Housing Development Strategy (HDS):  A Short-Term Applied Professional Diploma Training Program for Housing Planners, Designers and Policy Makers in Developing Countries.

A Housing Development Program is a demonstration of a working social policy for any country, as it has the ability for asset ownership and the creation of wealth and the building of a legacy of value for beneficiary households. Most of the time, in the absence of a comprehensive and integrated housing policy framework, decision making is spontaneous and reactive. The key objectives of any Housing Development Agency are to ensure well serviced, demand-driven, affordable, and a sustainable housing delivery mechanism for persons with demonstrated preferences and level of incomes. To achieve these objectives, any agency charged with these responsibilities must be committed to ensuring that it enhances its technical capacity to contribute effectively to the social development of the country and its people.

Who Should Attend

The training program is designed for Physical Planners and Policy Makers, Housing Planners and Policy Makers, Land-use Planners, Land Surveyors, Architects and Architectural Design Technicians, Building Inspectors, Housing Scheme Developers Board of Directors of Physical Planning and Housing Agencies, Engineers of Road Infrastructure and Utility Services Providers.

Course Modules

HDS -1 The Importance of a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis of the current housing sector and the implementing agencies.

HDS-2 Identifying Criteria and Parameters Including Indicators For Measuring And Evaluating The Efficiencies and Effectiveness of Housing Intervention In The Alleviation Of Poverty In Targeted Low-Income An Squatter Settlements.

HDS-3 Methodology for The Conduct of Impact Assessment and Performance Appraisal Of The Present Housing Sector Intervention Strategies In The Country. This involves:

• Identifying the present housing delivery mechanism.
• Understanding the role and importance of various key agencies and stakeholders, identifying the status of the credit market.
• Identifying the impact of social, economic, technical and environmental factors affecting the housing delivery mechanism.
• Identifying the supply and demand gaps per income group in the country.
• Identifying critical private/public and public/public investments opportunities.

HDS-4 Leading the Way Forward for Integrated Planning for the Housing Sector. This involves:

• Review and assessment of the housing delivery framework, procedures and processes, through a participatory approach where all the stakeholders and key players in the housing sector are involved through consultations and their inputs and areas of concern are documented to inform the preparation of the Housing Development Policy Intervention Measures at the National level.
• The identification of the areas of concerns, and of potential policy interventions especially as they relate to the financial/credit sector and the housing sector’s contribution to the economy.
• To Prepare an informative and comprehensive base for enabling the formulation of a National Housing Policy.

HDS-5 Sustainable and Affordable Housing Design: Identifying and Promoting Collaborative Partnerships. This addresses issues identified by stakeholders and key collaborating agencies in the housing sector, as well as, all other issues and areas of concern.

HDS-6 How to Prepare A Periodic Monitoring Mechanism For Reviewing The Performance Of The Housing Intervention Program. This involves the identification of performance indicators, to assess the efficiency and effectiveness in achieving the desired outcomes of the program which could allow improvements in future program and product designs.

HDS-7 How to Prepare and implementation/ strategic plan in consultation with the Board of Directors and Other Relevant Public Authorities.

HDS-8 Strategic Planning for Housing Development Intervention.

HDS-9 Analysis of Housing Data for Planning and Design Purposes.

HDS-10 Methodologies for the Collection of Community -based housing information.

HDS-11 Community Participation in Planning Housing Intervention for Squatter Settlement Upgrading.

HDS-12 Designing and Planning a Housing Survey-Determination Of Affordability As Ability And Willingness To Pay.

HDS-13 Assessment of Housing Affordability and Adequacy. This focuses on issues such as house price to income (expenditure) ratio; house rent to income (expenditure) ratio; lot price to income (expenditure) ratio; floor space per person, use of appropriate and sustainable construction technology and materials.

HDS-14 Review And Analysis of Past Interventions For the Identification of Best Practices. The focus is on data on housing delivery (e.g. cost of infrastructure provision for housing; mortgage credit portfolios; housing production and conditions of housing stock; housing investment – both public sector and private sector housing); housing supply and demand status with reference to various local administrative areas of the country.

HDS-15 Understanding the Importance of the Key Stakeholders Of The Housing Sector (as regards the purpose of understanding their roles, expectations, levels of coordination)

COURSE DURATION

This is a five day – 40-hours training program. This course may be taken as a one-time training application over five days of intensive training by special request. It is an on-site, delivery scheme at client’s offices. It is delivered to groups within agencies of the housing sector in any developing country as part of institutional strengthening/capacity-building programs. On completion of the training, participants will be awarded an Applied Professional Diploma in Housing Development Strategy.

OBJECTIVES OF THIS SHORT TERM TRAINING PROGRAM

• ​To develop a cadre of technical staff equipped with relevant knowledge and competencies to build a community of practice, with enhanced knowledge and information sharing to promote positive mindset changes towards governance in land use planning, community development, environmental stewardship and management of natural resources.
• To build staff competencies in inter-agency collaboration, public-private participatory planning, management and governance in land use planning and environmental management.
• To provide staff with practice tools and methodologies to effectively and efficiently manage the existing and new accountabilities relating to their portfolio mandates.
• To introduce the participant to land use planning practices based on a sustainable development approach.
• To provide the participant with a holistic view of issues related to land use planning for sustainable development.
• To provide the participant with relevant and applicable knowledge of, and skills on, how sustainable development can be achieved in practical terms in the process of land use planning, from the perspective of the Integrated Community Participatory Planning Approach.

APPLIED PROFESSIONAL DIPLOMA IN HOUSING DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

This is one of four courses which are modular. Any of the Development Planning Courses may be studied on its own as a standalone entity or taken together as a six 6 months course of study.

• If taken separately, successful participants will be issued a Certificate of Achievement relevant to the Course Group studied.
• If all the groups are taken within the 6 months time frame, participants will be awarded a Diploma in Land-use Planning for Sustainable Development.

OCDT offers both On-site and specially requested Off-shore training in Small Islands and Developing Low-lying Coastal States in Developing Countries. On completion of the training, participants will be awarded an Applied Professional Diploma in Housing Development Strategy.