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Team members recording information from CBO members

Final Evaluation of SCDP
 
A team of independent consultants (Mr. Prakash K. Silwal, Mrs. Kanta Singh Manandhar and Mr. Nara Hari Dhakal) completed final evaluation of SCDP in September 2002. The Team visited Surkhet, Dang, Kailali and Myagdi from 2 to 9 September 2002 and examined the Programme progress and impacts on the communities. The evaluators had separate interactions with former and current DDC officials and Support Organisations of Humla and Okhaldhunga in Kathmandu. In the process, various stakeholders at national and district levels had been consulted to draw their opinions about the Programme.

The Final Evaluation Report has marked that the communities have planted 500 hectors of degraded land during the Programme implementation. With a very minimal technical and financial support of SCDP, the community participation is higher in plantation and conservation activities. Private plantation is also encouraged, and in some cases plantation of fodder tree species in private land is one of the criteria for SDF loan by the CBOs. This rule was self-imposed by CBOs on consensus basis as a social bond to the members. This helped increasing greenery in and around the communities and consolidated the sense of social responsibility in natural resource management. Final Evaluation Report (September 2002) has stated that:

  • The SCDP highlighted the need for and transformed the principles of community-based sustainable development into reality. This is very much in spirit of decentralisation and Local Self-Governance Act and the processes being practised by HMG/N since early eighties. Self-Governing Institutions (SGIs) promoted by SCDP work closely with local institutional set-up including VDCs, DDCs and other line agencies.
  • The Programme has high outreach and sensitised large number of peoples.
  • The watershed protection measures initiated by the Programme have improved land for cultivation and have saved land from eroding.
  • Most of the CBOs are confident about maintaining linkages with concerned agencies, to solicit technical and financial support, without SCDP assistance.
  • In considering the efforts of SCDP in the past six years, there has been significant policy impacts. The Ninth Plan midterm review report has revealed that SCDP has made considerable contributions to the government’ efforts in poverty reduction.
  • SCDP imparts that the average income level of households participating in SCDP activities have been increased about 20 per cent in their annual income compared to before SCDP situation.

Mrs. Manandhar interacting with women about social and gender issues

Despite remarking a “clear positive overall relevance” of the Programme, the Team has identified some drawbacks of SCDP including

  • Mismatching between resources and outreach n Inadequate priority setting in practice especially in terms of delivering services under a strategic planning framework. Activities seem to be ad-hoc.
  • Inadequacy on exchange of experiences, information across project districts and its internalization
  • Loose integration of gender concept and primarily focused on meeting practical gender needs rather than strategic needs.
  • Limited effort to maintain synergy with MEDEP, RUPP and PDDP/LGP seems to be limited to defining only territory coverage and not in working in conjunction to capitalize in each other’s area of comparative advantage.

Some key recommendations include:

  • It is urgent that UNDP address the issue of how to fulfil the vacuum created by SCDP phase out and the smooth phasing out of the Programme so that people’s overwhelming interests and trust in SCDP and ongoing and future UNDP- projects are realised,
  • Design the next phase of Programme that will build upon SCDP/Nepal Capacity 21 experience leading to realise the thrust of future Capacity 2015 set by World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD).
  • Integrate Sustainable Development Fund (SDF) and Community Fund (CF) to enhance the communities’ capacities to leapfrog from current status to economic upliftment of people in term of serving underemployment, unemployment issues and food security.
SDAN Steering Committee Meets

The concluding meeting of Sustainable Development Agenda for Nepal (SDAN) has been convened in Kathmandu on August 16, 2002. The meeting decided to submit the Draft SDAN to the National Planning Commission of His Majesty’s Government for endorsement by the government.

The meeting thanked UNDP, WWF, the Earth Council and participants of National and Regional Workshops and Consultative Meetings for their support and valuable contributions during the WSSD/SDAN formulation process.

Annual Audit

The audit of all six Programme districts for the financial year 2058/59 was concluded in September 2002. The Auditor, Joshi and Bhandary, Chartered Accountants, has found the financial transactions and internal control at the district level satisfactory with some major recommendations for improvement.

WSSD in Johannesburg, South Africa

His Majesty’s Government of Nepal participated in the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg, South Africa from August 26 to September 4, 2002. Led by Hon’ble P. L. Singh, the then Minister for Population and Environment, the delegation presented Nepal’s Country Assessment Report among the international communities. Other members of the delegation were Dr. Jagadish Chandra Pokharel and Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat from National Planning Commission, senior government officials, civil societies, businnesses and media.

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