The Municipal Social/Rental Housing Institutional Readiness Assessment project or the Benchmark project as it is known is being implemented by VNG International, CMRA and SALGA. Mohamed Shaik, Acting Director: Land Planning & Management, Human Settlements department, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality has said: “We have found that the benchmarking sessions with other municipalities had very valuable contributions towards developing a social housing road map for the city. Furthermore it has created an opportunity in developing relationships between officials from different municipalities across our vast country.  A case in point whereby Sol Plaatjie Municipality has visited our city as a result of discussions and interactions of the benchmarking session.” Two workshops for the project have already taken place and the third workshop is scheduled for early 2015.