Development Study of Landscape. and Public Parks for Municipalities. Final Report

Transcription

1 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs Deputy Ministry for Technical Affairs Development Study of Landscape and Public Parks for Municipalities Final Report

2 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs Deputy Ministry for Technical Affairs Department of Parks and Landscaping Development Study of Landscape and Public Parks for Municipalities

3 Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, 2014 King Fahd National Library Cataloging-In-Publication Data Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs Development Study of Landscape and Public Parks for Municipalities. / Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs.- Riyadh, p; 30cm ISBN: Saudi Arabia. Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs 2- National parks and reserves - Saudi Arabia 1- Title dc 1435/9240 L.D. no. 1435/9240 ISBN:

4 Subject Page INTRODUCTION ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT Tasks and Responsibilities General Administration Administrative Organization Technical Support The Proposed Organizational Structure Main Amanas Small Amanas Performance and Evaluation Objectives of Performance Measurement Standards The Use of Performance Measurement Process Factors Influencing Employees Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Training Proposed Training Plans Proposed Training Bodies Importance of Private Sector in Parks Development Recommendations and Proposals FINANCIAL ASPECTS Parks Department Budget Operations and Maintenance Budget Other Proposed Budgets Operations and Maintenance Budget of the Nursery Design Budget Implementation Budget Recommendations and Proposals PLANNING ASPECTS Planning Departments and Other Ministries The Existing Planning Standards For Recreational and Sports Services Applied Guidelines by the Urban Planning Agency of the Ministry Planning Guidelines Surrounding Areas Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Easy Access to the Site Suitable topography for Parks Environmental Impact Assessment A

5 Subject Page 3-3 Parks and Gardens Classification Standards Sahat Baladya Gardens Parks Proposed Classification of Parks and Sahat Baladya in the Kingdom The Proposed Outline for the Completion of Parks and Gardens International Planning Standards Proposed Standards Parks and Gardens Classification Criteria Planning Considerations The Proposed Planning Standards Recommendations and Proposals DESIGN ASPECTS Master Plan Assessing the Existing Site Condition Design Methodology Completion of the Proposed Master Plan Parks Design Current Status of the Municipal Design Works Design basics/standards Successful Design Criteria of Parks Children's Playground Design Sahat Baladya s Design Targets of Sahat Baladya implementation Types of Sahat Baladya Site Selection Criteria for the Establishment of Sahat Baladya Recommendations and Proposals STREET LANDSCAPE DESIGN Principles and Guidelines for Landscaping Inside the Cities Climatic Needs of the Planting Species Aim and Purpose of Landscaping Site Location Future Maintenance Works Streetscape Design Recommendations on Sidewalks and Footpaths Proposed Criteria for Sidewalks Planting Medians Landscape design of median islands and intersections B

6 Subject Page 5-5 Landscaping Design of City Entrances Landscape Design of Parking Areas Pedestrian Crossing Areas and Ramps Urban Furniture for Parks and Streetscapes Recommended List of Plants in the Kingdom IMPLEMENTATION Softscape Site Preparation Planting Soil preparation Planting operations Recommendations and Proposals Hardscape Children Playgrounds Installation of Children Playgrounds Children's Play Equipment Support Elements for Children's Playgrounds Recommendations and Proposals Sahat Baladya Benefits of Sahat Baladya Court surfacing Installations of Facilities and equipment Types of ground surfacing Implementation Stages of the Sahat Baladya Recommendations and Proposals Nurseries Recommendations and Proposals Agricultural Wastes Recommendations and Proposals Irrigation Systems Optimal Irrigation Method Irrigation System Design Factors that determine irrigation time and water quantities Irrigation System Components Irrigation Water Sources Recommendations and Proposals OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE Current Status of the Operations and Maintenance programs in Amanas Constraints C

7 Subject Page Summary of Results and Statistics Proposed Maintenance Works Plant Conservation Maintenance of Street Furniture Maintenance of Sahat Baladya Operations and Maintenance of Irrigation Systems Other Maintenance Works Recommendations and Proposals STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES Types of Reports Technical Reports Periodic Reports Other Reports Report elaboration methodology Characteristics and Specifications of Periodic and Non-Periodic Reports Characteristics Specifications Follow-Up Tables PROPOSED UNIFIED CONTRACTS Contracts Contents Basic Contract Documents General and Special Conditions Appendices Contracts Evaluation and Technical Requirements SPECIFICATIONS AND PROPOSED STANDARDS PROPOSED STRATEGY Summary about development actions Organizational Charts Human Resources Training Financial Planning Design Implementation Operations and Maintenance Nurseries D

