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JOINT REVIEW MISSION REPORT

of the

International Fund for Agricultural Development

INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

FONDS INTERNATIONAL DE DÉVELOPPEMENT AGRICOLE

FONDO INTERNACIONAL DE DESARROLLO AGRÍCOLA

Via Paolo di Dono, 44•00142 Rome, Italy•Tel. + 39-6-54591•Fax + 39-6-5043463•E-mail IFAD@IFAD.ORG•Telex 620330

Country: India Programme: Jharkhand-Chhattisgarh Tribal Development Programme [Jharkhand] Date: June 20 – July 3, 2008 Report No. IN-506-01/08

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Table of Contents

Pages

Currency equivalents 3

Weights and Measures 3

Abbreviations and Acronyms 3

Map of Jharkhand 4

SECTION 1: Joint Review Mission Summary 5-10

SECTION 2: Implementation - Status and Issues 11-22

SECTION 3: Summary of Project Status Ratings 23-29

SECTION 4: Action Taken Report 30-38

SECTION 5: Field Reports Annexure I: Proceedings of the meeting held on 01/07/2008 between Hon’ble Chief Minister, Govt. of Jharkhand and IFAD’s Joint Review Mission Team

39-40

Annexure II: Community Development - Aloysius P. Fernandez 41-52

Annexure III: Implementation Support - Shaheel Rafique 53-57

Annexure IV: Livelihoods Enhancement & Natural Resource Management - Vincent Darlong 58-64 Annexure V: Institutions and Tribal Development - Achyut Das

65-71 Annexure VI: JRM Team’s Field Visit Schedule (June, 2008)

72 Annexure VII: List of Participants - Meeting with FNGOs /Line Departments / Supporting Agencies/JTDS staff 73-75

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Currency Equivalents

Currency Unit = Indian Rupee (INR) USD 1.00 = INR 45 INR 1.00 = USD 0.022

Weights and Measures

1 kilogram (kg) = 2.204 pounds (lb) 1 000 kg = 1 metric tonne (t) 1 kilometre (km) = 0.62 miles (mi) 1 metre (m) = 1.09 yards (yd)

1 square metre (m2) = 10.76 square feet (ft

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1 acre (ac) = 0.405 ha 1 hectare (ha) = 2.47 acres 1 Lakh = 100,000

Abbreviations and Acronyms

AWPB Annual Work Plan and Budget AR Appraisal Report BoD Board of Directors CFM Community-Based Forest Management CFMC Community-Based Forest Management Committee CIG Common Interest Group CHV Community Health Volunteers DC Deputy Commissioner DEA Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, GOI DPIU District Programme Implementation Unit FFS Farmer Field School FNGO Facilitating Non-Government Organization GSRMP Gram Sabha Resource Management Plan GOI Government of India GOJ Government of Jharkhand JTDS Jharkhand Tribal Development Society M&E Monitoring and Evaluation NTFP Non Timber Forest Produce OBC Other Backward Classes PESA Panchayati Raj Extension to Scheduled Areas Act PMU Programme Management Unit PLA Programme Loan Agreement PRA Participatory Rural Appraisal PEC Programme Execution Committee PTG Primitive Tribal Group SC Scheduled Castes ST Scheduled Tribes SHG Self Help Groups WAT Water Absorbation Trench WFP World Food Programme WHT Water Harvesting Tank

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Map of Jharkhand

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SECTION I

INDIA

Jharkhand-Chattisgarh Tribal Development Program (JCTDP) – Loan No 506-IN

JOINT REVIEW MISSION REPORT

20th June – 3rd July 2008

Summary1

Introduction

1. A Joint Review Mission of the Jharkhand part of the Jharkhand-Chattisgarh Tribal Development Project was undertaken from 20 June 2008 to 3 July 2008. The Mission visited 14 villages in 2 Districts of Chaibasa DPIU and 10 villages in 3 Districts of Ranchi DPIU. The Program is operational in 12 Blocks in 5 Districts namely West Singbhum, Saraikela Kharsawan, East Singbhum, Ranchi and Khunti. It covers 32,749 HHs in 330 villages and 98 Micro Watersheds. The Mission’s findings and recommendations were discussed at a stakeholders meeting held on 30 June 2008. A final version was presented in the wrap-up meetings held on 1st July 2008 with the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary, with the Minister of Welfare and with the Special Secretary, Welfare, with whom the findings and recommendations of the Mission were shared and the action points to be taken agreed.

2. On June 26, 2008 the Mission met at Chaibasa with the SPD and the staff of the two DPIUs to ascertain their priorities and concerns and to jointly address these together with the objectives of the Mission. The focus areas that emerged were related to i) completion of works and disbursement of the budget (especially at village level) planned for the year; ii) sustainability of institutions and livelihoods of beneficiaries and the infrastructure provided through land and water management activities; iii) the urgency of upscaling initiatives to promote the livelihoods of the PTGs, landless and poorest and balanced gender relations together with a reduction of drudgery among women; iv) promoting convergence not only with various interventions from Government (particularly NREGA) and private institutions but also among the project’s components; v) the proposal to cover at least double the number of households through the SHGs than at present; vi) upgrading skills of NGOs especially the local ones and the community service providers and to identify their roles after the project withdraws; vii) the need to focus on appropriate skills and strategies in agriculture and off farm livelihoods as well as on marketing; viii) improving the performance in implementing the M&E system down to the Community based organisations; viii) the urgency to carry forward an exit strategy that would take into consideration the sustainability of peoples institutions and of their livelihood strategies and ix) the extension of the project period.

3. There was all round satisfaction at the performance in disbursement during the past 9 months right down to the village level, but this was tempered with the concern over the hostile environment created by the Maoists who were hindering the free flow of staff and service providers to the villages and the increasing difficulty of retaining trained staff due to better remunerations in other programs.

4. There is significant increase in household food security in some of the pilot villages, which have experienced the impact of increased investment in land and water resources for two years due to program interventions. According to data collected by the Project management to record progress

1 The Mission comprised of Mr. Aloysius Fernandez (Community Development Specialist and Team Leader); Mr. Achyut Das (Institution and Tribal Development Specialist); Mr. Shaheel Rafique (Project Management, M&E Specialsit); Mr. Vincent Darlong (Livelihood & NRM Specialist); Ms Purnima Mukherjee (WFP Specialist). Mr. Anirudh Tewari (IFAD Country Presence Coordinator) joined the Mission on June 30th, 2008. The Mission was accompanied on the field visits by Dr. P.C. Oraon, SPD and the DPMs of Ranchi and Chaibasa.

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in the Logframe, 52% of the HHs reported food security; 330 Gram Sabhas and PECs have been formed, one in each Program village. There are 847 SHGs and one Producer Company, which started operations this year; several SHGs in Clusters have also started to market their products together.

5. Thirty three percent of women SHGs think that their status in the family and outside has improved and are more aware of their role as equals; 48% of leadership positions in the Gram Sabhas are held by women; 36% of the women in GS report that their opinions are given due weightage in the GS meetings. Several of the GS with whom the Mission interacted emphasised that it is their responsibility to look after the landless and the poorest; 4% of the GPs reported being successful in accessing Government programs. Village Level Community service providers are in place, though more is required. There are 641 animators (322 M & 319 F), 120 Community health Workers (23M &96F), and 198 Village Livestock Workers; some of the Village Livestock Workers with whom the Mission interacted, are being paid for their services; this indicates that the people value their services.

6. As a result of technical support services, 63% of the SHGs reported that they can manage their accounts independently; 40% HHs reported that they have adopted technologies promoted by the project especially in agriculture and livestock; 26% of HHs reported an increase in herd size; 124 villages reported that they have benefited from the breeding program. There has been a significant increase (from 1% to 13 %) during the past 9 months in the number of loans taken for livestock which confirms the reports; 44 PTG families received bullocks as grant; 2500 HH vaccinated their animals mainly cattle and goats. In several villages visited by the Mission where vaccination has been provided it was reported that animal deaths are no longer occurring; 1200 HHs have been trained in fishery and 714 ponds have been stocked with fingerlings.

7. Under the WFP program, significant and visible interventions have been made: 157 new ponds, 35 wells, 46 irrigation channels, 55 seepage tanks, 28 earthen check dams, 99 WHTs, 106 WATs, and 1322 drinking water wells have been constructed. These assets are being used for irrigation, drinking water and aquaculture. Fields have been levelled and bunded and community facilities like graveyards and playing fields formed. The PTGs and the landless have been provided with tools by the program and have benefited significantly from this activity in terms of food security.

8. There has been a focus since the MTR to provide assets to PTGs and landless; 44 PTG families received bullocks as a grant. There is a proposal for providing these families with a goat unit of six animals and other livelihood assets, but the sanction is delayed since there is a debate whether these units can be given as a total grant or whether the family needs to contribute in cash up front. The DPIU Ranchi reports that 86% of the poorest have been covered under different activities in the old villages

9. 24 male and 96 female Community health workers have been trained and 135 camps organised where attendance of women children and older people was over 70%. As a result, 38% of HHs has reported increased awareness related to nutrition, sanitation and over-all health; 93% of HHs have immunised their children.

10. Despite the above there are some concerns, which need to be addressed. For example, only 12026 families are in the SHGs out of the 32,749 targeted. The number of SHG currently at 847, must at least be doubled by project end. The Program management agrees that it is feasible to form and train at least 753 SHGs by March 2009; ii) Progress in setting up marketing institutions and linkages has not been adequate, though there are good signs of progress - with some NGOs like Ramakrishna Mission, Integrated Development Foundation and PRADAN taking initiatives with the support of MART. Four models are proposed namely; cadre based marketing, the producer company, a cluster of SHGs and competitive bidding by traders who come to the village together on a fixed day. As of now only the SHG clusters have gone ahead in several villages; iii) In every village visited by the Mission there were concerted requests for extension of the program. Reasons for extension range from the potential for much more investment in land and water management through WFP which has the food to support this extension, to the need to provide support for marketing and processing of NTFPs which has not taken off as yet; iv) visits to the

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fields indicate that though irrigation potential has increased there is urgent need to improve the quality of soil through humus, silt, vermi compost and green manure, especially in areas where the soils are of poor quality; this will take time; provision of water only will result in short term increase; v ) though several assets have been given to the PTGs, they still remain marginalised from the main institutions like the GSs and SHGs. Though both categories of institutions express their concern and promise to assist them, it is not clear how many of the PTGs are in the GSPECs and SHGs.

11. While there is no doubt that the NGOs have played a key role, their performance continues to rate between below average to good. Those below average who have been identified by Program management need to be provided adequate training and support before the Program withdraws. This is necessary because the Clusters and Federations of SHGs have still not developed into institutions, which can fill the gap created when the Program ends.

12. The Progress report as on May shows that expenditure has reached Rs 27.09 crores (41% of total project cost). The budget for this year stands at Rs 28 crores. Though there has been a significant jump in disbursements right up to the field during 2007-2008, the total spent during 2007-08 is around Rs 18 crores. It is doubtful if the budget of Rs 28 crores will be spent before Dec 2008. Further, given the large gap between the amount budgeted to support the WFP program where the amount is almost three times larger than what is required to support the amount of food indented for, the risk of targeting an expenditure of Rs 28 crores increases.

13. The number of landless is small about 1 to 4 in most of the villages visited by the Mission. The GS and PEC share the Program’s mission of supporting them. They should be given the responsibility of identifying what income generating activity each landless and PTG family is capable of doing and of supporting each of them to undertake it successfully. Though the empowerment of women has progressed significantly, they are still unable to access health care as and when they need and at a close distance. Further while initiatives to reduce drudgery through the provision of rice hulling machines, provision of water sources close to the homes and reduction in head loading have had an impact, the increase in cropping area may add to their work.

14. Community Forestry initiatives in collaboration with the Forest Dept. are not progressing with the degree of urgency that is required. One reason could be that there is still some confusion between the functioning of the GSPEC and the CFM-EC. Presently the GSPEC is approving the plans related to private nurseries, farm forestry, agro forestry plots, etc. As an institution, the CFM-EC does not seem to have taken off. Further, while the Forest Department is involved in promoting joint forestry programs which are on forest lands, it is unable to take up similar programs in most of the forested areas surrounding the villages since the land comes under traditional authorities of one tribe or other; in such areas only community forestry is possible.

15. Recommendations: Mission recommends the following action points, which were agreed to by the Program Management and staff and approved at the Wrap-Up Meeting.

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Agreed action in the areas of: I.Training and capacity building:

1. Redesign Training Strategy to promote sustainability– focus on Clusters, Village level service providers, business promoters, social audit.

2. Produce pictorials/IEC materials for users – PECs, SHGs, VLSPs/Animators. 3. Produce Advocacy materials on Rights based approach to upgrade skills of FNGOs. 4. Develop Model Villages as Decentralised Training Centres -VLSPs/Animators as

Resource Persons. 5. Conduct Joint Workshops for landless, PTGs, FNGOs, JTDS on convergence. 6. Train on Process Documentation for all stakeholders including FNGOs. 7. Special Training workshops on NREGA, Forest Rights, RTI, Social Audit. 8. Link with professional organisations for micro-studies related to migration, NTFPs. 9. Monitor impact of ICRISAT’s seeds and technical inputs of Resource NGOs, etc. 10. Strengthen local NGO capacity according to their requirements to support CBOs in

areas related to sustainability after the program withdraws.

II. Gender Balancing and Equity:

1. Employ more women staff in the JTDS and FNGOs. 2. Joint workshops to have clarity on equity issues. 3. Provide land, livestock and assets to PTGs and landless without contribution up front

while encouraging them to form SHGs and to return part of income/progeny to the GSPEC.

4. Make the GSPECs responsible for selecting IG activities for landless and PTGs and providing support to make them productive and profitable. Provide funds thru GSPECs.

lll. Institution building:

1. Double number of SHGs to 1600. 2. Raise the performance in collecting, consolidating and analysing SHG data and using

findings for planning support for livelihood strategies. 3. Introduce NAB-YUKTI -a software owned by NABARD to consolidated and analyse

SHG data.

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Agreed action in the areas of Project Implementation management: 1. Identify personnel in DPIUs and FNGOs to monthly monitor submission of SOEs and submit

action taken report to the State Programme Director (SPD). 2. Complete pending technical and financial sanctioning of proposals by DPIU and PMU by end

August 2008. 3. Revise staff salaries as recommended by the previous mission and effective from the end of

December 2008. 4. All vacancies identified by the mission to be filled by end of August 2008 5. Provision of health and life insurance cover to all project staff. 6. Development of common MIS database, pattern of analysis of data and reporting format for

DPIUs and PMU. 7. Complete Performance Assessment of NGOs, and introduction of Spider/web diagramming to

GS PECs and the use of Self-monitoring tool by SHGs. 8. Complete revision of food budget in relation to budgets in the Land and Water Management

and Community Forestry Components. 9. Complete selection and training of Community Village Health Workers and provision of health

kits.

Agreed action in finance management: 1. Appoint a Financial Management Specialist to examine the issues under Fiduciary Aspects of the programme.

Agreed Action to carry forward an exit strategy:

1. Joint workshop to work out a strategy for withdrawal and sustainability. 2. Exposure visit to successful Producer’s Company, Clusters and Federations. 3. Designing Business Plan for each cluster of SHGs/villages. 4. Joint workshops on Institution Building and Management. 5. Support for NGOs willing to stay in the area for 2 years after project ends. 6. Ensuring that all grant based activities move towards loans. 7. Promote sustainable marketing models.

Agreed action in the area of livelihoods: 1. Land and water management: 25% of farming hhs to have integrated scaling up of vermi

composting, increased livestock for dung, bio composting, organic farming and adoption of improved farming technologies and seeds.

2. Community forestry development: Promote NTFP-based livelihood enhancement through at least 38 CFM.

3. Farming system improvement: Promote at least 50 FFS in ICRISAT promoted crops and SRI. 4. Livestock and aquaculture: Promote 100 more VLWs; provide improved breeds of goats for

100 hhs and improved pigs to another 100 families; promote aquaculture at least in 25% of ponds and tanks.

5. Health and nutrition: Promote kitchen gardens of mixed vegetables / leafy vegetables in 500 hhs.

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16. Finally, the Mission recommends that the Program be considered for extension for the following reasons; i) Disbursement during the last year has been significant and all signs indicate that the momentum will not slacken in the future. With an extension of two years the Programme has adequate evidence to suggest that the budget of Rs 64 crores will be spent; ii) the GOJ is fully supportive of the Program and its objectives. The indicators are a) the Chief Minister’s request to IFAD for extension which the Govt will follow up in a letter; b) the Govt’s indication that it plans to extend the project to other areas for which it requires IFAD’s support for monitoring and supervision which was agreed to by IFAD’s Country Presence Coordinator and members; c) The Govt’s appreciation of the people’s institutions that have been built up in the village and its inclination to issue an order to channel other programs through them; the Mission referred to a similar order issued by the Meghalaya Govt., a copy of which was requested.

17. The Mission also placed before the Chief Minister and the Govt. some of the major hurdles to the progress of the program, which need to be addressed. These are; i) the need to promote convergence of programs especially NREGA with program activities; ii) the need to urge Banks to be more pro-active in linking with SHGs; there are still about 550 SHGs which need to be linked; iii) the poor connectivity which is obstructing mobility of people to markets and service providers to villages, and the lack of electricity in villages and last but not least iv) the hostile environment due to Maoist activities which is obstructing mobility and delaying progress; this problem is becoming a major one and needs to be addressed if the project villages are to continue the momentum built up by the program.

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SECTION 2

PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION - STATUS AND ISSUES

A. Project Management and Administration2

18. Coverage: Since the previous Mission, the Program is operational in 12 Blocks in 5 Districts. It covers 32,749 HHs (21,782 HHs) in 330 villages (281) and 98 (86) Micro watersheds.

19. Fund Flow : The last Mission reported very poor performance in expenditure. Only Rs 1 crore (INR 10 million) was spent per year in the first three consecutive years. In the fourth year Rs 4.06 crores (INR 40.6 million) was spent, and in the fifth year Rs 5.47 crores (INR 54.7 million). This adds up to a sum of Rs 12.53 crores over 5 years. However the Project Management and Government together made a serious effort to upscale the Program activities during 2007-2008; the results have been remarkable. During the year approx Rs 18 crores have been spent which is much more than expenditure in all the previous 5 years together. The impact on the ground is also clearly visible. The current year's budget is Rs 28 crores. However the Mission does not expect expenditure to cross Rs 20 crores. There are two bottle-necks in the flow of funds that needs to be addressed: i) SOEs are not submitted in time by the village PECs; in fact these are delays of over 4 months in several cases and no monitoring is done by staff; and ii) technical and financial sanction of activities in AWPB related to Land and Water Management submitted by the villages is delayed. Further one of the DPIUs reported 58% release against sanction and 51% use of funds against release, which shows that there is further potential for improvement in the implementation and utilisation of funds.

20. Disbursement. Till December 2007 the total expenditure incurred has been INR 1158.99 lakh and SOEs for this expenditure have been submitted on 27.02.08. The reimbursable amount claimed is INR 1042.72 lakh. Total amount reimbursed is INR 658.81 lakh.

21. Monitoring and Evaluation. The quality of Program reports has considerably improved since the last mission. The DPIUs have developed their MIS to be able to report on achievements by components, but the pattern of analysis and reporting by the DPIUs with respect to achievement of program components is not consistent and similar. The project has completed the RIMs and the Outcome surveys by February 2008. The RIMs Impact survey data is yet to be analysed as a result of non-availability of the software, and the outcome survey data is still being analysed. In addition, the project has also completed this year’s RO-AWPB after revising the project logframe. The project is also in the process of completing the testing of Impact Assessment tools, namely Impact mapping, wealth ranking, resource mapping, and Venn diagramming. A self-monitoring monitoring tool for SHGs has been introduced by the project in the villages. This tool is available in the villages, but it is not utilised by the SHGs. Past experience has shown that if the tool is used consistently by the SHGs for about a year, it leads to formation of strong and disciplined groups.

22. The Mission recommends the following: a) the MIS developed at the DPIUs and PMU should be similar to the DPIUs and should analyse and report data in the similar pattern; b) RIMs and Outcome survey reports should be extensively shared with all concerned stakeholders by conducting presentations at different levels, and also for consolidating the project outputs and outcomes and tying the loose ends before withdrawal; c) facilitate the PECS as well as cluster associations to use the Spider/Web diagram for institutional and organisational capability assessment; further training should be provided to the NGOs to train SHGs to use the Self monitoring tool and finally d) the Gram Sabha should be facilitated to do poverty monitoring annually with the help of the wealth and well being ranking method developed in the villages.

2 Figures in brackets indicate the status at the previous Mission

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23. Staffing: The momentum built by the project in the last one year to achieve program outputs needs to be maintained. It would be necessary for the State Programme Director to give more time to the programme. The Board of Directors (BOD) needs to take action on the last mission’s recommendation on the revision of staff remuneration and incentives. For the two posts of Livestock Specialist in the respective DPIUs, the BOD suggested that the project take the services of the Animal Husbandry Department instead of recruiting the Livestock Specialist. The Project needs to work out the modalities of service provision to the project villages with the Department of Animal Husbandry as soon as possible, particularly in terms of focused support through training and replenishment of VLW’s animal health kit.

