Skill and Capacity building of the Panchayat members and Gram Sabha members

The Eleventh Plan, which has identified inclusive growth as its core vision seeks to 'substantially empower and use PRIs as the primary means of delivery of essential services that are critical to inclusive growth.'

The PRI as an institution has been empowered to plan and implement different programs and projects for holistic development of the area through participation of the people. At an operational level, the largest inflow of resources to State Governments is through the Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSSs). These CSSs largely cover sectors like primary education, public health, drinking water, sanitation, etc. identified in the Eleventh Schedule for devolution to Panchayats. PRI functionaries are to prepare Holistic convergent District Plan for BRGF for their areas through participatory approaches. Gram Panchayat has critical role in implementation of different national level programs like MNREGA, BRGF, MDM, SSA, NRHM, TFC etc.

It requires capacity building of the elected representatives, project staff, line department officials and gram sabha members to ensure effective delivery of services, social equity and justice for inclusive growth. India has nearly 2, 65,000 gram panchayats and the number of people who are to be trained is huge, 32 lakh elected representatives, 10 lakh officials  (Annual Report of MORD 2009-10) as well as capacity building of Gram Sabhas. 

Challenges

While on the one hand there has been an increased flow of fund and devolution of powers to the PRI it requires enhanced accountability, transparency and efficiency of delivery of services on the other. 13th Finance Commission has also recommended that the Grants for PRI will have two components – Basic and Performance based. It has been reported that the performance and reports sent by the panchayats are often not upto the mark.

Application of Right to Information Act needs more efficient management, timely delivery of services and transparent mechanism. PRI functionaries also need to improve their capacity and efficiency to have preparedness for RTI.

The accountability of the PRI is becoming more focused as it has been suggested to set up Ombudsmen for local bodies.

As the power and accountability of PRI as an institution have increased to a great extent the need for capacity building of the PRI functionaries also becomes a pre requisite to achieve the desired goal.

Capacity building is essential and crucial but the task of capacity building of PRI functionaries and the Gram Sabha are very challenging as they do not form a homogeneous group with same background in terms of education, age, gender, exposure and understanding.

One time training without clear deliverables and outcomes that will be measured in terms of “what happens after training” will not bring changes in the capacity of the participants. The trainings need to be designed with follow up and hand holding support to bring demonstrative changes in the field through application of the skills received during training.

Thus, the Training Institute and Trainers involved in training the PRI functionaries also need to have clear understanding about the field reality must have experience in facilitation and implementation of the development programs, needs to have demonstrative models and action research sites to show to the participants and also to develop case studies for sharing in the training.

New focus area

Apart from implementing the regular programs the functionaries need to be oriented on new areas and issues such as

• Implementation of Model Panchayat and Gram Swaraj Act 2009
• Environmental Sustainability to develop Green Panchayat
• Natural resource based Sustainable Livelihood planning, Agri Business and Marketing
• Nyaya Panchayat Bill for dispute settlement

Thus the functionaries need to change their functioning of “business as usual” and need to be more pro active and innovative.

Target groups for Training

At each district the following persons need to be trained:

• Elected representatives
• Women members
• Youth members
• Officials including District Program Coordinators and Project Officers who play crucial role to facilitate implementation of the programs