8 Subject Page Irrigation Preliminary immediate actions to develop Parks Proposed strategy to be implemented Financial Integrated Information System (GIS) Planning and Design Guidelines Administrative and Governmental cooperation Preparation and application of development strategy Organizational Chart Training Awareness and Education Irrigation Nursery Agricultural waste recycling Proposed Development Strategy LIST OF REFERENCES Local References (Arabic Literature) The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs Ministry of Agriculture Prince Sultan Center for Water and Desert Research Riyadh Municipality General Presidency of Meteorology and Environment Protection Ministry of Water Faculty of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University King Saud University, Riyadh King Faisal University, Dammam Other Local References International References (English Literature) E

9 INTRODUCTION

10 Introduction It is now an undisputed fact that green areas in urban cities are very important because they play a key role in the provision of open spaces and provide comfort and enjoyment of nature to the population. As a result, the Amanas and Municipalities have created many public parks and Sahat Baladya in various cities in the Kingdom with services and facilities to meet the requirements of all the strata of society and different age groups. The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs attaches great importance to these services and has prepared a contract to conduct a Development Study of Landscape and Public Parks for the Municipalities Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study contains technical and also administrative aspects in the field of Parks and Landscaped areas for Municipalities, both proposals for the development of work methods and techniques to ensure the implementation of projects in line with the best international technical specifications. This study evaluated and updated the standards for the provision of landscaping and public parks, Sahat Baladya and children's playgrounds. It also provides solutions and recommendations for the development of the landscaping and public parks, especially with regard to the organizational structure of Parks Department in the areas of planning and technical field of study. Also included in this study is the preparation of technical manuals in different areas to Landscape Department staff that can be implemented to develop and enhance their work. Examples of implementation and maintenance contracts and designs for Sahat Baladya have also been proposed as well. 1

11 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT

12 1- Organizational Structure of the Parks Department Human Resources are the most important elements in drawing up any short or long term plan. The success of any technical or administrative task depends on the development and effective management of Human Resources. The appropriate selection of team has the highest positive impact on the performance and quality of work to achieve the best results, and this can only be achieved with the presence of well trained engineers with extensive experience in the field of landscaping and planning of green spaces. It is through the study of the organizational structure of the public sector, that we can see the need for staff that must be met in order to reach the required quality in the performance levels of the project, and this is the best way to achieve the minimum level required for the Parks Department, in accordance with current international standards and specifications. Following is a summary of the Amanas current status of green areas: Lack of coordination between Parks Department and other departments of each Amana especially with respect to the studies and design, planning and financial departments. Some Amanas rely on non-specialized staff in the design work like Agricultural Engineers and Technicians, and the lack or absence of Landscape Architects and Irrigation Engineers in most departments (Figure 1). Figure (1) Main issues faced by Municipalities Other issues (Administrative, financial ) Lack of Manpower 33% 67% 3

13 93% of Parks Departments have their own organizational structures, and are mostly occupied by agricultural specialists; engineers, technicians, agronomists with 47% of all employees, while the rate of Landscape Architects and Irrigation Engineers is only 0.4%. All Amanas without exception want to strengthen technical personnel of Parks Department especially irrigation engineers. Many Amanas raised the difficulty of employing staff despite the existence of vacancies due to the lack or availability of talents in the Kingdom and because jobs offered by the Amanas are not suitable and fail to meet the aspirations of talented graduates. Amana s staff requirements in the Kingdom vary in terms of disciplines and number of both administrators and technical personnel, based on several considerations, including the possibilities that are available for each area. The most important differences are: Every region is different from the other regions of the Kingdom in terms of population of each area and population density. Different natural and environmental characteristics of each region, whether coastal or mountainous. These factors and considerations affect directly the size of the organizational structure needed by each Amana to carry out the tasks and duties for the management of parks and landscaped areas, and the number of administrative staff and technicians required. Therefore, the organizational structure for large Amanas should be different from smaller in several aspects particularly as they need to meet the needs of the population. 1-1 Tasks and Responsibilities The terms and responsibilities of Parks and Landscape Departments are the following: Supervise the preparation of park design or implementation works in accordance with local and applicable international standards. To elaborate long-term or short-term strategies for local and regional parks and green areas. Establishing new parks and children's playgrounds and Sahat Baladya according to local and applicable international standards. Supervise maintenance works for plants and streetscape elements, squares and Sahat Baladya. 4