24. The mission would like to highlight that there are still 7 vacancies in the project, which the last Joint Review Mission (JRM) had recommended for filling up. The 4 Watershed Development Officers need to be recruited at the earliest; as a result of delayed action the officers are still not in place. The recruitment of the Community Development Officer and the Fodder Development Specialist at the PMU should also be done as soon as possible as sufficient attention needs to be given to ensure effectiveness and sustainability of project interventions in these components.

25. Targeting. Self Help Affinity Groups were formed on the basis of affinity (members self selected themselves because there were relations of trust and mutual support/obligations among them) and economic homogeneity (all were identified as being poor). Over the past three years many of these SHG members have achieved food security and have laid the basis for a sustainable livelihood strategy. However there were families who are economically poor but did not join with others in a SHG since the affinity was not strong enough. Examples of these are the PTGs. On some cases where the PTGs have shifted to settled agriculture, they have formed their own SHGs. In other cases where they are still mainly hunters and gatherers they have remained outside the SHGs and the GPs. Many of the landless have joined the SHGs and attend the GS; but there are some who move from village to village; they have remained on the margin. The Project plans to provide these families of PTGs and landless who are not in the SHGs with a livelihood package like goatery and aquaculture.

26. The Mission recommends that in these cases the Project should not require an upfront

contribution. Rather one of the offspring of the goats or some income from the sale of fish can be contributed to the GS, which in turn uses the asset to support other landless/PTG families. The main concern at this point of time is that the project should continuously attempt to identify those who are left out or left behind from the development process, which the project’s interventions have initiated and action taken to include them. Some will always be left behind due to a variety of reasons; the Project must dig deeper on a continuous basis to identify them. In the villages visited by the Mission, there were no PTGs in the GSPECs. However we were informed that they are members in other villages, which we could not verify. Including the PTGs in GSPECs must be a priority during the coming year. Though many of the landless are in the SHGs and take part in the discussions and benefit from the loans, they are not vocal in the general meetings.

B. Project Planning, implementation and Sustainability

27. One of the major objectives of this Mission was to assess the potential for sustainability of peoples institutions and service providers as well as the structures constructed under the Land and Water management component promoted by the project. The community based organisations promoted by the project are i) the Gram sabhas ii) the Self Help groups iii) the Common Interest groups iv) Producer groups and v) Clusters

28. Gram Sabhas (GS): The Program has promoted GSs in all the 330 natural villages. The GS have been notified but elections have not been held as yet. Hence they are informal bodies. A Program Execution Committee (PEC) has been elected with representatives from all sections including from the SHGs. Women’s representation on the PECs averages 48%. It is commendable that 33% of the PECs are headed by women. However in the villages visited there were no Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) represented in the PECs. The Mission was informed that

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where the PTGs have moved to settled agriculture they have marginal representation; but where they are still engaged in their traditional occupations of hunting and gathering they do not join in GS meetings. However when this matter was raised at the GS by the Mission, the GS members offered to do all in their power to include the PTGs in the GS

29. The GSs meet regularly, but the Mission has the impression that this is because they are engaged

in managing the land and water activities under the WFP. Once these come to an end, they will need some other activity to maintain their enthusiasm and the need to meet. The NREGA can play this role. Since these GSs are notified, there should be no problem with handing over the management of NREGA to them as well as other programs that are planned to be implemented through the Gram Panchayats. This proposal was discussed at the meeting with the Chief Minister and he promised to consider it.

30. If the GSPECs are recognised as the main channel for all developmental activities by Government

they will have the motivation to meet regularly; otherwise there is every chance that meetings will be irregular and finally stop except for once or twice a year on formal or ceremonial occasions or to resolve a problem.

31. Do the GSPECs then have the potential to be sustainable? The evidence gathered indicates that

they do. The Mission has reason to believe that the basis for sustainability of the GS has been laid as a result of the impact in engaging the GSPECs to manage the land and water activities and the result of empowering women and the poor through the SHGs which are also monitoring the performance of the GSPECs. The SHGs also have the potential play a major role in ensuring that the functioning of the GSPECs is transparent and that the interests of all sections are taken into account.

32. However financial management and accounting is required if the GSPECs are to survive.

Government will have to engage accountants or the GS will have to employ the Book keepers who have experience in maintaining SHG accounts to manage the GS accounts as well since after the Project withdraws there will not be any staff to keep the accounts and records in the GS.

33. SHGs: There are 847 SHGs in the Project area of which 58 are men, 784 women and 5 mixed.

The SHGs are both instruments that generate empowerment if they function well, as well as institutions that provide the resources and space for members to develop their own livelihood strategies over a period of time. A consolidated picture of the SHGs in the two DPIUs as on March 2008 and a comparison with the figures used by the previous Mission will indicate progress, as well as the level of credit provided in terms of loans to support the livelihood choices of the members. In Chaibasa DPIU as on March 2008 there are 35 (25) men’s SHGs, 371 (302) women’s SHGs and 5 (3) mixed, making a total of 411(330) SHGs. The total members in SHGs are 6279 (5324) of which 4855 are women and 469 men. In Ranchi DPIU as on May 2008 there are 23 Men’s SHGs and 413 women’s SHGs making a total of 436 (230) SHGs. The total members in SHGs is 5847 (3303) of which 5545 are women and 302 men.

34. Are the SHGs sustainable? They have the potential and are showing evidence that they will

continue after the project withdraws. When asked whether they will continue, the answer from all is a firm “Yes”. However the Mission, drawing from experiences elsewhere, suggests that though the SHGs show evidence of maturing organisationally and financially, they will need support from the second level institutions like Clusters and Federations to help them in times of conflict or tension. They will also need to fall back on NGOs who remain the area in times of prolonged distress.

35. Common Interest Groups (CIGs): The 16 CIGs are all in Ranchi DPIU. The CIGs formed are mainly composed of men who are engaged in a common activity like aquaculture, which they do together or individually like these constructing smokeless ovens. There is one group comprising 30 PTGs who are engaged in aquaculture and rope making. The project staff came to the

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conclusion that many of the members of these groups were not able to join SHGs, which require regular meetings and savings. However there are also reports that recently many have joined SHGs or would like to form their own SHGs.

36. Are CIG's sustainable? The Mission did not see evidence that most of these CIGs will continue to

function as groups for long. Those involved in aquaculture have now been able to use the ponds free of charge. But this may not be the case after the project withdraws when they will have to bid for the use of the ponds, or stock them with their own funds. In this eventuality they will be handicapped since they do not have any common fund. Those trained to construct smokeless chulhas will continue offering individual services for a charge, if there is a demand.

37. Clusters: Ten Clusters of SHGs have been formed in Ranchi DPIU and 13 in Chaibasa DPIU.

The Clusters comprise 5-15 SHGs. They are involved in marketing of agricultural produce and NTFPs. Some are also mentoring the SHGs.

38. Are the Clusters sustainable? There is evidence that the Clusters will continue to provide

marketing services especially retail marketing of vegetables. Their overhead costs to support this activity are limited and they have been able to divide these costs among the producers who are involved. However, once MART withdraws, it is not evident at this time whether the Clusters on their own will be able to market NTFPs and product like Tisi (niger) without going through the local middlemen. As far as their support services to the SHGs are concerned, the practice of charging for these services should be started during the year. These services could include an appraisal of the performance in maintaining accounts and records, ensuring that their accounts are updated and audited annually. The Mission suggests that only those SHGs which are assessed to be functioning well should be admitted as Cluster members. This assessment could take place annually. It is also suggested that the Cluster members pay an annual fee to the Clusters which will cover some essential services, like up dating books of accounts.

39. Producer Companies: The NGO Pradhan has formed and registered a Producer Company. The first activity it took up was to market tamarind. A similar activity was also taken up by a Cluster of SHGs. The latter’s overheads were less than those of the Producer Company and as a result the value added in terms of profits was greater. The Producer Company added about 75 paise per kg., while the Clusters added about Rs 2 per kg. PRADAN’s Producer Company will require considerable financial inputs. The NGO has submitted a proposal to JTDS for a sum of Rs 30 lakh as working capital and Rs 9 lakh as support costs. This is too large an amount for the Project to cope if it is to be a replicable model. Either the NGO should start with a smaller target or leave it to the Clusters to start marketing and then discuss with them whether they want to affiliate into a Producer Company. At this point of time the Mission recommends that the Cluster be supported to do retail marketing of vegetables. Other commodities like NTFPs and paddy or Tisi; will require more complex arrangements and a large collection base if it is to have an impact. This could be managed by a Producer Company. The NGO MART is providing support in marketing. It is open to both models (cluster and produces company) and requires some time more to decide which is more appropriate and at which stage of growth.

40. Land and Water management: Sustainability of the structures constructed under land and water management should also be given priority. Funds have accrued to the village as a result of savings made from the cash payment under the WPF program. This is a good start, but not enough. What needs to be built into planning is a system whereby the asset generates adequate funds to maintain it. For example there is no provision to collect user fees from families who have taken over a pond for aquaculture; there is no provision to collect user fees from families benefiting from new irrigation schemes, which the project has introduced. This needs to be attended to.

41. Agriculture: Sustainability has to be built into activities related to agriculture, livestock, and the marketing initiatives started to support them. In the field of agriculture, the project is making efforts to bring in new varieties of seeds and new crops in collaboration with ICRISAT. There is

15

increasing acceptance of dryland crops like groundnut, chickpea and pigeon pea as well as in the cultivation of leafy vegetables and ginger. However the timely availability of quality seeds is still a major hurdle to a wider spread and sustainability.

42. The Project has focused trainings in the areas of vermi compost, organic farming, mushroom cultivation, farming system, SRI and training of agricultural resource persons at village level. FFS are not properly planned and implemented. In some SHGs, agriculture loan constitute 79.83%; these are encouraging indications of improved in vestment in agriculture due to impacts of interventions under land and water development.

43. Marketing initiatives in agriculture have been promoted by the NGOs with the technical support of MART. The Clusters of SHGs have been successful in directly retailing vegetables and fruits at low overhead costs. Ten Clusters of SHGs have been formed in Ranchi DPIU and 13 in Chaibasa DPIU. The Clusters comprise 5-15 SHGs. During the past six months the Clusters have been able to market agricultural produce directly (mainly vegetables) in nearby markets and are obtaining better prices as well as reducing the need for many to travel the distance to the markets. Some Clusters have also marketed tamarind; income increased by about Rs 2 per kg. MART has assisted some Clusters to cut out middlemen in the case of tamarind and some NTFPs. But the Clusters have handled the marketing of vegetables on their own.

44. Marketing of NTFPs is more complex. The chain of middlemen involved is long and the area over

which these products are gathered is very wide which makes a small marketing initiative, which tries to reduce the line of middlemen very vulnerable. The costs of setting up a producer company to mange marketing of NTFPs is also significant. The Producer Company set up by PRADAN for example requires at least Rs 30 lakh as working capital and Rs 9 lakh as support costs till the company breaks even. This is too large an amount to be replicated within the present project’s resources.

45. Livestock: In the area of livestock there has been significant progress in selecting and training Village Livestock Workers. Many of them are recognised for their services and paid by the people. Alongside regular animal health camps for immunization with the help of the Animal Husbandry Department have been conducted and SHG members are being trained in basic livestock care and management. All these efforts to reduce risk and increase the quality of management have resulted in a sharp increase in the number of loans taken by SHG members of livestock particularly goats, pigs as well as cattle. However poultry has not taken off. There are not enough inputs to improve management of poultry units and to link producers with markets. The marketing of other livestock is not a problem at present as traditional markets are able to cope with the supply.

46. Aquaculture: Aquaculture remained confined to a tiny percentage of the households due to non-availability of suitable land for fishery pond construction and problems of timely availability of fish and prawn seeds. However, there is potential once the larger ponds are utilised. Many of the ponds are on private lands, which will make it difficult for the landless and marginal farmers to access once the project withdraws. However the interest generated in aquaculture especially in prawn cultivation is slowly showing results. The larger farmers with ponds on their fields will be the first to introduce new technologies, but it is usually these farmers who lead the way ;others will follow and many will get employment. Marketing of fish and prawns is still not a problem as the produce is limited and can easily be sold locally.

47. Community Forestry: Initiatives in collaboration with the Forest Dept. are not progressing with the degree of urgency that is required. One reason could be that there is still some confusion between the functioning of the GSPEC and the CFM-EC. Presently the GSPEC is approving the plans related to private nurseries, farm forestry, agro forestry plots, etc. As an institution, the CFM-EC does not seem to have taken off. Further, while the Forest Department is involved in promoting joint forestry programs which are on forest lands, it is unable to take up similar programs in most of the forested areas surrounding the villages since the land comes under traditional authorities of one tribe or other; in such areas only community forestry is possible.

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48. Health and nutrition: In convergence with the National Rural Health Mission, the project has promoted Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) known as Sahaiyas who have been given appropriate orientation and training and also provided with health care kits with basic medicines to attend to common diseases prevalent in the villages. Health care awareness and orientation trainings have also been given to selected members of PECs, SHGs and village animators, particularly in the areas of mother and child health. Health camps are also regularly organized with support from FNGO and Health Department. Since the last JRM, over 50 health camps/health awareness camps have been organized and more than 4452 patients have been treated as per the figure provided by the project. 3 Health FNGOs have been contracted to provide services exclusively for health and nutrition. The impacts of these interventions are seen in improved health conditions and reduced water borne diseases, which were most common in many of the project villages. The Sahaiyas must be followed up regularly by the health FNGO and their skills upgraded through periodical training programmes; this will help to build the basis for sustainability. It is also recommended that the services of the Health NGOs be continued.

49. World Food Program: The impact of the land and water management interventions through provision of food from the WFP and cash from the Project is clearly the most visible in the Project villages. The impact of this intervention in promoting food security is recognised and appreciated by all the villages. Cash flow from DPIU to PECs to support the food component has improved significantly in the last six months. Fund release from the Government has also improved considerably. Decentralisation of financial power and one time approval of the complete GSRMP for a village has resulted in significant increase in utilisation of WFP food.

50. In the pilot phase villages food distribution is supposed to be closed by the end of this year along

with cash distribution. The PMU/DPIUs/NGOs have to work out the actual quantity required in the pilot phase villages so that the required quantity of WFP rice could be made available in these villages latest by Sept’08 to complete the L&W and Forestry activities in the villages by December 2008 positively.

51. The requirement of WFP rice needs to be commensurate with the annual budget allocation

decided for L&W and CFM activities. At present at the project level, food requirement placed with the WFP is only 54% of the cash budgeted. The figure is presented below:

Annual budget cash vs food (2008-2009) for L&W activities and CFM

Head Cash budget Budget for wages ( after

deducting 20% material

cost

Food requirement in

MT as per budget *

Food requirement

placed by the project

Remarks

L&W activities and CFM (Rs. 12,88,09,720/- for L&W and Rs. 87,39,000/- for CFM

13,75,48,720/-

11,00,38,976/-

5094.397

2748.76

Food budget is 54% of cash budget.(This includes 1048.76 MT balance of rice at the end of March'08)

(*For calculation of food requirement, wage rate Rs.64.80 has been taken in to consideration after deducting 25% labourer’s contribution from Rs.86.40 i.e. current daily wage rate) 52. For optimum utilisation of food, to maintain this cash flow and to complete the activities in the

pilot phase villages within the stipulated time, time bound technical sanction of the schemes as well as timely submission of SOEs/MBs etc from the PECs need to be ensured.

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53. The NGOs should be given a time frame to submit the action plan, complete the activities undertaken and to submit the SOE. This requires to be thoroughly monitored by the DPIUs and PMU. The SOE needs to be submitted having at least 25% of previous instalment balance with the PEC to ensure timely wage payment during the processing of the next instalment.

54. In the pilot phase villages the Mission recommends that: i) there should be further approval of

new schemes especially for L&W and CFM activities after June 2008; ii) Release of sanctioned amount should be done latest by Sept.2008 so that work can start in Oct. 2008 just after monsoon and iii) all the activities related to L&W and CFM should be completed by the end of Dec.2008.

55. At present there are many villages where food payment is due and in many villages there is

surplus rice, which may be spoiled during the rainy season. Beside, this being the agricultural season the villagers need rice particularly during these three months when there is high food insecurity. In rainy season transfer of food commodity is difficult and frequent transfer of food leads to loss of food as well as increased expenses on food handling and transfer. Hence proper planning is required to overcome these hurdles.

56. In pilot phase villages, a decision should be taken during this year about the utilisation of the VDF. Any village, which has spent about 9-10 lakhs of rupees in L&W activities is expected to have about Rs. 2 lakhs in their village development fund. In one of the program villages the people want to deposit one third of the total amount in the bank as a fixed deposit, to give one-third to the SHGs as revolving fund and to keep one-third for maintenance of the assets created under this programme.

C. Empowerment and Technical Capacity Building

57. The strategic focus of this component is to support the poor and women to build confidence first in themselves and gradually to play a role within the home, social spaces and the community as well as to acquire basic technical and managerial skills to set the agenda for their institutions and their livelihood strategies. These are the strengths, which are incorporated in the word “empowerment”. The outcomes and impacts of this component are visible in the quality of management of people institutions, their success in lobbying for resources and managing them effectively, their initiatives to change relations which they view as hurdles to their growth, their success in building balanced gender relations, in their concern for the poor who find it difficult to access, as quickly as others, the benefits introduced by the Project. This component also includes the strategic focus on providing institutional space for the poor not only to acquire one or two livelihood sources from the project, but to develop their own household livelihood strategy which incorporates a number of activities farm on farm and off farm including education, health, paying off high cost debts and trading which they choose to enter into, depending on their priorities and constraints. The institutions the poor promote and their functioning provide them with a sustained basis through which this empowerment is constantly being generated and from which they can access the credit, other inputs and markets which they require to sustain their livelihood strategies which are so diverse and risky that they cannot be standardised or planned successfully from above.

58. The Mission observed that Community based organisations are increasingly taking on responsibilities and sharing the vision of the Program. According to the data collected to record progress in the Log frame, thirty three percent of women SHGs think that their status in the family and outside has improved and are more aware of their role as equals; 48% of leadership positions in the Gram Sabhas are held by women. The confidence of women in public meetings and their skills in public speaking and management of conflict have been growing year on year. This was particularly evident in villages where the SHG groups meetings were held weekly and where members were encouraged to participate in the meetings dynamics. 36% of the women in GS report that their opinions are given due weight in the GS meetings. Several of the GS with whom the Mission interacted emphasised that it is their responsibility to look after the landless and the

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poorest; 4% of the GPs report being successful in accessing Government programs. The SHGs are moving from strength to strength in terms of accessing loans from the Banks, mobilising savings and providing loans whenever needed and maintaining their accounts. Efforts to reduce their drudgery have also gained pace. Though the empowerment of women has progressed significantly, there are still unable to access health care as and when they need and at a close distance. Further while initiatives to reduce drudgery through the provision of rice hulling machines, provision of water sources close to the homes and reduction in head loading have had an impact, the increase in cropping area may add to their work

59. As far as technical capacity building in concerned, this is achieved through: i) upgrading NGO skills to promote and build these community based organisations; ii) identifying and training community level service workers to provide basic services in health, veterinary care, book keeping, agriculture, for a charge so that they will continue even after the program withdraws; iii) develop and use IEC materials to support the trainings mentioned above.

60. The outcomes of these interventions are significant. Village Level Community Service Providers are in place, though more are required. There are 641 animators (322 M & 319 F), 120 Community health Workers (23 M & 96 F), and 198 Village Livestock Workers; some of the Village Livestock Workers with whom the Mission interacted, are being paid for their services; this indicates that the people value their services. 1200 HHs have been trained in fishery and 714 ponds have been stocked with fingerlings; 24 male and 96 female Community health workers have been trained and 135 camps organised where attendance of women children and older people was over 70%. As a result, 38% of HHs have reported increased awareness related to nutrition, sanitation and over-all health; 93% of HHs have immunised their children.

61. As a result of technical support services, 63% of the SHGs report that they can manage their accounts independently, 40% HHs report that they have adopted technologies promoted by the project especially in agriculture and livestock; 26% of HHs report an increase in herd size; 124 villages report that they have benefited from the breeding program. There has been a significant increase (from 1% to 13 %) during the past 9 month in the number of loans taken for livestock, which confirms the reports. 44 PTG families received bullocks as a grant. 2500 HHs vaccinated their animals mainly cattle and goats. In several villages visited by the Mission where vaccination has been provided, it was reported that animals deaths are no longer occurring.

62. The Mission interacted with GPs in all the villages visited; books of accounts and minutes of meetings were also sampled. The GPs are taking the lead in identifying, planning and implementing programs and in receiving food grains and maintaining accounts. Over-all the WFP is satisfied with their record keeping while the financial audit of the GPs is conducted yearly and has shown improvement. There is ample evidence that the GPs are functioning to the satisfaction of both men and women.

