e-NRLM

It is very essential for monitoring and evaluation to have solid data. There are thousands of functioning SHGs in the country. NRLM has taken step for transparency through data collection about SHG. MIS of NRLM is hugely important for tracking effectiveness of programs that would serve in a long way to establishing accountability at each level.

ICDS is already working with SHG movement in Odisha with Mission Shakti since 2003. Through validation and gradation of SHG in December 2012, Panchayati Raj Department was able to verify total number of SHG in the Odisha. Still, there was no concrete record of name of all SHG members. Name of President and Secretary can only be obtained through all given data. I formed a template as required for MIS and termed this E-NRLM format. Our OLM team at Bhanjanagar and Surada block of Ganjam district used Aagan Wadi Workers (AWWs) for collecting data about SHG.

Data collection exercise is a tough thing in India. Education of the most of the AWWs varies mostly from class 7-12 range. They are overloaded with core responsibilities and other auxiliary works. Other hurdles in data capture is Demand of Information in English Language. This is a huge problem at all India level as the necessary level of English is not achieved by  AWWs, GRS or any other extension staff. If we collect data in the regional language, it will be very tough for translating them in English for data operator sitting at block level. One more precaution should be taken while collecting data at rural level. Agriculture season shouldn't be selected for the exercise as women members are busy in all activities. That will add burden to AWWs and make process more tedious.

Gathered information is static in nature. We need to re-validate all old SHGs each year for any change in members, amount of savings and bank linkage history. There is need to colled basic information also need about new SHGs formed each year. There will be upcoming need to update BPL(Below Poverty Line) data related to SHGs in near future. Currently, 1997 BPL census data is used in Odisha for any scheme. 2011 BPL data will be soon made public and must be incorporated soon.  Why this is important ? Each government schemes has guidelines to select beneficiary mostly on the basis of either SC/ST or BPL card per household. Hence, a more transparent way will emerge with the help of this MIS.With each opening of bank branches (public and private) in the locality, they should be readily integrated in MIS data.

In a review meeting, we were battered by a senior officer for not taking ownership of the mission in data collection exercise. This task was not possible without having a single field staff dedicated for NRLM at our disposal till December 2013. And, nobody remembers all big talks of convergence of various government agencies! I was working at Balangir district where few villages/GPs name were missing from MIS. We readily took help from MGNREGS MIS software. Now, that is a fine example of convergence. We are collecting BPL card number instead of just writing yes or no in BPL column for e-nrlm. That is ensuring much transparency in the system. It is plan to do this data collection exercise each year conjoint with re-assessment schedule of all SHG. That will ensure much light on proper SHG health.

Social investment is not being done just be formation of SHG and quality is not being maintained as government is only chasing numbers. Our huge ignorance of how good or bad SHG works is barrier to their development. MIS is a tool that will be give quantitative answers. There is still need of huge qualitative data to explain the numbers. NRLM need rigorous and reliable information of impact assessment studies, social audit, panel studies etc. Open data-Base is a new kind of 'public good' that can be generated through this mission. With this huge amount of publicly available data disseminated to policymakers, industry, bankers, researchers, Academia, students and others can give more understanding social reality.

Visit for Social Audit of NREGS - 2

What is a social audit? It is better to have an idea of the concept in the first place.  Social_Audit_Report is uploaded to the NREGS website. But almost all of the community seems to be completely unaware of the documentation part. The best part of these meetings is the opportunity to meet office bearers and government officials on the same day.

When the government makes the schedule for a social audit in October, it reviews work done/in progress from April to September months. SA was originally scheduled in October but due to a cyclone, it was completed in December. Advertisements were given in three Oriya newspapers giving dates and locations of the social audit meeting. Local NGO was invited to attend the meetings yet no provision of funds was available for community mobilization through local NGOs. This was all done when Gram Rozgar Sevak (GRS) [working personnel for NREGS at Village level] were gone on strike. Their online petition is worth a read on the problem faced at the implementation level.

Verification of Documents, Grievance Submitted, and Issues was tackled in the meeting with sincerity. Whatever issues were raised and action was taken on them.  The normal complaint was the wrong account number given by beneficiaries of bank accounts. One person complained about having no job card. He later told that he was a migrant and belong to well to do family. Since this card is one more government paperwork done free, he was eager to get in hope of anticipated benefits. Ensuring faster wage payment to beneficiaries under MGNREGS is the process lacuna. Payment within 15 days deadline is sometimes stretched to full month that came in limelight.

