Chapter 4
CAPACITY BUILDING |
Capacity building strives to upgrade the ability of individuals, institutions and countries to make them able to take good decisions about development and to implement those decisions in an effective way. SCDP has focused to develop internal capacities of individual/communities to maximise the benefits of the programme and to ensure growth and equity. Capacity building involves people as to how to do things for themselves, how to organize them, how to plan and manage priority initiatives and how to finance them. It also aims at building existing strengths in the communities by recognising and using new strengths, expertise values and customs.
"Prior to SCDP's arrival we were not unified. We were afraid of being gathered. No woman could put her problems before others. The scenario is changed now. The male members of our families have also washed out the concept that women do nothing." Mrs. Kamala Bhatta, Manager, Bageswori Women CBO, Rampur, Dang. |
SCDP has focussed its efforts to prepare Sustainable Development Specialists who has an aptitude to work on their own villages. To work out at the grassroots level capacity building activities have been carried out in the form of training, workshops, conferences, study tours and ceremonial days (See Table 11 for details of capacity building).
TRAINING AND WORKSHOPS
PRA and Social Mobilisation
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Since the baseline and the social mobilisation are the key for staff prior to implementing a development project, Participatory Rural Appraisal and Social Mobilisation Training was offered by SCDP and SGP. As the SGP and SDN finalised arrangements to sponsor 3 new proposals to implement SCDP model, 26 staff including key NGO members participated in the training.
The main objectives of this training were to familiarise the participants with participatory approaches to sustainable development and to prepare them for stepping in the communities. It also aimed to equip them with the tools and techniques of PRA and social mobilisation so that they would be able to use the tools and techniques in the field while conducting baseline surveys and other information sharing practices. The most recent awarded NGO partners i.e. MDO, GRAA, ABCAP and SADIKA and Himalyan Light Foundation. The training focused on how to form CBO and how to harness community strength for programme implementation.
TABLE 11: CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES |
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| Activities | Surkhet |
Kailali |
Dang |
SGP |
SDN |
Total |
| PRA and Social Mobilisation Training | 2 |
6 |
4 |
6 |
8 |
26 |
| Social Mobilisation Training | 4 |
12 |
3 |
19 |
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| Cooperative Training of Trainers (TOT) | 5 |
6 |
7 |
4 |
22 |
|
| Traditional Birth Attedants Training | 7 |
19 |
9 |
35 |
||
| Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation Workshop | 1 |
- |
1 |
2 |
||
| Participatory Planning Workshop | 55 |
55 |
||||
| Social Mobilisation Training (Refresher) | 33 |
33 |
||||
| Whomen Health Training cum orientation | 44 |
44 |
||||
| Community-based Child Development Training (Refresher) | 8 |
8 |
||||
| Animal Health Workers Training | 8 |
7 |
15 |
|||
| Pan and Slab Construction Training | 5 |
5 |
||||
| Gabion box Weaving Training | 8 |
8 |
||||
| Cement Tile Construction Training | 2 |
2 |
||||
| Financial Recording and Account Training | 2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
7 |
|
| Account Training to NGO/SO | 1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
||
| Book Keeping and Accountant Training (TOT) | 10 |
13 |
13 |
36 |
||
| Book Keeing and Accountant Training | 207 |
280 |
275 |
762 |
||
| Training on Micro-Enterprises Development Plan | 5 |
3 |
8 |
|||
| Learning Workshop on Biodiversity Conservation | ||||||
| and Sustainable Development | 19 |
22 |
18 |
59 |
||
| Environment Conservation (TOT) | 4 |
4 |
4 |
12 |
||
| Environment Conservation at Education to Eco-School | ||||||
| Teachers | 4 |
4 |
5 |
13 |
||
| Improved Smokeless Stove Installation Training | 35 |
96 |
13 |
144 |
||
| Environment Literacy Class (TOT) | 17 |
17 |
||||
| Refresher Training of ELC TOT for Refresher | 17 |
17 |
||||
| Bio-diversity Conservation and Asparagus Promotion | 20 |
20 |
||||
| Non-Timber Forest Product Conservation and | ||||||
| Cultivation Training | 18 |
24 |
42 |
|||
| Bamboo and Nigalo-based Handicraft | ||||||
| making Training | 2 |
2 |
||||
| Medicinal Plant Enterprise Development Training | 1 |
1 |
||||
| Sustainable Agriculture Farm Design Training | 20 |
20 |
||||
| Learners Materials Generated (LGM) workshop | 21 |
21 |
||||
| Farmer Leader and Vegetable Training | 12 |
12 |
||||
| Proposal and Report Writing Skill Development Training | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
14 |
18 |
| Total | 414 |
638 |
402 |
12 |
22 |
1488 |
Preparing Trainers for Future Cooperatives
Institutionalising Community-based Organisations (CBOs) is one of the major tasks of SCDP. In December 1999, a total of 834 CBOs were participating in the Programme. Because of the growing number of CBOs in the Programme areas and the increasing amount of their community funds, it has become necessary to determine a method for managing their finances and mobilising their funds for socioeconomic development. Some of the CBOs from Kailali have come together and registerd as a cooperative society, while many othe CBOs are still in the process of getting organised into such groups.
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In early 1999, SCDP determined that many of the CBOs would benefit from additional information about cooperative societies and how to form cooperatives. Based on this need, SCDP and SGP offered a training of trainers on developing cooperatives. The eight-day long training, jointly hosted by SCDP and SGP, was held in Nepalgunj in December 1999. Participants included selected CBO managers and staff from each of the four Support Organisations (including SADIKA/SGP Salyan) that implement SCDP and SGP programmes.
Bio-diversity and Sustainable Development Practices
In the context of ending Phase I of the SCDP and beginning of the Phase II, SCDP together with GEF-SGP organised a three-day long learning workshop from 24 to 26 November 1999 to share the experiences and learn from the past and to direct the programme towards a right direction to sustainable development. The workshop dealt on how to develop the gender sensitive socioeconomic and environment management plan at grassroots level. Experts from Environment and Forest Enterprises Activities (EFEA) and SCDP facilitated on Bio-diversity and NTFP Promotion,Social Sustainability, Gender sensitive planning and improving monitoring and evaluation system of the programme
In the workshop 60 staff from SCDP and SGP programme districts participated. The workshop also assessed implementing practices and shared experiences on biodiversity conservation and sustainable development activities.
Developing NGOs' Skills to write Quality Proposal/Report
Sustainable Development Network (SDN) organised a eight-day long Project Proposal and Report Writing Workshop to enhance the skill of its members. This was a completely process-oriented training that created an opportunity to proceed the information gathered and use to develop project proposals and periodical progress reports. This type of technical know how was felt need to harness the NGO potential to implement sustainable development activities and to mobilise internal and external resources. The participants practiced the writing and editing the texts in small groups and shared in big groups to improve the knowledge and skills. Many of the NGOs improved their skill of writing Project proposals that was reflected in the proposals submitted to SGP and SCDP. The SCDP provided full time service of a training expert for the training.
As an impact, for example, three NGOs, MDO of Achham, ABCAP of Jumla and GRAA of Bardiya, had been successful in receiving grants from SDN for a year period to replicate the process and methodology of SCDP. One of the SDN members NGO, Geruwa Rural Awareness Association (GRAA) which had received this training has become a partner of Save the Children US after submitting the proposal on HIV/AIDS Project.
Designing Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation Tools
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As the CBOs meet regularly, plan their socioeconomic and environment management activities, they need to know how they can monitor the progress and identify the rooms for improvements. SCDP sponsored the Sustainable Development Coordinators of Dang and Surkhet for a three-day long workshop on Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation held at South Asia Poverty Alleviation Programme (SAPAP), Syangja. The workshop helped designing monitoring tools and skills to prepare communities to monitor and evaluate the programme activities themselves. A set of self-monitoring tools had been designed through another one follow-up workshop at SCDP Headquarters as an outcome of the SAPAP workshop.