63. There has been a significant improvement in providing legal awareness on Tribal rights and entitlements. During the last year 23 legal awareness camps have been conducted and 10 exposure visits organised on issues related to land and human rights, Women Atrocities Act, Forest Rights, PESA, Child rights ST/SC Atrocity Act, Right to Information Act and NREGA.

64. The impact of Institutional capacity building of SHGs is visible. The members are linked by affinity and economic homogeneity. They have observed certain norms and conventions of behaviour, imposed sanctions on those who do not comply and set up and maintained an organisational structure that requires change in leadership, records of attendance and decisions taken related to savings lending and recoveries. They have gone further to influence better gender relations in the home and lobbied for change in the GPs. Finally several of the SHGs have joined together and gone into marketing. The SHGs have provided the credit that each family requires to develop a livelihood strategy that enables it to cope with risks and diversity and to invest in income generating activities at its own pace and when options emerge. An analysis of the loans taken by each member in 4 SHGs (from 2004 to 2008 March) indicates that the loans started small but have grown (from Rs 100 to Rs 5000), a number of loans have been taken by each member (from 6 to 22), a good number of loans are for health and trading. Loans for agriculture,

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livestock and education, which were very few, are showing an increasing trend. This shows an increase in confidence to develop and invest in a livelihood strategy as a result of training received in skills, management and supported by investment in the project area.

65. Though technical capacity building has played a major role in empowering the poor and women, there are still gaps, which could have been identified if there was a planned strategy for training. For example the initiatives taken to develop an adequate number of master trainers and resource persons at the village level who can impart training have not been adequate. Though the Program has developed some IEC materials the Mission suggests that a simple pictorial manual could be designed for the use of PECs and SHGs. There has not been adequate training to improve the process of documentation and social audit. Training to add value to products especially of NTFP items is lacking. Linkages with the Jharkhand Legal Service Authority need to be enhanced. The Mission recommends that a compendium of Tribal Rights and Entitlements be published and that FNGOs who are not familiar with the rights based approach be given orientation in this important area.

66. NGO training is closely associated to implementation performance in the project design. The project reports that NGOs in this project have been trained in participatory planning process and oriented about participatory monitoring and withdrawal strategy. However, the Mission observed that NGOs have differential capacity levels. At this stage of the project, the NGOs need to go through different modules of training to address the needs of the beneficiaries at different stages of development in the pilot and scale up villages most urgently. Broadly, the project should focus on the following training areas for NGOs: i) Upgrading skills in institution capacity building of Clusters and Federations; ii) how to upscale the capacity and number of service providers; iii) how to facilitate convergence with Government schemes; iv) how to support producer and marketing groups to add value and scale to their products and to pilot various models of marketing including cadre based, producer companies, cluster and competitive bidding at village level by traders on a fixed day; v) how to facilitate the GSPECs to maintain the infrastructure created vi) how to assess impact and equity in terms of benefits to users as a result of the infrastructure created under land and water management structures; vii) how to add value to existing and newly created structures within a farming systems perspective (E.g. integrated systems in ponds; fish rearing in water channels, short duration legumes and vegetables in farm bunds, etc). In addition, performance assessment of NGOs should be also used as a tool to develop as well as improve NGO training modules.

67. Gender: Building, more balanced gender relations in the home and in public spaces a major cross cutting objective of the Project. This is a major dimension of “empowerment”. There has been significant progress in gender mainstreaming of the project activities. The project has also mainstreamed the M&E system by collecting gender specific data. Men and Women are equally given preference in the training of programmes conducted except for trainings conducted for animators and for aquaculture. Surveys conducted by the Project shows that 20 % women are asserting their rights, and this could be confirmed in the villages where women reported that they have started going to the Block to demand services and schemes and to assert their rights. Women also mentioned that their decision making power has improved within their own homes and as representatives of the Gram Sabha and PEC members after being members of SHGs. Similarly, the project reports about 36.7 % women improving their decision making power, 33 % Women in SHGs of being aware of women’s role; overall 48% women are in leadership positions. Apart from credit through SHGs, the project has initiated providing insurance cover to women in SHGs and PTGs under different subsidised insurance schemes, most of which are life cover schemes. Furthermore the project has also initiated block level legal awareness programme by converging with Jharkhand Legal Services Authority and District Legal Service Authority.

68. The GS organised meetings in the villages to meet with the Mission. It was clear that over the past three years the progress in women’s confidence and participation is public proceedings had increased significantly. The participation of women was more evident in the Pilot Phase villages and than in the Scale Up villages; in the latter case there were villages where women are still hesitant to speak. The NGOs have set a healthy practice to select only women to present the

20

reports in the GS, at least when visitors come. This has given women a new public profile, which is different from their traditional roles like welcoming the visitors and dancing to celebrate the event. The Mission noticed that where women are more assertive, the men tend to fade into the background. It will take time for them to get accustomed to the new public roles that women are increasingly playing. The recent spurt of men’s SHGs is a good sign; it is necessary to help men to be pro-active in establishing a better gender balance before they begin to feel marginalised and insecure.

D. Livelihood Enhancement

69. The Project’s strategy to enhance livelihood opportunities and the potential of the poor to use them has six major dimensions; i) Empowerment and all it implies as described above (para 57); ii) creating institutional spaces like SHGs which provide each member with the space to take decisions regarding the size, purpose and time of loans, the choice of livelihood activities and market systems so that his/her livelihood strategy can be supported; iii) investing in infrastructure like irrigation, water bodies, land management and in promoting NTFPs especially lac which create potential for livelihood investments; iv) promoting linkages with institutions providing technical support and other inputs including finance; v) building the technical skills of village service providers in order that services will continue to be accessible and vi) changing policy mainly related to access to forest products, land and credit.

70. Empowerment: The outcome and impact of investment in institutional capacity building and technical support has been described in the previous part (57).

71. Institutional spaces: As far as creating institutional spaces for the poor to develop their livelihood strategies is concerned the SHGs and marketing bodies like Clusters and Producer Companies are playing a role. The SHGs are playing a major role in providing Loans for Livelihoods as shown below: (Figures in brackets indicate status at previous mission).

72. SHGs: In Chaibasa the 411 SHGs have a total common fund of Rs 13.4 million (Rs 9.9 m). The cumulative number of loans given is 11875 (10681) for an amount of Rs 18.9 m (Rs 15.6 m). The purpose for which loans are given are as follows: Business/trading 37% (44%), Agriculture 20% (20%), consumption including education 31% (30%), livestock 8% (1%) and assets 4% (5%). The number of SHGs linked to Banks is 138 (129) for a total loan of Rs 4.7m ( Rs 2.21 m ). 134 SHGs received a sum of Rs 1.1 million as seed capital.

73. In Ranchi the 413 SHGs have a total common fund of Rs 7.2 million (n.a.). The total number of loans given is 8416 (4288) for a total amount of Rs 2.3 m ( Rs 1.7 m) The purposes for which loans are given are as follows: Business/trading 34%(n.a.), Agriculture 13%(n.a., consumption including education 39%(n.a. ), livestock 10% (1%.), NTFP 1.7% (n.a.). The number of SHGs linked to Banks is 25 (n.a.), for a total loan amount of Rs 2.8 m (n.a.). 226 SHGs received a sum of Rs 8.7 million as seed capital.

74. The above data shows significant increase in the performance of SHGs in providing credit support for livelihoods since the last Mission. Loans for livestock have increased both in Ranchi and Chaibasa, However, the Mission repeats its concern which was stated in the last Supervision, namely: the timely collection, consolidation and analysis of SHG data and feedback to the field is critical to plan focused interventions to support livelihood choices. This has not been given due importance in both DPIUs, but particularly in Ranchi, where the performance is poor and needs to be addressed urgently. There is no awareness that the analysis of the trends in the purposes and size of loans is important to assess the degree of support required to upscale and add value to livelihoods and to plan a strategy for the future. The Mission recommends that the Program uses the software NAB-YUKTI developed by NABARD to consolidate and analyse SHG data and to use this analysis as a basis for planning interventions to upscale and add value to peoples livelihood options..

75. The SHGs are not jut another category of institutions; they reflect the key objective of the program namely to promote self help. Hence other interventions need to strengthen this objective.

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There are reports from Chaibasa that some inputs in agriculture, in lac cultivation and even in forestry are provided free to families who are not landless or PTGs. This weakens the thrust towards self help. These practices need to be brought in line with the agreed proportion of contribution to be made in various activities as laid out in the Appraisal and modified in the MTR.

76. Livelihood Strategies: SHGs do not only provide loans for livelihoods; they also provide space for

each member to develop their livelihood strategies. An analysis of the purposes of loans taken by the members of two SHGs gives an indication of how each member develops her/his own livelihood strategy with the support of the SHG which allows her/him to borrow for what he/she needs at a particular point of time to cope with food security, sudden emergencies or for investment in income generating activities. There is ample evidence that the poor like most farmers and other entrepreneurs will always need to borrow since they need to invest up front; the returns come later, after the product arrives.

77. An analysis of the loans taken in two SHGs shows that each member requires loans for different purposes, in different sizes and at different times. Hence the official strategy to provide one or two income generating activities does not fit in easily with their livelihood strategies. Secondly the purposes include trading, health, house repair, education, marriage and household expenses, which are all required but for which Banks do not lend. Families would have borrowed for these purposes from private moneylenders at high interest rates. This was avoided. Thirdly, families have multiple sources of income including farming, many of them a seasonal; many of them require funds up front. Hence they require loans throughout the year and every year. The objective of financing institutions therefore should not be just to provide one or two loans usually with a subsidy under some scheme, but to establish a long term relationship with the borrower who will require regular loans every year. Unfortunately most Bank branches are far from the villages, many have stopped giving loans and are unable to function due to the threat from Maoists. Hence the needs for an alternate financial system like the SHGs and the Bank linkage. The constant need for loans may reflect a constant state of indebtedness, but it is the normal state of life for those involved in seasonal occupations throughout the world. There is nothing wrong with indebtedness unless risks are not covered and it becomes a spiral due to inferior quality of inputs, wrong decisions, bad weather or falling prices.

78. Clusters of SHGs are beginning to provide the support for marketing of agricultural products

directly in nearby towns. There is good potential for this model to spread as it has the following advantages: i) its provides freedom for different members to come together when they require to market in bulk. There is no fixed marketing group. ii) the overheads are low when compared to those of a Producer company which needs support staff and infrastructure. One Producer Company has been formed to manage NTFPs and agricultural commodities in bulk like paddy and tisi but it has still to get off the ground. It needs a large infusion of capital.

79. Investment in land and water management and infrastructure: There has been a major investment

in land and water management through WPF and cash from the project. This has helped to increase the livelihood options and productivity. The impact of the land and water management interventions through provision of food from the WFP and cash from the Project is clearly the most visible in the Project villages. The impact of this intervention in promoting food security is recognised and appreciated by all the villages. Cash flow from DPIU to PEC to support the food component has improved significantly in the last six months. Fund release from the Government has also improved considerably. Decentralisation of financial power and one time approval of the complete GSRMP for a village has resulted in significant increase in utilisation of WFP food.

80. Both the DPIUs have supported initiatives taken by NGOs and CBOs to enhance investment in

and management of NTFPs especially lac which is a traditional activity and a major source of income. Asmita was identified as a resource NGO in Ranchi DPIU. After training, 13.35 Quintals of brooder lac was distributed to 383 farmers in 23 villages. In Chaibasa .782 Quintals of brooder lac was distributed to 150 farmers.

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81. Forestry and Horticulture: Though cooperation with the Forest Department has not proceeded as

planned, initiatives have been taken to supply horticultural and timber species for plantation on non-Forestlands. In Ranch 1113 HHs in 48 villages (including 6 PTG villages) have been provided with saplings; the families have contributed Rs 20,147/- in cash. In Chaibasa 825 HHs have been provided with saplings of timber and horticulture; however no contribution has been mobilized from the HHs.

82. Promoting Linkages: technical, financial, marketing and insurance:

Linkages between CBOs and supporting institutions are essential for sustainability. The SHG Bank Linkage Program is progressing in both DPIUs. JREDA is providing technical support for alternate energy and deep well boring. The Depts of Fisheries and directorate of Fisheries Ranchi and Dhurba Fish farm have supported aquaculture and integrated fish farming. Birsa Agricultural University has supported livestock breeding. ICRISAT has introduced new varieties of pigeon pea, groundnut and chickpea, JTDS has arranged for potato seeds (Kufri Sinduri). A significant initiative of the project management has been to cover HHs under life and health Insurance. Both Private and Government Insurance Companies are involved. 1543 HHs have been covered in Ranchi and 894 in Chaibasa. The Jharkhand Legal Service Authority and the District Legal Service Authority have been brought in to provide legal advice on matters related to natural resources, gender and land. In all cases the Project management has brought the CBOs concerned in direct contact with the technical service providers so that they can continue these linkages on their own.

83. Village Level Community service providers: These service providers are critical to support

livelihood strategies as the program scales down and withdraws. There are 641 animators (322 M and 319 F) who generally report to the Clusters. Their role is to strengthen the CBOs and to mentor them. At present they are paid a honorarium from the project. It is not clear how they will be supported once the project withdraws. This needs to be addressed. The 120 Community health Workers (23 M & 96 F) can be appointed as Sahaiyas and linked to the National Rural Health Mission. Many of the 198 Village Livestock Workers are charging for their services. Others need to start doing so.

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SECTION 3

SUMMARY OF PROJECT STATUS AND RATINGS

A. Basic data :

Country India Project ID 1063 Loan/Grant No. IN-506 Project Jharkhand Tribal Development Programme Supp.

Loan/Grant

Date of Update:

30-Jul-08 Last Supervision June –July 2008

Financing terms F

Supervising Inst. IFAD No. of

Supervisions 4

USD million Disb.rate%

Approval 29/04/1999 Quality at entry rating 3 Total

costs 42%

Agreement 13/03/2001 Effectiveness lag IFAD loan

Effectiveness 21/06/2001 Problem project DFID Grant

MTR 28/02/2006 IFAD grant

Current completion Last

Amendment Domestic

Current closing 31/12/2009 Last Audit 17/08/2007 Co financing

No. of extensions Co

financiers Government of Orissa

DFID

B. Project Performance Ratings:

B.1 Fiduciary Aspects Last Current B.2 Project implementation progress Last Current

1. Quality of financial management 4 4 1. Quality of project management 4 5

2. Acceptable disbursement rate 3 4 2. Performance of M&E 3 4

3. Counterpart funds 3. Coherence between AWPB & implementation 3 4

4. Compliance with loan covenants 4 5 4. Gender focus 5 6

5. Compliance with procurement 4 5 5. Poverty focus 5 6

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6. Quality and timeliness of audits 4 5 6. Effectiveness of targeting approach 5 5

7. Innovation and learning 4 5

B.3 Outputs and outcomes

Allocated budget (USD

million)

% of totalCumulative expenditure (USD million)

Last Current

1. Actual outputs/component 1 Beneficiary Empowerment and Capacity Building [Describe component title]

2.576 17.30 0.650

2. Actual outputs/component 2 Livelihoods Systems Enhancement [Describe component title]

9.145 61.44 2.862

3. Actual outputs/component 5 Programme Management [Describe component title]

3.163 21.26 2.760

4. Actual outputs/component 5 Food Handling [Describe component title] *Last three years (2005-6,06-07,07-08)

2106 MT (Rice)

96 MT (Pulse)

1495.14 MT (Rice)

100.78MT

(Pulse)

70.994

104.98

Remarks because of

15.097 MT

opening balance in April’05

cum. utilisation

is more than

allocation

B.4 Sustainability Last Current B.5 Impact Last Current

1. Institution building (organizations, etc.) 5 5 1. Physical/financial assets 5

2. Empowerment 6 6 2. Food security 5

3. Quality of beneficiary participation 5 5 3. Increase in incomes 4

4. Responsiveness of service providers 5 4. Policy impact 3

5. Exit strategy (readiness and quality) 4

6. Potential for scaling up and replication 5

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B.6 Partnerships

B.7 In-loan grant (only if applicable and if funding specific activities not funded by the loan) Last Current

[Describe main achievements and issues]

C. Overall Assessment and Risk Profile Last Current

C 1 Overall implementation progress (Sections B1 and B2) 4 5

C 2 Likelihood of achieving the development objectives (section B 3 and B4) 4 5

C 3 Risks Short description of major risks for each section and their impact on achievement of development objectives and sustainability

Fiduciary aspects

The project is following the covenants of the loan agreement related to financial and procurement management. Financial management practices are as per the financial management guidelines developed by the programme, and procurement procedures as per IFAD procurement guidelines. Disbursement of funds to the beneficiaries are being done regularly contingent on submission of SOE of previous disbursements. The above practices have reduced and contained fiduciary risk of the programme.

Project implementation progress

Project implementation progress was slow as a result of significantly low release of funds against the AWPB for the first 3 years of implementation. Thereafter, despite releasing funds as per the AWPB, the release and sanction of funds for activities was centralised resulting in slow implementation progress. Since the last one-year these impediments have been removed by the Project and hence a significant project implementation progress observed for the last nine months.

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Outputs and outcomes

The outcome and impacts of Beneficiary empowerment and Technical Capacity building are visible in the quality of people institutions, their success in lobbying for resources and managing them effectively, their initiatives to change relations which they view as hurdles to their growth, their success in building balanced gender relations, in their concern for the poor who find it difficult to access, as quickly as others, the benefits introduced by the project. Community based organisations are increasingly taking on responsibilities and sharing the vision of the Programme. The programme would need to generate more outputs against appraisal targets with respect to Livelihoods Systems Enhancement component. Outcomes in major components already emerging, such as income increase, food sufficiency levels, reduction in labour migration, and women’s perception of change in their social and economic conditions. There is significant increase in household food security in some of the pilot villages, which have experienced the impact of increased investment in land and water resources for two years due to programme interventions. About 20 to 30% reported double cropping of paddy as a result of availability of irrigation water. There has been an 50 –60% increase in yield for both kharif and rabi crops as a result of the intervention on land and water management.

Sustainability

The institutions promoted by the programme are the GPs and the SHGs and more recently the Clusters of 5 to 15 SHGs; there are also plans for Federations of these clusters. GS PECs promoted by the programme have the features of an institution, but their sustainability is of major concern. The GPs are not recognised as formal institution since election have not been held even through the GPs have been notified. Once elections are held, parties will enter the village and the elected GP members may not be the same as those in the present GP. Since people have hand the experience of the functioning of the informal GPs and since they are organised, they would be more willing and able to pressurise and monitor the formal GPs when constituted so that they work transparently, with the participation of all and with the systems of accounting and auditing. GPs functioning at present would not be financially sustainable since they would not receive funds from the Government. The elected GPs would receive these funds, which would ensure their financial sustainability. Common interest groups do not possess the main features required for sustainability. They should be brought under the purview of the GSPECs or the Clusters which could help the families to select the activity which they find most appropriate and to support them to develop a livelihood strategy while building up their self confidence and management skills. Those willing could be formed into SHGs; the members could be motivated to start savings with a small amount but regularly in order to build a savings culture.

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D. Follow-up Action will be undertaken in the next three months. It may be mentioned that all the recommendations have been accepted by the PMU.

Main Issue/problem Agreed Follow-up Action Timing Responsibility Status

1. Completion and disbursement of the budget (especially at the village level) planned for the year

Identify personnel in DPIUs and FNGOs to monthly monitor submission of SOEs and submit action taken report to the State Programme Director (SPD). Complete pending technical and financial sanctioning of proposals by DPIU and PMU.

August 2008 PMU and DPIU

2. Sustainability of institution and livelihoods of beneficiaries and the infrastructure provided through land and water management activities especially those in the villages from which the programme was withdrawing in 2008-2009.

a) Strengthen local NGO capacity according to their requirements to support CBOs in areas related to sustainability after the programme withdraws b) Promote sustainable marketing models c) Support for NGOs willing to stay in the area for 2 years after project ends.

March 2009

March 2009

March 2009

PMU

PMU

PMU

3. The urgency of upscaling initiatives to promote the livelihoods of the PTGs, landless and poorest and balanced gender relations together with a reduction of drudgery among women.

a) Employ more women staff in the JTDS and FNGOs b) Joint workshops to have clarity on equity issues c) Provide land, livestock and assets to PTGs and landless without contribution up front while encouraging them to form SHGs and to return part of income/progeny to the GSPEC. d) Make the GSPECs responsible for selecting IG activities for landless and PTGs and providing support to make them productive and profitable. Provide funds through GSPECs.