14 Selection of appropriate sites for the establishment of new parks, children's playgrounds and Sahat Baladya by determining the appropriate areas and ranges for each service until the total administrative areas are covered. Determine and select the types of plants and trees that are suitable to the local environment of the region or the city. Coordination with other departments and the Ministry with regard to gardens, parks and streets, squares and Sahat Baladya. The implementation and maintenance of Amanas nurseries to supply gardens and parks with the necessary seedlings and other city facilities in general. In order to prepare a detailed and accurate list of staff and management personnel for the Parks Department, preliminary information that includes an approximate number of required personnel should be established to estimate their number through the following information tables: The required number of personnel for each team. Classification of employees, such as: (government employees, or representatives of consulting or construction companies). Following the field visits made by the working groups to Amanas, it was established that nearly (67%) of the Amanas lack manpower and skilled reources, particularly Landscape Architects and Irrigation Engineers to support their work. This report recommends that specialized staff in the Parks Department should be hired provided they are qualified and trained to implement projects and the tasks allocated to them, especially technical personnel such as engineers and technicians in the field of design, implementation and maintenance in order to improve the quality of work and self-sufficiency of employees in the Parks Department. Staff number is to be estimated and classified as follows: General Administration Director General of the Parks Department. Nursery Department. Design and Implementation Department. Operations and Maintenance Department. Heads of other departments according to the joint organizational structure of each Amana. 5

15 1-1-2 Administrative Organization Secretaries. Data entry staff. A minimum number of data entry staff should be present in all Amanas, and their number should be determined by the number of administrators and according to the size of each Amana Technical Support A minimum of this staff should be provided: Engineers o Landscape Architect: a minimum of at least one landscape architect should be present at each Amana s Parks Department. o Agricultural Engineer (Horticulture): to strengthen Parks Departments by additional engineers to follow-up implementation and operation and maintenance works. o Irrigation Engineer: the immediate need for at least one Irrigation Engineer in each Amana who should have sufficient experience in the design and irrigation systems, especially automatic irrigation and current development in the field. o Agricultural Engineer (Plant Protection): presence of a plant protection specialist. Technicians o Cad Technician o GIS Technician. o Geographer o Agricultural Technician. o Irrigation technician o Electrical Technician o Mechanical Technician. Other specialized labor o Agricultural workers o Irrigation workers. o Cleaners o Water Tank drivers. 6

16 1-2 The Proposed Organizational Structure There is no doubt that the efficient and complete organizational structure will provide multiple benefits that can be explained mainly in the following: Allocation of tasks and practical activities. Eliminating the duplication of functions. Identifying clearly the relationships or hierarchy between employees. Coordination and coherence between tasks and responsibilities for each employee in the Parks Department administration. The organizational structure gives indications on task management activities functions, responsibilities and authorities and the most important stages of the organizational structure are: Identifying needs and tools to achieve management objectives. Identifying the different activities that will achieve management objectives. The allocation of tasks and functions for primary and secondary activities. Identifying each unit and section and their respective tasks description. Identifying supervisory and executive functions within each unit. Outlining the organizational structure of the department. The number of staff and units/sections can be determined by relating it to the total area of green spaces and the population with regard administrative divisions of each Amana (neighborhoods or Amanas) to choose and modify the organizational structure that suits them. A person from the training Department should be hired to focus on supporting landscaping staff training needs at parks department on regular basis. The following proposals can be generalized to various Amanas in the Kingdom after being reviewed and adjusted to suit their actual and specific needs: 7

17 1-2-1 Main Amanas Figure (2) Proposed Organizational Structure of Parks Department Services' Deputy Mayor Parks Direction Nursery Department O& &M Department Design and Implementation Departmentt Irrigation Systems Section Parks Section Implementation Unit Design Unit Plantationn Operations Section Streetscpes Section Parks Implementation Section Planning Section Pests and Control Section Irrigation Systems Maintenance Section Streetscape Implementation Section Landscape Design Section Maintenance Section Equipments and Transportationn Section Irrigation System Control Section Sites Rehabilitation Section Agricultural waste Recycling Section Control and Supervision Section Sites Rehabilitation Section Technical support & GIS Section Hardscape Mantenance Section Hardscape Works Section *A basic outline is provided above and the number of employees for each Section or Unit for the proposed organizational structure varies depending on the size and needs of each Amana. *Number of Districts for each Amana and their sizes determines the number of staff and their specialties for each Section under the Operation and Maintenance Department. *Some Sections/Units can be represented or put under the supervision of other Amana s Departments. 8

