Client: Build Health International
Intro
Build Health International (BHI) is a recognized leader in healthcare infrastructure planning and construction in Haiti. With its local partners in Haiti, BHI is departing from the traditional models of international development which have too often resulted in unsustainable dependencies upon outside actors, the undermining of local institutions, and reliance on master planning documents which are time-intensive, costly, inflexible, and prone to rapid obsolescence with limited long-term applicability.
A healthcare infrastructure planning process will avoid these unsustainable approaches, using the opportunity to instead catalyze a community development strategy for the Fond-des-Blancs Commune in southern Haiti. Health care services will function as the lens through which the needs of the community is viewed.
Background
First, Fond-des-Blancs is characterized by relatively strong local institutions and low dependency upon on outside actors. Second, Fond-des-Blancs may be considered being ‘off the radar’ in comparison to other development poles in Haiti prioritized since the 2010 earthquake – port cities such as Cap Haitien or new economic development zones such as Caracol – but which allows for a degree of relative freedom of self-determination. Third, in the absence of strong national or regional government, and without the pressure to development from multilateral lending agencies or international non-governmental organizations, Fond-des-Blancs will benefit from community-driven and privately-financed capital improvement and infrastructure development projects which, again will reduce dependencies and increase the likelihood of tailoring to local needs. Finally, in contrast to post-earthquake Port-au-Prince, community development in a non-post-disaster recovery mode – especially with the already strong regional healthcare presence St. Boniface Hospital – reduces the constant time and cost pressures of emergency recovery and humanitarian response, allowing for a more measured and comprehensive planning process.
Services
re:ground llc is providing consultation services to:
- Increase local adaptive capacity
- Reduce the dependency on outside actors by using planning processes and development
- Strengthen existing local relationships, institutions, and assets
- Leverage the healthcare and community planning process to help build the strength of local partners