Project Summary
Concern background
Concern Worldwide started its operation in Zambia in September 2003. Currently Concern has two long term programmes i.e. Livelihood and HIV/Aids being implemented in partnership with local government and civil society organisations.
The Livelihoods Programme which is currently in Mongu and Senanga Districts, with the Western Province extending into the Kaoma District in 2008. The HIV and Aids programme is in motion in Mongu and Kaoma and is planned to start working in Senanga District in 2008. In addition, Concern will start a Disaster Response Management (DRM) programme in Kalab District in 2008. It is envisaged that Concern’s focus for the next 3 years will be in these four districts of Zambia’s Western Province.
This increase in programme activities has resulted in increased demand for transport and the costs related to fuel, maintenance and wear and tear. The challenge for Concern is now to ensure that the transport system is responsive to the increased demand at optimal costs. The other challenge is to properly maintain the vehicles being used in the incredibly demanding sandy terrain found in the Western Province rural areas. It was therefore important to review the system in place and ensure maximum utilisation of vehicles.
Transaid’s intervention
Stage One
In September 2007 Transaid conducted an Operational Assessment of Concern Zambia’s transport management. The assessment included an evaluation of Concern’s operation with specific regards to:
1. Situation Analysis – What is the size of their current fleet, what types of vehicle make up the fleet, what condition are they in and where are they located? 2. Policy – Do they have a policy in place, is it a Global policy or a local one, is the policy content suitable for their operation, are people are aware of the policy’s content?
3. Operational Management – How do they manage their transport operation on a day to day basis, are their systems appropriate and producing the right results, what problems are they experiencing with their transport?
4. Fleet Management – How is maintenance upon the fleet conducted, is it out-sourced or in-house, is it cost effective and of good quality, is work done in good time so as not to adversely affect vehicle availability?
5. Management Information – What transport data is collected and how? Is data analysed after collection and further to that is it used to influence management decisions regarding transport and the fleet?
6. Human Resources – Does the capacity exist within the workforce to manage transport effectively, is funding allocated for training and if so in what specific areas? Are responsibilities clearly defined and allocated appropriately?
Stage Two
Following the submission of the assessment report Concern commissioned Transaid to deliver a course in the Basics of Transport Management for their four Transport Officers and a Driver Training Course for their five drivers in February 2008. Transaid were also requested to spend some time prior to the training courses analysing Concern’s existing transport management data.
The Basics of Transport Management course focused on data collection and analysis, in particular training was delivered regarding Key Performance Indicators, Economic Point of Replacement and Calculation of the Ideal Fleet Model.
The Driver Training Course included topics on Basic Maintenance, Off Road 4x4 Driving, Defensive Driving and Fuel Efficient Driving. The two courses culminated in a joint session which with Transaid facilitating allowed the two groups to discuss some of the issues which had arisen throughout the training and also to consider the way forward.
Following the completion of the two training sessions a report was produced detailing Transaid’s findings. It was emphasized in the report that there are three prerequisites for the improvement process within Concern to be successful. These are:
• senior management commitment and support for the process
• the identification and empowerment of a process champion
• effective communication and transparency ongoing
The recommendations in the report focused on operational management, maintenance and policy; areas in which weaknesses were found during the course of the programme. Through enhanced operational management processes Concern will be able to produce comprehensive monthly transport reports with little effort detailing utilisation, availability, needs satisfaction and running cost per km. Planning and scheduling can be improved via the use of monthly and weekly planning sheets, and the use of an hour by hour utilisation figure will allow for a more accurate analysis of Concern’s vehicle usage.
Results
Through a better approach to maintenance, with in house facilities, Concern stands to save time and resources by being able to maintain vehicles regularly without the need for outside assistance from either other maintenance facilities or the dealership from whom the vehicle were bought. With a new, revised and localized policy processes can be clarified and responsibilities can be assigned to ensure effective management of the fleet.
For more information about this project please contact our Southern Africa Programmes Manager, Gary Forster at garyjforster@hotmail.com, or contact us at +44 (0) 20 7387 8136