18 1-2-2 Small Amanas Figure (3) Proposed Organizational Structure of Parks Department Services' Deputy Mayor Parks Direction Operations & Maintenance Unit Design and Implementation Unit Parks Section Landscape Design Section Streetscape Section Streetscape Design Section Irrigation Systems Maintenance Section Implementationn Works Section Nursery Section Irrigation System Control Section Agricultural Waste Recycling Section Equipments and Tansportation Section * The possibility of dealing with private nurseries for the Amana that does not have sufficient funds to develop or establish its own nursery. * A basic outline is provided above and the number of employees for each Section or Unit for the proposed organizational structure varies depending on the size and needs of each Amana. * Number of Districts for each Amana and their sizess determines the number of staff and their specialties for each Section under the Operation and Maintenance Department. * Some Sections/Units can be represented or put under the supervision of other Amana s Departments. * The Parks Department depends directly on the Department of Studies and Designs of the Amana in preparing designs for parks and green areas. 9

19 1-3 Performance and Evaluation Performance measurement is a way to verify that the employee is doing his tasks in accordance with the desired results and correct any errors or deficiencies. The process of measurement and evaluation will help each employee to identify his own performance strengths and weaknesses, especially when the results of the performance evaluation are done by the Amana, so that every member will develop his strengths and avoid weaknesses. Therefore, this process is important at all levels in the Amana from senior management to the technicians in all the different sections and units. In order to establish a staff performance plan, a strategy should be developed for the performance appraisal process and then applied, this strategy includes the following (1) : Develop clear strategic objectives that are linked to the performance of units, sections and individuals. Create an updated organizational structure that includes an accurate description of each function with its tasks and responsibilities and attached evaluation process. Provide an effective team to manage the process of communication and updating information. Conduct practical training programs by training coordinators for immediate supervisors and intensive campaign to raise awareness for all Department staff and their Managers. Develop regulations for the evaluation process as well as the necessary forms that are user friendly and can be filled in easily. Ensure the continuous update through periodic review of the performance criteria to ensure work efficiency. Establish a specific timetable to carry out the evaluation and review of final reports. Effective coordination with all sections for the success of evaluation process and its timely completion. (1)Staff Performance evaluation, Eng. Wail Jibril, Business Administration, Administration of Strategies and resources 10

20 1-3-1 Objectives of Performance Measurement Standards Evaluating the employee s performance. Correction of the employee weaknesses. The application of uniform justice and equity principles among employees. Development of a sense of responsibility and self-development. Raise the spirit of enthusiasm and competition among employees. Developing future competencies. Develop the capacity of managers of analyzing different approaches. Monitoring the effectiveness of different policies. Develop criteria and evaluation methods that lead to higher efficiency. Monitoring and evaluation of middle-management efforts by senior management. Review performance on a regular basis. Contribute to the career development of individuals. Identify training needs of employees to improve and upgrade the performance. Identify the possibility of career progression for individuals. Motivate employees to upgrade their job performance and behavior Ensure that the work is of a high quality and conforming to the required specifications. Ensure that financial resources are utilized effectively and efficiently. Ensure that the administration's achievements are in accordance with the approved plan. Identify strengths to be exploited and weaknesses to be avoided Identify the problems and difficulties that delay the work and find appropriate solutions The Use of Performance Measurement Process A careful selection of new employees that matches qualification to job requirements. Determine the quality and needs of training programs. Strengthening the professional relationships. Establish rules for determining premiums and incentive bonuses. Establish rules of procedure for promotions and transfers. 11

21 Improve and develop methods and systems of monitoring and supervision. Measuring efficiently the performance of employees. Ensure the selection of qualified staff on appointment and promotion. Identify the training needs of individuals and units. Development of the performance of individuals and units. Follow-up tasks Factors Influencing Employees Performance There are four key factors that affect the performance of employees and can be summarized as follows: The accuracy of the information used for the transfer and promotion. The behavior of employees and their performance. Set objectives by reviewing plans and work systems. Improve and develop performance levels that form the basis of assessment process Monitoring and Evaluation Monitoring and evaluation are the most important stages of the performance appraisal process. The assessment is the process of discovering the real causes of errors in order to correct them as per the applied procedures, and to avoid them permanently. The benefits of periodic assessment of performance is that each employees will be evaluated by an annual report on his behavior and performance at work and in accordance with the conditions, procedures and deadlines prescribed by the regulations. Training needs can be established to raise skills and create a mechanism to monitor and assist the employee through continuous self-development where the employee's performance evaluation is based on: o Capacities and capabilities. o Measuring results through tests (practical assessment / or through the Commission). o Periodic reports. 12

