Happenings

As per the decision reached between HMG and UNDP, PDDP’s activities are going to be consolidated, extended, and expanded. The Programme Appraisal Committee (PAC) meeting held on Sept 06, 1999 principally agreed to expand the Programme till 2001. The Programme Document has been revised to (i) launch PDDP in additional ten districts (from 20 to 30); (ii) expand, with the support from NORAD, UNDP and HMG, the village level programme in order to increase the grassroots level impact; (iii) establish functional linkages of village level programme with district and national level governance system for participatory and sustainable local development processes; and (iv) introduce the provisions of the new Local Self-Governance Act, 1999 in three pilot districts in a managed environment. The revised Programme Document ‘N’, after incorporating the comments received from the PAC meeting, has already been ratified by HMG and UNDP.

PDDP launched its activities in five new districts - Dailekh, Kailali, Kanchanpur, Mustang and Palpa. The Terms of Partnership (ToP) have been signed between PDDP and these districts and District Development Advisors (DDAs) have also been appointed for three of the districts- Dailekh, Kailali and Palpa. Programme activities have already begun in these districts.

UNICEF’s Decentralised Planning for the Child Programme (DPCP) has expanded its activities into two more PDDP districts-Achham and Kapilbastu. Besides these districts DPCP is also being expanded in non-PDDP districts-Udayapur and Humla.

The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) which has been supporting LTFBs of six districts to undertake activities through VDP’s seed grant and credit capital facilities, is now expanding coverage to four more districts. The districts include Achham, Banke, Chitwan and Kaski.

Micro Enterprise Development Programme (MEDEP) and the Local Trust Fund Boards (LTFBs) of Baitadi, Nuwakot, Parbat and Nawalparasi have entered into partnership to implement its social and micro-credit components through LTFB. This demonstrates the effort made by programmes supported by UNDP to collaborate and build synergy for the promotion of people-centred development in Nepal.

A Tri-Partite Review Meeting (TPR) of PDDP and LGP was held in Kavre on 23rd Dec 1999. The meeting was participated by officials from UNDP, Norwegian Embassy in Kathmandu, five DDC Chairmen from PDDP and LGP districts and representatives from NPC, MLD, MoF and UNDP and Kavre DDC besides programme staff.

The TPR included a field trip to Kushadevi VDC in Kavre so that the participants could be acquainted with VDP activities in the field, and also witness first hand the impact being made in the lives of men and women in the grassroots.

The second half of the day’s programme was the review of the two UNDP programmes. The meeting was chaired by Hon. NPC Member Dr. Jagadish C. Pokharel, and included presentations by the two programmes on the progress made in 1999 as well as the main thrust of the programme for the upcoming year.

While appreciating the progress made by the respective programmes, the donors stressed that PDDP and LGP had to provide more documentation on the impact being made in the grassroots through case studies and formative research. They also advised the programmes to lay more stress on monitoring systems.

The DDC Chairpersons raised their concern over the ‘futility’ of their participatory bottom-up planning system if the government continued their parallel planning processes without any coordination with the local authorities. (photo)

Nayagoan in Kushadevi VDC now boasts of electricity, thanks to the concerted efforts of two UNDP projects PDDP, REDP, technical assistance from ITDG, loan from the Agricultural Development Bank, and support from Kushadevi VDC and Kavre DDC, not to mention the voluntary labour of the residents of Nayagaon. The Gudgudey Khola Micro Hydro project producing 5 KW was inaugurated by the DDC Chairman on Dec. 9. The micro hydro is unique in that it is possibly the first unit in the world that utilises a horizontal peltric set that also runs a flourmill.

Nayagaon, nestled behind Phulchowki hill, had plenty of water gushing down the steep slopes, but far away from the central electricity grid. When the four COs –Bagh Bhairab, Sayapatri, Bairamahadev and Siddhivinayak-discussed about their development need, they placed electrification as the number one priority. The projects was included in Kushadevi’s Village Development Plan, which was later forwarded to the district’s Ilaka Level Planning Workshop for possible resource mobilisation and then on to the district council.

"It was such a coincidence," says Kushadevi VDC Chairman Mr. Bhim Neupane. "Just when we were looking for support, ITDG and REDP had entered into agreement about funding micro-hydro plants, and were looking for a suitable site. All that remained to be done was linking up the prioritised plan of Nayagaon with those willing to support it!"

The micro hydro plant has an 80m head with a 430m long penstock pipe and over 1000m of distribution line covering over 80 households. The total cost per KW of the project was Rs. 116,543. While the DDC, VDC and PDDP contributed about Rs. 30,000 each, technical assistance amounting to Rs. 147,000 was contributed by Nottingham University through ITDG and then REDP. HMG’s subsidy through ADB/N amounted to Rs. 124,000 and ADB’s loan to the community wasRs. 223,708.

DDC Chairman of Kavre Mr. Krishna Pd. Sapkota congratulated the people for ‘being their own boss’ and urged them to devise means to make the micro hydro sustainable by allocating a fair amount of electric tariff to cover for maintenance and repair. (photo)

On the occasion of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP-16th October 1999) the Minister for Local Development, Women & Social Welfare Mr. Chiranjibi Wagle felicitated Mrs. Phoolkali Gupta from Kapilbastu, Mr. Raj Bahadur Chaudhary of Kanchanpur and the members of the Mahankal Youth Community Organisation of Bhaktapur for their exemplary contribution, in raising themselves and their community from the clutches of poverty. This is the second year in a row that CO members from socially mobilised VDCs under PDDP have received the prestigious award. (see pp. 40-41 for profiles of the awardees from PDDP districts)


Kushadevi VDC Chairman Mr. Bhim Neupane behind the newly inaugurated Gudgudey Khola micro-hydro plant that also runs a grain-grinding mill	The IDEP’99 awardees with the MLD Minister and the UNDP Resident Representative	PDDP’s National Programme Director Mandira Poudyal briefing the MLD Minister Mr. Chiranjibi Wagley and other high-ranking MLD officials on PDDP’s activities.

"PDDP and LGP have been taken by the Government of Nepal as the most successful programmes towards poverty alleviation and bringing the grassroots into the mainstream of development."

Mr. Madhav Pd. Ghimire, Secretary MoF, after signing the agreement papers for the expansion and extension of the two UNDP programmes

Chief Guest Minister Wagle honoured the awardees with traditional shawls (dosalla) and letters of felicitation. While lauding UNDP for its efforts in social mobilisation and decentralisation for the alleviation of poverty, he said that eradication of poverty would work only through the concerted and sincere efforts of government, donors, concerned NGOs. The recipients of IDEP/Nepal 1999 awards spoke about their personal experiences as well as experiences under the UNDP-supported programmes-Participatory District Development Programme (PDDP) and Parks & People Programme (PPP)-that acted as catalysts for their march towards self reliance and self-empowerment.

Resident Representative of UNDP Dr. Henning Karcher speaking about UNDP’s efforts towards poverty alleviation said that the war against poverty should begin in the minds of people so as to encounter victory after victory.

After the colourful and ‘cultural’ ceremony at the UN House, the IDEP awardees from PDDP districts were felicitated along with the VDP support staff of the respective VDCs at a separate ceremony at the PDDP office in Kathmandu. The support staff from Chhaling VDC, Bhaktapur included social mobiliser Ms. Sharada Ghimire, Saving & Credit Facilitator Mr. Biku Vaidya and overseer Mr. Badri Naga, while the support staff from Maharjgunj VDC, Kapilbastu included Deputy Team Leader Mr. Shiv Poojan Vishwakarma and the Saving & Credit Facilitator Ms. Meena Ghimire.

The Heifer Project International awarded the "Women in Livestock Development, 1999" prize to Mrs. Sita Poudyal of Gitanagar, Chitwan. Mrs. Poudyal is a CO member of the Dhruba Tara Mahila CO of Gitanagar. The award carrying a purse of Rs. 60,000 is given to women who "extend distinguished cooperation in strengthening the family and community in income enhancement, good nutrition, health improvement, personality development and the like through livestock development, and who make gender issues an integral part of their sphere of activities."

Mrs. Sita Poudyal is an active animal health village cadre, having received training under PDDP’s VDP and has made tremendous contribution in promoting the development of livestock and bio-gas in her village. She was awarded the prize in Kathmandu by the Minister of State for Land Reforms and Management, Mr. Ganagadhar Lamsal.

A SAARC-level workshopon "Linkages between Decentralisation and Poverty Alleviation" was organised by SAPAP/UNDP in Dhulikhel, Kavre from 5-8 October. Fifty participants from the SAARC nations (excluding Bhutan), as well from the Philippines attended the workshop. The participants deliberated on the contributions made by decentralised governance structures on improving well being at the local level. They exchanged experiences on the best practices for bringing about pro-poor reforms at the local level and also sought ways to establishment of a networking system amongst themselves so as to create a conducive environment for sustainable and participatory local development in the SAARC region.

During the course of the workshop the participants also visited some VDCs in the district to observe the differences between socially mobilised VDCs and others. They visited Kushadevi and Dhungkharka VDCs to observe the impact of VDP and also went to non-VDP VDCs Devbhumi Baluwa and Mahendra Jyoti.

The United Nations Country Team (UNCT) organised a 2-day workshop "Sub-Regional Meeting of Programme/Project Staff from the Mid- and Far-Western Regions of Nepal" in Nepalgunj in early September. The Meeting was convened in an effort to enhance collaboration between respective UN programmes and projects in the field and to bring about coordination from "the bottom-up." PDDP was represented by the R/DDAs from Achham, Baitadi, Banke, Dadeldhura, Dang and Pyuthan.

