The Technical Services Wing was established in 1998 as part of an interim re-organisation of the RHD. The main aim of the restructuring was to focus the service providers within the RHD into a single Wing that would provide in-house services where possible and manage outsourcing of such services when resources were inadequate to meet demand. Under the re-organisation of 2000 it was decided to remove Training and Bridge Design functions from Technical Services.

The objective of the Technical Services Wing is to ensure the best practices in RHD by establishing design and construction standards and providing in-house and outsourced services in road design, environmental and social impact mitigation, road safety, quality control and research.

The main outputs of the Technical Services Wing are:

a) To maintain and periodically update road design and other standards for all RHD operations.

b) To provide or procure design services for road rehabilitation, improvements and new construction.

c) To ensure all roads, bridges and other facilities within RHD afford the highest possible standards of safety to the public and that environmental mitigation measures are provided and maintained throughout the network.

d) To ensure that the impact of new construction or improvements minimise the social impacts to the population through participatory processes for land acquisition and resettlement.

e) To seek to raise standards of construction through research and quality control and the implementation of appropriate design standards, technical specifications and contract documents.

f) To contribute to environmental improvements, protection of embankments and the demolition and utilisation of RHD land through the effective management of an arboriculture program.

The Technical Services Wing consists of four Circles each headed by an officer of Superintending Engineer Level. The total proposed staffing for the Wing is 401 persons comprising 55 Class I officers, 31 Class II officers, 183 Class III and 132 Class IV staff. The detailed figures are shown on the attached sheet.

Certain officers in the Technical Services Wing are to be designated as specialists. Specialist posts for engineers with specialist training are star marked thus, EE*. Specialist posts for engineers, or non-engineers, with specialist qualifications are shown together with the equivalent engineering grade thus, Exec. Transport Economist (EE**).

The main activities of the wing and its circles are summarised below:

a) Develop a service oriented culture within the wing focused on service to customers through provision of in-house, services and outsourced consultancy contracts.

b) Establish the framework wherein services (investigation, survey, design and supervision) can be provided to the Department.

c) Develop a demand for Technical Services and support from the other Wings by promoting the Wing’s capabilities throughout RHD.

d) Identify and develop design and quality standards (geometric, pavement, bridge, environment & resettlement, safety etc.).

e) Undertake (or procure) detailed design services of roads.

f) Undertake or procure additional surveys as may be necessary to carry out designs.

e) Develop and regularly update specifications and contract documents to keep RHD in the forefront of technological improvements.

f) Establish and periodically update standard test procedures for quality control of all standards and types of work.

g) Develop and apply quality control audit systems on all RHD projects (both development and maintenance).

h) Monitor the operation of field and contract laboratories and ensure equipment is adequate for the purpose and correctly adjusted.

g) Manage plantations and replanting through own resources and outsourced providers. This includes liaison with other departments and ministries involved in tree planting.

h) Carry out environmental and resettlement audits on prospective and ongoing projects, advise projects on environmental & resettlement issues and monitor all environmental and resettlement activities.

Further details on the activities of the Wing may be found in the Development Plans of individual Circles.