71859 TH E WORLD PRATIBIMBA BANK GROUP Newsletter Volume 1 Issue 1 February 2012 Message from the PRAN Team Message from the Country Manager It was over a year ago with much Program for Accountability in Nepal (PRAN) was launched enthusiasm and determination in our in November 2010, and is now fully operational. PRAN is hearts that we initiated the process of designed to enable civil society practitioners in Nepal to setting up the Program for Accountability effectively promote and implement Social Accountability (SA) in Nepal, now popularly known as PRAN. We have come a long way since approaches by strengthening knowledge and skills regarding then. New partners have come in, and SA approaches and tools; piloting SA initiatives; supporting new mechanisms have been put in networking among SA practitioners; and monitoring and place. It has been a pleasure to be a part evaluating SA approaches. of this effort to foster a truly strong and organized civil society as well as promote The World Bank’s development strategy for Nepal recognizes the capacity in government to respond the fundamental importance of SA. We have, now, built SA to Citizens/Civil Society Organisations mechanisms into all new projects we finance, and will continue demand for better governance. to make efforts to improve overall governance in the manner in which these projects are implemented. For some time now, all PRAN partners had felt the need for a newsletter for PRAN This newsletter is an effort to promote wider understanding of so that we may be able to disseminate information regarding our activities and PRAN, and aims to update stakeholders and practitioners about initiatives, share stories of successes, our program activities and upcoming events. I hope it will serve and provide updates on forthcoming to further promote SA as an integral part of the development major activities. Thus, PRATIBIMBA, the agenda. newsletter of PRAN, was born. PRAN’s Program Coordination Unit (PCU) will Tahseen Sayed henceforth be publishing PRATIBIMBA World Bank Country Manager for Nepal on a quarterly basis. In our first issue, we have included some basic information about the Inside program such as how it was conceived, What is PRAN ? 2 implementing partners, basic objectives, PRAN Implementing Partners 2 and achievements so far. We hope you will enjoy reading the newsletter as much How Does PRAN Work ? 3 as we have enjoyed writing it. Key Achievements of PRAN 5 Working with Major Stakeholders In Nepal 6 PRAN Team Activities Planned from January-March 2012 7 What is PRAN ? PRAN is a capacity The PRAN is a three year, US$ 3 million program financed development program that by the State and Peace Building Fund designed specifically to aims to support and enhance respond to a unique opportunity in the process of state building the role of civil society in Nepal. Among other initiatives, it builds on the experiences organizations in holding and lessons learnt from the Program to Enhance Capacity on government institutions and Social Accountability (PECSA) in Cambodia. actors accountable. to limited transparency and The Bank is implementing a number PRAN’s Objective: accountability. Good governance of programs focusing on the three To enable civil society requires strong and effective themes. PRAN is designed to link government as well as active supply side efforts supported by practitioners and government engagement of civil society to link the World Bank with the demand officials in Nepal to supply (government) and demand side. It aims to strengthen the (citizens) side approaches. With these knowledge and skill-based capacity effectively promote and in mind, the World Bank decided to of both the government and Civil implement SA approaches. set up PRAN with the endorsement Society Organisations (CSOs) in of the Government of Nepal. SA approaches and tools. It aims to do so with close interaction and An honest and accountable The World Bank’s approach is to cooperation of its implementing government is one of the key apply the principles of SA. In the partners and Nepal’s non- indicators determining overall case of PRAN, three priority themes government institutions. development of a country. PRAN were agreed upon: seeks to respond to the enormous • Public Financial Management governance and development • Municipal Good governance challenges that Nepal faces due • Public Service Delivery PRAN Implementing Partners The PRAN partners were selected on a competitive basis. Implementing Partner Objectives Pro-Public To provide training and capacity development services to civil society organizations