During the Meeting the participants presented profiles of their programmes/projects and also held brainstorming sessions on the possibilities of cooperation and presented suggestions for enhanced linkages amongst themselves. They also drew up an Action Plan that outlines the formation of a District UN Coordination Committee and the nomination of a UN Staff member as a District Focal Point for necessary coordination and networking. All the PDDP R/DDAs were nominated as the focal points for their respective districts. (see photo on p. 47)

A group of representatives from donors stationed in Nepal went on a field trip to Kaski and Parbat for a review of PDDP’s activities and its impacts on decentralised and participatory local development. The team members included Ms. Sue Wardell and Mr. Ian McKendry from Department of International Development (DFID), Ms. Riana Knipples and Mr. Hans van Rijn from Netherlands Development Assistance (NEDA), and Ms. Carla H. Rufelds from Canadian Cooperation Office (CCO). Also present on the trip were Dr. Henning Karcher Resident Representative of UNDP, Mr. Shoiab Sultan Khan Senior Advisor to SAPAP, Mr. Arun Dhoj Adhikary, Assistant Resident Representative, UNDP, Mr Anil K.C., Senior Programme Officer, UNDP and PDDP officials.

The trip included briefings by the Chairmen of the Kaski and Parbat DDCs on the achievements, effects and impacts of PDDP’s activities in the district, as well as a field trip to Katuwachaupari VDC in Parbat. In Katuwachaupari the visitors were oriented on the progress made by VDP by the VDP support staff and they also got to interact with a male and female community organisation. The donor representatives were keen to learn about the effectiveness of social mobilisation as a poverty alleviation initiative as well as the enhanced capability of the DDCs to handle decentralised district development and the importance of transparency and anti-corruption activities.


Representatives from DFID, UNDP, NEDA & CCO enquiring about Information & GIS system at the Kaski DDC’s District Information Unit... ... and greeting the members of the Pragatisheel Women’s CO at Saalbisauna in Katuwachaupari VDC, Parbat		MLD Secretary Mr. Udaya R. Soti briefing the Pakistani delegation on Participatory Development

A 4-member Team from SAPAP/Bangladesh headed by the National Programme Coordinator Mr. Mohammed Shafiqul Islam visited Kushadevi VDC and was oriented on VDP and DPCP activities in the field. Similarly a 12-member team from Pakistan, including two Deputy High Commissioners, were also taken on a study tour of Kavre & Kaski districts. Besides being briefed by the DDC Chairmen about the DDCs’ activities and PDDP’s progress, the teams also went on a field visit to VDP VDCs to observe field level activities. (photo)

In August Mr. Shoiab Sultan Khan, Senior Advisor of SAPAP, visited Kaski, Parbat and Syangja districts in order to assess social mobilisation activities in those districts.

DDC and VDC representatives from Darchula, Ilam, Panchthar, Parsa, Sindhupalchowk, Siraha, Taplejung, & Udayapur districts visited selected PDDP districts and their VDP VDCs to be oriented on participatory development approach and to observe village development activities.

Mr. Krishna B. Bhandari, the District Development Advisor (DDA) of Achham has been promoted to the post of Regional Development Advisor (RDA) of the Far West Development Region effective October 1999. Mr. Bhandari will be coordinating and monitoring Programme activities in Achham, Baitadi and Dadeldhura.

Mr. Saroj Aryal and Ms Goma Thapa have joined PDDP as Information Programmer and GIS Assistant respectively. Mr. Aryal was previously working as a computer programmer with the Land Information System Project (LISP), while Ms. Thapa was working at the Central Department of Geography, Tribhuvan University.

Mr. Suman Rijal who had previously worked as DDA in Myagdi before he went abroad to earn an MPhil degree in Anthropology is the new DDA in Nuwakot. Similarly Mr. Shambhu Pd. Dhital is the new DDA in Kapilbastu. Mr. Dhital was previously working as a Senior Scientist in the Potato Research Programme of the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC). Likewise, Mr. Ramesh K. Shrestha, Mr. Dan Pd. Giri, and Mr. Govinda Pd. Subedi have been DDAs in PDDP’s newest districts- Palpa, Kailali and Dailekh respectively. Mr. Shrestha was working as Research Assistant with the Centre for Economic Development & Administration (CEDA) before he joined the Programme, while Mr. Giri worked for the ADB-funded Water Supply and Sanitation project as Socio-Economist. Similarly, Mr. Subedi has just returned after completing his post graduate studies in "Integrated Rural/Regional Development Planning" from Israel and Turkey. Recruitment is under way for the other districts that will be implementing PDDP.

Mr. Surendra Bhatta who worked as Enterprise Development Advisor has left the Programme and has headed for the US for further studies.