接到当地记录的简短建筑和维护剪辑，并包括不同的维护谅解备忘录模板，以便当地利益攸关方(例如。社区领袖、地方政府、摩托车出租车工会、青年代表、市场妇女团体等)能够协商并商定最合适的维护模式(例如，收费站；家庭税；社区劳动等)。为了加强这一长期做法--社区主导的改善准入倡议--我们建议向三个县的主要农村利益攸关方传播这本手册的副本，并通过村庄讲习班促进和加强地方政策和实践的制定。

The spread of motorcycle taxis in rural areas in sub-Saharan countries has contributed markedly to socio-economic development, providing improved access to markets, health and educational facilities. The main beneficiaries are among the most marginalised and difficult to reach: semi-subsistence farmers, rural women and children. In addition, millions of often poorly educated youths with limited job perspectives are now involved in motorcycle taxi riding, making it an important job sector. So far, this has been a market-driven development, with no government or international donor support. In 2017 GIZ funded a novel project in northern Liberia which saw approximately 25 kms of rural footpaths (from farm to village and village to roadside) upgraded to motorcycle accessible tracks. Our ESRC/DFID 2015-2018 funded research 'at the end of the feeder road' assessed its socio-economic impact and found a significant and positive impact on rural lives and livelihoods, with few if any negative effects.Following a visit to the Liberia project site, a World Bank Technical Advisor - in the country to help in formulating the country's next strategic rural road infrastructure plan - was quickly convinced by the merits of the pilot project and by the study's findings. Track construction as an integral component of rural access was subsequently included in Liberia's national draft masterplan (2018-2038) for rural road infrastructure. When the study's findings were presented in November 2018 in Liberia to a panel of government officials, donors and civil society representatives, as part of our key stakeholder seminar, three important issues were brought up:- The Minister of Public Works indicated the need for a second pilot project (in a geographical different location) allowing for more impact data to be generated, and a clear methodology on how to upgrade footpaths to tracks;- The above mentioned WB TA referred to examples where rural communities in Liberia had spontaneously improved footpaths to allow for motorcycle taxi transport, ranging from side-clearing to strengthening foot-bridges. However, these initiatives suffered from a lack of basic technical/engineering know-how; - The PI and local research partner expressed their concern over the lack of track maintenance (a common problem with any type of road infrastructure) and the apparent absence of a community agreed model for this (expressed in a MoU).Following the encouraging findings of our socio-economic assessment, KfW, in collaboration with NGO WeltHungerHilfe, decided to fund a second pilot project in Liberia. The PI - with support from Swansea University's internal Global Challenges fund - has overseen the baseline data gathering exercise for this in May and June 2019. This addresses the first part of the concern expressed by the Minister and will increase the research's impact on national government and international donor policy. To address the other part (lack of methodology) and address the other two issues raised above, we propose to put together a manual on track construction and maintenance, freely accessible to national/local governments, donors, implementing partners, Liberian engineers and local communities. This manual will have simple technical drawings and QR codes linking to short, locally recorded construction and maintenance clips and include different templates of maintenance MoUs, so that local stakeholders (eg. community leaders; local government; motorcycle taxi unions; youth representatives; market women groups, etc.) can negotiate and agree upon the most appropriate maintenance models (eg. toll gates; household tax; community labour, etc.). To enhance what is a longstanding practice - community driven access improvement initiatives - we propose to disseminate copies of this manual to key rural stakeholders in three Counties, and facilitate and strengthen - via village workshops - the formulation of local policy and practice.