Basrah Children's Hospital, Basrah, Iraq
Abstract
On 6 January 2009, SIGIR performed an on-site assessment of the Basrah Children's Hospital in Basrah, Iraq. The objective of the project was to construct a "state of the art" two-story, 160,000 square foot, 94-bed acute care center, pediatric specialist hospital. Because of security concerns, SIGIR performed only an expedited one-hour assessment; therefore, a complete review of all work completed was not possible. The project was significantly behind schedule and in June 2006 a "stop work" order was issued to the contractor -- Bechtel. On 30 September 2006, a new contract was awarded to MID Contracting, with a new finish date of 21 July 2008. SIGIR determined that the design was sufficient to construct the hospital. However, the sewer system, although adequate, depends on maintaining 16 pumps to cover 85,000 square meters; the failure of one lift station pump will shut down the entire system until it is repaired or replaced. The ongoing construction appeared to meet requirements. The contractor's quality control plan was sufficient and the government quality assurance program was effective. To date, the project results are partially consistent with the project objectives. However, the project results are not consistent with a "state of the art" hospital with respect to medical equipment and its operation. Several factors have contributed to the escalation of the project's costs and the drastic schedule slippage: unrealistic time frames for design and construction; poor soil conditions; drastically changing security situation at the project site, including the murder of 24 workers; multiple partners and funding sources; and the Government of Iraq not following through on its obligations. Lessons learned: ensure that key utilities are available, have realistic requirements for the contractor, ensure effective management and oversight, note that multiple funding sources can lead to delays, and understand local government budget processes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 28, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA509266
Entities
People
- Angelina Johnston
- Kevin O'connor
- Shawn Sassaman
- Todd Criswell
Organizations
- Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction