UNICEF school reconstruction in Aceh and Nias

The tsunami of December 2004 caused catastrophic damage in Indonesia, leaving more than 200,000 dead or missing, destroying vast amounts of infrastructure and displacing more than half a million people. Large numbers of schools were affected, with 1,147 destroyed or severely damaged in Aceh province alone, threatening the education of tens of thousands of children.

Against this backdrop of devastation UNICEF committed to build new permanent primary schools in the Aceh and Nias regions on behalf of the Government of Indonesia. The project aimed to restore educational facilities to a much higher standard than existed prior to the tsunami.

The schools as constructed set new standards in earthquake resistance and all are adapted to the specific needs of each community and the requirements of each construction site.

UNOPS operations in Indonesia

UNICEF selected UNOPS to serve as its main implementing partner on the basis of UNOPS global experience in delivering large and complex projects in challenging settings.

UNOPS coordinated the activities of four field offices located in Banda Aceh, Calang, Meulaboh and Nias. At its peak, the UNICEF project employed roughly 200 staff, of whom 15 were internationally recruited.

Project implementation

UNOPS managed all aspects of the reconstruction of 225 new, permanent primary schools, including: design; tendering and awarding contracts; vetting, recruiting and managing human resources; reporting; and financial management.

UNOPS employed both international and national engineers to supervise the design and construction process, ensuring that all schools met the National Standards of Indonesia, the revised Aceh Building Code and other international best practices.

Achievements

By the end of March 2010 UNOPS had completed and handed all 225 schools to UNICEF. More than 1,467 classrooms had been built, benefiting up to 44,000 students in Aceh and Nias Island. 

The project has increased the number of children enrolled in primary schools, thereby contributing to United Nations Millenium Development Goal 2, targeting “universal primary education for all”. It has also significantly improved the quality of education, reduced drop-out rates in elementary schools and raised primary school completion rates. As a result, more children are empowered with the basic life skills and education necessary to become productive members of society.

Following these successes UNICEF extended the UNOPS contract to include the construction of 27 community health centres (posyandus). By the end of March 2010 UNOPS has also completed and handed over all 27 posyandus to UNICEF. As of mid-2010 the total programme budget stood at just over $71 million.