March 2009

March 2009

March 2009

March 2009

PMU

PMU

PMU, DPIUs, NGOs

PMU, DPIUs, NGOs

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4. The need tfor convergence not only with various interventions from Government (particularly NREGA) and private institutions but also among the project’s components.

a) Conduct Joint workshops for landless, PTGs, FNGOs, JTDS on convergence b) Special Training workshops on NREGA, Forest Rights, RTI, Social Audit

March 2009

March 2009

PMU, DPIU

PMU, DPIUs

5. The proposal to cover at least double the number of households through the SHGs than at present.

Double the number of SHGs to 1600

March 2009 PMU, DPIUs nd NGOs

6. The need to upgrade skills of NGOs especially the local ones and to identify their roles after the project withdraws.

a) Produce Advocacy materials on Right based approach to upgrade skills of FNGOs b) Redesign Training Strategy to promote sustainability – focus on Clusters, Village level service providers, business promoters, social audit c) Train on Process Documentation for all stakeholders including FNGOs

March 2009 PMU / DPIU

7. The need to improve the performance in implementing the M&E system down to the Community based organisations.

a) Development of common MIS database, pattern of analysis of data and reporting format for DPIUs and PMU. b) Complete Performance Assessment of NGOs, and introduction of Spider/web diagramming to GS PECs and use of Self-monitoring tool by SHGs.

August 2008

December 2008

PMU/DMU

M & E Coordinator at

the PMU & DPIU

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8. An exit strategy that would take into consideration the sustainability of peoples institutions and their livelihood strategy.

a) Joint workshop to work out a strategy for withdrawal and sustainability. b) Exposure visit to successful Producer’s Company, Clusters and Federations c) Designing Business Plan for each cluster of SHGs/villages d) Ensure that all grant based activities move towards loans

March 2009

March 2009

March 2009

March 2009

PMU

PMU

PMU

PMU

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SECTION 4

AACCTTIIOONN TTAAKKEENN RREEPPOORRTT

S.N. Recommendations and Actions Required

By Whom By When Follow up-Action taken

1. Fund Flow and Disbursement: Disburse funds to the villages based on quarterly requirement of funds instead of sanctioning each and every programme activities for better fund utilization. At the same time the FNGOs and JTDS staff would monitor withdrawal of funds, and expenditure during their village visits, through verification of sites, records, including bank passbooks. The work done in the villages should be audited based on quarterly statement of expenditure on a half yearly basis.

PMU & DPIU

As soon as possible

PMU: Since last supervision mission Rs.11.55 Crore has been released to both the DPIUs for smooth flow of fund to PEC for implementation of GSRMP activities at village level. DPIU:DPIU in turn has enhanced the disbursement of fund by releasing more than 80 % of GSRMP fund to GSPEC.FNGOs and JTDS staffs Monitors the fund utilization as per recommendation. The PEC sends the Statement of Expenditure on the basis of utilization of fund on quarterly basis. The Statement are supported by the photocopy of Muster roll and other vouchers as necessary which is checked and verified on the desk and field. Annual audit of Work done in the villages by external auditor, is already in practice since very beginning of the programme.

2. Village Planning and AWPB: Revise the process of village planning on pilot and scale-up villages based on the number of households and watershed area to be treated to improve allocation of funds, and quality of village level annual work plan and budget showing prioritized activities based on log frame targets.

PMU As soon as possible

AWPB (08-09) was prepared on the basis of no. of household and watershed area..

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3. Project Staff:

Full-time Programme Staff including the State Programme Director

Board of Management

By beginning of next fiscal year.

Matter has been put-up to BOD for decision.

4. To retain skilled and trained staff in the project the Mission recommends that the staff’s current remuneration and incentives (such as DSA) be revised and made at par with other IFAD projects, or similar projects of other development agencies in neighbouring states. This would motivate staff to work with increasing workload as a result of expansion of the project in risk prone far-flung areas. However, in order to arrive at a desired remuneration package, a comparative assessment of staff remuneration of other development projects operating in the region should be done.

PMU & Board of Management

As soon as possible

Matter has been put up before BOD for consideration.

5. Withdrawal Strategy: Experience elsewhere indicates that if the Clusters emerge as expected they would be able to respond to emerging needs of people for which they can pay a service charge. However it is recommended that till the Clusters are able to consolidate their position as reliable service providers, it might be necessary for the Project to pay the animators; this could be for a period of three years after the withdrawal of the NGO. The animators should report to the Cluster,

PMU & DPIU & NGOs

As soon as possible

PMU: The cluster representatives have been oriented and taken for exposure to self-sufficient clusters and federation (MYRADA) so that they are able to develop their own vision for developing structure like CMRC in MYRADA. Even Withdrawal concept discussed with DPIU and assigned to develop withdrawal policy by considering the sustainability and effectiveness of the programme. DPIU: SHG and PEC cluster at block level are being promoted. Regular cluster meeting/Sammelan going on to bring the SHG solidarity and affinity among the members. Animators have been attending the SHG cluster meetings and have been helping the institutions for its management, record keeping and

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which in turn reports on their performance to the project. The monthly stipend could be enhanced to Rs.800-Rs.1000, and transferred to the Cluster, which in turn would pay the Animator. It may be necessary for the Project to provide some incentive to the NGOs to stay in the area for at least three years to mentor the Clusters, and to support the non-traditional IG activities of SHG members which are just emerging.

book writing. Cluster members have been facilitated to pay the animators for their service after the withdrawal of the project. If the project period will be extended Project would provide incentive to the NGOs to stay in the area for next three years to mentor the Clusters, FNGOs: FNGO are also requested to devise their own strategy for Withdrawal from the area.

6. Scaling out: The possibility of expanding to more number of villages within existing districts to increase disbursement and utilization of project funds was also considered as an option during the wrap-up meeting. It is recommended that the project needs to make an assessment for such scaling-out based on the current number of households and villages to be covered by the project, allocation of funds in the villages, and capacity of the villages to utilize the funds.

PMU & DPIU

As soon as possible

Matter put up before BOD.

7. NGO Services: The Mission recommends that the project conduct annual assessment of NGO performance in a participatory manner. This assessment exercise should involve community members as well. This should go side by side with project staff appraisal by NGOs, communities and

PMU & DPIU

As soon as possible

Complied and Specialized agency engaged.

33

management. To facilitate the process of assessment, each NGO may be encouraged to have a definite weekly plan of action for each cluster of villages, which is to be reviewed along with project staff during monthly meetings.

8. Purposes of Loans to Members: Some of the farm related potential activities listed by the village people which they see potential in are: tamarind processing, tasar silk weaving, lac processing, clothes stitching, leaf plate making with machines. The Project staff would do well to take these suggestions further and to arrange for the skills training, market linkages, design and other inputs required. However, for a more systematic strategy to emerge in promoting IG activities, especially now in the scaling up phase where a large number of villages are covered, it is necessary to collect data on the purpose of loans from all Blocks which needs to be analyzed to pick out patterns in these activities NABARD has come out with software called NAB-YUKTI, which serves this purpose. The Mission suggests that NABARD be approached for this software (which is provided free of cost) and this suggestion was well taken by all members present in the wrap-up meeting.

PMU & DPIU

As soon as possible

I. PMU:JTDS approached NABARD regarding NABYUKTI, but it is still in testing and not released for open source . Meanwhile JTDS has installed own CPMIS. II. DPIU :Loan Analysis is being done on regular basis on each quarter or in six months. The data is analyzed for developing understanding on the demand of loan by the SHGs and the area of support for capacity building.

JTDS staff are coordinating Regular IGA trainings and exposure in ILRI, Plandu, HARP, ATC Namkum, RKM, BAU on several sectors such as Lac, Horticulture, Livestock, Vegetable, Mushroom etc. are conducted.

9. Monitoring and PMU & As soon as PMU/DPIU:The logframe has been

34

Evaluation: The M&E system of the Programme should be up and running as soon as possible. Furthermore the Programme should strengthen community based monitoring system in the villages, to create accountability and ownership over project activities. This should lead to the process of validating Land and Water management works by the community members, including facilitating social and compliance auditing of quarterly activities and expenditures. Simultaneously, concurrent impact and benefit assessment should be continued.

DPIU possible revised for out put and outcome based reporting. CPMIS. developed by AFC has installed in PMU and DPIUs where SHG data on priority basis being entered . Process of Peer group assessment and social audit had been developed earlier and community institutions being oriented on the same for using it at larger and wider scale. Even some more participatory monitoring tools have been developed and being tested for using it at GS/PEC/SHG level for enabling the community. Besides, Project activity-rating system suggested by IFAD also introduced for effectiveness and sustainability monitoring.. DPIU: Impact and benefit analysis has been completed for key activities by Component Incharge and would be continued.

10. Ensure convergence of NREGS for Land and Water Management activities so that residual project funds from this component can be used for capacity building of village level service providers.

Issue of convergence with NREGA taken up in BOD, SPCC & DPCC meetings. Even Dy. Commissioners are requested for supporting the convergence initiative of the society .

11. Recruit two livestock specialist in the two DPIUs instead of one in the PMU, and fill-up the vacant positions as soon as possible.

PMU & DPIU

By the end of this year

Two posts for Livestock Specialist in DPIUs has been created and put up for concurrence to BOD, But keeping in view the opportunity of convergence with the Animal Husbandry Department, BOD suggested to take the services from Department itself instead of recruiting new LDO.

12. Ensure that NGO staff are paid the staff salary as per the contractual agreement with the NGOs. This issue needs to be address soon once and for all.

PMU & DPIU

By the end of this year

Issue has been shared with FNGOs to pay the salary to staff as per the contract agreement. FNGO have given assurance to follow the rules of contractual agreement. This issue will be taken up again after getting FNGO’s performance assessment report.

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13. Strengthen the project learning systems and begin documentation of successful processes and interventions. This should reflect in the annual and biannual report of the project. The mission is of the view that, the food for work should feature as an agenda for discussion in all monthly meetings held in the DPIU as part of the learning system.

PMU & DPIU

As soon as possible

PMU: Knowledge management plan has been prepared which will be strengthening the internal knowledge learning system by sharing successful case studies which have been documented, sharing community experiences and innovation through quarterly news letter (Janbhagidari). A collection of success story published in April 2008.Even in annual report case studies and success stories are added for reference and show the impact of the programme. DPIU: In the monthly meeting at DPIU level experiences of food for work are shared by FNGOs as a regular feature.

14. Increase the number of

field visits of PMU staff to villages to improve monitoring and quality assurance of project activities and results.

PMU As soon as possible

Complied

15. Train PECs to facilitate the whole village to conduct social audits every quarter and document the process.

PMU, DPIU & NGOs

As soon as possible

Process taken up. Trainings are being conducted for PEC on Social Audit in regular basis. FNGOs are also directed to take initiatives on their own to Institutionalize the Social Audit concept. Follow up process are being done.

16. Improvement in convergence with line agencies was a recommendation of the previous mission. Increase Convergence of Government schemes, and promote linkage of project villages with Agricultural University research and extension. District Programme Co-ordination Committee should have a meeting once every quarter to address issues related to convergence of Government schemes and programmes.

PMU As soon as possible

Convergence workshop with Govt. Officials, Agricultural University, Veterinary College, Fishery Department and Soil and conservation Deptt.,Healt Deptt,NABARD etc. Conducted every six months for technical support. Besides DPCC and SPCC being held regularly.

36

17. The project beneficiaries

are receiving WFP wages, however there is still shortfall in savings of SHG members which the project needs to analyze and explain.

PMU & DPIU

As soon as possible

Facilitation to SHG members for better management of group fund is being taken up for increasing their savings., Analysis is being done by MFO

18. Institution building should continue for SHGs, Clusters/federations, CIGs and Gram Sabhas. More importantly increase the number of trainings related to technology, business management, and organized marketing and procurement for Common Interest Groups.

PMU & DPIU

Should start by next quarter

Formation of new SHG and strengthening of new as well as old SHG through capacity building is going on.

Formation of Gram Sabha and PEC in the Scale up villages is going on. Capacity building of PEC in pilot and scale-up villages is on going. Clusterization and capacity building process for SHG and PEC are being done. Services of MART for collective marketing IS taken .Farming System Specialist(DPIU-R & DPIU-C), Training Coordinator(DPIU-C) ,PMO (DPIU-R) and Micro Finance Specialist have been trained on Agriculture marketing /Markets & Marketing for Livelihood Practitioner from PARIVARTAN, Delhi and MRDS Shilong .To institutionalize the concept both the DPMs are also sent for attending the training on Rural Marketing organized by MART in Bhubneshwar.

19. Ensure immediate lifting of rice from the FCI to the villages and promote more equitable distribution of cash and food disbursal. Wherever, there is food stored in villages for a long time, project should initiate activities to distribute the food.

DPIU As soon as possible

DPIU-Ranchi: Timely lifting of allocated food grains are ensured now. Immediate lifting of total received foodgrains 968 MT from FCI has also appreciated by WFP. .

20. Village where weighing machines have not been provided; these villages need to be provided with weighing machines at the earliest.

DPIU As soon as possible

Weighing scales have been provided to all the villages.

21. Promote extensive use of low-cost organic manure

PMU & DPIU

As soon as possible

PRDIS engaged in promoting the FFS and while promoting the FFS,

37

in crop production among proper farmers after assessing cost-benefits of different models demonstrated by lead farmers.

application of low cost organic manure in the field would be special focus. Vermicomposting for promoting organic farming are being done in every villages.

22. Promote integrated systems (e.g. fishery-duckery-piggery or fisher-cum-duckery) with farmers’ participation.

PMU & DPIU

Work to begin by next quarter & included next AWPB

Initiation for promotion of integrated fish farming has been started.

HoD Fishery Department ,BAU and Faculty of Veterinary college are consulted for integrated fishery model.

23. Improve livestock

feeding system with specific focus on stall-feeding.

DPIU As soon as possible

Orientation and motivation training have been given to VLW and CFMEC for introducing stall-feeding, grazing rules etc.

24. Promote aquaculture and related integrated systems through Farmer Field Schools (FFS). The Mission feels that overall FFSs are not widely promoted by the project as envisaged in the project design.

PMU & DPIU

As soon as possible

PMU : PRDIS engaged for promoting FFS in programme area. DPIU:CIG/FFS on aquaculture has been promoted in the pilot phase villages and process of facilitation is going on in scale up villages also.

25. Develop micro enterprise of existing NTFPs and identify potential ones (e.g. Lac and Honey) for further value addition. Hire a private service provider to do a turnkey project as soon as possible for NTFP value addition and marketing.

PMU & DPIU

As soon as possible

MART has been engaged for developing collective marketing models in the selected villages. Initial study by MART has already been conducted and report submitted to society.

26. Initiate the process of farmer-to-farmer extension by conducting cross-visits within and between village clusters.

PMU & DPIU

As soon as possible

For cross learning, exposure visit, are being conducted within the project villages. SHG & PEC Sammelan were also organized where farmers & SHG members from all the districts shared their experience.PEC Cluster meeting are also being organized.

27. Conduct more training

for Community Health Workers and ensure regular replenishment of medicine for the medical

PMU & DPIU

As soon as possible

05 HFNGOs are commissioned for implementing the health programme. Training of CHVs is scheduled by partner HFNGOs. Process of networking has been done with NRHM and CINI for technical capacitating of

38

kit; and devise a strategy for sustained linkage with primary health care centers wherever operational.

and CINI for technical capacitating,of the Health NGOs and CHVs, health camps and awareness generation.

28. Use IFAD RIMS reporting forms for reporting results, and a common status report outline for both DPIUs and the PMU.

PMU Beginning with Current Year’s Annual Report

Complied.

29. Create common health fund within the villages to support CHVs, and access suitable health insurance schemes involving CHVs wherever possible.

PMU & DPIU

Beginning Next quarter and included in next AWPB

PMU: Provision of medicines for each of the villages has already been made in the Health Component of the programme , which is being implemented by Health FNGO asper the New AWPB. Besides Health Insurance also Taken Up.

30. Conduct awareness programme in village or cluster centres for women (particularly expecting and lactating women) on the benefits of consumption of wholesome foods largely made up of seasonal local vegetables, including improved sanitary conditions, and improved housing with better ventilation.

DPIU As soon as possible

All HFNGOs and FNGOs are involved in creating awareness among women in SHG,GS ( pregnant and Lactating) for consumption of Healthy and nutritious food,Sanitation and Hygeine. These issues have been putup through counseling, meeting and Nukkad Natak .

31. Promote socially acceptable low cost toilets/sanitation facilities.

DPIU As soon as possible

DPIU and FNGOs have been instructed to promote low cost toilet/sanitation facilities in the villages.Action have been taken by the DPIUs on this matter and TSC /JEPC are coordinated for the model development. Besides, Households already been identified for installing low cost toilets.

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SECTION 5 : FIELD REPORTS

Annexure I Proceeding of the meeting held on 01/07/2008 between Hon’ble Chief Minister, Govt. of Jharkhand and IFAD’s Joint Review Mission Team During IFAD’s Joint Review Mission Team visit to Jharkhand Tribal Development Programme Area (from 20th June’08 – 2nd July’08) on 01-07-2008 the JRM team members meet Hon’ble Chief Minister and discussed major issues regarding JTDP. Presence in the meeting:

1. Sri Madhu Kora, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Govt. of Jharkhand. 2. Sri A. K. Basu (IAS), Chief Secretary, Govt. of Jharkhand. 3. Sri Sukhdeo Singh (IAS), Principal Secretary to CM, Jharkhand. 4. Sri Anirudh Tewari (IAS), Country Field Presence Coordinator, IFAD, New Delhi. 5. Sri B. C. Nigam (IFS), Special Secretary, Dept. of Welfare, Govt. of Jharkhand. 6. Dr. P. C. Oraon, State Programme Director, JTDS. 7. Sri Aloysius Fernandez, Team Leader, JRM. 8. Sri Shaheel Rafique, Team Member, JRM. 9. Sri Vincent Darlong, Team Member, JRM. 10. Sri Achyut Das, Team Member, JRM. 11. Smt. Purnima Mukherjee, Team Member, JRM. 12. Sri Manoj Sinha, District Programme Manager, JTDS. 13. Sri Roshan Pat Pingua, District Programme Manager, JTDS.

Issues discussed during the meeting: Hon’ble Chief Minister, GOJ, Sri Madhu Kora welcomed the team members and appreciated the works taken up under Jharkhand Tribal Development Programme. He expressed his satisfaction on the progress of JTDP. Hon’ble CM expressed his desire on expansion of the programme in existing districts and inclusion of more blocks/districts. He also expressed his desire for extension of the programme for a period of two years (after 2009). He informed the team members that Govt. of Jharkhand is also thinking the expansion of this programme from state govt. fund in new areas and requested IFAD for providing specialized support and capacity building. Sri Anirudh Tewari told Hon’ble CM that the team after seeing the progress of the work has made up their mind for recommending the IFAD’s support for the expansion of the project. Hon’ble CM informed the team members regarding steps taken by the state government for infrastructure development in Rural Areas, for Rural Electrification – (Rajeev Gandhi Rural Electrification Scheme) and for Panchyat levels multi utility building (Panchyat Mandap, Community Hall & Kisan Bhawan). He mentioned that these works can be taken up on priority basis in the project areas. Hon’ble CM informed the team members that in Jharkhand Van Suraksha Samiti has been formed in many villages and are functional. Control on NTFP and its collection right, in the state has been given to community except for Tendu Leaf. Sri Anirudh Tewari, Country Field Presence Coordinator, IFAD expressed his satisfaction on the progress of JTDP along with disbursement rate and requested Hon’ble Chief Minister to resolve some of the issues at earliest so that programmes pace be speeden up further.

40

Sri Tewari expressed his concerned on slow linkage of SHGs with banks and requested for instruction from the government to the banks for cooperation in this regard. He also pointed out the issue of poor infrastructural conditions especially regarding road, electricity and naxal/security problems in the programme villages, which has affected the programme progress. Hon’ble CM instructed the Chief Secretary, GOJ to look into the matter and short out the problem with banks during next SLBC meeting. Sri Tewari informed Hon’ble Chief Minister that JTDP has been found to be zero leakage programme and has become popular in the programme area. IFAD is satisfied with the progress and it also feels that expansion and extension of the programme may be considered. He also requested Hon’ble CM to consider Jharkhand Tribal Development Society as nodal agency for supervision & monitoring of NREGA in the programme villages/area. He informed Hon’ble CM regarding the decision taken by the Meghayalya Govt. and Govt. of Orissa. Sri Tewari raised the issue of land for landless in the programme villages and also provision of forest land and NTFP for implementation of Community Forest Management. He also requested that the village level committees formed under the JTDP are capable/empowered now and can be given opportunity for implementation of other govt. programmes/schemes. Meeting was concluded with the vote of thanks from Hon’ble CM.

(U. K. Sangma) Principal Secretary, Welfare Dept., GOJ

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Annexure II

Joint Review Mission

Jharkhand Tribal Development Project

20 June to 3 July 2008

Aloysius P. Fernandez - Community Development 1. Introduction: The community based organisations promoted by the project are i) the Gram

Sabhas ii) the Self Help groups iii) the Common Interest groups iv) Producer groups and v) Clusters. The Gram Sabhas function through their elected Program Execution Committees which are therefore representative bodies. The SHGs are membership or participative bodies where all the members decide. The structure and functioning of the CIGs is not well defined; about 16 have been formed in Ranchi DPIU; most manage a pond stocked with fish; some are formed of village level masons trained to make smokeless ovens (chulas). The producer groups are registered Producer Companies (there is only one so far) with a Management Committee and are therefore representative bodies; the Producer groups are also informal groups formed by members of different SHGs or even of the same SHGs who are producing the same agricultural/horticultural commodity and get together to access the retail market directly or are able to cut out some of the middle middlemen; the SHG Clusters provide support to these informal groups. There are several examples of these informal groups which do retail marketing successfully. The Clusters are informal Federations of 10-15 SHGs; they have a management committee which is elected/selected from among the SHG representatives; they provide support services to the SHG members ranging from problem solving to marketing.

