Chapter 2

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SCDP PHASE I

At the end of the first three-year pilot phase, SCDP has made some significant changes in the three Programme Districts. The Programme has been extended, and during the second phase SCDP will be implemented in three additional districts. This chapter highlights the SCDP's most eminent achievements from the first phase, and provides short summaries of the progress made in each of the three Programme districts.

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS

Evaluation Findings

A team from Global Capacity 21 completed an evaluation of Sustainable Community Development Programme in September 1998 and reviewed the progress. The team submitted a report to the Global Capacity 21 and Nepal Capacity 21 that reflected the major achievements of the Programme and included recommendations. Mr. Howard Stewart,Advisor to the Capacity 21 and Ms. Michiyo Kakegawa,Programme Specialist of Capacity 21,New York, where they visited all Programme districts and interacted with communities and other major stakeholders.

The team found SCDP processes and methodologies creating a real village level expertise enhancing basic skills and knowledge in response to community requests and training the CBO members.It is also stated in the report that the SCDP’s emphasis on social mobilisation has focussed on building communities’ capacities to carry out basic development functions themselves (establishing priorities and policies, planning, managing and monitoring) have had impressive results. The programme had also enhanced community mobilisation with activities designed to strengthen and revive traditional culture.

The Report states the SCDP processes involved expanding technical capacities in participating communities, in areas such as the creation and management of multipurpose nurseries and tree plantations, construcation of smokeless stoves, pramary health care, primary veterinary care and adult literacy. The processses had also deliberately built up the capacities of the NGOs/ Support Organisations enhancing the skills of their professional staff, especially in social mobilisation techniques. SCDP is providing a concrete model for the decentralisation process that can be adapted to other parts of Nepal.

The team found SCDP had developed an impressive looking methodology besed on a clear understanding of the linkages and interdependencies among the social, economic and environmental dimensions of development. Based upon the team’s findings and the recommendations, the SCDP has been successful in continuing support to the existing Programme implemented districts to consolidate the Programme and start intervention in new districts like Humla, Myagdi and Okhaldhungha. Furthermore, SCDP will support the Government for formulation of integrated sustainable development policies and strategies in the Phase II.

Partnerships and Cost Sharing

One of the SCDP's major thrusts is on building partnerships at different levels to harness the sustainable development initiatives. Partnership with District Development Committees and the local NGOs in planning, implementation and monitoring has made the Programme more cost effective and helped develop ownership of the Programme.

DDCs, the de facto-in-charge of the development Programme in the district, have a vital role in facilitating development agencies and resources generation. The Local Governance Act 2055 has also established the DDC as a powerful body in order to decentralising the planning process and resource mobilisation. The partnering of SCDP with DDC has been emphasised for the sustainable development in terms of ownership of each and every development initiatives. The DDC heads the Sustainable Development Committee comprising of heads of other relevant line agencies that promotes Sustainable development activities by constant monitoring and guidance to the Programme management at the district level. It also helps disseminate SCDP process and methodologies within and outside the district. Apparently, it has helped the central government realising policy for sustainable development.

Local NGOs are found more effective in implementing the Programme because of their high level of commitment and deep roots in the communities they work with. They can better understand the local situation and have their members from the communities. This has helped cutting-down operational as well as the programme costs. In Surkhet and Kailali, the NGOs had formed supporting organisations (SO) for smooth implementation of SCDP and provided their human resources for the Programme. DDCs hosted coordination and review meetings and have provided office space for SCDP at their premises. In some cases, VDCs have allocated development budget for the CBO plans like drinking water supply and had also provided office space for SCDP at their VDC offices.

SCDP and the Sustainable Development Network (SDN)

After a series of meetings and NGO networking workshops held in 1998, SCDP formed the Sustainable Development Network (SDN). The SDN comprises of 16 NGOs that are implementing community development activities and programmes using locally-adapted versions of the SCDP model for sustainable community development. The SDN NGOs receive technical and financial support from SCDP to build their capacities to facilitate sustainable development and help them implement SCDP-inspired programmes in areas beyond the SCDP districts. The SDN members also help disseminate information on approaches to sustainable development and sustainable development activities in remote districts of Nepal. The SCDP support organisations from Surkhet, Kailali and Dang are members of the SDN.