Micro Enterprises Development
As SCDP's thrust is on to improve the condition of watersheds through supporting the rural communities and local governments in planning, implementing the community development programmes, micro enterprise development is on the top of priorities to ensure the better economic future of rural people. SCDP sponsored eight staff members of SOs of Dang and Surkhet in Micro Enterprises Development Training organised by Human Welfare and Environment Protection Centre (HWEPC) held in September 1999. The training was focussed on how micro-enterprise plan can be prepared and implemented.
Two CBO members of Kailali acquired skill in making cement-tiles that was one month long training. The training encouraged them to create employment opportunities using the existing resources.
Relieving the Mothers :Trained Village Women as Birth Attendants
SCDP trained 35 CBO members as Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA) from all three districts during the reporting period. The training was organised to train women CBO members on the ways for safer deliveries using safer methods and to improve the knowledge of practicing TBA's about the communities that can introduce, guide and motivate mothers about immunisation, breast feeding and reproductive health issues as well. The standard package of TBA training prepared by Ministry of Health was adapted.
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Training CBOs to Manage Child Care Centres
SDF Kailali sponsored eight CBO members for the refresher training on Community-based Child Development. In the training various dimension of child development was discussed and it also helped in making the participants aware about the need to send a child to the Community-based Child Development Centers. This also helped them to start income generating activities as they will have spare time when the children go to the centres.
Women Health Orientation
SDF Kailai trained 44 women members from various CBOs through an orientation programme on awareness of women’s health. The duration of this orientation was 5 days that focussed on household sanitation and improvement of women's health.
Training CBO Members for Animal Health Care
This year, 15 CBO members of Surkhet and Dang received a month long training on animal health services at Rapti Technical School Dang. These persons have started to serve their communities.
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Villagers of SCDP area depend on the domestic animals getting milk products, meat, transportation and ploughing crop- fields. They also make cash by raising and selling the livestock like goats, buffaloes, chicken and pigs. A significant amount of SDF loan is provided to them for this purpose. Training CBO members to take care of the animal health is not less important as the veterinary services are weak or completely unavailable in the villages. These Village Veterinary Specialists (VVS) are the persons selected by their CBOs who can provide immediate service to the owners. They are trained at recognised technical schools and received proficiency for basic treatment.
The VVS have been encouraged to establish veterinary centres through providing SDF loan facility so that basic medicines could be available in the village. It has helped generate employment, provide service at the doors, protect livestock from deadly diseases and rescue micro entrepreneurs from the unpredictable loss of loan investment.
Equipping Eco School with a Eco Teacher
Youth and school students can play a vital role to improve the environment conditions and to motivate their parents in environment management activities. Therefore, SCDP trained teachers of selected schools of programme area to teach the students on environmental issues. SDF Kailali also organised a two-day long orientation programme on environment conservation for 13 eco-school teachers in order to incorporate environment conservation courses in eco-school.
| LEARNING
TO LEARN Despite people of both the programme areas we visited, are definitely affiliated with different political parties, they come together in case of development works. This might be an example for the districts like ours where grassroots level people are badly divided and it is really difficult to reassemble them to serve the common interest. We, the politicians, should be united and help to make the grassroots level people united to overcome the common problems. Another fact I observed in Ghandruk, the villagers' life is prosperous due to the tourism and attraction of tourists to see the Himalayas closely. Though we do not have such a silver mountain range but we do have two big fertile valleys where one can cultivate various crops. If you talk about development through tourism, many historical and religious places are potential sites to attract people from outside. Mr. Bharat K. C., DDC Chairperson |
Sensitising CBOs about Environment Management
Environment Conservation Training of Trainers for CBO managers was organised for 3 days in Nepalgunj. The training was organised to prepare trainers and the advocates for environment conservation at community level in which 12 CBO members participated.
In improved smokeless stove training completed in different dates during the year 144 CBO members were trained from the three districts. The duration for the training was 5 days. The training focussed on how to install improve stove and what are the advantages of improved stove over traditional stove. In environment literacy class 330 CBO members from Kailali studied for six months. Surkhet SDF organised training on environment literacy class for 17 CBO members so that they can produce a trainee for literacy class.
