INSPECTOR SHORTAGE

WESTERN BUREAU:

The National Education Trust (NET) says at least 40 clerks of works – on-site building inspectors – are needed to adequately oversee the massive school restoration programme following Hurricane Melissa, warning that current staffing levels are insufficient for the scale of repairs.

Speaking to The Gleaner on Monday, NET Executive Director Latoya Harris Ghartey said the agency is urgently trying to recruit 15 clerks of works as an immediate measure, while acknowledging that significantly more personnel will ultimately be required.

Under the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information’s (MOESYI) Hurricane Melissa School Infrastructure Recovery Programme, $24.8 billion has been allocated for repairs to schools damaged by the Category 5 hurricane on October 28, 2025. Up to July 20, some $3.86 billion had been spent.

“NET has three persons that have been redeployed from other areas as project managers, with one focusing on donor-supported projects, and we have on staff about four project managers and a senior project manager, and a civil engineer that is doubling up as a project manager now. We are trying to get, for now, at least 15 clerks of works to be in the different areas, and we are trying to find persons within the geographical zones,” said Harris Ghartey.

She added that NET also requires at least five additional project managers and more quantity surveyors to verify contractors’ payment claims.

“When you run the numbers, it would be good to have at least 40 clerks of works within the zones, because your clerks of works are really supposed to be on the site constantly,” Harris Ghartey explained.

Instead, NET has adopted a stopgap approach.

“What we are doing is a model where we get roving clerks of works assigned to more than one project site, and they can check on a daily basis and let us know if the contractors are working,” she told The Gleaner.

The personnel shortage comes as the Government pushes ahead with repairs to 688 schools across Jamaica’s seven education regions. Of those, 311 schools have been classified as Priority 1 after sustaining severe hurricane damage, including 102 schools in Region 4, which covers St James, Hanover and Westmoreland.

In a Sunday Gleaner story this week, the Jamaica Association of Principals of Secondary Schools (JAPSS) raised concern about the lack of clarity on whether contracts have been signed for repairs to schools that were damaged by Hurricane Melissa. The group also called for an outlining of the accountability structures for project managers to get work done, citing the apparent slow pace of recovery and lack of accountability for governmental post-Melissa restoration aid.

Responding to the query about accountability, Harris Ghartey said that project managers are responsible for providing weekly and monthly status reports, and that contractors are required to provide regular progression reports about the projects they are responsible for.

“The project managers visit the sites once a month, at minimum, and the contractors submit reports to the project manager. The contract recognises the project manager as the project engineer, and the project manager is the one that gives instructions to the contractor,” she said.

“Right now, what we’re doing is to try and close out the projects that are at an advanced stage, so that the resources that we have can be redeployed to other sites that need to come on stream. Then we can focus on the rebuild aspect, and we are also assessing what are the additional requirements,” the NET executive director continued.

According to the MOESYI, up to July 20 this year, 30 of the 311 Priority 1 schools have completed their post-Melissa restoration work, while 84 are categorised as being near completion. Another 48 schools are classified as having between 51 to 79 percent progression; 52 schools, as having between 21 to 50 percent progression; and 30 schools, as having 20 percent or less completion and requiring contractor resource audits.

Additionally, 13 school sites are categorised as being set to have work commence soon; 52 sites are to be given site possession; one requires urgent data entry; and one, the Sam Sharpe Teacher’s College in St James, needs its field status verified.

christopher.thomas@gleanerjm.com