TABLE 1: TYPES OF CBO, MEMBERS, SAVING AND INVESTMENT BY DISTRICT
Name of
The NGOs		 District No. of
VDCs
covered		 No. of
Wards
covered		 Type of CBOs No. of
Members		 Saving
(NRs.)		 Invest
-ment
(NRs.)
M F Mix Total
ABCAP21 Jumla 5 7 3 4 7 14 399 26375  
MDO Acham 2 3 - 16 - 16 254 85000  
GRAA Bardia 3 6 4 11 1 16 615 33406 29172
Total 3 10 16 7 31 8 46 1268 144781 29172
 

The SDN understands the importance of involving local communities in watershed management and bio-diversity conservation and recognises the need for communities to play a lead role in uplifting the socioeconomic condition of their communities. The SDN works on building the capacities of local NGOs and local government agencies so that these institutions can build the capacity of local communities and help these communities assume a lead role in their own development.

In 1999, SCDP provided Rs. 1 614 252 to the SDN to support their integrated socioeconomic development and environmental management programmes. With this support the SDN was able to launch its activities with added vigor. The SDN has supported different training workshops, seminars and study tours to build the capacities of the member NGOs. Logistic support was also provided to the SCDP SOs to help these organisations improve management of their CBOs.

The SDN supported three new NGOs that will replicate SCDP activities in three new districts. The SDN provided grants amounting to Rs. 344 057 to each the Geruwa Rural Awareness Association (GRAA) of Rajapur Bardia, the Alpine Biodiversity Conservation Programme (ABCAP-21) of Jumla and the Malika Development Organisation (MDO) of Achham. These NGOs were selected on the basis of remoteness, socio-economic condition of the people, bio-diversity hot spot and watershed conditions of their working area.

These three NGOs have conducted base line surveys of their VDCs in their respective districts. They have started to form Community-based Organisations on a settlement basis in accordance with the SCDP approach. In 1999, a total of 46 CBOs were formed covering 16 wards from 10 VDCs in the three new districts. In Accham all of the CBOs formed were Ama Samuha (Mother's groups). All of the SDN CBOs have weekly CBO meetings and contribute savings to their CBO's Community Fund. As of December 1999, these CBOs had generated a total of Rs. 144 781. The CBOs from Bardia have also started to provide loans to CBO members from their community fund These CBOs have invested a sum of Rs. 29 172, which is 87% of their savings (see table 1).

By helping establish the SDN, sharing information with its members and supporting its activities, SCDP has helped the SDN NGOs replicate and adapt the SCDP Programme in new districts.

SCDP and SGP

SCDP and the Global Environment Facility’s Small Grants Programme (GEF/SGP) work together for environment protection and biodiversity conservation. Both the Programmes have created a mechanism to monitor the progress under one umbrella, however, SGP is implemented in one SCDP implemented district and two other districts through local NGOs. It has used the baseline of SCDP to promote biodiversity conservation and energy efficiency promotion activities in Kailali where NTFP promotion and wetland conservation are the major programme components. Another major collaboration with SGP is to support building capacity of SOs.

Micro-Macro Linkages

As the Ninth Five-year Plan has encompassed the SCDP process and methodologies as an example of successful development programme helping village development, resources protection and to uplift of the living standard of villagers, it is realised that the Programme be extended in other districts too. The visits of the national and district level policy makers to the field have contributed to this. Such field visits have provided opportunities to see the process and impact of the programme on the life of rural poor. They have interacted with the CBO members and observed how they work. All high level personalities who visited the programme area involved them in plantation or participated in the CBO meetings and conferences to see how these activities are being proceeded.

This year, Mr. Hari Shankar Tripathi, Member of the National Planning Commission and Chairperson of the SCDP Executive Committee, DDC Chairpersons of all three districts, National Programme Director Mrs. Laxmi Maskey and senior professionals from UNDP visited Programme area which helped develop better understanding of the local situation. This has also contributed to realise the need of formulating National Agenda 21.

