HOW FAR WE CAN GO FOR CLOSE MONITORING?
November 21, 2009
"Today was one of the happiest moments in my professional life when I knew that the project benefit realised by poorest of the poor sections of a society in Baisebichuwa, Kanchanpur and I also got disappointment today when I knew that the project money was not fully spent for the benefit of the target communities"
Two years back, Western Terai Landscape Complex Project (WTLCP) extended partial financial support for boring engine to 25 dalit households of Santitole settlement of Baisebichuwa, Kanchanpur. The support was provided in a cost sharing basis between local people and the project itself in 2:3 proportions. But, the community committed fund could not be generated in time. It resulted in incomplete work. Consequently, they were not able to irrigate their agricultural land in 2008.
The local community came up with a proposal that if project extends additional support of only Rs. 15,000 then they could manage the rest of engine establishment process, including construction of a shed by themselves which could costs a total of Rs. 30,000. Accordingly WTLCP extended the required support through a local NGO called Dalit Right Forum in April 2009. With this boring machine, this year alone some nine hectare land of 100 household, of which 90% were Dalit family got timely irrigation facility. The water user group provided the irrigation facilities to other neighbouring families in rent too. According to the local communities, rice productivity increased by six folds this year compared to previous times. Until 2008, firewood was one of the major sources of income to about 90% households. However this year only about 65% people relied on firewood for incremental income. In addition, many of the households have planted tree species in home yards. It made me happy.
I got disappointment when I knew that actually 53% of the total project contributed money was spent for fixing the boring engine. Still the engine shed was not constructed completely. Moreover, I came to know that the unspent money was being tried to be pocketed by the chair person of the NGO itself. When the Chairperson had come with an activity completion report with local communities' signature, I released the final instalment a few months back. Further, at the outset of the activity implementation stage, I had attended a village meeting and informed them about terms and conditions of the agreement. It made me basis for releasing the final instalment even without field verification.
Today I along with the NGO Chairperson and a WTLCP Community Motivator reached to the village to monitor performance of the boring engine. The local communities applauded the economic benefit of the engine. Also, they shared their happiness over the easiness brought in their life by the irrigation. In the mean time, a villager raised an issue of incomplete work and unavailability of all the agreed money. When, I made clear that no money should go to the pocket of any person involved in this activity, then the NGO chairperson admitted that he still had unspent Rs. 7,000. Then he vowed to provide the left out money to the local communities for completing the engine shed soon. Also, with this money the community promised to complete the entire work within November, 2009. If we were not there today it seemed that the NGO Chairperson could have misused the poor and dalit community targeted money.
From this case it can be learned that even a small activity should be monitored closely so as to ensure the wise use of project money. It associates with project image too.
"Today was one of the happiest moments in my professional life when I knew that the project benefit realised by poorest of the poor sections of a society in Baisebichuwa, Kanchanpur and I also got disappointment today when I knew that the project money was not fully spent for the benefit of the target communities"
Two years back, Western Terai Landscape Complex Project (WTLCP) extended partial financial support for boring engine to 25 dalit households of Santitole settlement of Baisebichuwa, Kanchanpur. The support was provided in a cost sharing basis between local people and the project itself in 2:3 proportions. But, the community committed fund could not be generated in time. It resulted in incomplete work. Consequently, they were not able to irrigate their agricultural land in 2008.
The local community came up with a proposal that if project extends additional support of only Rs. 15,000 then they could manage the rest of engine establishment process, including construction of a shed by themselves which could costs a total of Rs. 30,000. Accordingly WTLCP extended the required support through a local NGO called Dalit Right Forum in April 2009. With this boring machine, this year alone some nine hectare land of 100 household, of which 90% were Dalit family got timely irrigation facility. The water user group provided the irrigation facilities to other neighbouring families in rent too. According to the local communities, rice productivity increased by six folds this year compared to previous times. Until 2008, firewood was one of the major sources of income to about 90% households. However this year only about 65% people relied on firewood for incremental income. In addition, many of the households have planted tree species in home yards. It made me happy.
I got disappointment when I knew that actually 53% of the total project contributed money was spent for fixing the boring engine. Still the engine shed was not constructed completely. Moreover, I came to know that the unspent money was being tried to be pocketed by the chair person of the NGO itself. When the Chairperson had come with an activity completion report with local communities' signature, I released the final instalment a few months back. Further, at the outset of the activity implementation stage, I had attended a village meeting and informed them about terms and conditions of the agreement. It made me basis for releasing the final instalment even without field verification.
Today I along with the NGO Chairperson and a WTLCP Community Motivator reached to the village to monitor performance of the boring engine. The local communities applauded the economic benefit of the engine. Also, they shared their happiness over the easiness brought in their life by the irrigation. In the mean time, a villager raised an issue of incomplete work and unavailability of all the agreed money. When, I made clear that no money should go to the pocket of any person involved in this activity, then the NGO chairperson admitted that he still had unspent Rs. 7,000. Then he vowed to provide the left out money to the local communities for completing the engine shed soon. Also, with this money the community promised to complete the entire work within November, 2009. If we were not there today it seemed that the NGO Chairperson could have misused the poor and dalit community targeted money.
From this case it can be learned that even a small activity should be monitored closely so as to ensure the wise use of project money. It associates with project image too.
posted by Ek Raj Sigdel at
November 23, 2009
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