Strengthening Local Governance for Disaster-Resilient Communities (SAKSHAM) Semi-Annual Progress Report 2nd Semi-Annual Report October 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021

Submission Date: April 30, 2021

Agreement Number: 720FDA20GR00056 Activity Start Date and End Date: July 20, 2020 to July 19, 2022 AOR Name: Teresa Nordin

Submitted by: Narayan Gyawali, Project Director Lutheran World Relief 700 Light Street, Baltimore, MD, USA Tel: +977 1 5522656 Email: [email protected]

1. PROJECT OVERVIEW/SUMMARY

Program Name Strengthening Local Governance for Disaster-Resilient Communities (SAKSHAM) Activity Start Date and End Date July 20, 2020 to July 19, 2022 Name of Prime Implementing Lutheran World Relief Partner Agreement Number 720FDA20GR00056 Name of Subawardees Koshi Victim’s Society (KVS) and Red Cross Society (NRCS) Siraha Geographic Coverage , , Hanumannagar Kankalini and (cities and or countries) Municipalities in Saptari, Nepal Siraha, Kalyanpur and Karjanha Municipalities in Siraha, Nepal Reporting Period October 1, 2020 – March 31, 2021

Acronyms

BIPAD Building Information Platform Against Disaster (portal) CADRE Community Action for Disaster Response CBDRR Community-based disaster risk reduction CDMC Community Disaster Management Committee DIMS Disaster Information Management System DRR Disaster risk reduction DRRM Disaster risk reduction and management ERMS Economic Recovery and Market Systems EWS Early Warning Systems FRMC Flood Resilience Measurement for Communities KVS Koshi Victim’s Society LEOC Local Emergency Operation Centers LWR Lutheran World Relief NDRRMA National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority NRCS Nepal Red Cross Society SAKSHAM Strengthening Local Governance for Disaster-Resilient Communities YI-Lab Youth Innovation Lab

2 1.1 Project Description/Introduction

The 24-month Strengthening Local Governance for Disaster-Resilient Communities (SAKSHAM) program strengthens local communities’ resilience against natural disasters in Saptari and Siraha districts in Nepal along the Koshi and Kamala rivers. The project aims to increase the resilience of 12,545 individuals directly and supports 297,836 residents of communities indirectly in these two flood-prone districts. The goal of the project is to strengthen community resilience through an integrated approach to disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) planning, capacity strengthening, and resilient livelihoods. Under the Risk Management Policy and Practice sector, SAKSHAM will support municipal wards and communities in disaster risk reduction (DRR) plans, policies, and activities designed to strengthen preparedness, risk mitigation, response, and recovery. Under the Agriculture and Food Security sector, SAKSHAM will increase the resilience of targeted beneficiaries to withstand the impact of climate-related shocks and recover more quickly through the adoption of flood- and drought-resilient agricultural practices. Under the Economic Recovery and Market Systems sector, SAKSHAM will increase the financial resilience of flood vulnerable people so that they are better prepared for disaster and able to recover faster.

2. ACTIVITY IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS 2.1 Implementation Status

Lutheran World Relief (LWR) held a kickoff meeting with its implementing partners Koshi Victim’s Society (KVS) and Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) Siraha in November 2020 following the baseline survey. KVS and NRCS completed their hiring in the same month. The baseline report was submitted to and approved by USAID's Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) in November and the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) Plan for the project has been finalized. Implementing partners KVS and NRCS Siraha have been working in coordination with LWR and the target communities, ward and municipal representatives, peer organizations and their programs, civil society leaders, media, and the private sector over the last six months to introduce the project to these stakeholders and to strengthen coordination, networking, and partnerships to amplify the results of the project. Forty-eight Community Disaster Management Committees (CDMCs) and four emergency response task forces per community (for a total of 192 task forces) have been formed in each of the target communities. A total of 1,200 people (of whom 58% are women) are members of the CDMCs and 1,333 people are members of emergency response task forces (57% women). Capacity building trainings for the CDMC members, such as community-based DRR (CBDRR) orientations, gender orientations, and Community Action for Disaster Response (CADRE)1 training have been organized in this semester. This reporting period, SAKSHAM completed its mapping of existing farmers’ groups in the target communities, formed or reformed farmers’ groups where needed, and determined farmers’ demand for rice and vegetable seeds. LWR submitted the technical approval request for seeds on March 24. The lab reports of some crop varieties were not available at the time. Additionally, BHA had raised concerns about

1 CADRE is an intensive training that aims to enhance the capacity of community members to serve as first responders in disaster-prone areas.