22 As a result, the project staff performance evaluation will contribute to changing the traditional view of the annual efficiency reports from considering it as a tool for rising salary to the purpose of development in the management skills of employees. Then, the strategic objectives will upgrade human resources performance of all governmental departments in the Kingdom. As shown through the studies and research related to the evaluation of performance (especially in developed countries) there are many ways of assessing performance that include (1) : Numerical or symbolic order: It is where employees are classified according to their individual strengths. Specific criteria should be developed as a tool to assess employees, such as collaborating with colleagues, familiarity with tasks and accuracy in work. Selection method: Depends on a number of criteria directly related to work, where the focus is on work performance and work related factors and not on the individual qualities of the engineer or the technician. Distribution method: Determine the relevant levels of performance (such as good, average or poor) to all aspects of the work. Accordingly, the employee or the worker is placed in the category that has been evaluated. The overall standings: This method is based on the evaluation of the overall performance of each employee without looking at the details. Method of critical events: Established through the analysis of specific events (extraordinary, important or critical events), and the analysis of the employees performance during these events. (1) Methods of performance staff evaluation, Human resources and training Consulting, Electronic Agenda. 13

23 Method of objectives and results: It is rated by identifying the objectives and results of his work. The employee is directly involved in this process. Dual comparisons: Comparisons of each two employees in the department, also called 'Employees Comparison'. Self-assessment method: The employee does a self-assessment of his performance at work. As conclusion, it is possible to use one or more methods to evaluate employee s performance which are called 'common methods' and this is one of the favorite solutions and proposals to ensure the accuracy and validity of performance assessment. These assessment methods should be dispatched to each Amana s Department without exception. 1-4 Training Some administrations within the Amanas are making serious efforts to provide the training and rehabilitation programs for staffs, but mostly in the administrative area, while there is lack of interest in implementation, control and supervision of contractor s works. It is appropriate that those responsible for the training distribute questionnaires on a regular basis (annual or semi-annual) to each of the supervisors, department managers and employees to review their skills and abilities depending on their tasks and responsibilities as per their job description, to identify career plans and work on the preparation of a recruitment program according to the needs. Managers should also determine the need for training and what type of training programs are required depending on the current status of the work. It is essential and necessary that the staff should acquire appropriate skills to perform duties that have been assigned to them. The professional development process is a necessity that should be discussed by training staff to prepare individual skills development plans for the employees. 14

24 Following the distribution of questionnaires to Amanas, it has been calculated that the proportion (20%) of the Amanas staff need to arrange training courses to improve the performance of workers in the landscape field (Figure 4). The reason for this low proportion is due to the lack of engineers and technicians in most of the Amanas as well as a lack of interest in the development of technical aspects through offering the appropriate training. Figure (4) Issues Faced by Parks Department Training issues Other issues 20% 80% Training operations remain linked to the provision of training budgets and the creation of independent Parks Department within Amanas. They should include all the required functions in accordance with the proposed organizational structure of each Amana depending on its size and administrative divisions. The main objectives of the training staff are as follows: The acquisition of professional knowledge and upgrade skills and abilities. Develop methods to ensure a high-quality work performance. Raise the employees productivity. Ease the burden on supervisors and managers. Providing management needs of qualified and well-trained staff. Reduce errors, wasted time and money. Exploit all available staff, tools and devices. Help each employee to understand the relationship between his task and other ones. 15

25 1-4-1 Proposed Training Plans Training plans should be circulated to all Amanas to provide the necessary skills and competencies for Parks Department staff to carry out their tasks in the best way. As part of this study manuals have been prepared for the preparation of training programs to know the proposed training plans Proposed Training Bodies The concept of training is no longer a concept traditionally limited to organizing training courses for certificates of success only, but there are other methods and ways of training that can be adopted and utilized based on the experiences and difficulties during work. It is possible also to take advantage of the experiences of other professionals in all areas of work, including specialists and consultants in the private sector, and the exchange of staff to achieve experiences within other Amanas and Municipalities. Training works should be carried out by: Private sector The private sector, including companies, organizations and agencies that have extensive experience in the field of gardens, parks and green areas in terms of design, implementation and maintenance operation, contribute greatly to advancing progress in this vital field. It is important to take advantage of technical specialists or professionals with consistent experience in the field. Training courses should include theoretical courses done by specialists in this area, and other practical courses for the implementation or operations and maintenance works. Exchange of experiences with other Amanas Some Amanas do have good experiences in the field of parks and landscaping such as Riyadh/Jeddah Municipalities and the Amana of the Eastern Region which are considered as unique and distinct models and their experiences are worthy and should be shared and be of benefit for the other Amanas. 16

