Rural Decentralisation and Participatory Planning for Poverty Reduction (2005-10)

The project was supported by UNDP, and was implemented in partnership with Zila Parishad, Dungarpur. 5 panchayats which consisted of 25 villages of the district were selected for implementation of the project. The following four objectives were broadly focused through the initiative:

• Strengthening decentralization of decision making and pro-poor development planning.
• Improving the fiscal domain of PRIs for local level development through resource convergence and local resource mobilization.
• Enhancing the oversight function of PRIs (especially Gram Sabha) to strengthen transparency and accountability in local

governance.
• Supporting enhanced devolution and

autonomy of PRIs through facilitating policy- making.

Large scale mobilization was done through rallies, nukkad nataks, village meetings, gram sabha meetings, Exposure Visit of PRIs members, Formation of various groups – women, farmers, youth mandals, user groups etc. Orientations and trainings of elected representatives as well as community was done. Workshops with the Panchayat members on micro-planning and preparation of 5-year perspective plans were conducted. Workshops with departments, Establishment of resource Centres, Training for standing Committees and Capacity building of PRI members were conducted.

To improve the Fiscal domain of PRIs, District level Coordination committees were formed and for the same, guidelines were also framed. District level workshops to explore the possibility of fiscal resources from various agencies (like industries, corporate sector, banks, donor agencies) and resource inventory workshops to explore the possibility of local resource mobilisation were conducted. Along with this financial education which included - record keeping, auditing, financial management, disbursement and utilization of funds etc. were conducted with the PRI members. The ethics of administrative systems to promote transparency and accountability were also advocated in the capacity building activities of the project. These activities helped in influencing government policies to converge adequate funds to Panchayats and promoted the sustenance of their fiscal domain.

Verifiable indicators were set up for the outcomes of the project which helped in an impactful and time bound implementation.

The Project was supported by The Hunger Project in 2012 for 10 Panchayats of Bichhiwara Block of Dungarpur District.

The interventions aimed to comprehensively expand the ability of elected women representatives to exercise their mandate for the democratic development of their Panchayats, ensuring basic human rights for all. Considering that women’s active participation in the Panchayat Administration has been a powerful way to articulate not only their rights as citizens but also standing up for their communities – The Programme enabled them to understand the patriarchal structure within which they function on one hand, at the same time they were equipped with tools and skills that empower them to create equitable access to public services by superior utilization of resources. The Programme was committed to pathways that

strengthen practices of good governance, accountability and transparency in gram panchayats and hence make them more effective.

Various Ground Level Strategies were adopted to achieve the above objectives. Capacity building initiatives were taken at various verticals of the Panchayati Raj System. Networking and linkages of EWRs were also strengthened through the programme.

1. Meetings of the EWRs were held at Block levels to strengthen their network.
2. Interface meetings with the legislators (MLAs) to develop linkages with them.
3. Interface meetings with State / District and Block Administration to build linkages
4. Meetings of Mahila Jagruk Manches at Gram Panchayat Level to strengthen the Manches
5. Meetings with the Mahila Jagruk Manch at 10 Gram Panchayats and building their capacities.
6. Gram Sabha Mobilisation
7. Training of Standing Committees
8. Capacity Building of EWRs on financial
   literacy, Resource Mobilisation, decision making and rights and duties of the EWRs.
9. Capacity Building on revenue generation and self-sufficiency of the PRIs

10. Advocacy of qualities of an Ideal Leader through campaigning in the Community

The Project stays relevant when talking about PEDO’s associations with PRIs as this was directly implemented by involving the Panchayats as an ownership base. In the year 2014, UNICEF supported the project with a vision to develop a Convergent Model of Child Friendly Panchayats for scaling up.

The following strategies were used for achieving the project purpose.

• Ownership and empowerment of Panchayat and community groups as the core of the endeavor
• Making use of collective knowledge and experience of past years in developing a protective learning environment for children in Dungarpur to converge into a model for replication
• Learning continuously through experience and exchange and ploughing back the knowledge for improving actions and interventions
• Maximum utilization of provisions made by the government, along with the constitutional provisions, for education and protection of the rights of children

The project envisioned The Gram Panchayats to take the ownership of the initiative and continue it further. Roles and Responsibilities of the Gram Panchayats were framed and plans were made and implemented to sensitize them, empower them and tackle the issues of children.

• Ward members were made aware with the ground realities and necessity of intervention regarding the issues of children and also to keep a check or upgrade the education facilities of the village / ward.
• Dedicated Gram Sabhas were planned for sensitizing the communities on the issues of children with the involvement of PRI members.
• Gathering of substantial data in the target community for developing the reflection of the status of the children and facilities for the children in the Panchayat (like enrollment in the school vis-à-vis the total number, child labour, migrated child labour, migrated with parents etc., status of institutions of education was planned.
• Monitoring and Review at Gram Panchayat level of the Implementation plan
• Block and District level Sharing and replicating of plans
  Child Protection committees were made at Gram Panchayat level involving the PRIs who took ownership of the issues of children like migration, school drop outs, child labour etc.

and the defaulters were counselled and disciplined through this committee.

The ‘National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) – Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) – Cluster Facilitation Team (CFT) Convergence Project’. is part of initiative taken by MoRD to strengthen the MGNREGA planning and implementation processes through regular handholding support to community and government by deploying the Cluster Facilitation team at Panchayat Level.

PEDO took up the Jonthri Block in District Dungarpur and was involved in the planning of MGNREGA scheme at the Panchayat Level and provided hand holding support to the Panchayats for effective implementation and monitoring of the MGNREGA scheme.

This is a State Chapter of National Coalition for Natural Farming (NCNF).

This Coalition of 34 CSOs across 28 districts of Rajasthan started functioning from March 2021 and acquired a more concrete structure and shape after a physical workshop in Jaipur in February 2022. The Coalition’s presence and activity is strongest in Southern Rajasthan where the greatest number of partners are working.

Engagement with government is one of the important component of the Project where Engagement with the agriculture department to secure CSO space at different levels in Organic Farming Mission announced last year i.e. 2022- 23.

Engagement with the Panchayati Raj department to closely work with panchayats on integrating natural farming-related activities in the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) is an important objective of the project. This has substantiated the capacity building of PRIs on the importance of Natural Farming and their role in monitoring and implementing of the same. The Project is being implementated by keeping the Panchayats as the core area of the execution.