3 seeds being treated with pesticides. LWR worked with the vendors to purchase only seeds not treated with pesticides and worked closely with the vendor to ensure we could obtain updated lab reports.

Goal: Reduced disaster risks and strengthened resilience to natural disasters (primarily flooding) of communities in Province 2 in Nepal

The project identified the most flood vulnerable municipality wards and communities in Siraha and Saptari in the previous reporting period. As a foundational step towards achieving the project goal, SAKSHAM formed and mobilized 48 Community Disaster Management Committees (CDMCs) and 192 emergency response task forces over the last six months.

Sector 1: Risk Management Policy and Practice

Objective 1: Localize Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) at local level for better preparedness and response capacities

The project has been engaging the municipality and ward representatives, communities, and stakeholders in planning, implementation, resource leveraging, and monitoring of the project activities to ensure DRRM is localized at the local level. This has helped establish trust with local government and stakeholders and increase their enthusiasm to participate in planning and decision-making. To support local government to implement a risk-informed planning processes, SAKSHAM has engaged the Youth Innovation Lab (YI-Lab) to update and localize Nepal’s Building Information Platform Against Disaster (BIPAD) portal for project-supported municipalities. The consultancy is slated to begin in April.

Sub-Sector 1.1: Building Community Awareness/Mobilization

Activity 1.1.1: Mobilizing Community-Based Organizations

Over the last six months, the project formed its 48 targeted CDMCs (30 in Saptari and 18 in Siraha) and mobilized them for community awareness, coordination, and leadership for project implementation at the community level. Some 1,200 people (58% of whom are women) are members of CDMCs. The CDMCs are conducting monthly meetings to discuss linkages with government and non-government agencies, selection of beneficiaries, community hazards, assessments of current risks and vulnerabilities, and awareness raising on COVID 19 risk and safety measures. CDMCs are also in the process of finalizing their operational guidelines and getting registered or acknowledged by their respective ward offices. SAKSHAM is supporting the CDMCs in organizational development in areas such as running and documenting meetings and establishing linkages with municipality and ward offices. Under each CDMC, SAKSHAM formed four emergency response task forces: early warning, first aid, search and rescue, and relief and recovery. There are at least four members in each task force, totaling 1,333 members (57% women).2

Activity 1.1.2: Strengthening Early Warning Systems (EWS)

Activities to strengthening early warning systems will begin in April 2021.

2 In larger communities, there are some people that are members of task forces but not of the CDMC.

4 Sub-Sector 1.2: Capacity Building and Training

Activity 1.2.1: Capacity Building of Duty Bearers

Capacity building of duty bearers will begin in April 2021.

Activity 1.2.2: Capacity Building of Community Groups

Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR) Orientation The project carried out eight events (five in Saptari and three in Siraha) of CBDRR orientations for the leadership of the CDMCs. A total of 212 CDMC leaders (51% women) from all 48 CDMCs participated in the orientations. The goal of the orientations was to enhance CDMCs leaders’ understanding and knowledge related to DRR terminologies; theory and practice of CBDRR and management; and hazard, risk, and vulnerability identification, assessment, and prioritization. The training is expected to increase the knowledge as well as interest and confidence of the community in CBDRR. Trained CDMC leaders are expected to flow down their knowledge to the rest of their committee.

Community Action for Disaster Response (CADRE) Training NRCS Siraha organized one four-day CADRE training for the emergency response task force members. The 30 participants gained theoretical knowledge and practical skills on risk assessment; search and rescue; responding to flood, fire, and other emergency situations; and first aid treatment. The training was facilitated by six certified trainers from the NRCS (Kathmandu) team. In addition to theory, the training also featured practical demonstrations in which trainees were asked to perform and be evaluated. All 30 participants successfully completed the training and received certificates of completion. Forty percent of training participants were women, many of whom were encouraged by the gender and inclusion champions in each CDMC to participate.

Gender and Social Inclusion Training In each CDMC, one of the members is designated as a gender champion and another as an inclusion champion. The champions are expected to be the first-level advocates to address gender and social inclusion issues within the CDMC. The project organized three two-day events on gender equality and social inclusion in DRR and management for both the gender and inclusion champions of the CDMCs in Siraha. The major objective of the training was to increase their understanding on gender and inclusive CBDRR and management. Information from a gender assessment LWR carried out for another project in Nepal helped inform the content of this training. Part of the goal of the training was to strengthen their capacity in identifying gender and inclusion issues and constraints in CDMC planning and activity implementation. All of the 95 champions who participated in the training have developed an action plan for making their CDMCs more inclusive. The project will monitor the implementation of the action plan and provide guidance where needed. CDMC leaders were also trained on issues related to gender equity and social inclusion in CBDRR planning. The training covered issues like access to information, participation in decision-making, beneficiary selection, and prioritization in response. A total of 320 CDMC leaders out of 475 targeted have been trained so far. The orientation is expected to make the decision-making capacity of the CDMCs more gender- and inclusion-focused.

