Roads Authority Malawi

The main business areas for the Roads Authority consist of: Planning and Design Services, Road Construction and Road Maintenance.

These business areas are supported by Finance, Administration and Human Resource and ICT services, Public Relations and Procurement services.

Planning and Design Department
 Specific Objectives of the department include:-

Monitoring road infrastructure network through collection and analysis of road network inventory, condition and traffic data;
Planning and implementation of road infrastructure studies and engineering designs;
Co-coordinating and developing of road infrastructure network development and maintenance plans (short, medium and long term);
Designing and implementing engineering road infrastructure traffic management measures for improved traffic safety and flow; and
Facilitating road infrastructure projects’ compliance with prevailing social and environmental regulations.
Formulating, reviewing and monitoring of the Annual National Road Programmes (ANRP)
Construction Department
The overall responsibility of this Department is to manage major road works through a number of interventions like construction of new roads, rehabilitation and upgrading of roads.

Specific Objectives of the department are to ensure development of the road network so as to ensure improved accessibility and mobility on Malawi roads and enhance transport efficiency. This is achieved through supervision of:-

Construction of new roads
Periodic road maintenance and rehabilitation programmes
upgrading of unpaved roads to paved standard
Maintenance Department
The Maintenance Department responsibility is to maintain the Malawi public road network through several interventions that are carried out on the road surface and the adjacent areas.

Specific Objectives

Specifically, the maintenance department objectives are to package, supervise and monitor works which (1) preserve the road network in its originally constructed condition, (2) protect adjacent resources and user safety, and (3) provide efficient, convenient travel along the route (accessibility and mobility). This is achieved through implementation of several programmes which include

routine and periodic maintenance,
concrete decking of bridges,
grading and reshaping,
Vegetation control along the roads
emergency works and
provision of associated supervision services.
Procurement Section
In line with international standards and practice, all road works are outsourced to the private sector who get contracts through competitive bidding.  Procurement of civil works, goods and services is therefore an important function within the organization.

The Authority being a public body follows the Public Procurement Act in all procurement matters.  All procurement operations are regulated by procurement guidelines, rules and regulations that were published by Department of Public Procurement.

Specific Objectives of the procurement division are:

To ensure efficiency and economy in procurement of works, goods and services;
To ensure equal opportunity to all eligible bidders in the procurement of works, goods and services;
To encourage local contracting and manufacturing industries; and
To ensure there is transparency and accountability in all procurement.
Department of Corporate Services and Corporate Governance
The Department of Corporate Services provides support functions to the activities of Roads Authority

Specific objectives are:-

Management of the operational and capital expenditure budgets of the Authority
Monitor the implementation of the Annual National Road Programme (ANRP) budget
Provision of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) services
Provision of Human Resource and Administrative services
Publicize RA activities through Public relations services
To ensure RA’s compliance with Corporate Governance issues