According to the guidelines of MGNREGA, a Gram Sabha has held the prime institution of planning and execution of MGNREGA. So much in writing but activities of Vigilance and Monitoring Committees (VMCs) at the Panchayat level are in hibernation all over Odisha. NREGS work for purposes like common grazing and livelihood is not taken much into thought. NREGS website is great. But even the BPL (as per the 1997 census in Odisha) doesn't seem rightly fed in that. I have highlighted with a red circle in the picture above and brought it to the notice of the concerned authority.

There is no convergence that household has taken benefit from which scheme like IAY/RSBY of the government.  Even demand generation suffers due to a lack of initiative of community. As per government officials, not much work can be generated if a lot has been already done in previous years. There is a limit of demand that can be achieved under the guidelines of NREGS. The demand scheme has been converted into a target scheme by the officers under pressure from the government to show numbers.  That was the most important lesson that came out in this exercise.

Social Audit has merely been reduced as an exercise for checking numbers, as rarely people complained about the quality of work and let accountable pay for corruption. Even mighty monitoring tools like social audits can become grievance redress mechanisms only in the hands of the dull community. The social audit may have helped in awareness generation but a lot of work needs to be done for community engagement.

One Month at Bhanjanagar, Ganjam

I reported at DRDA office, Ganjam district on 18th November 2013. I was relived from previous duty for PHAILIN rehabilitation work. Emergency relief work had already been finished in most of the block. Hence, rehabilitation work is not included in my role at Ganjam District. I was assigned to work at Bhanjanagar block exclusive for Odisha Livelihood Mission (OLM).  Bhanjanagar block is a non intensive block as per OLM guidelines. A new proposal to change this into intensive block has been sent to the central government. That means a lot of action under coming months but not now. Revolving fund to SHGs, e-NRLM (MIS)and SHG Bank Credit Linkage are the focus area  in job profile.

OLM  , Panchayat Samiti Office, Bhanjanagar

Work Station

Every person worth its salt always knows how to correct itself, and eventually does. I feel vulnerable against myself. The trait of punctuality is leaving me even with the minor load of the government job. Hoping to maintain this habit of punctuality. I am ignorant about development issues to a large extent. I am focusing hard to be updated on each aspect of community and governance development. It a general truth that "No work, No Pay". Currently, assigned work is minimum at this moment. Let's have a thought, I feel like overpaid government officer !

Motivation for the Day: “If you're going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don't even start. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives and maybe even your mind. It could mean not eating for three or four days. It could mean freezing on a park bench. It could mean jail. It could mean derision. It could mean mockery--isolation. Isolation is the gift. All the others are a test of your endurance, of how much you really want to do it. And, you'll do it, despite rejection and the worst odds. And it will be better than anything else you can imagine. If you're going to try, go all the way. There is no other feeling like that. You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire. You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It's the only good fight there is.” ― Charles Bukowski, Factotum

More Words, Less Work

Jargon is not monopoly of B School students, as they are also used excessively in the development sector. That is why practitioner doesn't read academic literature. The funny part is that the jargon such as 'Sustainable' and 'Strategy' in daily vocab as student is not coming any use to me. Development academics are known for their penchant for creating jargon where there is need for none, points out Pulitzer-Prize and Oscar-winning cartoonist and novelist Jules Feitter in his inimitable style.

“I used to think I was poor. Then they told me I wasn’t poor, I was needy. Then they said needy was an expression that is self defeating, I was actually deprived. Then again they said deprived created a bad image, I was actually underprivileged. Now they say underprivileged is inaccurate. I am actually disadvantaged. I still don’t have a dime, but I sure have a rich vocabulary!” – Jules Feitter

Producer Groups - Practical Experiences

"I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something."- Richard Feynman; That is why, despite knowing the theoretical concepts on the Producer Groups, there were some practical lessons gained in the field. I had worked with Producer Groups farming Groundnut, Onion, & Pulses (even one group was doing business of NTFP) at Balanagir district, Odisha. I was guided under the able supervision of Kamalendu Paul, Zonal Manager, ORMAS (Orissa Rural Development and Marketing Society). The document Community Enterprise System Manual prepared by Prof. Amar KJR Nayak came helpful during work.

All producer groups were having women members only. No producer group has been registered under any act till now. However, credit was given to them based on mutual trust between the government and Producer Groups. The legal process will be initiated soon. We were also unable to do protect farmers under the crop insurance scheme till this year. Organizing the unorganized was already done by Paul Sir before I arrived at the district. Without the help of local persons, this was not possible. The sign of government (even its vehicle) is a sign of trust in rural areas. That fast-paced our work even by Indian standards in establishing trust with the community. Our companies have usually dumped their substandard products and Chit Fund company had run away with the money of rural people. This historical tendency of companies has made business in rural areas difficult.