Surkhet SDF also held refresher training on environment literacy class to 17 CBO members to share the experiences and difficulties. Surkhet SDF trained 20 CBO members for 3 days on biodiversity conservation and asparagus farming to let the farmers know how to cultivate the asparagus and for its preservation from declining position.
NTFP Promotion and Herbs Farming
Surkhet conducted Non-Timber Forest Products training for a week for 19 CBO members. Similarly Kailali held 3 days orientation training on environment in NTFP to 24 CBO members. The NTFP training focused on how to introduce and cultivate NTFP plants and its role in environment management and sustainable income generation. Surkhet SDF provided training for 3 months on bamboo farming for 2 CBO members. One CBO member from Kailali also participated in medicinal herb and micro-enterprises training.
Sustainable Agriculture Farm Design Training
Surkhet SDF trained 20 CBO members on Sustainable Agriculture and Farm Design training held in September 1999 in Surkhet. The training focussed on how to carry out sustainable farming practices in their own land for environmental conservation. SDF Kailali trained 12 comnservation farmers on vegetable farming.
Learners Generated Materials Production
SDF Kailali organised a five-day long learners generated material (LGM) production workshop for 21 CBO members. The workshop focussed on the locally adopted techniques and experiences of the community for environmental conservation.
CBOs Produce Skilled Labours
CBO initiated construction works such as irrigation canals, drinking water systems, toilets and check dams need skilled labour which are not readily available locally. The need to develop skilled human resource and to create employment opportunity in the villages, SCDP programme districts arranged to train CBO members to produce skilled labours.
SDF Surkhet provided training to five CBO members on slab and pan production to make the materials locally available. The CBO members can get the materials if they place order to the trained CBO member. Similarly, 8 CBO members of Kailali received the Gabion box weaving training.
Participatory CBO Planning and Social Mobilisation Training
A Participatory Planning Training cum Workshop was organised by SDF Kailali for the CBO members to learn on how CBOs can plan their community development activities in which 55 CBO members participated. The participants, organised in the small groups, prepared their draft CBO plans and presented in the big group. Another Training on Social Mobilisation was conducted to prepare the CBO members on how to mobilise community members in sustainable development practices.
SOs' Financial Management Improvement
In order to improve the efficiency of the SO staff in financial management, a three-day long training cum workshop was hosted in Aguest 1999 for the Sustainable Development Coordinators and the Account and Administrative Officers. The training helped them to keep accounts and report properly. As the follow-up of the training the Account and Administrative staff were sponsored to share their difficulties at a three- day long training in Pokhara organised by Participatory District Development Programme (PDDP) and Local Governance Programme (LGP). This training helped them to learn upgrade the database of accounting system and to bring uniformity in accounting system with these projects.
In book and record keeping training of trainers (TOT) held at SAPAP Syangja for 7 days, 36 participants were involved from the three Programme districts. After getting the training these trainers trained 762 CBO managers. They also conducted orientation for the selected CBO managers for 2 days in record keeping and accounting.
Exposure Visits "Seeing is Believing"
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Exposure visits are found instrumental in capacity building of local institutions that provide unique opportunities to the district level policy makers and implementers to observe the development activities and interact with other programme implementing CBOs. In 1999 SCDP districts organised exposure visits for CBOs, SDN, VDC officials and the District Management Committees so that they could realise the success of other communities similar to theirs one.
At the end of the year, SCDP sent three different groups to help them learn from others. The Teams visited two "successful" community initiatives, one in Ghandruk of Kaski where Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) works and another one in Madan Pokhara of Palpa where agro-based activities are recognised as a model. As reported to SCDP, all the visiting teams learned the approaches of community development through discussions with local communities and VDC and DDC officials. They observed various conservation and income generating activities.
The DMC Dang team also included the DDC members of non-programme area sharing the costs of travel. All the visiting members presented their individual impressions and made various suggestions during the Programme review meeting.