NaRRA must learn from the past without being trapped by it

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Louis Moyston’s letter, ‘NaRRA: Where Have All the PWDs Gone?’, raises a useful question: what lessons can Jamaica draw from the former Public Works Department (PWD) as the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) carries out its responsibilities?

The former PWD had staff in the parishes, experience in public works, and a focus on regular maintenance. Local knowledge can help identify blocked drains, deteriorating road surfaces, bridges showing signs of damage, and other problems before they become more serious. These are useful lessons for NaRRA, although the former system should not be assumed to have performed better in every respect.

The deterioration of roads, bridges and public buildings should not be blamed on centralisation or private contractors alone. Maintenance funding, supervision, engineering standards, staffing, procurement, and damage caused by hurricanes and heavy rainfall also deserve attention.

The central question is how Jamaica can protect public infrastructure while ensuring that taxpayers receive value for money.

National coordination can establish consistent standards and help manage reconstruction projects. However, decisions made far from affected communities may not respond quickly enough to local needs. An effective system should combine national planning with knowledge of local conditions.

NaRRA could support this approach through regional engineering teams, cooperation with municipal authorities, and a clear system for residents to report infrastructure problems. This would help preserve local knowledge without requiring a return to the former PWD structure.

Private contractors also have a role. Their work should be assessed against clear standards, with proper supervision and testing. Defects should be documented and corrected within agreed time frames.

NaRRA should publish information on project costs, completion dates, maintenance needs, and the condition of completed works. An inventory of roads, bridges and public buildings would help identify urgent repairs, plan maintenance, and guide spending.

Jamaica should neither idealise the past nor assume that a new institution will automatically solve existing problems. The experience of the PWD can inform future decisions, but results should determine which approaches work best.

NaRRA’s success should be measured by the quality and durability of infrastructure, timely maintenance, responsible spending, and transparent accountability. These are practical measures of whether the authority is delivering lasting improvements for communities across the island.

DENTON MOORE