 

Practical Experiences:

1) 40-60 is the optimal size of the group. It is necessary for cohesion within and management of the group. Since they are small-scale, it is generally preferred that they are not much dispersed. There is an executive committee and further sub-committees in the Producer group. But, most of the members don't know the power, roles, and responsibilities of this committee. Since NRLM is a new scheme, we have to remind each time about the objective and scope of the mission to the members.

2) Producer groups were more successful in the remote areas of the district. The sense of cooperation is more seen in these regions in comparison to the relatively rich parts of the district. It is a small sample for me to draw conclusions but the poor are more honest and cooperative in nature.

3) For any business, 'budget' is the ultimate tool with which to monitor and keep an eye on the business. The lack of education becomes a major hindrance in the preparation of the annual action plans and budgets. It was easy to make them understand procurement procedures (like inviting more than one quotation) and the necessity of documentation. Since most of the women are part of SHG, they have a basic idea about documenting the meetings and cash book.

4) LSP (Livelihood Support Person) is appointed for their help in marketing linkages and proper documentation. Producer Group is more considered for a good price while the government is more strict on documentation part. An honorarium of LSP is merely 2000 -3000 rs currently. That may appear low but as per my opinion, is sufficient if billed on RS 50 per hour of interaction. Work of LSP is maximum during the post-harvesting season.

5) I have attained lectures, read articles, and even studies courses on leadership. Cooperative Leadership is not just about good communication skills, democracy – it's about sound decision-making by utilizing the capacity of the group. A producer group like any other group is leader-oriented. The trivia is that an exterior person like LSP should enable but should never drive the Producer Group strategy. Since I have been working with women producers and male LSP, this scenario may occur in the future. A leader should be groomed inside the group. Even on the proxy of gender diversity, there was only a single woman among all appointed LSPs.

6) Another difficulty that the producer group or cooperative societies encounter relates to storage facilities. Most of the surplus produce in an area is assembled and sold at the mandi. Infrastructure support is a must for the producer group. Most of the farmers even if organized for the production purpose are reluctant to store for a long time to meet their immediate consumptive need. A low-cost storage facility for multipurpose use at each GP/ village for each producer group is a good solution to the problem. It may appear cheap and effective under Panchayat but the chances of either personal usage by PRI members or no maintenance are more in it.

7) The transport arrangement to market a small volume of produce is not facilitating and rural transport cost is much higher than the urban transport cost. Hence, by combining the total produce, we were able to bring businessmen to the doorstep of farmers.

8) Line departments like Agriculture Department and its extension services support have been minimal till now. Convergence is always missing in between government departments! We are hoping for their help during the training session of producers. The fund supplied for training purposes by the government will be used in the future. The caveat of guidelines in utilizing training funds: Only half of the group will get the training. A sure way of creating a rift between members. It is better to spend less on training per member but to impart training to everyone in the group.

9) There was not much inclusion of banks till now. Without any corpus fund provided as a grant, it was difficult for a bank to provide the loan amount. And, Banks heavily discourage and delay SHG/PG  members making transactions to the respective branches. That is a big issue with multiple perspectives to be debated later.

10) Agri Produce Market is not very quality conscious, but price-sensitive to a certain extent. The credit supplied to PG is used for holding the collective produce for one or two months. In the meantime, there is a definite rise in the prices of produce. We have experience of selling Pulses for a profit of more than Rs 10 per kg by holding the stick for a period of one month.

Failure of Cooperative societies should never be forgotten in the Indian context while pitching support for such groups. Cooperative societies were not harmed much by politics but by the interference of the bureaucracy. Lack of serious attention to value-added agriculture and rural MSMEs is a big task to be handled in the future. How do we make agriculture sustainable and economically viable? That is the big question.

Initiative Taken:

Previously, only office bearers and LSP words were taken for granted in meeting at district-level meetings. Producer Group registers were the only way of checking regular meetings and updates during field visits. I have collected the maximum available mobile phone numbers of members. Hence, I can actually monitor live, whether PG meeting is happening or not from district headquarter through random calls to any member.

- A DPR (Detailed Project Report)was approved by OLM (Odisha Livelihood Mission) last year. There was no provision of a baseline survey. I tried to capture data about household socio-economic conditions so that impact assessment can be made in the coming years.