Background:
A five-year Post Project Support Program viz,“ Enhancing
CSOs’ Capacity for Rights Based Livelihood Program has been
implementing in Bajhang, Bajura and Syangja districts of Nepal
from September 2005. The program was developed based on the findings
of evaluations and experiences of previously implemented Bajhang
Poverty Reduction Project (1999-2005), Post Project Support Project
(July 2002-June 2005), Syanjga and Bajura.
The overall goal of this program is “Improved livelihoods
of 18,600 poor and marginal households (HHs) of Bajhang, Bajura
and Syangja districts in an equitable manner by the end of 2010”.
In order to meet the above goal, four objectives set by the program
are: (a) Strengthen capacity of CSOs and other stakeholders; (b)
Improve basic rights of poor and marginalized groups (c) Improve
harmonization for strengthening social relations and (d) Improve
economic and social status of poor and marginalized groups.
The program is consistent with CARE’s recent Strategic
Plan and shift with working approaches. Although the program was
designed for five years, CARE's technical and financial support
is remained only for three years from July 2005 to June 2008.
It was invisioned that Partner Organizations will mobilize local
resources and will sought external resources for the implementation
of project activities particularly for economic development and
rehabilitation activities.
The program was designed flexible enough to enable it to respond
to the changing circumstances and district specificities while
taking into account potential risks and security threats due to
armed conflicts. Local NGO partners have implemented the project
activities in close coordination with other CBOs and networks.
Emerging issues in the project districts:
The emerging issues identified duuring the design of project
were include:
Social and gender discrimination
• |
Social and economic protection of Dalits and
marginalized groups |
• |
Untouchability within Dalits, and between Dalits and non-Dalits |
• |
Rights/Economic/Social protection of women and children |
Economic and food security
• |
Effective utilization of funds in savings groups |
• |
Institutional development and unification of small savings
groups |
• |
Food security |
• |
Unequal access to resources and means |
• |
Poverty and deprivation |
• |
Management of NTFPs |
Good governance and advocacy
• |
Lack of good governance practices in CBOs, NGOs,
political parties and DLAs |
• |
Protection of rights of community forestry user groups (conservation
and utilization) |
• |
Advocacy on rights to livelihoods |
Conflict transformation/management
• |
Displacement of youths due to conflict |
• |
Difficulties in expansion of project area (coverage) |
• |
Disruption of basic services |
• |
Weakening of social relations |
• |
Trauma and psycho-social effects of conflict victims |
Operational and institutional strategies
• |
Strengthening of networks of CBOs |
• |
Internal and external coordination/linkage |
• |
Program integration between different line agencies, and
within CARE in-house projects |
• |
Lack of district wide program coverage of NGOs/INGOs and
donor assisted projects |
• |
Lack of capacity building support to organizations other
than current POs |
• |
Lack of welfare support provision based on the needs of
CBOs |
• |
Lack of participation of women, Dalits and ethnic minorities
in the decision making processes |
Based on the above issues, the program was designed to enhance
the capacities of CSOs including PVSE groups in RBA, good governance
and conflict mitigation measures. This will help to claim their
rights for access and control over resources by which PVSE group
improve their livelihoods. The project invisioned that this will
be achieved through three interrelated ways-, (a) enabling households
to claim and utilize their rights (b) addressing the negative
consequences of conflicts through social harmonization and improving
social relations and (c) increasing household income through on-farm
and off-farm based income generating opportunities. The strategies
are designed to make target groups aware of their basic rights
and empower them to claim and exercise their rights.
Program Components:
The program has four components:
(1) |
Capacity strengthening |
(2) |
RBA and advocacy |
(3) |
Strengthening social relations |
(4) |
Economic activity development. |
Approaches and Strategies:
Rights based approach
Partnership approach
Program approach
Conflict sensitive approach
Project Beneficiaries:
Direct beneficiaries: The direct
beneficiaries are (a) the poorer families such as small and landless
farmers, occupational castes, ethnic minorities, poor households
and women from poorer households; conflict affected households
and communities and (b) a few selected NGOs and networks.
Indirect beneficiaries: The indirect
target groups of the program are CBOs/user groups, local NGOs
and Clubs, VDCs who will largely benefit from the strengthen capacity
of CSOs and other line agencies and improve in social harmony
in the districts.
Accomplishment of the project activities
so far:
1. |
The key three partner organizations have assessed
their capacity with CARE's Program Principals/CIPP and developed
implementation plan. Through this initiation of POs, they
have intended to lead as RBA practitioner intuitions in the
program district. At the same time, 24 co-partners (LNGOs
and district networks) in three districts have also enhanced
their institutional and programmatic capacity through various
capacity building trainings, linkage coordination, and strategic
planning and review. In addition, partner organizations have
developed proposals and submitted to concerned funding agencies.
They received funds from VDC and DFID/APPSP for agriculture
and Dalit support program in Bajura and Bajhang districts,
where as ASK Syangja received funds from COCAS to conduct
CA orientation and KARITAS to implement the community development
activities in Syanjga. |
2. |
The project focused to aware target group members and enhanced
their capacity to claim their basic rights. After the identification
of target groups, partners' staff provided various trainings
on RBA/Advocacy, governance gender and social inclusion, leadership,
public auditing training to different groups. As of now, 487
such training events were organized. A total of 11,258 group
members (women - 6,702 and Dalit - 4,651) trained through
such training program. As a practice of training program,
69 local level advocacy plans being implemented in various
issues such as gender/caste based discrimination, women's
representation, school enrollment of children and domestic
vioilence; 119 user groups reviewed their constitution and
guidelines, and 146 groups conducted public hearing/ auditing
to maintain their internal governance system. |
3. |
PPS program was designed during the period of armed conflict.
Hence, the project has planned to enhance the capacity of
POs staffs and board members on peace building and social
harmony. The partner organizations developed knowledge and
skill in SEDC/DNH and Constituent Assembly process. During
the period, 40 events on CA orientations conducted at community
level and participated by 1,635 community group members including
1,095 women and 771 Dalits. |
4. |
Partner organizations have developed collaboration to seek
additional supports from other agencies particularly for economic
development activities. Different community groups received
US$ 14,709 from district level line agencies and supporting
organizations. Out of 957 farmers trained by the project in
on- farm IGA, 256 farmers are involved in goat rearing and
vegetable farming through this fund. Moreover, 29 saving and
credit groups have lending group's fund to their members for
income generating activities. |
Lessons Learnt:
Some of the important lessons learnt from the implementation
of PPS II program are summarized below.
| • |
The implementation modality of working in partnership
with local groups and federations has proved effective even
under the conflict situation. Co-partners have been able to
reach the target communities. |
| • |
With enhanced institutional and programmatic capacity of
networks and users groups, additional resources received from
different sources for development activities. |
| • |
Promotion of governance practices such as transparency,
public audit, participation of women, Dalit and ethnic groups
in decision making positions helped to gain the trust of target
community and find out the misuse of allocated funds. |
| • |
Participation of NGOs in the regular planning and review
process of DDC and integration of NGOs' programs in the District
Development Plan have proved useful in improving the relationship
between the government line agencies and NGO sector. |
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