2. Rationale: The reason for promoting these community based organisations is primarily to support the institutional support to poor tribal families to enable them to build their self confidence and gradually to change relationships that inhibit their growth within the home, social spaces and the community, especially in the Gram Sabhas, and second to enable them to acquire basic technical and managerial skills and the resources required to set the agenda for their institutions and to develop their livelihood strategies at their own pace which can provide them with food security and enable them to cope with diversity and risks..

3. Focus: The focus of this review is to enquire whether i) these groups are sustainable ii) they are

contributing to peoples initiatives to promote their livelihood strategies and iii) they share the Program’ objectives particularly of promoting gender balance and equity in terms of inclusion and focus on the poorest and marginalised families. There are also some, matters which are closely connected with sustainability and livelihoods like the Village level Community Service providers; to which community organisation should be attached? .

4. Gram Sabhas (GS):. The program has promoted GSs in all the 330 natural villages. The GS

have been notified but elections have not been held as yet. Hence they are informal bodies. A Program Execution Committee (PEC) has been elected with representatives from all sections including from the SHGs. Women’s representation on the PECs averages 48%. It is commendable that 33% of the PECs are headed by women. However in the villages visited there were no Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) represented in the PECs. The Mission was informed that where the PTGs have moved to settled agriculture they have marginal representation; but where they are still engaged in their traditional occupations of hunting and gathering they do not join in GS meetings. However when this matter was raised at the GS by the Mission, the GS members offered to do all in their power to include the PTGs in the GS

The Program has conducted several trainings and exposures for the GS and the PECs. The GSPECs have taken the lead in identifying, planning and implementing water and land related programs; they have maintained proper accounts of money and food. Over all the WPF is

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satisfied with their record keeping of food utilised, while the financial audit of the GPs which is conducted annually shows good progress in performance. The GS organised meetings to meet with the Mission. It was clear that over the past three years the progress in women’s confidence and participation is public proceedings had increased significantly. The participation of women was more evident in the Pilot Phase villages and than in the Scale Up villages; in the latter case there were villages where women are still hesitant to speak. The NGOs have set a healthy practice to select only women to present the reports in the GS, at least when visitors come. This has given women a new public profile, which is different from their traditional roles like welcoming the visitors and dancing to celebrate the even. The Mission noticed that where women are more assertive, the men tend to fade into the background. It will take time for them to get accustomed to the new public roles that women are increasingly playing. The recent spurt of men’s SHGs is a good sign; it is necessary to help men to be pro-active in establishing a better gender balance before they begin to feel marginalised and insecure.

The GSs meet regularly, but the Mission has the impression that this is because they are engaged in managing the land and water activities under the WFP. Once these come to an end, they will need some other activity to maintain their enthusiasm and the need to meet. The NREGA can play this role. Since these GSs are notified, there should be no problem with handing over the management of NREGA to them as well as other programs that are planned to be implemented through the Gram Panchayats. This proposal was discussed at the meeting with the Chief Minister and he promised to consider it.

The elections to the GS, when they come, will probably create some tensions since political parties will select their representatives in the village and canvassing will begin. Several scenarios are possible after the elections i) the members of the present GSPECs may be elected; in this case there will be continuity in leadership ii) new members may be elected; in this case the SHGs will have to play a major role to ensure that there is no carry over tension or animosity in the GS. In both cases the SHGs will have to exert pressure to ensure that the GS meetings are held regularly and that programs are implemented with full participation and with the present degree of transparency. However of conflict and tension are more than the SHGs can manage and if the SHGs are not strong enough, the NGOs will have a role to play. Since elections may be held towards the beginning or middle of 2009 when the NGOs are scheduled to leave the Pilot phase Villages, it may be necessary to factor the post election scenario in the withdrawal strategy. The Mission discussed their future plans with several NGOs. The larger ones like Ramakrishna Mission and Pradhan made it clear that they will continue; those with their head quarters in the project area will also remain in the area, but not necessarily be involved in the program; they may not be pro active but are willing to help if required. The smaller NGOs who are based outside the project area like in Ranchi and Jamshedpur may withdraw; this will leave a gap that needs to be filled and which the Clusters of SHGs may be able to fill to a degree. However a more clear picture will emerge by December 2008.

The GSPECs have played a major role through the land and water management activities in building up a basis for food security. People used to borrow from private sources to tide over the periods where they had to purchase food. This has reduced considerably after the WFP program started. Loans for food have dropped both from the private moneylenders as well as from the SHGs where the trend has moved towards income generating activities. In every village visited by the Mission, people requested for an extension of the WFP and the accompanying cash contribution. While WFP has the resources required, the Program will not be able to match the food available with the cash required.

If the GSPECs are recognised as the main channel for all developmental activities by Government they will have the motivation to meet regularly; otherwise there is every chance that meetings will be irregular and finally stop except for once or twice a year on formal or ceremonial occasions or to resolve a problem.

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Do the GSPECs then have the potential to be sustainable? The evidence gathered indicates that they do. The Mission has reason to believe that the basis for sustainability of the GS has been laid as a result of the impact in engaging the GSPECs to manage the land and water activities and the result of empowering women and the poor through the SHGs, which are monitoring the performance of the GSPECs. The SHGs also have the potential play a major role in ensuring that the functioning of the GSPECs is transparent and that the interests of all sections are taken into account. However financial management and accounting is required if the GSPECs are to survive. Government will have to engage accountants or the GS will have to employ the Book keepers who have experience in maintaining SHG accounts to manage the GS accounts as well since after the Project withdraws there will not be any staff to keep the accounts and records in the Gs. One area where the GSPECs have not progressed is in the inclusion of PTGs in the GSPECs . In the villages visited by the Mission, there were no PTGs in the GSPECs. However we were informed that they are members in other villages which we could not verify. Including the PTGs in GSPECs must be a priority during the coming year. Many of the landless are in the SHGs and take part ion the discussions and benefit from the loans. However they are not vocal in the general meetings.

5. SHGs: There are 847 SHGs in the Project area of which 58 are men, 784 women and 5 mixed.

The SHGs are both instruments that generate empowerment if they function well as well as institutions that provide the resources and space for members to develop their own livelihood strategies over a period of time. A consolidated picture of the SHGs in the two DPIUs as on March 2008 and a comparison with the figures used by the previous Mission will indicate progress as well as the level of support provide in terms of loans to support the livelihood choices of the members. In Chaibasa DPIU as on March 2008 there are 35 (25) men’s SHGs, 371 (302) women’s SHGs and 5 (3) mixed, making a total of 411(330) SHGs. The total members in SHGs are 6279 (5324) of which 4855 are women and 469 men. In Ranchi DPIU as on May 2008 there are 23 Men’s SHGs, 413 women’s SHGs making a total of 436 (230) SHGs. The total members in SHGs is 5847 (3303) of which 5545 are women and 302 men.

6. Loans for Livelihoods: In Chaibasa the 411 SHGs have a total common fund of Rs 13.4 million

(Rs 9.9 m)) of which savings is Rs 5 m (Rs 3.49 m) and interest on loans to members is Rs 2.86 m (Rs 2.35 m). The total number of loans given is 11875 (10681) for an amount of Rs 18.9 m (Rs 15.6 m). The purpose for which loans were given were as follows: Business/trading 37% (44%), Agriculture 20% (20%), consumption including education 31% (30%), livestock 8% (1%) and assets 4% (5%). The number of SHGs linked to Banks is 138 (129) for a total loan of Rs 4.7m ( Rs 2.21 m ). 134 SHGs received a sum of Rs 1.1 million as seed capital.

In Ranchi the 413 SHGs have a total common fund of Rs 7.2 million (n.a.) of which savings is Rs 2.7 million (Rs 0.9 m.) and interest on loans to members is Rs 2.1 m (Rs 0.17 m). The total number of loans given is 8416 (4288) for a total amount of Rs 2.3 m ( Rs 1.7 m) The purposes for which loans were given were as follows: Business/trading 34%(n.a.) , Agriculture 13%(n.a., consumption including education 39%(n.a. ), livestock 10% ( 1%.), NTFP 1.7% (n.a.). The number of SHGs linked to Banks is 25 (n.a.), for a total amount of Rs 2.8 m (n.a.). 226 SHGs received a sum of Rs 8.7 million as seed capital.

The above data shows significant increase in the performance of SHGs in providing credit support for livelihoods since the last Mission; it is more apparent in Ranchi DPIU. Loans for livestock have increased both in Ranchi and Chaibasa, The timely collection, consolidation and analysis of SHG data and feedback to the field is critical to plan focused interventions to support livelihood choices. This has not been given due importance in both DPIUs, but particularly in Ranchi, where the performance is poor and needs to be addressed urgently. There is no awareness that the analysis of the trends in the purposes and size of loans is important to assess the degree of support

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required to upscale and add value to livelihoods and to plan a strategy for the future. The Mission recommends that the Program uses the software NAB-YUKTI developed by NABARD to consolidate and analyse SHG data.

The SHGs are not jut another category of institutions; they reflect the key objective of the program namely to promote self help. Hence other interventions need to strengthen this objective. There are reports from Chaibasa that some inputs in agriculture, in lac cultivation and even in forestry are provided free to families who are not landless or PTGs. This weakens the thrust towards self help. These practices need to be brought in line with the agreed proportion of contribution to be made in various activities as laid out in the Appraisal and modified in the MTR.

7. Livelihood Strategies: SHGs do not only provide loans for livelihoods; they also provide space

for each member to develop their livelihood strategies. An analysis of the purposes of loans taken by the members of two SHGs gives an indication of how each member develops her/his own livelihood strategy with the support of the SHG which allows her/him to borrow for what he/she needs at a particular point of time to cope with food security, sudden emergencies or for investment in income generating activities. The data given below on the purpose and size of loans taken by members of two SHGs shows a great deal of diversity in size and purpose. Thee is ample evidence that the poor, like most farmers and other entrepreneurs will always need to borrow since they need to invest up front; the returns come later, after the product arrives.

DPIU- Chaibasa

Name of the Group : Adivasi Mahila Sanwta Rofa Bank : Jharkhand Gramin Bank Rajnagar

Name of the Village : Jumal Bank A/c No. 3056 Date of Formation : 01.08.2003 FNGO - Shayogi Mahila, Rajnagar

SL. No. Name of members Loan Amount

(in Rs.) Purpose of Loan Year of Loan

100 Health Oct. 04 50 Health Nov.04

300 Trading June05 200 Trading Aug.05 100 Trading Nov.05 100 Health May-06 300 Agriculture Aug.06 300 Health Jan.07

1000 Health May-07 100 Health Sep-07 200 Health Dec.07 300 Health Mar-08 300 Health Apr.08

1 Chamay Murmu

Total 3350

1000 Trading Apr.05 300 Trading June.05

1500 Trading Oct.05 900 Trading Mar-06

2 Jawna Murmu

Total 3700

600 House repairing Jul-04 600 Goatry Dec-04 300 Trading Jun-05 200 Consumption May-06

3 Jhano Baskey 1200 House repairing Jan.07

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200 Health Apr-08

Total 3100

50 Health Aug.04 300 Trading June.05 200 Trading Aug. 05 100 Health Nov. 05

1000 Health Aug.06 100 Health Oct.06

1500 Health Oct.07

4 Bijo Baskey

Total 3250

300 Trading June.05 500 Trading Aug.05 200 Health Feb.06

1000 Trading Jul.06 1200 Puja Nov.06

5 Maya Besra

Total 3200

100 Trading Oct.04 100 House repairing Dec.04 100 Health Apr.05 300 Trading June.05 100 Health Aug.05 500 Trading Sep.05

1100 Social Oct.05 200 Consumption June.06 300 Agriculture Jul.06 700 Health Aug.06 700 Health Feb.07 400 Health Mar.07 100 Consumption Sep.07 200 Puja/religious Dec.07 200 Consumption Apr.08 200 Health May-08 200 Health Jun.08

6 Anjana Murmu

Total 5500

300 Trading Jun-05 1500 Social/marriage Dec.05 200 Health Apr.06 300 Health Sep.06

1500 Goatery Apr.08

7 Gumi Hasda

Total 3800

Janani Hasda 300 Trading Jun.05 600 Health Nov.05 200 Health Apr. 06 600 Health Nov.06

8

Total 1700

9 Nerso Hasda 300 Health Aug.04

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200 Health Oct.04 700 Goatery Feb.05 500 Trading Apr.05 300 Trading Jun.05 200 Trading Jul-05 300 Health Oct.05 500 Health Nov.05 700 Trading Jan. 06 200 Health Feb.06 300 Health Aug.07

Total 4200

300 Agriculture Jul.04 600 Trading Sep.04 150 Trading Nov.04 200 Health Dec-04

1000 Trading Mar.05 100 Trading Apr.-05 300 Trading May-05 300 Trading Jun.05 300 Trading Jul-05 200 Trading Dec.05 450 Livestock Mar.06 300 Trading Apr.06 200 Consumption Aug.06

1200 Health Jan.07 2100 Health May-07 300 Health Jul-07

10 I. Hera Baskey

Total 8000

200 Education Jun.04 100 Education Nov.04 500 Social Dec.04 300 Trading Jun-05 500 Health Sep.06

3000 Trading Jun.07

11 Malti Hasda

Total 4600

300 Trading Jan.05 300 Trading Jun.05 400 Trading Nov.05

8000 Health Jan.06

12 II. Javna Murmu

Total 9000

300 Trading Jun.05 500 Piggery Jul.05 300 Trading Oct.05 600 Piggery May.06

1000 Health Sep,06 1000 Trading Feb.07 3000 Health Jul.07

13 Sumitra Murmu 2000 Trading Apr.08

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Total 8700

300 Trading Jun.05 400 Trading Sep. 06 600 Piggery Oct.06 300 Piggery Jun.07

1000 Agriculture Nov.07

14 Jyonti Murmu

Total 2600

300 Agriculture Aug.06 600 Health Oct.06 100 Health Dec.07

15 Poma Besra

Total 1000

300 Health Oct.07 600 Trading Dec.07

4000 Housing Jun.08

16 Sunita Baskey

Total 4900

The data from the second SHG given below which is of the same age, shows how different progress in developing livelihood strategies by the members can be. Here the loans are larger and more numerous . Such comparisons are required to assess whether the Project Staff is aware of these differences and the reasons for them. One single approach to all SHGs to promote livelihoods wis not be appropriate.

DPIU- Chaibasa Name of the Group : Aven Mahila Samiti Bank : Jharkhand Gramin Bank Rajnagar Name of the Village Nakua (Purana Basti) Bank A/c No. 3205 Date of Formation : 08.08.03 FNGO - KGVK, Rajnagar

S.N. Name of member Loan

Amount (in Rs.)

Purpose of Loan Year of Loan

1 Pawra Murmu 300 Paddy Trading 04

200 Farming 04 800 Paddy Trading 05 600 House Repair 05 200 Clothing 05 200 Education 05 4700 House Repair 06 600 Fertilizer 06 4700 House Repair 07

Total 12300

2 Piyo Tudu 100 House Repair 03 700 Paddy Trading 04 200 Marriage 04 300 Farming 04 300 Festival 04

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1000 Piggery 04 2300 Paddy Trading 05 600 Farming 05 1000 Piggery 05 600 Health 05 2000 House Repair 06 1000 Piggery 06 300 Education 06 1900 Health 06 500 House Repair 07 1500 Paddy Trading 07 500 Piggery 07 1000 Education 07 500 Health 07 1000 Fertilizer 07 700 House Repair 08 1000 Farming 08

Total 19000

3 Joba Mardi 600 Paddy Trading 04 100 Education 04 100 Farming 04 1000 Paddy Trading 05 600 Health 05 200 Festival 05 500 Paddy Trading 06 100 Education 06 1900 Health 06 1500 Fertilizer 06

Total 6600

4 Smt Dunmi Hansda 300 House Repair 03 2200 Paddy trading 04 200 Health 04 300 Fertilizer 04 1500 Paddy trading 05 300 Festival 05 1000 Cow purchase 05 250 Health 06 1000 Fertilizer 06 100 Cycle Repair 06 800 Marriage 06 1000 House repair 07 500 Paddy trading 07 300 Health 07 800 Fertilizer 07 2000 Health 08 1500 Cow Purchase 08

Total 27250

5 Jhano Hansda 400 Paddy trading 03

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800 Paddy trading 04 200 Health 04 200 Fish farming 04 200 Health 05 500 Cloth 05 500 Marriage 05 100 Health 06 1000 Cloth 06 2000 Cow Purchase 06 400 Health 07 1000 Cloth 07 2600 Household expenses 07 1000 Health 08 6000 Fish farming 08

Total 16900

6 Smt. Manko Tudu 1200 Paddy trading 04 500 Education 04 200 Cloth 04 100 Farming 04 300 Education 05 100 House repair 05 600 Piggery 05 600 Health 05 300 Household Expenses 05 200 Education 06 100 Festival 06 2600 Cow Purchase 06 3000 Paddy trading 07 1200 House repair 07 1200 Health 07 500 Farming 08

Total 12700

7 Smt. Dulari Mardi 300 Paddy trading 04 100 Farming 04 200 Health 04 800 Paddy trading 05 100 Farming 05 800 Goat rearing 05 600 Paddy trading 06 400 Festival 06 1000 Fertilizer 06 2200 Health 07 300 Chan/dal trading 07 500 Farming 08 1000 Goat rearing 08

Total 8300

8 II. Smt.Chibo Mardi 300 Paddy trading 04 500 Health 04

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100 Cloth 05 1000 Goat rearing 05 1100 Fertilizer 05 500 Festival 05 1000 Fertilizer 06 2000 Health 07 1500 House repairing 07 800 Paddy trading 08

Total 8800

9 Minakchi Mardi 1900 Paddy trading 04 700 Education 04 900 Paddy trading 05 3400 Rice trading 06 1200 Paddy trading 07 4150 Health 08

Total 12250

10 Karmi Tudu 900 Paddy trading 04 100 Bank A/C Opening 04 300 Education 04 1200 Paddy trading 05 300 Education 05 500 Festival 05 400 House repair 05 1200 Paddy trading 06 1000 Education 06 1000 Education 07 1000 Health 07

Total 7900

11 Singo Mardi 300 Marriage 04 700 Farming 05 100 Festival 05 1000 Farming 06 500 Fertilizer 06 800 Fertilizer 07 500 Health 07

Total 3900

The members of the second SHG in Nakua village have taken larger loans than the first. The totals amount is also much larger. However, in comparison with SHGs in other areas these loans are still small both in size and in total. On an average it is estimated that a total loan amount of Rs 60,000 to 100,000 over 6-7 years is required to make a family which uses this investment well to remain food secure. The figure may be less where rainfall is adequate and soils are comparatively fertile and where families have about one ha of agricultural land and access to NFFCs as in the project area. One significant feature is that there are few loans for food. This is mainly because of the WFP which has filled in the food security gaps in these villages. This has given the people time to invest in income generating activities so that their incomes will make up for the gap created when the WFP ends.

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An analysis of the loans taken shows that each member requires loans for different purposes, in different sizes and at different times. Hence the official strategy to provide one or two income generating activities does not fit in easily with their livelihood strategies Secondly the purposes include trading, health, house repair, education, marriage and household expenses, which are all required but for which banks do not lend. Families would have borrowed for these purposes from private moneylenders at high interest rates. This was avoided. . Thirdly, families have multiple sources of income including farming many of them a seasonal; many of them require funds up front. Hence they require loans throughout the year and every year. The objective of financing in- situations therefore should not just be to provide one or two loans usually with a subsidy under some scheme, but to establish a long term relationship with the borrower who will require regular loans every year. Unfortunately most bank branches are far from the villages, many have stopped giving loans and are unable to function due to the threat from Maoists. Hence the need for an alternate financial system like the SHGs and the Bank linkage. The constant need for loans may reflect a constant state of indebtedness, but it is the normal state of life for those involved in seasonal occupations throughout the world. There is nothing wrong with indebtedness unless risks are not covered and it becomes a spiral due to inferior quality of inputs, wrong decisions, bad weather or falling prices. 8. Sustainability. Are the SHGs sustainable? They have the potential and are showing evidence

that they will continue after the project withdraws. When asked whether they will continue, the answer from all is a firm “Yes”. However the Mission, drawing from experiences elsewhere, suggests that though the SHGs show evidence of maturing organisationally and financially, they will need support from the Second level institutions like Clusters and Federations to help them in times of conflict or tension. They will also need to fall back on NGOs who remain the area in times of prolonged distress or major disturbances.