26 The integration and coordination between all the Amanas can be achieved in many ways as follows: o Regular meetings between professionals in the landscape field to explore different ideas and visions and exchange research studies and current projects available to each one of them. o Take advantage of modern technology by creating a unified electronic internal network in the Kingdom under the supervision of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs in order to allow employees of all Amanas to communicate and exchange experiences, data and information. o Training courses to be provided by the Amana that was efficient in a particular field on the landscaping works. For example, the Amana of the Eastern Region can provide training courses in the field of agricultural waste recycling and compost or by holding seminars or conferences on the propagation of date palms by cell multiplication, so that all Amanas could participate and will have the possibility of exchanging information, data and expertise and successful experiences. The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs can benefit from the expertise of scientific specialists and advanced processes and standards in the Kingdom or abroad, by supervising oriented training courses for municipal staff. 17

27 1-5 Importance of Private Sector in Parks Development The private sector can contribute in advancing the training of staff, including consultants and consulting firms specialized in the design and implementation of parks and green areas. The main advantage provided by the private sector in this field can be summarized in the following: There could be a person or a group of people who contribute to the establishment of Parks and Gardens in their neighborhood and supervise the operations and maintenance works. This has been previously done successfully in Jeddah as an example. Consultants of specialized firms and other competent specialists or other professionals with extensive experience in the field could provide theoretical and practical trainings in all areas of landscaping and gardens with training courses for Amanas engineers and staff under the supervision of the Ministry. Given the importance of design aspect in landscape projects, Amanas can assign planning and design studies of major parks projects to consultants and consulting firms. The monitoring and control of their projects are done by certified Landscape Architects who will supervise the application of local and international specifications by the Amanas under the supervision of the Ministry. Due to the existence of the only facility in the Eastern Province for the management and recycling of agricultural waste in the Kingdom, other Amanas, especially smaller Amanas are required to create special units in partnership with other institutions and private companies operating in this area on the agricultural waste disposal and composting, which can produce the compost at the lowest cost. There can also be workshops held on the issue with the involvement of experts and investors, and based on the industry expansion to share their experiences. There are many private nurseries that can provide adequate quantities of plants to Amanas, especially the ones that do not have their own nurseries until now and also when the need for additional amounts for plant material for major projects is required and the Amana not being able to meet the demand. A horticulturist specialist should be available for regular and periodic times to monitor the status of the plants to ensure that there 18

28 conform to the required standards since the beginning of their cultivation and also during the various stages of the production process. 1-6 Recommendations and Proposals To establish fully functional Parks Departments that include all units and disciplines especially regarding the design work requirements. Develop a unified organizational structure for Amanas Parks Department that includes all required units and sections, and should include at least a design unit, one Landscape Architect and one Irrigation Engineer for each Amana and without exception. To hire or select a person from the Training Department to focus on supporting training needs of Parks Department staff on a regular basis. To establish a quality control inspection program for all works done by Parks Departments or contractors/consultants. Due to the lack of experienced engineers and the difficulty Amanas have to recruit, it is proposed to work on the assignment of university graduates who have succeeded with distinction to provide them all the appropriate conditions to develop their skills by the development of training programs that suit them and meet the departments requirements. Develop specific and clear schedule of all administrative and technical tasks to be performed by identifying teams to be assigned for this project. This schedule could be for a day, week, or month, and should be distributed to the staff according to their specializations, and at the end of the day, week, or month, these actions are evaluated to identify what has been done and also to measure the performance of employees. Identify the tasks and roles of each employee to avoid overlap in the terms of tasks and functions. Special training sessions should be organized in this regard, particularly for new employees. Arrange periodic meetings for the Technical and Administrative staff of Parks Department, to identify the issues and difficulties and to find solutions, so that they will be involved collectively in taking responsibilities, and encourage them to aspire to higher positions depending on their qualifications. It is recommended that training is directly supervised by the Ministry in order to enable a large number of engineers in various Amanas in the Kingdom to 19