AN OVERVIEW OF PROGRAMME ACTIVITIES IN SURKHET

Surkhet is located in the Mid Western Development Region of Nepal. (see figure 3.) On the west it is bordered by the Karnali River, and the Bheri River traverses the district from east to west. The area is a transitional zone between the Mahabharat Hills in the north and the Churiya Hills in the south. The total area of the district is 2490 sq. km. Administratively, the district is divided into 50 VDCs and one Municipality. In the far eastern and western parts of the district infrastructure development is limited and in these remote areas villagers are almost entirely dependent on agriculture and forest resources for their livelihood.

The Programme was implemented in 15 VDCs, seven in the western part of the district and 8 in the eastern part of the district. In addition to being the most remote and poorest VDCs in the district, these areas cover substantial parts of the degraded Karnali and Bheri sub-watersheds.


Mr. Hari Shanker Tripathi, member of
NPC observing field level activities

Environmental Management was selected as the initial entry point for Surkhet as dependence on natural resources was high, and exploitation of resources was causing severe environmental degradation. Based on the Programme's experiences during the first three-year phase, selecting Environmental Management as the initial entry point was the most effective approach to implementing the SCDP Programme. For this reason, in the second three-year phase of SCDP, all three new Programme Districts will initiate the Programme using Environmental Management as the first sustainable development entry point.

Community Development Resource Centre (CDRC) was selected to act as the Surkhet support organisation. In December 1998, CDRC agreed to form a separate and autonomous organisation called the Sustainable Development Facility (SDF) to carry out the SCDP activities in Surkhet.

Participation

Of the 272 settlements in the Programme VDCs, 226 settlements are participating in the Programme. In these 226 settlements there are 7701 households of which 7164 (93%) are members of Programme CBOs, which is well above SCDP's minimum 80% household participation rate. Since 1997, a total of 233 community-based organisations have been formed in the Programme areas, of which 173 are mixed CBOs, 30 are women's CBOs and 30 are men's CBOs. (See Figure 4 and Table 2) In December 1999 there were 4656 male members and 3577 female members in the Programme CBOs.

In 1999 SCDP Surkhet initiated the Programme in five new VDCs- two in western Surkhet and three in eastern Surkhet. In all of the Programme VDCs 117 new CBOs (100 mixed, 10 mens and 7 women) have joined the SCDP Programme and committed themselves to sustainable development.

TABLE 2: NUMBER OF CBOs FORMED EACH YEAR
 

1997

1998

1999

Total
  Mixed

8

65

100

173
  Mens

11

9

10

30
  Women

13

10

7

30
  Yearly Total

32

84

117

-
  Net Total

32

116

233

233
 

Resource Mobilisation

Status of CBO Community Funds

As of December 1999, the Surkhet CBOs had saved a total of Rs. 752917 in their Community Funds, and mobilised Rs. 652753 (87 %) in community fund loans and development activities. (See Figure 5) CBO members have borrowed from the CF to initiate small-scale economic development activities, and also to pay for daily commodities and emergency goods.

Status of Sustainable Development Facility Fund Loans

At the end of 1999 CBOs had borrowed a total of Rs. 9441612 from the Sustainable Development Facility Fund in Surkhet. Loan repayment in December 1999 amounted to Rs. 566837, and Rs. 39744 in interest had also been returned to the Surkhet Support Organisation.

District Highlights

Environmental Management

Social Development

Economic Development

AN OVERVIEW OF PROGRAMME ACTIVITIESW IN KAILALI

Kailali district is located in the Far-Western Development Region of Nepal (See Figure 6). It is one of five districts in the Seti zone. Siwalik hills lies in the district's northern side, while the southern side of the district lies on the Indian border. The eastern side of the district lies along the Karnali River. The district has 42 VDCs and two municipalities. People from the programme areas are primarily from the Tharu and Magar ethnic groups. Literacy levels in the district are low, and the population is entirely dependent on agriculture.