9. SHGs and poverty: There are reports that the landless and PTGs do not join or form SHGs. The

landless migrate and the PTGs are mainly involved in hunting and gathering Both groups find it difficult to attend regular weekly meetings. There are however reports that the landless have joined existing SHGs in many villages while the PTGs, especially those who have shifted to settled agriculture have formed their own SHGs. The NGOs have responded by preparing plans for livelihood activities for each PTG family like goatery, or organising them into CIGs to take up a pond for aquaculture. One CIG of PTGs is involved in rope making. This group for example could be encouraged to do regular savings in order to cultivate the habit of thrift. The way forward to encourage PTGs to take up livelihood activities of their choice and then to cultivate the habit of savings even though they may not meet regularly to begin with A strategy has to be developed for each group of PTGs. The Program staff and NGOs will have to look into this area with a greater degree of concern.

10. Common Interest groups: The 16 CIGs are all in Ranchi DPIU. The CIGs formed are mainly

composed of men who are engaged in a common activity like aquaculture which they do together or individually like these constructing smokeless ovens. There is one group comprising 30 PTGs who are engaged in aquaculture and rope making. The project staff came to the conclusion that many of the members of these groups were not able to join SHGs which require regular meetings and savings. However there are also reports that recently many have joined SHGs or would like to form their own SHGs .

The Mission did not see evidence that most of these CIGs will continue to function as groups for long. Those involved in aquaculture have now been able to use the ponds free of charge. But this may not be the case after the project withdraws when they will have to bid for the use of the ponds, or stock them with their own funds.. In this eventuality they will be handicapped since they do not have any common fund. Those trained to construct smokeless chulas will continue offering individual services for a charge if there is a demand.

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11. Clusters: Ten Clusters of SHGs have been formed in Ranchi DPIU and 13 in Chaibasa DPIU. The Clusters comprise 5-15 SHGs. They are involved in marketing of agricultural produce and NTFPs. Some are also mentoring the SHGs.

During the past six months the Clusters have been able to market agricultural produce directly (mainly vegetables) in nearby markets and are obtaining better prices as well as reducing the need for many to travel the distance to the markets. Some Clusters have also marketed tamarind; income increased by about Rs 2 per kg. MART has assisted some Clusters to cut out middlemen in the case of tamarind and some NTFPs. But the Clusters have handled the marketing of vegetables on their own.

The Clusters also have the potential to mentor the SHGs and to help resolve problems. However, they could also perform other functions like arranging for entitlements due to the aged, handicapped, negotiating with banks to extend loans to the SHGs etc.. The NGOs should discuss with the Clusters whether they would be willing and able to provide these services and whether they should charge for them. The Mission also suggested that the Community level Service providers should relate with the Clusters rather than with the SHGs.. The Clusters should oversee their performance. Discussions took pace with the Mission regarding the Clusters ability to manage financial intermediation particularly borrowing in bulk and lending to SHGs, in other words, to function like Micro Finance Institutions. However the conclusion reached, and rightly so, is that the Clusters are too small to undertake this function because they would need to employ full time qualified staff, hire an office and set up all supporting systems. This would require a larger organisation like a Federation of Clusters and adequate turnover. Are the Clusters sustainable? There is evidence that the Clusters will continue to provide marketing services especially retail marketing of vegetables. Their overhead costs to support this activity are limited and they have been able to divide these costs among the producers who are involved. However, once MART withdraws, it is not evident at this time whether the Clusters on their own will be able to market NTFPs without going through the local middlemen. As far as their support services to the SHGs are concerned, the practice of charging for these services should be started during the year. These services could include an appraisal of the performance in maintaining accounts and records, ensuring that their accounts are updated and audited annually. The Mission suggests that only those SHGs which are assessed to be functioning well should be admitted as Cluster members. This assessment could take place annually. It is also suggested that the Cluster members pay an annual fee to the Clusters which will cover some essential services like up dating books of accounts.

12. Producer Companies: The NGO Pradhan has formed and registered a Producer Company. The first activity it took up was to market tamarind. A similar activity was also taken up by a Cluster of SHGs. The latter’s overheads wee less than those of the Producer Company and as a result the value added in terms of profits was greater. The Producer Company added about 75 paise per kg., while the Clusters added about Rs 2 per kg. Pradhan’s Producer Company will require considerable financial inputs. The NGO has submitted a proposal to JTDS for a sum of Rs 30 lakh as working capital and Rs 9 lakh as support costs. This is too large an amount for the Project to cope if it is to be a replicable model. Either the NGO should start with a smaller target or leave it to the Clusters to start marketing and then discuss with them whether they want to affiliate into a Producer Company. At this point of time the Mission recommends that the Cluster be supported to do retail marketing of vegetables. Other commodities like NTFPs and paddy will require more complex arrangements and a large collection base if it is to have an impact. This could be managed by a Producer Company. The NGO MART is providing support in marketing. It are open to both models and requires some time more to decide which is more appropriate and at which stage of growth.

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Annexure III

Joint Review Mission

Jharkhand Tribal Development Project

20 June to 3 July 2008

Shaheel Rafique

Implementation Support Specialist

Project Implementation Management. There has been a remarkable improvement in implementation performance of the project following the action taken on the recommendations made by the previous mission for improving flow of funds to the villages. This can be seen from the increase in the percentage of component wise share of expenditure from April 2007-08 to May 2008-09. There is also corresponding increase in number of beneficiaries and outputs created by the programme during the same period. For example, in one particular district the average SOE adjustment per month has increased to 104%; similarly, average sanction per months during 2008-09 has increased to 188% as compared to 2007-08. During April 2007 to May 2008 alone the project conducted 63% of the total training they had achieved till March 2007; likewise, 34% in Agriculture and 80% in capacity building. In order to sustain the positive trend particularly in the Land and Water Management Component, which has a relatively larger share in terms of investment and provision of WFP food, the mission observed that there are two other bottle necks in the flow of funds that needs to be addressed: a) timely submission of SOEs by the village PECs; and b) faster technical and financial sanction of AWPB in Land and Water Management submitted by the villages. For example, one of the DPIUs reported 58% release against sanction and 51% use of funds against release, which shows that there is further potential for improvement in the implementation and utilisation of funds. The mission recommends that the community needs to be explained about the implication of timely submission of SOEs, which also needs to be regularly monitored on a monthly basis by DPIU through NGOs. The Watershed Development Officers need to be brought on board as soon as possible. A pool of engineers should be drawn from the project to examine all the technical plans and these plans should be sanctioned at a lot in a time bound manner not exceeding three weeks. After the technical sanctioning of the plans the administrative sanctions of all plans need to be made from the DPIU and PMU in a time bound manner not exceeding a month. Similarly, at the district level all plans needs to be given financial sanction within a month, and only under special circumstances shall the District Programme Manager take recourse to partial sanctioning of plans at his discretion. Since so far a Watershed Development Officer is not in place at the PMU, and as a result all technical plans related to land and water management are sanctioned at the District level, the BOD may consider allowing the entire financial sanction of funds for land and water management plans from the DPIUs to expedite the process of utilisation of funds. Furthermore, to ensure misallocation of funds by the PEC, the community should be facilitated to come to a social agreement at the Gram Sabha level that the funds would be utilised for the same activity and invested in the same location after receiving funds as indicated in the AWPB. Estimates of WFP Rice budget appear to be erroneous in the villages, and as a result villages have either more food allocated, or less than the required amount. The annual budget for Land and Water Management of the project for 20008-09 is INR12,88 crores and for Community Forest Management INR87.39 lacs. This is a total of INR 13.75 crores, which is about INR416,814 per village for 330 villages. After deduction of 20% material cost, fund available for wages is INR11.00 crores. The wage rate of the state is INR86.40 and, after deduction of 25% labour contribution the remaining wage is INR 64.80. Accordingly the project should generate 1698132 wage days (i.e., 11,0038976/64.80). Hence total rice required will be 5094.397 MT (1698132 x 3 kg). At the end of

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March the balance reported is 1048 MT; and the project has further indented 1700 MT, which is a total of 2748 MT. This amount is only 54% of the total requirement (2748/5094 x 100 = 54 %). The mission recommends further revision of estimates of the requirement of rice in the pilot phase and scale up villages based on remaining work left in the two components, in the current AWPB and the revised GRSMP for future work. This exercise should begin at the village level. The momentum built by the project in the last one year to achieve project outputs needs to be maintained. It would be necessary for the State Programme Director to give full-time to the programme; and the Board of Directors (BOD) needs to take action on the last mission’s recommendation on the revision of staff remuneration and incentives. For the two posts of Livestock Specialist in the respective DPIUs, the BOD suggested that the project take the services of the Animal Husbandry Department instead of recruiting the Livestock Specialist. The Project needs to workout the modalities of service provision to the project villages with the Department of Animal Husbandry as soon as possible, particularly in terms of focused support through training and replenishment of VLW’s animal health kit.

The mission would like to further highlight that there are still 7 vacancies in the project, which the last Joint Review Mission (JRM) had recommended for recruitment. The 4 Watershed Development Officers need to be recruited at the earliest, as a result of delayed action the officers are still not in place. Next, the recruitment of the Community Development Officer and the Fodder Development Specialist at the PMU should also be done as soon as possible as sufficient attention needs to be given to ensure effectiveness and sustainability of project interventions in these components.

NGO training is closely associated to implementation performance in this project design. The project reports that NGOs in this project have been trained in participatory planning process, and oriented about participatory monitoring and withdrawal strategy. However, the NGOs have differential capacity levels, and existing capacities of almost all NGOs are not adequate to address the facilitation and institutional building needs of villages at different levels of development. Furthermore, apart from PRADAN and MART most NGOs engaged in the project do not have a forward looking plan to develop the community to become self-sustainable in terms of food and income. At this stage of the project, the NGOs engaged needs to go through different modules of training to address the needs of the beneficiaries at different stages of development in the pilot and scale up villages most urgently. The NGO training modules should be developed based on the training and developmental needs assessment of the beneficiaries, and corresponding training that would be required by village animators and service providers. In addition, performance assessment of NGOs should be also used as a tool to develop as well as improve NGO training modules. Broadly, the project should focus on the following training areas for NGOs: a) Institutions building of PEC, SHGs and Federations; b) training and coordinating trainings of service providers and Watershed level Business Promoters; c) facilitating convergence of Government schemes; and d) business development training to individuals and groups to benefit from collective marketing and producer companies.

For example, the project is focusing on activities and outputs related to land and water management. These infrastructures have created a number of outcomes that need to be sustained. The future maintenance of these structures by respective user groups is going to be through use of the VDF. At this juncture of the programme NGOs should be also trained to assess impact and equity in terms of benefits of these structures on user groups by using simple PRA tools such as ‘H’ diagramming exercise. Train NGOs to facilitate the community in the development of actionable work plans for sustaining these structures during the process of participatory assessment. In this exercise non-user group members should be allowed to participate to create greater awareness among community members about contribution of asset associated with land and water management towards improving livelihoods; and how to add value to existing and newly created structures within a farming systems perspective (E.g. integrated systems in ponds; fish rearing in water channels, short duration legumes and vegetables in farm bunds, etc).

The second example is facilitation of rural business: Village level producer groups, and those SHG members willing to transform their IGAs to micro enterprises need to be provided business management training, and also shown how to prepare their credit plan for their business. These efforts

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needs to be further supported by providing market linkage and then identifying products to be placed at a higher level in the value chain, focusing on development of agro-processing, grading, packaging, and storage of the village production. In order to sustain the process of market linkage and business development a cadre of youth needs be trained as watershed level business promoters, initially supported by the project and thereafter retained by PECs and Producer Companies would immensely benefit women producers.

Monitoring and Evaluation. The quality of project reports has considerably improved since the last mission. The DPIUs have developed their MIS to be able to report on achievements by components, but the pattern of analysis and reporting by the DPIUs with respect to achievement of programme components is not consistent and similar. The project has completed the RIMs and the Outcome surveys by February 2008. The RIMs Impact survey data is yet to be analysed as a result of non-availability of the software, and the outcome survey data is still being analysed. In addition, the project has also completed this year’s RO-AWPB after revising the project logframe. The project is also in the process of completing the testing of Impact Assessment tools, namely Impact mapping, wealth ranking, resource mapping, and Venn diagramming. A self-monitoring monitoring tool for SHGs has been introduced by the project in the villages. This tool is available in the villages, but it is not utilised by the SHGs. Past experience has shown that if the tool is used consistently by the SHGs for about a year, it leads to formation of strong and disciplined groups.

The mission recommends the following: a) the MIS developed at the DPIUs and PMU should be similar to the DPIUs and should analyse and report data in the similar pattern; b) RIMs and Outcome survey reports should be extensively shared with all concerned stakeholders by conducting presentations at different levels, and also for consolidating the project outputs and outcomes and tying the loose ends before withdrawal; c) facilitate the PEC as well as cluster associations to use the Spider/Web diagram for institutional and organisational capability assessment; whereas further training should be provided to the NGOs to train SHGs to use the Self monitoring tool; and finally d) the Gram Sabha should be facilitated to do poverty monitoring annually with the help of the wealth and well being ranking method developed in the villages.

Targeting, poverty and equity. Wealth and well being ranking has been introduced in almost all the villages. The ranking criteria have been either related to food availability, or based on assets owned by the community members. However, the villages form SHGs without referring to the wealth ranks. There are a number of landless members in the community who have no title to land and are the poorest among the community members. Landlessness is the main equity issue followed by access to benefits from land and water management activities. The landless and the poorest of the poorer are surviving on wage labour by migrating to cities as far as Kolkata and Punjab for seasonal work in brick kilns and construction sites. Usually 20 to 30 % of village population migrates to the cities in search of wage labour, and with the intervention of the project in land and water management migration has reduced in the pilot phase villages significantly. Those landless that remain in the villages are involved in share cropping, or farming in land taken on lease from other well off farmers, but a large number are marginalized and depended on the sale of NTFP; eking out a living by selling wood from the forest; and distress sale of livestock when they need money urgently.

The mission recommends that the landless beneficiaries be brought within the ambit of the PECs. These people’s institutions should be responsible for improving the livelihoods of the landless, either by providing land, or providing support to pursue livelihood activities that are not land based. The PECs should first and foremost involve the landless in NREGAs; and then facilitate the access of government safety net schemes and programmes designed for the landless and the poorest of the poor. NGOs on the other hand should try to form SHGs of the poorest of the poor and the landless by referring to the wealth ranks wherever possible.

Gender. There has been significant progress in gender mainstreaming of the project activities. The project has also mainstreamed the M&E system by collecting gender specific data. Men and Women are equally given preference in the training of programmes conducted except for trainings conducted for animators and for aquaculture. Surveys conducted by the Project shows that 20 % women are asserting their rights, and this could be conferred in the villages where women reported that they have

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started going to the Block to demand services and schemes and to assert their rights. Women also mentioned that their decision making power has improved within their own homes, and as representatives of the Gram Sabha and PEC members after being members of SHGs. Similarly, the project reports about 36.7 % women improving their decision making power, 33 % Women SHG of being aware of women’s role, and overall 48% women are in leadership positions. Apart from credit through SHGs, the project has initiated providing insurance cover to women in SHGs and PTGs under different subsidised insurance schemes, most of which are life cover schemes. Furthermore the project has also initiated block level legal awareness programme by converging with Jharkhand Legal Services Authority and District Legal Service Authority.

While interacting with women in SHGs it appears that almost in all groups a large number of loans were taken for health purpose and for the purpose of livestock purchase, apart from business, trade and agriculture. From these villages the PHC and hospitals are far away, and even if PHCs exist the service provided is not adequate, which indicates that an alternative needs to be devised within the community to address health issues. On the other hand, those women taking livestock loans has either not received any training on livestock management, or follow-up training has not been undertaken. Although there is overall growth in number of trainings conducted by the project, number of trainings on health care and livestock management is comparatively low. For example, in Ranch DPIU this is quite conspicuous.

There are three main issues related to women’s improved livelihoods and well being: a) poor health of women; b) drudgery; and c) access to business development services and markets.

In order to address the health issues related to women and children, the project should facilitate the selection and training of healthy housewives in the villages’ as community health workers (VCHW). They should be trained in providing medicines for prevailing ailments such as malaria, and dysentery and also trained as mid-wives. The Village Health Workers (VHWs) should be put through health check before giving them this responsibility. The project should provide Health Kits to trained VHWs and she should be allowed to charge a fee for her service. Additionally, wherever possible, the VHWs should be linked to the National Rural Health Mission for training and replenishment of the health kit periodically. It is also recommended that the services of the Health NGOs be continued.

More needs to be done for reducing drudgery of women. So far the project has adopted an ad hoc approach to address the drudgery of women. It is recommended that a systematic participatory drudgery assessment be carried out and on the basis of this assessment, available technology should be scouted to address the specific drudgery issues, at the same time explore innovative approaches to address the issues. The partnership with JREDA should be continued. For example, the project should introduce and scale out equipment such as oil expeller, hullers, efficient and safe rural energy, and other drudgery reduction technology. It needs to be borne in mind that these technologies should be suitable to the culture of the community and sustainable.

Large numbers of SHG members are taking loans to invest in business and trade. The project must now invest in providing improved business development services and market linkage of community members in order to scale out successful IGAs and also improve productivity of these activities. After a thorough livelihood strategy analysis, the NGOs should then facilitate the process of developing gender related livelihood plans and accordingly provide gender specific training. Simultaneous training of women’s groups, along with PTG and landless needs to be done by the NGOs.

Watershed level Business Promoters should be identified and trained to provide both technical and non-technical business development services. Interested rural youths should be trained to facilitate procurement of inputs, arrangement of transportation, buyers of produce, provision of marketing information on price and volume, and marketing of products. These business promoters would complement the other service providers. MART is already in the process of development such ‘cadres’ in few of the clusters. These promoters should be trained to provide training to women on simple cash flow analysis, preparing credit plans, pricing of products, maintaining profit and loss account, balance sheets, and the formation of larger inter village producer associations. Women doing similar business should be provided intensive technical training associated with their business, and these trainings should be as far as possible on activities that they have chosen to undertake business and trade.

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Similarly, they also need to be exposed to other successful IFAD projects, and to agencies that are successfully running producer companies.

Disbursement. Till December 2007 the total expenditure incurred has been INR1158.99 lac and SOEs for this expenditure have been submitted on 27.02.08; and the reimbursable amount claimed is INR 1042.72 lac. Total amount reimbursed is INR658.81 lac. After extensive discussion with the project staff it was expressed by the staff that training and orientation was required on SOE claim adjustment for project staff and State Government staff that will also contribute towards smooth flow of fund.

Procurement. For goods and works the project has been following the IFAD procurement guidelines. However, the project requires clear-cut guidelines for the procurement of consultants and NGOs. The project needs to submit 18 months procurement plans at the earliest. The project is following bunching of items for procurement so that the items can be procured one time at a lot. The project needs an orientation of procurement procedures, as well as on the valuation of procured assets towards the completion of the project.

Audit. The last audit was conducted on 22nd August 2007. Since this audit the project has yet to comply with the following: a) conversion of cash based accounting system to a mercantile/accrual system of accounting; b) improve fund planning and investment to utilise idle funds which had been found to be in substantial amount in bank accounts of PMU and the two DPIUs; c) pre-certification of SOEs submitted by NGOs within a suitable timeframe; and d) verification of WFP food stock and verification of verifying measurement book at the time of adjusting advances with the PEC. It is recommended by the mission that the project take the support of a Financial Management Specialist to comply with the above audit observations.

