Programme description

Title: University Capacity Building Program (UCBP)
Commissioned by: Ministry of Education, Ethiopia
Financier: Ministry of Education, Ethiopia
Country: Ethiopia
Overall term: 2005 to 2012

Context

The Ethiopian Government has commissioned GIZ IS as the implementing agent and project manager for its University Capacity Building Program (UCBP), a massive scheme that is tied to a complex infrastructure management project. GIZ IS functions as the in-house agent for the Ethiopian Ministry of Education, managing the design and construction of 13 public universities around the country. This programme was conceived, and is now being steered and funded by the Ethiopian Government.

Objective

Thirteen new universities have been built with a total capacity for more than 121,000 students living and studying on campus. The Ethiopian construction sector has been modernised, and its competitiveness in national and international markets improved. Cost-efficient construction technologies have been introduced without compromising the envisaged quality.

Approach

GIZ’s unique capacity development approach has been shown to deliver large-scale construction projects with additional development value. Capacity development is not the only benefit from GIZ’s involvement. The cost of the construction work and the overall project costs are lower than for similar projects which do not include a capacity development component.

Design and construction of the buildings are carried out exclusively by Ethiopian companies, so their participation in the programme helps them develop their own capacities to build and manage other such projects. This makes them more productive and therefore more competitive in both the Ethiopian and international construction markets. The capacity development measures are specifically tailored to the needs of each sector. The design and construction processes involve more than 10 construction management companies, over 40 architects and engineering companies, more than 90 construction companies, and over 750 local small and medium-sized enterprises.

The cost-efficient design (CED) scheme developed for the programme includes project management, contract management and financial management, and also ensures the appropriate use of modern equipment. This makes it possible to complete construction projects rapidly without compromising quality, as the processes are streamlined according to established principles of efficiency in construction. The approach saves money by reducing both construction time and material wastage. CED has been established as a standard for all the building work in the UCBP.

Results achieved so far

The programme focuses on institutional capacity development and has encouraged the creation of local SMEs for specialised trades. Local companies have benefited from this opportunity because the programme obliges general contractors to use local partners as sub-contractors.

• The phased approach allows an intake of students to each university while construction continues. Since October 2010, the UCBP campuses have had space for around 90,000 students to live and study.
• By 2010, some 22 companies participating in the UCBP had received ISO 9001: 2000 certification.
• Tying construction management to capacity development has brought tangible improvements in skills as well as new capacities in different regions of the country.
• Using the completed buildings while the design and construction of subsequent phases continues is the best way to maximise the benefits of the project. As such, UCBP is delivering much more quickly than other comparable construction projects.
• The UCBP project is generating approximately 1.85 million man-months of employment, mainly in the regions. The regional economy is also developing, as the specialised sub-contractors remain in the regions where they have been trained.
• Job opportunities have been created for more than 90,000 workers in cobblestone activities.

Further information

• Local UCBP website
  http://www.ucbp-ethiopia.com/