29 participate in every training session related to the Parks Department. The Ministry should be able to supervise and coordinate the training courses carried out by each Amana. Develop a comprehensive training strategy for all employees in the field of parks and landscaping through the creation of an internal network system (Intranet) that includes all Amanas to be linked directly with the Ministry. This will allow the distribution and publication of all documents and information relating to circulars, contracts, manuals and specifications issued by the Ministry on a regular basis. 20

30 FINANCIAL ASPECTS

31 2- Financial Aspects Financial allocations for Parks and landscaping studies and works are not sufficient and are generally put under the operation and maintenance budget, which shows that there is an urgent need to increase the allocation of these specific items. The most important issues regarding the allocation of financial resources are: Financial allocations from the Ministry of Finance to support Parks Department works varies according to new projects, programs and the value of contracts and maintenance costs. Lack of support for the modernization of irrigation systems, and the preparation of strategies or studies for the development of landscaping and parks projects for all Amanas was noticed. Inadequate or lack of financial allocations in most of the Amanas to prepare studies and technical support and the assignment of consultant for the design, or the implementation of new projects. No specific allocations for landscape and implementation works of parks, public squares and children's playgrounds, there is only one general allocation for most of the Parks Department in Amanas under: Operation and Maintenance, which is fixed many years back and has not been changed despite the expansion of green areas and the creation of new projects. According to field visits and meetings with representatives of the Amanas almost 90% of the Amanas parks and departments are facing difficulties and a lack of financial resources with no additional budgets for some Amanas or additional support for several years despite of the increasing number of projects related to green areas and other expenses allocated to the operations and maintenance works. Efforts have been made by the Parks Department in coordination with other departments of the Amanas and governmental agencies to obtain the necessary budgets. Some Amanas have divided their projects into several phases and extend the duration of delivery or works, in order to adapt them to local market conditions capacity as most of local contractors could not bear the cost of large projects, and in some Amanas, the reluctance of many contractors in participating for these tenders. 22

32 2-1 Parks Department Budget In the previous Current Status Report and the General Framework of the study it was noted that all Municipalities and Amanas are totally dependent on the annual budget allocated by the Ministry of Finance for the operations and maintenance of green areas, as well as the establishment of new projects, but most of the Amanas are facing a shortage of financial resources that have not been revised for several years in some cases. With the increase in population and sporadic increase in the size of cities has had a consequent financial burdens on the budgets of the Amanas and Municipalities, which are dispatching the majority of their allocations for public services and maintenance works, there is an urgent need to create more gardens and parks to cover the increase of population and their needs, which requires work to strengthen budgets for design and implementation of parks and to review them annually to be updated with urban development and provide the necessary minimum services for the population. 2-2 Operations and Maintenance Budget This report proposes that there must be a dedicated budget for operations and maintenance in the Amanas and Municipalities, in order to meet the needs of parks and landscaping projects and in order to preserve them from deterioration, extend their life span and to achieve success, sophistication and beauty of cities and its surrounding areas. These should be reviewed each year until the budget is in line with the level of change and expansion in the Municipalities. 2-3 Other Proposed Budgets Here are some suggestions that can be applied if sufficient budget has been allocated for Amanas Parks Department: Operations and Maintenance Budget of the Nursery Most of the Amanas have their own Nursery (13 out of 16 Amanas) while the others are working on implementing their own. It had been observed that Amanas nurseries cannot provide sufficient quantities of plants necessary for operations and maintenance. Amanas should therefore work to develop their nurseries as almost half of them (42%) are managed by less than 20 workers. They should also employ and make available modernized planting 23

33 operations and irrigation systems to reduce costs. A separate budget should be allocated for nurseries under the supervision of the Parks Department to be reviewed annually by each Amana in order to prepare the future action programs Design Budget Most Amanas are relying on efforts made by Engineers who are not specialized in the design because of the lack or absence of Landscape Architects to develop the appropriate designs of the gardens, parks and streetscape. The Amana should work on the appointment of specialized engineers and should allocate a budget for consulting firms to do the design properly Implementation Budget Some Amanas adopted the implementation of certain projects by phases and extended the duration of completion. However, this costs a larger amount of funds and results in insufficient budget for the Amanas. Considering that most of the funds have been allocated for the Operation and Maintenance purposes, the allocation of budget for the implementation of new projects is necessary to respond to the demand inheriting from the urban development extension and to cover the needs of citizens for recreation. 2-4 Recommendations and Proposals To increase financial support for the Parks Department especially for design and recruitment of staff requirements. Request for additional financial resources, especially for the recruitment of specific disciplines that represent the minimum basic staff requirement such as landscape architects, irrigation engineers and agricultural engineers. In case that these funds are not reached, Amanas can ask firms involved in the implementation process or operation and maintenance to provide these engineers throughout the period of execution of their contract and they will be based on a permanent status at the Amana in accordance with their project contractual conditions to work on various Amanas landscape projects. 24