and National Capacity Building Institute (NCBI) government officials by enhancing their knowledge and skills on SA. Centre For International Studies and To provide opportunity for action learning by providing small and large grants to Cooperation (CECI) participating CSOs on a competitive basis. Grant Making Agency (GMA) South Asia Partnership (SAP) Nepal To establish national and regional resource centers and provide networking National Centre for Social Accountability opportunities to SA practitioners. (NCSA) Total Management Services (TMS) Nepal To monitor, evaluate, prepare case studies, conduct research, and draw lessons from the National Research Institute ( NRI) project’s implementation. Project Coordination Unit (PCU) To provide leadership, management and coordination services to other PRAN components. 2 Pratibimba How does PRAN Work? PRAN’s overall objective is to enable civil society practitioners in Nepal to effectively promote and implement SA approaches. The objective is achieved through the following activities. Mapping of partner CSOs1 proposals, and selects grantees in The first task for PRAN was to a transparent, impartial and merit- decide which, among the many based manner. It makes grants of CSOs in Nepal, to work with. All the two kinds: up to US$15,000 for CSOs had been recommended by those willing to practice new skills agencies already actively working to in SA that they have learnt, and up promote SA. PRAN, with Pro Public, to US$ 50,000 for those experienced organized a five-region symposium in SA and interested to extend their series on Introduction to Social practice. In order to share knowledge Accountability with approximately and avoid overlapping, CECI has 60 CSOs involved in each region. formed an association of agencies At these symposia, PRAN provided who make grants to CSOs for that an introduction to SA, the three purpose. priority themes, the four partner organizations, and conducted a Setting up Training Training Needs Assessment to and Capacity Building find out individual training needs. Opportunities3 Through the mapping process, Using the services of experts from PRAN has identified over 300 CSOs Nepal and India, Pro-Public is setting from throughout the country to work up SA schools in the three priority with. themes. With Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS) Rajasthan, it Setting up the Grant Making worked on a CSO/Ministry of Health Committee2 training course on Community Score The committee was set up with the Cards (CSCs). With Society for then Under Secretary of Ministry of Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) Finance as its first member. He, then, Delhi, it worked on Municipal Good recommended eight other members Governance. With the Centre for for the Grant Making Committee Budget Governance Accountability (GMC): two are women, two are (CBGA) Delhi, it worked on government officials, and the rest are Public Financial Management. The members of various CSOs. The GMC, participants in such trainings are which is separate and independent identified from the 5 symposia, from the Bank, invites calls for and a subset of these is trained 1 Reference: “Setting Up PRAN� 2 Reference: CECI reports, “Grants to CSOs in Nepal� (Nepali and English) 3 Reference: Pro-Public Reports Pratibimba 3 4 Pratibimba Disclaimer: The boundaries, colors, denominations and any other information shown on this map do not imply, on the part of The World Bank Group, any judgment on the legal status of any territory or any endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Framework for PRAN to ensure that partners and actors under PRAN develop good work collaboration. Currently, it is working on a baseline. It has also worked on collecting and preparing inventories of the SA work implemented by past projects in Nepal to ensure that such work does not get lost or inadequately disseminated. PRAN Program Management through Training of Trainers (TOT) available for interested readers, The PRAN Program Coordination methodology. Pro-Public also offers including over 300 CSOs who Unit (PCU) is located within the mentoring and coaching support to attend the regional symposia. SAP World Bank, Nepal Country Office in the short-listed candidates for the Nepal has set up an online portal Kathmandu. Mr. Bhuvan Bhatnagar, grants. for literature on SA. It seeks to set Task Team leader (TTL) based in the up networks and alumni groups, Bank’s Headquarter in Washington Setting up ways to provide regionally and thematically, to bring DC, provides overall guidance to the Knowledge on Social together people