"The report is intended to serve two purposes. The first is to provide a more considered assessment of the rural road maintenance problem. Most people involved in the road sector are aware that there is a problem, however without a more reasoned analysis of the situation it is difficult to propose solutions. The second is to provide some suggestions on how the situation can be improved. This draws on published work on the subject but also from the practical experience of the ILO in the region and the detailed studies carried out by the ILO ASIST AP on rural road maintenance in Lao PDR, the Philippines, Indonesia, India and Cambodia.