6.10.1 Creating/accessing technical capacity for large scale school infrastructure creation and for quality assurance: For meeting the infrastructure requirements of new and existing schools within the defined timelines, sufficient numbers of technically qualified staff will need to be put in place at block, district and State level for assisting the SMC with technical drawings and estimates and for quality supervision. States will need to evolve systems for communicating the specific requirements of school buildings (child friendly design of classrooms and facilities, outdoor and indoor spaces to be developed as learning resources, safety and hazard resistant features, barrier free access, whole school planning etc) to the technical personnel, especially if they are from State works departments, since these works departments may not have been oriented on these themes from a child centred or pedagogic perspective. The local level construction agency will also need to be oriented on these perspectives.
6.10.2 Quality Assurance: In order to assure quality of civil works, an independent assessment of the technical quality of civil works, through Third Party Evaluation (TPE) is mandatory. The commissioning of TPE to assure quality of construction visit of TPE at plinth, lintel, roof and at finishing level is essential.It should also ensure that construction has been carried out in accordance with design, drawings and specification. Besides checking the quality of building material by visual inspection, testing of building material and building technology, design functionality and role of community participation are ensured. The TPE is to highlight good practices, bring out strength and weaknesses and share with the block/district/state level engineers and Administrators in weekly and monthly meetings for further improvement. In addition inbuilt quality control test for building material and building technologies are under taken by inhouseengineeringcelloragencysupervising/ facilitating technical support (these test are essential particularly for major building like KGBVs and Residential schools).
6.10.3 Setting up design cell at State and district level: A design cell in the civil works unit at the State and district level is essential for Whole school development plan. The unit must have Design engineers, Architects, Structural engineers well conversant with earth quake resistant designs and experts in
Energy efficiency/Green buildings issues, Experts from Pedagogy, Gender and Inclusive Education etc. who are well oriented on the philosophy of SSA. The Design cell experts can either be on deputation/on contract or on empanelment.
