Newly Elected Local Government Representatives received Training on the Local Planning Process
Nepal government provides a space for community people to identify, prioritize and submit plans formally at the ward level via the settlement level panning process i.e., a 7-step planning process. During the process, the ward representatives have a key role in generating plans from the settlement level and submitting them at the ward level to integrate into Palika’s annual plan. Hence, a three-day capacity-building training was organized for newly elected local government representatives from 28th to 30th December 2022 in Dhading Besi, on the periphery of this year’s planning process start-up. The objective of the training was to develop conceptual clarity on various steps of the planning process and core pillars of good governance. Meanwhile, the platform was also utilized in emphasizing the importance of the nutrition and food security sector in the overall development process of the region hence ensuring its inclusion in the planning and budgeting process.
Photo 1: Participants after completion of the training on good governance and planning process. (Photo: Raybon Shrestha)
In total, 35 participants, comprising the rural municipality chairperson, vice-chairperson, ward chairpersons, chief administrative officer, and a planning officer from working sites of the LANN+ project sites – Ganajamuna, Khaniyabas, and Rubyvalley municipalities participated in the event. The training was facilitated by consultant Govinda Adhikari.
The core content of the training revolved around identifying and managing the budget and revenue sources for local government. It was well noted that local governments were unable to expand their revenue sources and were mostly dependent on Federal and Provincial governments for most of the budget. Ward Chairpersons were mostly curious to know various areas which can be targeted to increase the internal revenue of Palika.
The second day of training focused on various steps of the planning process, and guidelines and timelines for the planning process were discussed. Group work was done to estimate the budget breakdown for each sector (economic development, social development, infrastructure development, environment, disaster risk reduction, and good governance and organizational development) for each ward based on the protocol provided by the planning process guidelines. Most of the participants were unaware of the budget breakdown protocol. Also, participants learned the process required to fulfill during the settlement-level planning process with help of group work. As most of the responsibility to collect plans from the settlement level is under the ward chairman, this group work was extremely beneficial for them.
The final day of the training covered core elements of good governance and the components required to work effectively under a diverse team. Also, participants were oriented on Nutrition Friendly Local Governance (NFLG), and various indicators of NFLG since nutrition improvement is a key focus of the LANN+ project.
Reflection from Participation
Khaniyabas RM vice-chairperson, Sikkeman Tamang, thanked LI-BIRD for organizing capacity building program and providing a platform for all three RMs of Northern Dhading to come together and discuss common agendas. Similarly, Ruby valley vice-chairperson Phe Lama Tamang, indicated that they have not received such training before and are hopeful that it would help them in the planning process in the future. They showed commitment in organizing a brief orientation for their working group and conducting a participatory settlement-level planning process with the active participation of community people. Gangajamuna chairperson, Bhakta Bahadur Tamang, wrapped up the program with an emphasis on an organization like LI-BIRD to provide technical support in areas such as Agriculture in the future.
Overall, the three-day capacity-building program was a success with active participation from all three Palikas which also provided an opportunity for LI-BIRD and LANN+ project to strengthen the relationship with local government representatives. Palika representatives got clarity on the local level planning process, modality of budget allocation, and activities that can be done to strengthen the overall governance of RMs with a focus on accountability and transparency.Note: LI-BIRD has been implementing Linking Agriculture and Natural Resources Management towards Nutrition Security (LANN+) project in three Rural municipalities (Khaniyabas, Gangajamuna, and Ruby Valley) of Dhading districts. The LANN+ project aims to reduce malnutrition in working municipalities by empowering CBOs and citizens for effective local, provincial, and federal advocacy work. The project is conducting various activities to empower the citizens and CBOs to seek and demand need-based programs in local government.