working in the same PRAN. Mr. Richard Holloway is the Accountability4 fields. Program Coordinator in Nepal, and South Asia Partnership (SAP) Nepal Mrs. Anjalee Thakali is the Deputy has set up 1 national and 5 regional Monitoring and Researching Program Coordinator. Mrs. Sailaja Resource Centers. In these centers, New Ideas5 Shrestha is the Administrative books on social accountability are TMS has developed a new Results Assistant for PRAN. 4 Reference: NCSA Newsletter 5 Reference: Results Framework, “Inventory of Existing materials on social accountability in Nepal� Key Achievements of PRAN Training and Capacity were organized for orientation Building on SA from April through August • 21 participants were sent to 2011. training courses held in Praxis • These were attended by 320 -Institute for Participatory selected CSOs, local government Practices, India, DG BRIDGE officials, and the media. (Democracy and Governance - • 170 people were identified as Building Resources in Democracy potential trainees and candidates and Governance and Election) for TOT through training needs Thailand, Consumer Unity & assessment. methodology, and piloted it in 4 Trust Society (CUTS) - Rajasthan, • Engaged with DG Bridge from districts. Transparancy International (TI)- Australia to • Prepared modules for a SA school Thailand. a) train facilitators in Bangkok, on Municipal Good Governance, • 2 participants from Pro-Public b) customize materials on trained 35 trainees selected from were sent to training course Democracy and Governance for 5 regions, and trained 15 to be organized by Affiliated Network Nepal, trainers. for Social Accountability(ANSA) c) certify Nepali facilitators, and Bangladesh. d) implement a pilot project in Grant making6 • PRAN partners participated in Doti, which identified domestic Institutional mechanisms with anti-corruption workshop in violence, Health Centers, and necessary guidelines and manuals Jaipur, India organized by the Village Development Committee for grant making were established Partnership for Transparency (VDCs) as problem areas for through an independent nine-person Fund. community level projects. GMC to decide on the small and • 5 regional workshops (with • Trained Ministry of Health large grants to be provided under participants from 43 districts) officials and CSOs in using PRAN. A total of US$ 330,000 has A separate website for grant making has been set 6 the Community Score Card up at: www.ceci.ca/en/where-we-work/asia/nepal/pran-2 Pratibimba 5 been approved as grants to various Knowledge Management been updated after due consultation CSOs. Five regional Resource Centers among PRAN Partners. Drafts have been set up through local of “Baseline Assessment Matrix� Six organizations that have been CSOs in Chitwan (Central), Pokhara and “Monitoring & Evaluation identified for ‘large’ grants of up to (Western), Biratnagar (Eastern), Framework� have been finalized, US$ 50,000 are: Nepalgunj (Mid-Western), and and have been shared for discussion • Abhiyan Nepal, Sunsari district Dhangadi (Far-Western). CSOs among PRAN partners. • Development Concern Society, interested in SA in the catchment Rolpa district area of each resource centre are being Project Coordination Unit • Feminist Dalit Organization, mapped. A portal for online materials A brochure titled ‘Program for Lalitpur district and knowledge products has been Accountability in Nepal (PRAN)’ • Jalshrot Bikash Sanstha, created at www.ncsa.sapnepal.org. has been published in both English Kathmandu district np. and Nepali languages. Two booklets • Karnali Integrated Rural titled “Accountability, Social Development and Research Monitoring and Research Accountability and PRAN� and Centre, Jumla district A study titled “Political Economy “Grant for CSOs in Nepal� have • Vijaya Development Resource of Social Accountability� was been published in both English and Centre (VDRC), Nawalparasi commissioned, produced and Nepali for wider dissemination. district disseminated. Another study titled The PCU coordination meetings are “Inventory of valuable Social held weekly. Partner coordination Two organizations that have been Accountability work already carried meetings are held monthly. Reports identified for ‘small’ grants of up to out in Nepal� was conducted. The are produced quarterly. Regarding US$ 15,000 are: materials collected were handed over disbursements, a total of 42 percent • Pro-Civic Society, Dhading to NCSA for reproduction for the of PRAN’s annual budget for current district five Regional Resource Centers and fiscal year had been disbursed by • Dalit Samaj Sewa