Improving equipment management in highway authorities in developing countries

The efficiency of equipment management and usage is very low in many parts of the developing world. This is typically manifested in low equipment availability and utilization, causing severe economic losses. The deficiencies can generally be grouped under three problem headings, namely, managerial and general organization, spare parts, and foreign-aid induced problems. This paper gives recommendations on how to reduce, and hopefully go a long way towards eliminating the problem. The first step obviously is to take stock of equipment at hand and its condition, as well as workshops, stores, manpower and management. Following this, further actions and needs are defined. Such actions include improvements in management systems, e.g., equipment monitoring, spare parts supply and systems, and cost accounting, to name but a few. They may evolve into plant hire schemes, or into increased use of private or parastatal contractors, either for the road maintenance function itself, or of the equipment provision, maintenance, spares provision or some portion thereof. Finally, systems and criteria for decision-making on equipment acquisition have to be set up in conformity with principles of sound financial management.