Project name: Integrated Co-operative Development Project (ICDP) Howrah, West Bengal [Sponsored / Assisted by NCDC, New Delhi].

Place of work – Howrah district

Introduction:

Aiming at development of vertical and horizontal functional linkage among Co-operatives of district Howrah according to the need of local communities in effective manner, ICDP will be launched in Howrah.. The main emphasis of this project is to strengthen the Co-operatives of district Howrah and turning them into multipurpose entities. Under this scheme a detailed project report (DPR) will be prepared by IBRAD with effect from June 2009 to 31st August 2009 taking an integrated area based approach with the following objectives.

Objective:

To prepare on- farm and off- farm based commercial business plan for the cooperative society of the Howrah district.
To allocate fund to the Cooperative societies including P.A.C.S (Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies), P.AM.S (Primary Agricultural Marketing Societies), Cold storage, Handloom Societies, Dairy Societies, Fishery Societies and Consumer Cooperatives.

Status report of ICDP as on (12.08.2009)

• Secondary data of the Co-operative societies and block levels in district Howrah has been collected.
• Branch level meeting in each blocks of Howrah district involving Supervisors, C.I., Branch Managers and P.A.C.S. managers.
• Questionnaire Survey of individual P.A.C.S in Block Uluberia I and II, Bagnan I and II, Amta I and II, Udaynarayanpur, Shyampur-I and II, Panchla, Jagatballavpur, Sankrail and Domjur has been already conducted with main emphasis on finding local demand of the P.A.C.S through previous record regarding previous activities, disbursement of short term agricultural loan option of the society staffs and manager has been culled to assess the need with the help of an well structured and pre-tested questionnaire.
• Focus group discussion – FGD has been conducted with the elected chairman and members of selected PACS, SHGs and panchayat functionaries of the above mentioned blocks on the dependence of farmers and small agri-allied entrepreneurs on PACS, challenges faced, issues emerged and suggestive measures for income augmentation.
• Participatory Assessment technique was used to have a common understanding of problems, issues and opportunities regarding functioning of PACS and their respective improvement.
• Interim report submitted on 31st day of July to Ministry of Co-Operation, WB and accepted.

Project Title: Tripura Forest Environment Improvement and Poverty Alleviation Project (TFIPAP)

Project Area: Tripura

MOU with Tripura Forest Environment Improvement and Poverty Alleviation Society & IBRAD

Activities performed: Organized Training of Livelihood Coordinator Number of persons trained: 38 Livelihood Coordinators from all parts of Tripura

Funding Agency: JICA

Current Status:

Activities performed: Organized Training Need Assessment workshops at Project Management Unit ( PMU) , Division Management Unit ( DMU), Range Management Unit ( RMU)

Objective of the TNA :

• Identification of the gap between the actual and expected out comes of different official
• Root cause analysis of the gap
• Preparation of the list of the requirements of training for the successful implementation of JICA funded TFIPAP

Activity Schedule:

• Wok shop at PMU and DMU: 7th July 2009
• Workshop at Teliamura and Sadar Division: 8th July – 11th July
• Work shop at Udaypur, Bagafa, Trishna Wild Life Sanctuary , Gomati divisions: 28th July – 10th August

Workshop at PMU level:

A meeting was conducted at Hatipara, Agartala on 7th July 2009 with PMU of TFIPAP. In the first half was initiated with significance and objectives of training need assessment. The formal discussion results stepwise effective TNA approach. One questionnaire was designed for both DMU, RMU level to collect both the qualitative and quantitative data to find out the gap between the expected and actual out come from the different official and community members. The questionnaire would help in making a list of required training from both RMU, DMU level. It was decided that focus group discussion would also be an approach to collect feed back from the community members and officials a well.

DMU level meeting was conducted in the second half with the range officer, DFO, ADFO of respective ranges and divisions. After introductory discussion of requirement of TNA and the questionnaire, the participants filled up the questionnaire and submitted.

Workshops at Different division:
Separate workshop was organized at Sadar , Teliamura, Udaypur, Bagafa, Trishna Wild Life Sanctuary , Gomati divisions to get feedback from the officials and community members on their requirements for successful implementation of TFIPAP. The range officers, livelihood coordinators, field facilitator, Livelihood coordinators, Executive Committee members of the JFMC of respective ranges under the project area and IBRAD representatives attended the workshop. After brainstorming session feed back from the participants were collected with the help of FGD and one to one interview in a structured questionnaire format.

Workshop at RMU level	FGD among the JFMC president
One to one interview