34 For the small Amanas or the ones not capable of consolidating their budget, it is recommended to provide training courses for Parks Departments as follows: o Training: the establishment of training courses in the form of theoretical lectures training. o Practical Training: the involvement of technical disciplines for both implementation and operation and maintenance works carried out by the contractors. o Training by the manufacturer to perform the installation of facilities such as children's playgrounds, Sahat Baladya, umbrellas, chairs, lighting elements and others. There must also be a procedure to identify and provide the necessary financial resources for the following: o Cover operating and maintenance costs. o Cover the costs of the design and implementation of new projects. o The establishment, development and operations and maintenance of nurseries. o Continuous training of Amanas staffs on a regular basis. o The establishment, development and maintenance of modern irrigation systems (Irrigation stations). o Establishing and implementing awareness programs for the citizens to reduce and avoid acts of vandalism. 25

35 PLANNING ASPECTS

36 3- Planning Aspects The process of planning and allocating different parks and gardens is important and significant in the field of landscaping as successful planning should be according to the criteria, guidelines, specifications and the approved master plan requirements for the city. The process should follow the hierarchy of different levels of parks based on the urban structure of the city. The locations of these parks should be according to the standards and specifications of urban planning, such as proper positioning according to the population density and needs, service roads connection leading to parks or gardens and calculation of suitable areas according to the allocated area per capita as proposed, with the identification of ranges, services and other rates for the planning standards and specifications that should be applied. Part of this study is dedicated determining the issues faced in the planning process for parks and gardens, and highlight the applied current rates for the adoption of residential plots, as well as to identify the planning guidelines that should be applied while selecting sites for new parks. It also includes recommendations and proposals that can contribute to the improvement in the planning of parks. Most of the Amanas have a deploring lack of sufficient Parks and Gardens according to the international standards and specifications, this is due to: Absence of an official classification of parks and Sahat Baladya that can be applied. There is no clear strategy in the Amanas in the area of landscape planning that meet the international standards for the distribution of parks within the cities, depending on the population density and characteristic of each area. Some Amanas are trying to create new parks despite the lack of areas to be exploited. There is no equitable distribution of the types and areas of gardens and parks according to population density as well as the lack of appropriate Sahat Baladya for the young, and most of the existing parks are for families only. Most small Amanas do not have general strategy to develop parks and landscaped areas and to identify urban areas that could be used as green zones according to demographic data for each neighborhood or residential area. 27

37 To provide appropriate facilities to densely populated areas, including green areas considering difficulty in providing suitable land for establishment of new green areas. Most of the efforts undertaken by the Municipalities are concentrated in the maintenance requirements of the roads and streets, while there is greater need to focus on the needs of the population when planning new parks and open spaces. The residential neighborhoods were not taken into consideration to determine the required rate of green areas, their location and applying the most appropriate solutions for a sustainable development strategy. Parks and gardens which are far from urban areas are not commensurate with the basic services that should be provided by gardens and parks. Sahat Baladya, plazas and streetscapes do not exist in some neighborhoods because they have not been considered during the planning process. There is no planning to connect different green areas in each Amana by a pedestrian functional system that links them. There are a lot of places that can be converted into small gardens next to mosque or in local markets or schools, but they are not exploited and often used as large paved areas without any softscape elements. It is clear that recreational amenities are not well planned in terms of the distribution. There are some areas with densely developed sports facilities whereas some other areas have no facilities at all. There is a lack of skills and experience of Amanas employees, consultants and contractors who perform the planning, design and maintenance works of green areas. The use of population standards in the field of Parks and Gardens: Amanas need to consider the population density for parks and landscaping projects while working on the implementation of new parks and the proposed areas of parks should be calculated and defined according to the real needs of the population and their location. As a conclusion, there is a need to find an integrated system for the planning process through: 28