Planning, monitoring and Evaluation: Capacity Assessment of Panchayats

1
Planning, monitoring and Evaluation Capacity
Assessment of Panchayats

• Leena and Amitabh
• Debate

2
Background

• Panchayat Raj system in Madhya Pradesh has moved
  from representative democracy to direct democracy
  at village level
• In last 14 years three critical steps were taken
  to strengthen peoples voices in decision-making
• These are
• Decisions of Gram Sabha are mandatory for
  Panchayats 1995
• Declaring Gram Sabha as manager of natural
  resources 1997
• Power of Gram Sabha in Scheduled areas were
  extended to all the Gram Sabha in the state-1999
• Declaring Gram Sabha a body corporate Gram
  Swaraj - 2001

3
Background

• State policy for decentralisation and creating
  offices of state sector and Panchayat sector at
  district level 1996
• Power, responsibility, staff and funds, of 22
  line departments transferred to Panchayats from
  1996 to 1999
• As a result Panchayats and Gram Sabha has
• Institutional setup for greater community
  participation
• Legal strength to implement decision
• Financial resources to pursue the wish of
  community through proper planning

4
Objectives of Capacity Assessement

• Assess the space in legal and institutional
  framework for functioning as institution of local
  self governance
• Assess the status of utilisation of legal,
  institutional and financial space to strengthen
  decision-making process at grassroots level
• Suggest ways and means to make Panchayats more
  effective
• Suggest ways and means to ensure convergance of
  plans at higher levels

5
Study Area
6
Issues for Capacity Assessment
7
Major Programmes in the study Area

• SGRY, NREGS, BRGF, NRHM, IAY

8
Capacities Gram Sabha

• Gram Sabha level
• Two standing committees not constituted
• Poor level of participation of communities in
  decision-making
• Low level of awareness about schemes, programmes
  and rights of Gram Sabha as an institution
• Poor, marginalised and women are unable to
  participate in decision making process

9
Planning Some Common feature

• Planning is scheme based
• Guided by a custom of demanding 10 percent more
  over last years allocation or receipt
• Integration of plans at JP and ZP level
  institutions lack capacities, manpower and
  appropriate methodology
• Lesser involvement of elected representatives at
  higher tiers of Panchayats
• Framework of Planning- poor capacity at each
  level to design own framework

10
Capacities Gram Panchayats

• Three standing committees all are constituted
• Standing committees are not functional
• Low level of awareness among ward members of
  Panchayats
• Secretary is the most active person followed by
  Sarpanch
• Two are presenting Gram Panchayat
• Plans are prepared by secretary of GP with the
  involvement of Sarpanch
• Plans are implementation strategy for CSS
  implemented at GP level

11
Gram Panchayat Bureaucracy and peoples
representatives
12
Capacities Janapad Panchayats

• Elected representatives are into providing
  suggestion
• Representatives focus on influencing decision to
  get more resources for their ward
• Real planning, monitoring and evaluation is done
  by employees of Janpad Panchayat
• Planning is scheme based
• System of monitoring is in place
• Physical and financial progress is monitored on
  monthly basis- due to reporting requirement at ZP
  and State Level

13
Capacities Zila Panchayats

• ZP is more into monitoring role
• Issues are highlighted by representative
• Lack of capacities among the representatives to
  guide the planning process for better human
  development
• ZP is equipped with manpower to plan and monitor
  the progress of implementation
• Process of planning is guided by the guidelines
  of different schemes Mostly CSS

14
Important Issues

• Can community, at Gram Sabha level, influence the
  decision-making process to the issues affecting
  quality of life
• Can Panchayats plan better
• Can the planning process have a better impact on
  the delivery of services
• Can plans of Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayat be a
  basis of district and State plan

15
Important findings Gram Sabha

• Community is aware of issues affecting their
  quality of life
• Community is confused will their problems and
  issues be included in the plan or not
• Which Panchayat is better- one that discusses our
  agenda in the gram Sabha meeting Score Card
• Institutional strength of Gram Sabha can change
  the existing situation
• SHGs and CBOs can be used as community level
  institutions for providing platform to different
  sections of society
• The framework of analysis and planning is crucial

16
Panchayat

• Activating standing committees ensures better
  participation
• Activating Standing Committee also gives space to
  members to discuss issues at ward level
• Framework of planning and analysis is critical
• Janpad requires support for integrating GP plans
  in to block plan
• The Status of Human Development should decide the
  planning and monitoring framework at all levels
• The activities of plan should directly be linked
  to the performance of Panchayat in a particular
  field