5 During the training for CDMC leaders, several male participants noted that women’s participation in early warning systems, community activities, and community decision-making is low and concluded that women were not interested in participating. Based on the discussion at the training, they came to understand the gender-based barriers that women might face to participation and agreed to take women’s needs into consideration.

Sub-Sector 1.3: Policy and Planning

Activity 1.3.1: Development of Local Level Plans/Policies

The project has been working in close coordination with local government representatives to synergize project plans with the annual plans, policies, budgets, and activities of the municipalities.

Resource Leverage from Municipalities: Based on the Local Government Operations Act of 2015, municipal governments have funds available for complementary activities, such as DRR and agriculture work. Therefore, KVS and NRCS Siraha have been working closely with municipal governments to ensure that the work of the project and government are coordinated to achieve maximum impact. Both of the implementing partners drafted Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) for leveraging governmental resources for CBDRR activities in the project area. Siraha and Karjanha municipalities have signed MOU with NRCS Siraha. The remaining municipalities have committed to resource leveraging and are in the process of finalizing the MOU.

Updating Municipal BIPAD Portal: Nepal’s BIPAD is an integrated and comprehensive Disaster Information Management System (DIMS) initiated by the Government of Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs and managed by National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). BIPAD is working to align Nepal to the global principles of Sendai Framework of Disaster Risk Reduction.3 NDRRMA is in the process of promoting adoption of BIPAD at the local and provincial levels; however, only 14 municipalities in Nepal have localized the BIPAD portal so far.

The project plans to support the seven project municipalities to localize the BIPAD portal. Both KVS and NRCS Siraha selected YI-Lab as a consultant for updating municipal BIPAD portals. The workplan for the consultancy has been set and the contract will come into effect in early April and end in September 2021.

Activity 1.3.2: Implementation of Local Level Plans/Policies

Implementation of local plans/policies will begin in May 2021.

Sector 2: Agriculture and Food Security

Objective 2: Increased resilience of targeted beneficiaries to withstand the impact of climate-related shock and recover more quickly through the adoption of flood- and

3 See Youth Innovation Lab (2020). BIPAD for Decision Making in Federal Nepal. Retrieved from: https://www.preventionweb.net/files/73985_73985bipadfordecisionmakinginfedera.pdf

6 drought-resilient agricultural practices

Sub-Sector 2.1: Improving Agricultural Production/Food Security

This reporting period, SAKSHAM mapped existing farmers’ groups in the target communities and formed or reformed farmers’ groups where needed. The project selected 48 farmers’ groups to work with, giving priority to groups who are working within targeted communities, are registered or in the process of registering with local government, are interested in the promotion of climate-smart agricultural practices, and are willing to coordinate with the project.

Activity 2.1.1: Promoting flood- and drought-resilient crops

The project plans to promote crops that are flood- and drought-resilient and provide higher yields in comparison to traditional crop varieties. The project will also increase demand for resilient varieties in the project areas.

In consultation with farmers, the project identified the most common and/or in-demand rice and vegetable crops. Based on that analysis, project staff identified the most appropriate improved varieties of rice and vegetables in consultation with the agricultural officials of the municipalities and Agriculture Knowledge Center. After selecting a vendor, SAKSHAM submitted the prior approval request for seed purchase to USAID in March.

List of improved Crop Varieties to be supported under SAKSHAM Project

Commodity Variety Swarna sub 1 Rice Seed (Oryza sativa) Sava Mansuli Brinjal /Eggplant (Solanum melongena) Pusa Purple Long Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) Green Long Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Srijana Bottle Gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) Pusa Summer Prolific Long Black eyed peas (Bodi) (Vigna unguiculata subsp. unguiculata) Gajale Bodi

Sub-Sector 2.2: Irrigation

Irrigation activities will begin in October 2021.

Sector 3: Economic Recovery and Market Systems (ERMS)

Activities under this sector will begin in September 2021.

2.2 Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Update

Baseline Report: The baseline survey was conducted in all of the communities targeted by SAKSHAM project using a sample of 395 households. LWR submitted the final baseline report to BHA on November 17, 2020. BHA requested further explanations on how COVID-19 affected data collection and the final version was approved by BHA on December 7, 2020.

