Local Communication Efforts

Mustang DDC organised a 5-day training on journalism for children in. The training, which was participated by school children from Mustang and Manang, was facilitated by resource persons from Nepal Press Institute and was partially funded by UNICEF-Pokhara. The training, besides providing the children with the basic tips on writing and reporting, also intended to sensitise and enable them to be the advocates for child right, environmental protection and against social evils. It further aimed to enhance proper social practice in them so as to promote decentralisation process from the grassroots. After the training the participants have started to publish a monthly wall newspaper Himal paari ko awaaz. the DDC’s Social Development and Information
Section is closely monitoring the activities of these children.

DDC Chitwan has started the publication of "Krishi Lekhmala" a series of Occasional Papers. The first of the series, on Goat Rearing was written by Dinesh Dhakal, a Progrmme Officer of Chitwan DDC.

Most DDCs have been bringing out regular bulletins that outline their development activities, significant local news, profiles of organisations and agencies working in the district, highlights of important places, festivals and traditions of the district.

Community Publication as a Social Watchdog Social messages against alcoholism and the interest rates of money- lenders that far outweigh the capital The Laligurans monthly newspaper has been covering local news and views in Lahachowk VDC, Kaski, since December 1998. The newspaper with a circulation of 500 copies that started as a wall newspaper following a training provided by DPCP, has graduated itself into a tabloid sized and much "looked forward to" publication in the area. The newspaper is bought by 150 subscribers, including NGOs, the ACAP offices, neighbouring VDCs, and two copies each are provided to all the Community Organisations (COs) in the village. As the readership grows with every issue, the subject matter is also graduating from a highly localised one to a more regional one. The editor Mr. Dolaraj Regmi says the paper has tried to stir up discussion and debate over problems plaguing the area and thus inspire and goad people towards development. The paper carries news of the area, success stories as well as opinion (in verse too) from the locals. Mr. Regmi says, "Through the cartoons, however crude the sketches may be, we depict social aberrations in the village and thus try to prick the community’s social conscience. The message comes out loud and clear."

Baglung DDC has also taken the initiative to form a Communication Networking Forum to promote the image of Dhaulagiri region through the media in coordination with the Regional Radio Broadcasting Centre in Pokhara, Kaski. A 7-member working committee has been formed under the chairmanship of the DDC Chairman Mr. Leela Bahadur Thapa Magar. The committee has already drafted a comprehensive package of programmes on health, education, forestry, and other development areas, which is scheduled to be aired over the radio as "Dhaulagiri ko serophero". The Programme Officer of Baglung DDC, Mr. Bheshraj Sharma is acting as the coordinator of the working committee. The financial contribution for the programmes is being made by all the concerned agencies.

Training Halls for Enhanced HRD Activities

Although all DDCs have begun to undertake HRD activities in their districts through the HRD Units, some have gone further. Palpa DDC, realising the necessity of a standard residential training centre, and Palpa’s climatic suitability as a training destination, has bought 3.5 ropanis of land to construct a Training Centre. The DDC has also assigned the Physical Infrastructure Section of the DDC to design the Centre.

Kailali DDC too is strengthening the HRDU bypreparing a Training cum Review Hall with a seating capacity of 20. The DDC next plans to construct a conference hall that can seat 200 people.

With the promulgation of the Local Self Governance Act, 1999, and its Regulations, it is becoming increasingly important for the districts to have a long term vision and strategy for development. As per the LSGA, all districts need to prepare periodic plans, which will then serve as the basis for the DDCs to produce their annual district development plans. Realising this, most districts have initiated periodic planning exercises. Some have already formulated their long term visions and developmental strategies, others are in the process of finalising them and some initiated the process in the last quarter.

• Previously the projects implemented through VDC grants would not even be implemented in 2-3 years. Now all programmes, irrespective of who the donor is, are completed and handed over within 4-6 months.
    
• There used to be very unhealthy competition amongst the members of the Village Council to include their pet projects into the VDC Plan. Now all inclusion is done on the basis of participatory prioritisation
    
• The user communities who previously used to expect the VDC or others for the maintenance and operation of projects, now conduct these jobs on their own by mobilising local resources and manpower.
    
• People who earlier used to find it difficult to offer voluntary labour for an hour or to contribute Rs. 100 are now willing to work voluntarily for 2-3 days during peak monsoons period or even contribute Rs. 1000 for a project to improve their communities.

Regional Approach to Development

Regional networking meetings, which are held bi-annually in each region, have provided an opportunity to the district stakeholders to jointly review the progress made in the past six months, draw lessons from successful cases and also provide policy feedback for facing the challenges during the programme implementation. Of late, these meetings have become even more important in terms of transferring the ownership of the Programme to the district stakeholders. The regional networking meetings are followed by consultative session between the District Development Advisors, Sub Regional Managers and the Programme Management for more effective implementation of the Programme activities.