Released: 13 December 2017

Introduction
The Roads for Development (R4D) Program is a A$37 million, four-year commitment by the Government of Australia (GoA), through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to assist the people of Vanuatu to gain increased access to a well maintained and affordable rural road network. It supports the Government of Vanuatu (GoV) to effectively plan, build, and maintain its road transport infrastructure. As part of its commitment to deliver quality road infrastructure in rural Vanuatu, has sought a number of key strategies to engage with local business and communities to support maintenance and improvement to the road network.

The purpose is to deliver roads in a cost effective manner while at the same time maintaining the long-term viability and sustainability of the network. One strategy commenced in 2014 was to engage and promote the Island Based Contractor (IBC) model to support road enhancements, repair and maintenance as an alternative to the PWD force account. In simple terms, the model functions by supporting local IBCs (predominantly sole traders) to undertake small scale repair, upgrade and maintenance contracts to support larger road improvement and to potentially act as a link between large scale contractors and community based workers..

Island Based Contractor (IBC Tracer Study) - Mid-Line Data & Information Collection Phase II