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Appendix IV

JHARKHAND TRIBAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

LIVELIHOODS ENHANCEMENT & NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

JOINT REVIEW MISSION REPORT (June 20 to July 3, 2008)

Vincent Darlong

INTRODUCTION 1. The Jharkhand Tribal Development Programme envisages empowerment of the target community along with promotion of sustainable livelihood security and improvement in the general quality of life of the tribal and other poor families. The programme envisions securing sustainable livelihoods through key interventions for (a) Livelihood system enhancement (by promoting land and water management) and (b) Production system enhancement (through improvement and interventions in the areas of farming, community forestry and fodder development, aquaculture, livestock development, village credit enhancement, health and nutrition and focused interventions for the primitive tribal groups). The livelihood system enhancement and production system enhancement constitutes as much as 56.06% of the programme fund. This section of the Mission report focuses with the issues of improved and sustainable livelihoods along with improvement in natural resources management. LIVELIHOOD SYSTEM ENHANCEMENT Land and Water Management 2. Land and water management remains one of the major concerns and action areas in the programme villages. All the programme villages visited during the present Mission indicated water / rainwater harvesting and harnessing along with land development as priority action areas in the GSRMP. Although dovetailed with WFPs food programme, however, the number of households benefiting from this intervention to-date is approximately 50-60% only. Another 20-30% household reported double cropping of paddy since this intervention; although increase yield of 50-70% for both kharif and rabi crops due to water availability has been reported by the target communities during the field visit. Improving land productivity remains another critical challenge in the programme area because of the fact that in most programme villages the land situations are in the ratio of 60:30:10 for Gora (upland), Kundi (midland) and Bera (low land), in which the Gora land is the most unproductive and Bera land being most productive. The Project has made further progress since the last JRM on various activities of land and water development component. Significant achievements3 since the last JRM include construction/development of 99 water harvesting tanks; renovation of 97 ponds; construction of 157 new ponds; renovation of 56 dug wells; construction of 35 new wells; 480 ha of farm bunding and land levelling; 215 nos of 5% Model; besides construction of seepage tanks, irrigation channel, diversion channel, gully plugs, etc. 3. Since the last JRM, status of implementation also included capacity building input with 13 trainings on soil and water conservation for the PECs and community representatives for GSRMP Planning which were attended by 468 males and 255 female participants. 8 exposure visits were conducted participated by 218 males and 168 females. The project also organized 160 video shows on watershed / soil and water conservation related topics in series of programme villages as part of on-

3 Progress Report (May 2008) of Jharkhand Tribal Development Programme 506:IN, Ranchi, Jharkhand, page 25-26.

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going awareness education activities. Improved crop yield together with the availability of food grains through WFP and cash income from the activities of land and water development have largely addressed the problems of food security among many families of the target communities, in turn also addressing the social issues of inevitable migration for work in the past. In terms of sustainability of the activities, the PEC members were clear about their continuous role in the repairs and maintenance of their assets and structures. Availability of VDF for this purpose together with improved social capital could ensure the sustainability of soil and water development interventions. The interventions under land and water management can be further strengthened if convergence can be brought in with government programmes such as NREGA and/or those under Soil and Water Conservation, Watershed Development, etc. towards which the Project should continue to make serious efforts. 4. Recommendations: The Mission would like to make the following recommendations.

• The initiatives undertaken based on the recommendations of the last JRM may be continued to their logical conclusions. It appears that due to limited technical hands for quite sometime (filling up of 4 position of Watershed Development Officer under process), the pace of implementation remained constrained. It may be reiterated here that land and water development is one of the most critical and important programme components with largest percentage share of programme fund. Without the right personnel being in place on time, it would be challenging to achieve the targets under this component.

• Water issues remained key concerns and priorities of target communities particularly water availability for agriculture. Therefore, water harvesting and storage (particularly rainwater) should be priority action areas for the remaining period of the programme. In areas where rainwater harvesting may not be practical, explore for feasibility of limited ground water harnessing with adequate care for ground water recharging through rainwater percolation. However, planning for land and water management should be carefully dovetailed with planning for food (from WFP) requirement so that there will always be sufficient food grains along with the works to be generated under land and water management.

♦ Along with mechanical or physical structures of water harvesting and harnessing, biological measures of soil and water management need to be strengthened and improved. Good scope exists (both common land and individual household land) for plantation of various species of trees/fruit trees and NTFPs in programme villages that the Mission visited. Improved biological measures through plantations will meet the twin objectives of soil and water management as well as direct economic benefits from the plantations through sustainable exploitation.

♦ Land productivity improvement should be vigorously integrated along with promotion of vermicompost, increased livestock (particularly cattle for dung), biocomposting, promotion of organic farming as well as increased availability of improved seeds and adoption of improved cultivation technology for kharif and rabi crops as already demonstrated through promotion of SRI and input from ICRISAT.

♦ At this juncture, the project may do well to evaluate the impact and outreach of land and water development components in the programme areas among the target communities. This may include extent of land-owning households benefiting from this intervention and actual increase in land areas for cultivation and land productivity, and increase in crop yield, in turn assessment of overall food and environmental security. Sustainability of land and water management is critical to the production system enhancement of various farming systems and livelihoods strategies of target communities. Therefore, the Project would do well to make detailed assessment of the extent of the integration and convergence of these interventions into the livelihoods framework of the target communities.

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PRODCUTION SYSTEM ENHANCEMENT Community Forests Management 5. As observed during the Mission visit and also described by the target communities, most areas of traditional community forests are not in their best conditions due to pressure of grazing, encroachment, increased collection of firewood and irregular collection and harvesting of forest products for other purposes. There are reports of fairly high dependency of young trees for fuel wood as these can be cut and carried more easily. Convergence or linkages with Forest Department to promote community forestry appear to remain weak. Most project villages also have problem of timely availability of quality planting materials including seeds and seedlings of trees, NTFPs, and fruit trees although the project is promoting both group (6 nos) and private nurseries (12 nos since the last JRM) . As components of community forestry management, the project is promoting farm forestry, agroforestry, cultivation of NTFP (particularly lac cultivation), plantations of timber and fruit trees, and promotion of CFMECs for better management of community forests (52 CFMECS formed with 286 males and 231 female members since the last JRM). Increased Lac cultivation has been seen in villages like Baijoro (Sonua Block; West Singbhum District) and apiculture in Obar village under Angara Block of Ranchi District. Although the project is making encouraging progress in all these components since the recommendations of the last JRM, field assessments in sample villages indicate that the impacts of community forestry management activities remained fairly limited. While the involvement of MART in value chain development and marketing strategy of forest and farm products have been secured, it would remain a challenge to increase the production systems to make this partnership remunerative and sustainable. The studies done by MART on value chain analysis of different forest and non-forest products, particularly the gaps identified should be carefully considered for improving or enhancing the production system. 6. Recommendations. The Mission recommendations are as follows, which may be pursued along with the recommendations of the last JRM:

♦ Efforts may be continued in securing greater convergence with the programmes of the Forest Department such as the JFM and/or activities under the National Afforestation Programme. The Appraisal Report clearly envisages the expected role of the Forest Department particularly in promotion of CFM, registration of CFM areas, incorporation of microplans prepared by the CFMECs into the Working Plans of the Forest Department.

♦ On the other hand, field visits during the present Mission did not give much impression of the effectiveness of the CFMECs in addressing CFM in their respective areas. The Project may like to evaluate this aspect and instead may even discuss more with GSPECs in finding how the CFMECs should function more effectively. The Project may evaluate extent of community owned forested land available in programme villages; model CFM may be vigorously initiated / demonstrated in such villages as envisaged where common lands are readily available.

♦ Number of private nurseries or community nurseries may be enhanced significantly to improve availability of quality planting materials of local tree and fruit species. Planting of trees / timber / fruit trees and other miscellaneous species of fuel and fodder may be encouraged in private land, village road sides, common vacant land, bunds, etc. which are available in plenty in most of the programme villages.

♦ NTFP cultivation: There is already very good local knowledge on lac cultivation in the programme villages. Therefore, improving and enhancing lac cultivation in the project villages would be opportunity for increased income and financial security. This would of course require promotion of host plants such as Kusum, Palas and Ber, etc. Nurseries for this species may be raised or supplied to appropriate villages for upscaling. Lac cultivation could greatly benefit the landless POPs and PTGs as the host plants are mainly occurring in the

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CFM areas or forests legally owned by the Government where JFM can also be promoted. Other NTFPs such as Mahua flowers, Char/Chironji, Tamarind, etc. as identified by MART should be considered for enhanced production for improved income.

♦ Different models of Farm forestry and agroforestry already successfully initiated could be scaled up during the remaining period of the programme activities. Sericulture, bee keeping, horticulture fruit tree plantations could also be scaled up in many of the programme villages as successful initiatives have already been demonstrated. Continuous efforts should be made to have convergence/linkage with State Sericulture Department, National Horticulture Mission, Khadi and Village Industries Board, etc. for this purpose to ensure sustainability and market linkages.

Farming system improvement: Agriculture and horticulture 7. The support system for diversifying and enhancing the production and productivity of farming system by the Project include capacity building through training and exposure visits of the target communities, field demonstration of high yielding crops, varietal introduction of rabi crops from ICRISAT, Farmers Field School, organizing Kisan Mela, etc. Agriculture being the key activities in programme villages and paddy being the main kharif crop, special emphasis has been given in these sectors. However, farming land in most programme villages is generally poor and unproductive; only 10-15% of land can be considered as productive, which are locally known as Bera or low land. Therefore, addressing the land productivity through promotion of organic farmyard manure is one of the key issues and challenges. The project has successfully promoted and demonstrated improved paddy varieties (eg. Ashoka 200F, Swarna, etc.) and improved technology and farming practices (SRI) covering sizable farmers and programme villages. Some of these improved varieties are drought resistant and early maturity (85 days on an average). In collaboration with ICRISAT, the project has also introduced and demonstrated cultivation of dry land crops of oilseeds, legumes and pulses such as groundnuts, chick pea and pigeon pea. There is increasing acceptance of these crops by the farmers for adoption in their farm land. However, the key issues are timely availability of quality seeds, particularly of rabi crops. The project has also successfully demonstrated on the importance and economic values of cultivation of leafy vegetables and ginger. The Project has focused trainings in the areas of vermicompost, organic farming, mushroom cultivation, PTG focused farming system, SRI, and training of agricultural resource persons at village level. FFS remained inadequately functional or poorly formed as yet. Increase in agricultural loans by SHGs (data provided by PRADAN for Sonua Block showed increased agriculture loan across the SHGs and in some groups agriculture loan constituting as high as 79.83%) are encouraging indications of improved agricultural land and facilities due to impacts of interventions under land and water development. 8. Recommendations. The Mission would like to make the following recommendations while urging to continue follow-up actions on the recommendations of the last JRM.

♦ Land development to improve land productivity would require priority focused attention through promotion of vermi compost / biocompost / green manuring by the PECs / SHGs / individual farmers. These activities need to be appropriately planned and integrated along with the water development activities for irrigation as well as introduction of improved varieties of seeds. Technical capacities of the communities need to be addressed on the use of organic manure application in the field to promote organic agriculture.

♦ As suggested in the last JRM, promote organic farming and explore for establishment of project-promoted community-managed sale outlets of farm products in key strategic locations in state capital or district HQs. Landless educated enterprising youth may be particularly encouraged to take up agro-business activities.

♦ Farming tools and implements, particularly that are friendly to women farmers and PTGs should be explored and promoted in the programme villages. Special attention may also be

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given to the enterprising farmers to scale up production systems enhancement of good practices.

♦ Formation of FFS should be appropriately grounded and strengthened for all types of farming systems including agriculture and aquaculture.

♦ More efforts may be made to promote and expand adoption of SRI to address improved production and food security. Similarly, vegetable cultivations require to be scaled up to promote cultivation of leafy vegetables, root crops, cole crops, solanaceous crops, legume crops, etc.

♦ Seeds security needs to be ensured in every village through promotion of lead farmers for seeds production and improved seed storage facilities. The project may examine if ‘seed bank’ or grain bank can be established for cluster of villages.

♦ Further trainings needed in integrated pest management and concept and practices of LEISA (low external input for sustainable agriculture).

♦ Learning from this intervention may be documented and knowledge shared, particularly in addressing food security and agricultural productivity.

Aquaculture development 9. The aquaculture development in the programme area has two critical issues or challenges, viz. (a) inadequate development of water resources for aquaculture, and (b) problems of timely availability of fish stock and prawn seeds. As high value aquaculture is a relatively recent introduction among many of the target communities, the project has done well in imparting trainings in the areas of nursery management, post stocking management, prawn culture, etc. The fishery department has also been providing active support in this regard. Effective promotion of aquaculture in the programme area is critical as increased fish availability and consumption could ensure better nutrition security among the target communities. Aquaculture development remained confined to a tiny negligible percentage of the households among the target communities due to non-availability of suitable land for fishery pond construction as also most target communities being marginal farmers with very small land holdings. 10. Recommendations: The Mission would like to make the following recommendations:

♦ Increase the rainwater harvesting activities in order to increase the scope for fishery and aquaculture development in programme area.

♦ Promote fish seed production through lead fishery farmers or FFS in aquaculture. ♦ Integrated fish farming, already being initiated based on the recommendations of the last

JRM, may ideally be scaled up together with provision of further capacity trainings for the interested individuals.

♦ Further trainings on aquaculture management (pond and water management, liming, manuring, fish stocking, induced breeding, etc.) may be provided to larger number of farmers. Linkage with the Fishery Department may further be strengthened.

♦ Special focus may be directed towards the vulnerable target groups such as women, POP, PTGs, etc. by way of developing community fishery ponds wherever feasible.

Livestock development 11. The programme under this sector continue to focus in supporting the existing livestock system, building community capacity to identify livestock related problems and their solutions, enhancing the knowledge of the community to access services available for livestock, linking livestock with micro-credits in order to increase the small investment capacity of the communities, promotion of fodder development (35 villages identified since the last JRM fro grazing land development) and to equip the communities for better animal health care. Livestock provides livelihood security for many of the target communities particularly for the landless, POP, PTGs and others. Livestock also provides linkages with agricultural productivity and organic farming. The Project has been promoting Village Livestock Workers (74 more VLWs trained since the last JRM)

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who are becoming effective service providers at the village level. The project also facilitated in organizing regular animal health camps for immunization in collaboration with Animal Husbandry Department, besides providing training to SHGs on basics of livestock care and management and encouraging them to take up livestock. Since then, there has been significant increase in the number of livestock particularly cattle, goat, piggery and poultry. As reported by the communities during the present field visit, the impacts of the presence of VLWs resulted in decrease number of animal deaths due to diseases. However, linkage with insurance for livestock remained weak, which is important as risk minimization strategy. 12. Recommendations. The Mission would like to make the following recommendations in line with the last JRM:

♦ Grazing lands wherever possible should be developed with development of appropriate fodder species, including private lands. Particular emphasis may be given for development of fodder in community forest land / common land so that the POP and landless can collect fodder and stall feed the livestock from these sources.

♦ Grazing rules developed in some villages may be appropriately documented and evaluated for their effectiveness and promotion in other villages.

♦ Stall feeding of animals including goats and pigs which have been already initiated may be upscaled for large adoption by the target communities; social mobilization and sensitization may be undertaken for this purpose.

♦ Rural livestock service providers or VLWs may be promoted in larger numbers with appropriate capacity building and linking their services with GSPEC for long-term sustainability.

♦ Livestock insurance has been rightly initiated in consultation / collaboration with BASIX and Oriental Insurance. These initiatives may be grounded at the earliest for safeguarding the interest of the farmers, which may be promoted through the VLWs. However, trainings/awareness education may be required on modalities of accessing insurance benefits should the need arises.

♦ Wasteland areas or homestead gardens, wherever feasible, may be used for cultivation of tuber crops (such as Tapioca), subabool and maize for animal feeds/fodder. Initiatives already being taken up on this aspect require to be scaled up in as many villages as possible through FNGOs/PECs/SHGs.

♦ Improved animal breeds (goats, pigs & poultry) have been introduced on experimental basis with select lead farmers and SHG groups. While such initiatives are the desired strategies, often improved breeds (although already acclimatized in the experimental conditions at BAU) demand higher care and hygiene together with proper feeds, thereby constraining household labours, but opportunities for higher income trade off these challenges. Further trainings and capacity building of the communities in livestock management need to be facilitated in collaboration with appropriate agencies / institutions (eg. Ranchi Veterinary College, Animal Husbandry Department of State Govt).

♦ Studies may be conducted on the impacts of VLWs on livestock production enhancement as well as their sustainability as service providers in the programme villages. Study may also include on the carrying capacity of the programme area for livestock as their increase in number particularly those of cattle would be critical in sustaining land productivity (from cattle dung) as much as increasing land constraints (by way of increased demands for grazing).

Health and Nutrition 13. Health and nutrition continue to be important issues in the programme villages. Many of the programme villages have poor access to minimum health services, besides also requiring improvement in general hygiene of the villages and households. In convergence with the National Rural Health Mission, the project has promoted Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) or Health

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Workers known as Sahaiya who have been given appropriate orientation and training and also provided with health care kits with basic medicines to dispense common diseases prevalent in the villages. Health care awareness and orientation trainings have also been given to selected members of PECs, SHGs and village animators, particularly in the areas of mother and child health. Health camps are also regularly organized with support from FNGO and health department. Since the last JRM, over 50 health camps/health awareness camps had been organized and more than 4452 patients have been treated as per the figure provided by the project. 3 Health FNGOs have been contracted to provide services exclusively for health and nutrition. The impacts of these interventions are seen in improved health conditions and reduced water borne diseases, which were most common in many of the project villages. 14. Recommendations. The Mission would like to make the following recommendations in line with the recommendations of the last JRM:

♦ Vigorous and more effective linkages may be pursued with National Rural Health Mission for improved health and nutritional status of the programme villages. Services of Health FNGOs exclusively dedicated to promotion of health and nutritional interventions across the project may be further scaled up and impacts followed up with selected case studies.

♦ Health and Nutrition Awareness programmes may be conducted further for changes or improvements of balanced diets among women and children, particularly among expecting and lactating mothers. This awareness would require to be strongly linked up with promotion of kitchen gardens for cultivation of leafy vegetable all year round. This may again be linked up with promotion of rooftop rainwater harvesting for enhancing water availability for kitchen gardens.

♦ Linkages may be developed with State Medicinal Plants Board for promotion of appropriate MAPs (Medicinal and Aromatic Plants) in project villages.

♦ Along with drinking water, low cost sanitation or toilets may be introduced on pilot basis in selected villages and selected households; its success will greatly depend on social awareness and social mobilization.

♦ Social motivations required for improved house designs with better ventilations and introduction of smokeless chulhas for cooking to prevent smoking hazards while cooking along with savings of firewood. The initiatives already undertaken by the Project in this regard need to be scaled up as quickly as possible.

♦ Children’s nutritional aspects may also be addressed through awareness building and in convergence with Govt’s mid-day meal programmes/ anganwadi centres wherever possible.

♦ Develop extension materials (posters and information brochures/booklets) on health and nutrition for CHVs and communities.

15. Acknowledgements: I would like to thank the Mission team leader and mission colleagues as well as all the JTDS team (both at PMU and DPIUs) for their courtesy, facilitation and active participation during the present JRM; also thanks are due to the various experts and field co-workers for their inputs during the stakeholders interactive meet as part of the JRM processes.

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Annexure V

JOINT REVIEW MISSION JHARKHAND TRIBAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

20 June to 3 July 2008

REPORT

Achyut Das

Institutions and Tribal Development Specialist

1. INTRODUCTION The Review Mission of the Jharkhand Development Project (JTDP) initiated in 2002 has to look not only at the Physical and Financial Progress but also at the quality of achievements and compare and contrast present achievements with the past facts and figures and ground realities. It is also important to note how seriously JTDP has followed up the set of recommendations . This time the Mission has to take stock of the situation and has to examine the exit strategy, as the project would come to a close in 2009. Keeping the main Project Objectives ( Household Food and livelihood securities, Empowerment Grass-root Institutions etc.) in focus, it is important to note how the sustainability of the process is taken into account. The Election for Panchayats in Jharkhand has not taken place; it is being held up due to cases in the Court ; hence PESA is still not uimplemented. But there are several National Acts and Policies which have far reaching impact in Jharkhand. To list them : The Right to Information Act, NREGA, The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights ) Act, National Tribal Policy, National Policy for Farmers etc. It is important for the mission to review how JTDP has taken cognizance of these Acts and Policies. The Mission has tried to visit as many villages as possible in the remote pockets, which are both Pilot Phase and Scale-up Phase.

2. Schedule Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2007 Though the Govt. of India has issued the Guidelines related to the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2007 (in short FRA), the Govt. of Jharkhand has not formulated appropriate Guidelines for the State. This is a significant Act meant to address the historical injustice done to the tribals and other indigenous people of India; it has far reaching consequences if implemented in letter and spirit. In Jharkhand, there are several land tenure systems – like Chhotanagpur Tenancy Act and Manke-Munda System of Land Rights – which are in practice and respected by the tribal communities. It is urgent that the FRA is implemented immediately in the project villages to ensure land rights and entitlements to the landless and PTGs . It is also important that the people in the JTDP areas also know various provisions of the Act through mass awareness programmes conducted both by the JTDP and the FNGOs. JTDP should also come forward with a clear strategy on how to address the issue of the landless. JTDP should also take note that Sustainable Livelihood and the Empowerment process is linked with the land rights. In fact, all the Landless families and PTG families in the Project Area should be listed and plans should be made to see that FRA is applicable to them.

3. An action plan to implement the provisions of FRA

It is also important that the people in the JTDP areas know the provisions of the Act through mass awareness programmes conducted both by JTDP and the FNGOs. JTDP should also come forward with a clear strategy how to address the issue of the landless. JTDP should also note that the Sustainable Livelihood and Empowerment process is linked with land rights. In fact, all the

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Landless families and PTG families in the Project Area should be listed and plans should be made to see that FRA is applicable to them. Thus, it is recommended:

♦ To Organise Legal Awareness Camps immediately in all Project Villages on FRA jointly by the JTDP and FNGOs.

♦ To prepare IEC Materials on FRA so that the tribal men and women understand the significance of FRA.

♦ Target the Landless Families and PTGs (who are invariably landless) and help them to be linked up with the FRA process as soon as the Guidelines are available.

♦ The provisions of FRA and the traditional Land Tenure system may be in conflict. It is important the Gram Sabhas play a role in the mplementation of the FRA by resolving the conflicts.

