45179_towardssaferschoolconstruction_0 2015 | Page 95

SECTION III: POST-CONSTRUCTION Government agencies provide: • Approvals • Maintenance and Operation Funds Once construction is completed, school communities have the opportunity to take on a larger role in school safety. Efforts shift towards maintaining the building and grounds, as well as investing in a more holistic culture of safety through Pillars 2 and 3 of the Comprehensive School Safety Framework. A community-based approach to safer school construction can catalyse initiatives for broader school safety – tasks for which school management committees and staff, parent-teacher associations and students have partial or full responsibility. As construction nears completion, the person(s) or contractor responsible for construction must develop maintenance manuals for the school handover. Government agencies need to integrate the school in their system and provide resources for operation and maintenance. Program managers also have a role – they should ensure maintenance manuals are produced and disseminated appropriately and that the school community has the capacity to effectively operate and maintain the school before they disengage. At a strategic level, the implementing actors should assess successes and challenges in the construction process, looking for ways to further perpetuate school safety. Post-construction key activities: • Development of Maintenance and User Manuals • School handover • Development of maintenance plans • Support a culture of safety • Scale up and promote accountabilty Local community provides: • Trained school staff • School Disaster Management Committee • Maintenance staff School management committee Commitment to safer schools Implementing organisation (e.g. NGO, CBO, local authority) provides: • Program manager to facilitate process Local stakeholders • Community training During the Post-Construction Stage, manuals and plans for maintenance are formalised and program managers hand the school over to communities. At the school level, school management committees foster a broad culture of safety founded on comprehensive school safety. At the programmatic and strategic level, implementing organisations and government agencies work to scale-up safer school construction. SECTION III: POST-CONSTRUCTION The Post-Construction Stage: School operation, maintenance and safety 86