SCDP was initiated in Kailali in 1997. Social Development was selected as the initial entry point for the district as illiteracy was prevalent, and there was a significant number of former bonded laborers in the district. Furthermore, knowledge of proper sanitation was poor and there was little infrastructure development.

Backward Society Education (BASE) was selected as the NGO support organisation for the programme. The Sustainable Development Facility (SDF) was formally created at the end of 1998 under the aegis of BASE. The SDF is an autonomous institution designed to carry out SCDP activities in Kailali.

Participation

At the end of 1997 SCDP had been implemented in three VDCs and in 1998 the programme expanded to cover 12 additional VDCs. In these 15 Programme VDCs, SCDP has been implemented in 294 out of 420 settlements. The SO has helped organise the community members in these settlements into 264 CBOs, of which 94 CBOs are mixed CBOs, 122 are men's CBOs and 48 are women's CBOs (See Figure7,8 and Table 3).

TABLE 3: NUMBER OF CBOs FORMED
 

1997

1998

1999

Total
  Mixed

13

52

29

94
  Men

17

69

36

122
  Women

5

29

14

48
  Yearly Total

35

150

79

-
  Net Total

35

185

264

264
 

Resource Mobilisation

Status of CBO Community Funds

At the end of December, 1999 the Kailali CBOs had saved a total of Rs. 3230982 in their Community Funds, and had mobilised Rs. 2915678 (90 %) in community fund loans and development activities (See Figure 9). Community Fund loans were utilised to initiate small enterprises and also for emergency needs and other necessities.

Status of Sustainable Development Facility Fund Loans

In 1999 the Sustainable Development Facility Kailali lent out Rs. 10311706 from the SDF Credit Capital Fund to the Kailali CBOs. At the end of the year, CBOs had repaid Rs. 1264749 of the prinicipal loan amount as well as Rs. 148897 in interest to the SDF Kailali.

District Highlights

Environmental Management

Social Development

Economic Development

AN OVERVIEW OF PROGRAMME ACTIVITIES IN DANG

Located in the Mid-Western Development Region, Dang lies in the Rapti zone (See Figure 10). The 15 SCDP programme VDCs in the district cover degraded areas of the Rapti, Babai and Arjun Khola rivers.

SCDP initiated the programme in Dang in May 1998. In this district SCDP created a support organisation under the aegis of the DDC Dang in lieu of utilising an NGO as a SO. This arrangement was found to be most successful in terms of securing the support of the local government bodies, and as such, in 2000 and after, SCDP will be implemented in new districts using the SO model created in Dang.

Economic development was selected as the initial sustainable development entry point in Dang. Road conditions in the district were good, and this meant that transporting goods to markets in Nepalgunj and Butwal would be relatively easy.

Participation

At the end of 1998 SCDP had been implemented in 10 VDCs, and in 1999 the Programme expanded to cover additional five VDCs. In these 15 VDCs, SCDP has been implemented in 488 out of 702 settlements. The number of households in the settlements in which CBOs have been formed is 9745, and 7342 of these households are participating in the Programme. Since 1998 SCDP has helped organise the community members in these settlements into a total of 337 CBOs- 133 Men CBOs, 70 Women CBOs and 134 Mixed CBOs (See Figure 11 and 12). At the end of 1999 SCDP Dang reported that 2658 women and 4929 men were active members of those CBOs.

Resource Mobilisation

Status of CBO Community Funds

The SCDP CBOs have saved Rs. 1152347 in their Community Funds and have mobilised Rs. 1005215 (87%) of those funds in community loans (See Figure 13).

Status of Sustainable Development Facility Fund Loans

The Dang CBOs have also borrowed Rs. 9842360 from the SDF Dang. During 1999 the CBOs repaid Rs. 1605765 to the SDF as well as Rs. 395044 in interest.

SCDP Dang started activities that would help promote economic development of the district. As such, in the beginning, SCDP provided seed grants for infrastructure development activities that would help increase accessibility to markets.

District Highlights

Environmental Management

Social Development

Economic Development

Many of CBO members using SDF loan that helped them to generate income.


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