♦ The Implementation Guidelines of the Govt. Of India indicate that there has to be proper process starting from the Forest Committees, Gram Sabha, filing of Forms etc. to actual verifications etc. It is required that JTDP establish contact with Revenue, Forest and Tribal Welfare Departments of GoJ for the successful implementation of the FRA.

4. Institution building and improvement in management capacity of the Gram Sabha As per the Provisions of the Panchayats ( Extension to Scheduled Areas ) called (PESA) 1999, the Panchayat election should have taken place long time back in Jharkhand but because of various litigations, there has been no election till today. In absence of the elected Panchayats, the Gram Sabhas constituted in all Pilot (90) and Scale-up villages (237) are in place. Each village has a GSPEC , the total Male Members are 1277 (52%) and Female Members 1174(48%). 33% PECS are headed by women. The field observation shows that in many cases the women PEC Members are more articulate However, it was observed that in some of the GSPECs, the men are much more than the women. The data provided by the Project has not indicated exactly how many PEC members are from the PTGs and from Landless/Marginalised Section. There has not been any analysis to indicate if the members of the PECS are changed . Any conflict within the PECs has not been indicated.

The PECs Members , both male and female , are well-versed with some of the basics of the Micro-watershed Planning and implementation. They can design and present a Social Map, a Watershed Map, conduct the Wealth Ranking etc. with the help of the FNGOs . The PEC Members are trained and oriented to plan and implement activities under Land and water Management and Farming Systems under Livelihood System Enhancement and Forestry, Livestock Development and Aquaculture etc. under Productive System Enhancement. Even though there is no proper document on Training Need Assessment or Training calendar for the training and capacity building of the PEC Members, SHG Groups, Community Level Service Providers (Animators, Village Livestock Worker, CHV etc.), and on Health, Livestock, Aquaculture, Forestry, Land and Water Management, large number of training programmes have been organized during the previous year. . Each of the training components,however, has a definite curriculum, resource persons/institutions.

However, whether it is Informal Meetings, Awareness Generations, Orientation, Training and Exposure or Sammelan and Annual Workshop, the Project lacks a clear-cut strategy on Training and Capacity Building. For example, there have not been enough efforts to develop a large number of master trainers and resource persons at the village level who can impart training at the local level. In a time bound project, a village which has some best practices can be a good training center – much more effective than distant training centres. The Project has developed some Teaching-Learning /IEC materials but a simple Manual/Pictorial could be deigned for the extensive use of PECs and SHGs with support of some of the leading Resource NGOs. The FNGOs should be encouraged to develop and use Audio-visuals extensively for training and capacity building. At this stage, there has not been adequate training programme on process documentation, social audit, processing and marketing of NTFP items.

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The Project has given emphasis on the training and capacity building of the PTGs in all 22 PTG villages . In the National Tribal Policy, the PTGs are the most vulnerable communities and JTDS has rightly made some direct intervention. In the Progress Report, it is recommended that a Special Chapter be written on PTGs with success stories, financial allocations and impact.

Though the Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights ) Act, 2006 has been enforced and the National Guidelines have been issued since June 2007, the Govt. of Jharkhand has not yet issued the Guidelines for the state. As a result, the issue of land to the landless has not been addressed as yet. The Landless are mostly benefited by the off-farm activities like goatery etc. It is also not clear how many landless are in the PECs and what kind of training has been imparted to them. It is recommended that in the Progress Report, a special chapter is to be devoted to the development of the landless. 5. Technical training and quality of training at the community level (PEC, Watershed

Committees, SHGs members) and existing capacity gaps in NGO and project staff. Excepting one or two professional NGOs like PRADAN, all other FNGOs and their staff-members need training and orientation to deal with the situation after the withdrawal. The FNGOs working in the tribal context of Empowerment Process and Sustainable Livelihood Securities need skills in the following areas:

• Building of Local Institutions and CBOs • Internal Skill development/up gradation to give back-up support to the CBOs/Institutions • Developing skills and capabilities of the Community Level Service Providers • Ensuring Gender Balance and Equity • Facilitating Market linkages and other kinds rural enterprises • Bringing about convergence

It is important at this point that the FNGOs, be assessed in an appropriate manner to know the strength and weakness in dealing with above-mentioned issues. Gradation of the FNGOs is essential so that those who need further training and exposure should be given opportunities or be phased out. It is to be noted that most of the FNGOs are working as per the Project needs but are not entirely committed. As soon as support from JTDS is discontinued, it is expected that most of the FNGOs will also wind up their interventions, which will have disastrous impact as regards sustainability. It may be strategic to identify some FNGOs as Resource NGOs depending on their specialization to upgrade the skills of other FNGOs. A network may be encouraged to evolve among the FNGOs so that there is a spirit of cooperation rather than competition. A series of Joint Workshops/Training Programmes with good facilitation may be initiated immediately to ensure this. FNGOs not only need up gradation of Techno-managerial skills but also Advocacy Skills, which inturn need to be transferred to the CBOs and village level institutions.

6. Convergence of government programmes/schemes, such as NREGA

It has been noticed that NREGA, which is an important National Act and a major opportunity for the Project Villages, has hardly been implemented. It is observed that in many villages, the Job cards under NREGA have not been given to all the families. In a few target villages, limited number of mandays has been generated. In these cases, there has been unusual delay in the payments. Ensuring Job card to each deserving family and generating demand for minimum 100 days of employment is the responsibility of the FNGOs ably guided by JTDS. Now that JTDS and WFP support is regularly available, the Gram Sabha and PECs are not taking interest in NREGA. There are also several State and Central Govt. Schemes like National Rural Health Mission, National Horticulture Mission, National Food Security Mission, SJSY etc. under implementation which could be accessed by the GSPECs. It is to be realized by one and all that mere wareness of the Govt. Schemes and Programmes is not enough. What is required is a concrete action to mobilize additional resources for the Gram Sabha and for the SHGs. Joint Strategy is to be

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worked out and implemented without further delay. This should be monitored at the highest level and properly documented.

7. Review of recommendations of the last Mission related to training: Sly. No.

Recommendations Action Taken Remark/Comments on the basis of the Field Visit

1. Documentation of successful processes and interventions

Publication of a Collection of success stories

Audio-visual Documentation is required

2 Train PECs to organize Social Audit

PECs and FNGOs have been oriented to conduct the Social Audit

No regular Social Audit is reported

3 Establish Linkages with the Govt. Departments like Fishery, Soil and Water Conservation, Agril.University

Convergence Workshop with Govt.Department, Agril. University, NABARD etc. has been organised. Extent of Collaboration is given as Annex 9.

Convergence should be based on the demand from the village institutions. If possible, Action-research Projects may be taken up. The scope of collaboration with JREDA for supplying Solar lights and other renewable energy devices has to be expanded.

4 Promote Farmer-to-Farmer Extension

Process of Cross-learning and Exposure visit to successful villages is on

The successful farmers and SHG Members are not adequately used as Resource Persons for Farmer-to-farmer to extension.

5. Introduction of Nutritional Education etc.

Done with the help of HNGO and FNGOs

IEC material is to be developed

6. Installation of low-cost toilets

Steps taken with appropriate linkage

No definite strategy on drinking water and sanitation worked out

8. Impact, withdrawal and sustainability It is certain that the project has made an impact. . The Withdrawal Strategy will have a lot of bearings on the Impact. Sustainability of the project will be decided by the way there is withdrawal - the scale, the time-frame, the nature of interventions. Let us examine them in the context of the project.

Sustainability Issues mean the following:

• Institutional Sustainability • Social Sustainability • Economic and Financial Sustainability • Technical Sustainability • Environmental Strategy • Exit Strategy

Impact involves

• Physical and Financial Assets • Food Security • Increase in Income • Policy Impact

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Impact - Physical and Financial Assets

The Missions feels that to assess Impact of the Project, there has to be new PRA and Social Mapping, Wealth ranking, redrawing of Land and water use-map in all Pilot Villages and an in-depth analysis of some sample villages. This is required together with the documentation of various Best Practices. Visiting villages like Goharduba in Golkera Block of West Singhbhum Dist. can reveal a lot.

• In general, it is observed that PECs are vigorously implementing the GSRMP. Gully Plugging, Land Dev, Construction of Ponds, Seepage Tanks, Water Harvesting Tanks, Diversion Channels, Plantation and a number of other structures as part of the Ridge to Valley approach are being introduced in the watersheds. More than 50% of the projected targets envisaged in GSRMP have been achieved. In some activities like Gully Plugging and 5% Model, the target is almost achieved.

• It is also observed that the Gram Sabha and the PEC Members have used the resources – cash and kind – in a judicious manner and have remained accountable. Village Unity and Co-operation have been strengthened in terms of planning, implementing and monitoring various activities together. The net impact is that Gram Sabha is empowered.

• The spontaneous and meaningful Participation of villagers/watershed users leading to contribution to the village development fund (VDF) can be considered a significant impact. Within the Gram Sabha, a number of committees – in some places as many as 8 - have been formed to be responsible for health, education, forest protection, vigilance etc.

• There has not been an y assessment about how much soil erosion has been checked or whether there has been a rise in the ground water table or increase in the biomass etc.

• The Mission feels that the emphasis on Jatropha plantation has not made much impact and in principle should be dispensed with.

Impact on Farming System Enhancement The impact is visible. This has a direct bearing on Food and Livelihood Security.. Mission feels that there has to be some objective and academically rigorous studies to analyse the impact, which will be of immense interest to various stakeholders. There is visible evidence of impact in the following:

• Increase in Crop Productivity • Increase in Soil Fertility • Increasing of cropping area in both Kharif and Rabi • Adoption of improved farming inputs and technical skills – ICRISAT Seeds, SRI Method

of Paddy Cultivation, Organic manure/vermicompost etc. • Increase in Food and Nutritional Security • Increase in Fishery and Livestock Development • Reduction in seasonal and distress migration • Addressing the socio-economic need of Landless and PTGs • Improvement in Quality of Life – Education, Health, Nutrition, Sanitation • Creation of a cadre of self-employed barefoot professionals as Community Level

Service Providers

Impact on Income The Mission feels that there is definite increase in Household Income but to substantiate this, there is need for micro-studies.

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There is visible evidence of impact in the following:

• More investment on children’s education • More expenditures on Health • More savings • More investment in livestock, business and trading

Impact on policy

Mission feels that Policy Changes could have been initiated if the interventions had made some dramatic impact. Within Watershed Development framework, all the measures are text book designed and so do not break new ground. All the SHGs indicate some degree of mobilization but very few villages are saturated and hence the SHGs are not powerful enough to introduce policy changes. There is no visible trend in cluster or federation formation. On Advocacy issues, there is no pressure from below for change in policies.

Institutional Sustainability

Every institution that is going to be sustainable needs the following:

1. Structure 2. Dynamic and Efficient Leadership 3. Financial Stability 4. A Plan of Action 5. Transparency and Accountability

In the Project Areas, there has to be a systematic effort to develop a series of micro-organisations – Village Level Organisations, SHG Federations, Producers’ Company. All stakeholders need to work out a strategy to create such organizations at various locations. In fact, a blue print has to be developed. The Animators and articulate leaders from PECS and SHGs should be trained in leadership and management of non-profits. All Institutions need Financial stability. The Membership fees, VDF, a portion from the profit out of NTFP, Income out of Common Property Resources like Tanks; Forests can lead to this financial stability. Mobilisation of Govt. Programmes and Schemes will lead to a Plan of Action for the follow-up Phase of the Project. Linking and Networking among the Micro-organisations and CBOs would be another strategy for Sustainability. Withdrawal Strategy: The Project Activities and the process there in cannot be withdrawn leaving a vacuum. Hence, very well-planned strategies have to be worked out. The suggestions are as follows:

1. The Pilot Phase villages should be encouraged to have another PRA exercise to reposition them for the next phase of action.

2. The FNGO should be encouraged to work with a Target population which only need vital support. This targeting is possible after a new wealth and well-being ranking.

3. The Animators and the Village Level Service Providers should be further trained and compensated to work more intensively and professionally. This will reduce the dependence on external technical support.

4. All the interventions should be such that the dependence on external inputs is reduced. This means there has to be low cost, indigenous and sustainable technologies.

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5. There has to be more convergence with Govt. programmes for Watershed activities and business plan for watershed+ activities.

9. Recommendations

The Mission strongly recommends the following to strengthen the process of the Project Interventions to support sustainability and withdrawal:

10. General comments:

As a part of the Review Mission for the 3rd time, I always feel that there should be certain improvements regarding the methodology as follows:

• There should be more intensive village visits. Few villages rather than the present practice of visiting many. This means, Mission will spend more time in a village to look at the village level records, physical achievements on the ground, more interactive session with the Gram Sabha/SHGs in presence of the JTDS staff and FNGO. This will spare the members from being on the road most of the time.

• JTDS should prepare a village profile for the village to be visited. This should be given to the Mission at the beginning of the Mission so that there is time to analyse facts and figures and to prepare well for the village visits.

Sl. No.

I. Training & Capacity Building

Responsibility

1 Redesigning Training Strategy in the light of withdrawal, sustainability and gaps

PMU

2 Production of pictorials/IEC materials for users – PECs, SHGs, VLSPs/Animators

PMU

3 Advocacy materials on rights-based approach to upgrade skills of FNGOs

PMU

4 Development of Model villages as Decentralised Training Centres – VLSPs/Animators as Resources Persons

DPIUs

5 Joint Workshops for Landless, PTGs, FNGOs, JTDS on Convergence

PMU, DPIUs

6 Training on Process Documentation for all stakeholders including FNGOs

PMU

7 Special Training workshops on NREGA, Forest Rights, RTI, Social Audit

PMU, DPIUs

8 Linking with Professional Organisation/Academic Institutions on Micro Studies related to Migration, NTFP

PMU

9 Scientific Monitoring of use of ICRISAT seeds, etc. PMU, DPIUs II. Gender Balancing and Equity 10 More women staff in JTDS and FNGOs PMU 11 Joint workshops to have clarity on Equity Issues PMU III. Sustainability 12 Joint workshops to workout a strategy for withdrawal and

Sustainability PMU

13 Exposure visit to successful Producer’s Company PMU 14 Designing Business Plan for each cluster of SHGs/Villages DPIUs 15 Joint workshops on Institution Building and Management PMU

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Annexure VI

JRM Team’s Field Visit Schedule (June, 2008)

Date Block Name of Village FNGO Team 1. Labga JJK 2. Ghagrabera SVP

21.06.08 (Night stay at Ranchi)

Bundu

3. Bhurkunda SID T1

Tamar 1. Gumandih GVT T2 1. Barinijkel PRADAN

22.06.08 (Night stay at Jamshedpur)

Erki 2. Gerne PRADAN

T1

1. Radur YUVA 2. Mejogora KM T1 23.06.08

(Night stay at Jamshedpur)

Potka

3. Chirugora SHARE T2 Kuchai 1. Ramdih

2. Rugudih 3. Badedih

S.S.S. T1

24.06.08 (Night stay at Saraikela Circuit House)

Rajnagar 1. Herma 2. Bhalupani 3. Arjunbila

S.M. T2

Rajnagar 1. Majhgaon 2. Bhunkuli 3. Kamarbasa

KGVK T1

1. Jonkorasan GVT 2. Medkobera IDF

25.06.08 (Night stay at Saraikela Circuit House)

Khuntpani

3. Chendya KSRA T2

1. Arahasa 2. Sarbil

KMS Goelkera

3. Ghoraduba TRTC T1

26.06.08 (Night stay at Saraikela Circuit House)

Sonua 1. Nilaigot 2. Raghoi 3. Kudaburu

PRADAN T2

1. Sarjomdih 2. Harimara

IDF T1 27.06.08 (Night stay at Jamshedpur)

Sonua

1. Turibasa 2. Serengsia 3. Nurda

PRADAN T2

1. Omanburu JJK 28.06.08 (Night stay at Ranchi)

Bundu 2. Jojoda MJS

T1 & T2

1. Paharsingh DPIU,Rnc 29.06.08

(Night stay at Ranchi) Angara

2. Obar/Jaradih RKMA

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Annexure VII

List of Participants

Meeting with FNGOs /Line Departments / Supporting Agencies/JTDS staff (June 30,2008)

Sl. No.

Name of Participants Designation FNGOs

1. Sanjay Kumar Singh Trustee THRD 2. Marshal K. Project Coordinator KSRA 3. Mukesh Kumar Sinha Project Coordinator GVT 4. K. Mahto SSS AAAT 5. Kaush TS SVP 6. Bhushan Pandey Senior Project Officer GVT 7. Kaushlandra Kumar Project Coordinator GVT 8. Subhas K Project Coordinator SVT 9. Singh M Project Coordinator SM 10. Shivkar P. Secretary ASRA 11. Vinod Sourabh Secretary MJSSKK 12. Pitambara Chaitanya 13. Biswaroop Chatterjee Project Coordinator Kalamindar 14. Amitava Ghosh Secretary Kalamindar 15. Raghunath Sardar SSS Kalamindar 16. Shanti Bhushan Sinha Project Coordinator JJK 17. Md. Sarfraz Ali Project Coordiantor JJK 18. Clement Kujur s.j. Project Coordinator TRTC 19. Gurucharan Khandait SSS TRTC 20. Jayant Kr.Oraon TS TRTC 21. Ganesh Bima SSS TRTC 22 A.G. Raja Project Coordinator SHARE 23. Vinay R. Shanti Project Coordinator SHARE 24. Alak Jana Project Coordiantor Pradan 25. P Bhattacharya Project Coordiantor Pradan 26. Buran H. P Project Coordiantor Pradan 27. Ajay K. Singh Project Coordiantor SHARE 28. G.P.T Executive Member CRADLE 29 Halan B Asst. director SIVK 30 Motilal Mehta Coordinator SJVK 31. Suresh Mehta Project Coordiantor TSRDS 32. M. Sahoo Project Coordiantor KGVK 33. Jaypal M Project Coordiantor KGVK 34. Shabana Kausar Secretary KMS.CBSA 35. Ashok Bharti Location In charge KGVK 36. Tushar Project Coordiantor SPAR 37. Sanjay S Project Coordiantor TSRDS 38. Satendar Singh Project Coordiantor MJS 39. Chandra Shekhar Kr TS MJS 40. Barmali C Secretary YUVA 41. Rautu Bodra Project Coordiantor KMS 42. Sujul B Project Coordiantor IDF 43. Sanjeet Singh Managing Trustee SSS

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Line Departments/Supporting Agencies

Sl. No.

Name of Participants Designation Dept/Agency

1. P. Kaushal Forestry Bisra Agri.University Ranchi

2. S.B.Nayan - RABARD Ranchi 3. S.K. Ghosh - MART 4. Nirmallya Mandar Project Coordiantor MART 5. B.Jagadeeshwar Singh Facilitator PRDIS 6. Sriram Facilitator PRDIS 7. Hemangini S. Kumar District Area Officer - 8. Joseph Viruthiyel Dy.General Manager AFC 9. Minu Sharan Area Development

Officer AH Office

10. A.Sinha Dean Vety.College Ranchi 11. A.K. singh HOD Agriculture " 12. S.M.S Das Forester Ranchi 13. Ravi Shankar DFO Ranchi 14. Dr. Mrs Niva Bara HOD (AE) BAU,Ranchi 15. R.P. Singh Ratan DE BAU , Ranchi 16. J.P. singh Sr. Scientist IINRG, Namkun, Ranchi

JTDS Staff

Sl. No.

Name of Participants Designation Unit

1. Manindra K T A.A.O SPIU Ranchi 2. Chandreshwar Prasad Accountant SPIU Ranchi 3. Pankaj S Accountant SPIU Ranchi 4. Praveen Kumar Singh FFDO JIDS 5. Sanjay Bhagat P & MD JIDS 6. Rajesh S. - DPIU 7. S. Singh MPO DPIU 8. Shanti Mardi TC DPIU 9. Akay Minz CDPO DPIU 10. Abha Srivastava GES DPIU 11. A. Sen FO DPIU 12. Shashikant S FSS JTDS DPIU 13. Mukesh K.Singh FO JTDS DPIU 14. Pradeep Bilung F.S.S JTDS DPIU 15. Rajeev Lohan MFO JTDS DPIU 16. Lachendra Nath M PMO DPIU 17. Bhupal Chandra M WDO DPIU 18. Pankaj Kuamr Singh AAO Chaibasa 19. Anita Manju Hassa CDPO Chaibasa 20. Hema Ekka G & E Spl Chaibasa 21. Punam Tara Surin Training Coordinator PMU 22. Vinay Kumar PMO PMU 23. Ranjan Kr.Pathak FAO PMU 24. Pankaj S. Accountant PMU 25. Dilip Kr. Singh Computer Operator PMU

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Joint Review Mission Team

1. Mr. Anirudh Tewari IPC 2. Dr. Aloyisus P. Fernandez Team Leader 3. Mr. Shaheel Rafique IPC 4. Mr. Achyut Das Consultant 5. Mr. Vincent Darlong IPC 6. Ms. Purnima Mukharjee WFP