Sangha, uploading in the NCSA website. The December, 2011. Okhaldhunga district Results Framework for PRAN has Working with Major stakeholders in Nepal PRAN works with pivotal stakeholders in Nepal in the field of SA. Initially, CSOs and International Non Governmental Organisations (INGOs) were identified for possible mutual learning based on their current and past work in the field of SA. These organizations helped PRAN in identifying over 300 CSOs that form the basic population for its work. The World Bank has been active in at the MoF is Mr Tek Bahadur Khatri, Trust Fund to address issues of reform promoting SA through the World who is also a member of the CECI of Public Financial Management. Bank Institute and the Affiliated Grant Making Committee. At the PRAN is making a proposal to the Networks of Social Accountability local level, government officials have Fund for working on the demand (ANSAs). The Bank has used been invited to all of PRAN’s district side of Public Finance Management. its experience with PECSA in level activities. It has collaborated This supplements one of PRAN’s Cambodia to suggest and request with the Ministry of Health on the existing priority themes of Public practice sharing from SA practitioner use of the Community Score Cards. Financial Management. organizations from outside Nepal. It keeps close relations with the Ministry of Local Development PRAN is endorsed by the Government through Local Governance and of Nepal and its counterpart is the Accountability Facility (LGAF), a Ministry of Finance (MoF). Mr. Tilak member of the “Grants to CSOs� Man Singh Bhandari helped make group. sure that PRAN is included in the TA book of the Ministry of Finance (Blue A number of donors have come Book). PRAN’s current counterpart together to form the Multi Donor 6 Pratibimba Pro-Civic Society at Dhading is one of the first small grant receivers from CECI. It has been using Citizen Report Card and Community Score Card as monitoring tools to survey around 500 service recipients of five public service providers. Below are some of the initial reactions to the ‘’Project to Test Social Accountability Tools in Dhading District’’ that is being implemented by Pro-Civic Society. Mr. Narayan Prasad Acharya , Chief District Officer (CDO) of Dhading district ‘‘The government offices provide services without caring much about whether the service receivers are satisfied or not. If the CRCs provide accurate feedback, I am willing to improve the services as per the feedback and recommendations. I also request other line agencies to take the program positively and support it�. Ram Krishna Khatry, Nodal Officer of Land Revenue Office ‘’I found the CRC survey useful, both for service provider agencies and the service recipients. I am sure the CRC plays a harmonizing role between these two’’. Sujan Shrestha, Acting Chief of Maidi Health Post ‘’We want to improve our services according to feedback the beneficiaries have given through the Community Score Card (CSC)’’. Activities Planned from January – March 2012 The following activities were planned for the period from January to March 2012. • A school on “Municipal Good Governance� held in collaboration with Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA), Delhi, from 3-7 January. • A school on “Public Financial Management� held in collaboration with Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability (CBGA), India, from 19-25 January. • Mid Term Review (MTR) of PRAN was undertaken by an independent consultant, Mr. John Clark, from 22 January - 2 Feb. • Selection of four CSOs for “large� grants for the theme of Public Financial Management to be done by early March. • Selection of the first batch of CSOs for “small� grants to be done by late March. • Finalization of Baseline Assessment to be done during March. • Finalization of Comprehensive M& E Framework to be done during February. Pratibimba 7 TH E WORLD BANK GROUP The World Bank Nepal Office lgb]{lzsf PRAN Brochu re pk–cg'bfg ;~rfng P.O.Box: 798 Yak & Yeti Hotel Complex Durbar Marg Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: 4226792, 4226793 Fax: 4225112 Website: www.worldbank.org.np Os in Nepal g]kfndf gful/s ;dfh Grants for CS flu c g'bfg English ;+:yf x? s f n xtf tyf fdflhs hjfkmLb]ls y Social hjfkmb]lxtf, ; Accountabilit ;Da Gw fo{qmd Responsibilit y an d PRAN-English g]kfndf hjfkmb]lxtf For further information: Anjalee Thakali Deputy Program Coordinator - PRAN The World Bank Nepal Country Office Email: athakali@worldbank.org Tel. (office): 4226792, ext. 6347 Mobile: 9851104539 www.worldbank.org/np/pran 8 Pratibimba