7 Partner Capacity Strengthening: During the virtual partner kickoff meeting, LWR reviewed the project M&E plan in detail, including the definitions of the indicators, targets, calculations, data collection and verification, frequency, and responsible persons. LWR oriented the partners on calculating beneficiaries, avoiding double counting, and gender disaggregated data.

3. INTEGRATION OF CROSSCUTTING ISSUES AND USAID FORWARD PRIORITIES

3.1 Gender Equality and Female Empowerment

A gender analysis conducted by LWR and Cultural Practice in 2019 on LWR’s similar Transboundary Resilience project in Nepal revealed that women: 1) have less interaction with other community members throughout the day than men, meaning they are less likely to get timely early warning information and regular updates on disaster risks; and 2) are less able to attend community events, such as CDMC meetings, due to their responsibilities at home and on the farm.4 In order to ensure active participation by women in the project, SAKSHAM staff emphasized women’s participation during launch events with the target communities, leading to the current ratio of CDMC membership of 58% female and 42% male. Women are also well-represented in CDMC leadership: eight women are chairpersons, 36 women are deputy chairpersons, 13 women are secretaries, and 42 women are treasurers.

3.2 Sustainability Mechanisms

The project is laying the groundwork for sustainability after the project ends. First, LWR has involved local government (district, municipal, and ward) representatives in project decision-making, including selection of target wards, having ward representatives chair project launch events, and engaging local government in discussing how project plans can complement what local government is already doing. KVS and NRCS Siraha have finalized or are close to finalizing MOU with target municipalities to leverage government resources to amplify project results. Second, SAKSHAM is working to strengthen government capacity for the reduction, response, and management of disaster risk. As a first step during this reporting period, KVS and NRCS Siraha selected the Yi-Lab to localize BIPAD in targeted municipalities.

4. STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION AND INVOLVEMENT

SAKSHAM is actively involving stakeholders, especially local government, in project activities and decision- making. Each ward chairperson (or their designated representative) chaired the meetings to form the

4 Gender Assessment for The Congregational Transboundary Resilience Project: Nepal And India Prepared by Caitlin Nordehn, Cultural Practice, LLC for Lutheran World Relief, June 2019. Available upon request.

8 CDMCs. SAKSHAM also involved ward representatives in selecting project beneficiaries. The municipal gender focal person facilitated the gender orientations. Additionally, municipal and ward representatives participate in trainings and orientations organized by the project. The Agriculture Knowledge Center in , which covers Siraha and Saptari, reviewed and approved the improved seed varieties selected for purchase by the project. Similarly, LWR has been meeting with organizations and projects working on DRRM issues at national level including the Promoting Action for Disaster Risk Governance and Working to Achieve Preparedness for Risk Reduction through Technical Assistance in Nepal (PARIWARTAN) project, implemented by International Organization for Migration, and the Paani project, implemented by DAI.

5. MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES AND ISSUES

Management updates: • LWR, KVS, and NRCS Siraha entered sub-award agreements in the last week of September 2020. • Both the partners recruited their project staff in October 2020. • LWR organized a four-day kickoff meeting November 9-12, 2020 to orient the partners on the project goal, objectives, target groups, monitoring, reporting, quality assurance, coordination with stakeholders, compliance, and financial and project management. During the kickoff meeting, LWR reviewed the project’s monthly work plan, risk and issues register, and procurement plan. • LWR’s Project Manager, Mr. Rakesh Shah, made three field visits to the partners during this reporting period for project management support and monitoring. Mr. Shah reviewed the project goal, objectives, target groups, M&E plan, work plan, documentation, and reporting requirements with the partners. Mr. Shah also visited CDMC members in Siraha to monitor the project progress. Challenges: • COVID-19 continued to pose a challenge over the reporting period. Due to travel restrictions and safety concerns, a lot of planning that would normally be done in person was done online, and in- person meetings that did take place were smaller. Some activities, such as formation of CDMCs, took longer than planned since mass gatherings of community members were not advisable. • Political instability related to the dissolution of the House of Representatives led to mass protests as well as hesitancy by local officials to make decisions, in particular in finalizing MOU with the project. • Few vendors and service providers are located in Siraha and Saptari, which means that finding the right vendors takes longer than anticipated, and vendors often have less flexibility when travelling or shipping from Kathmandu. • NRCS and LWR were unable to find a vendor that met USAID rules and regulations to purchase a motorbike. Due to this challenge, NRCS will be reallocating one of its existing motorbikes for this project. • Selection of vendors for seed supply in accordance with USAID requirements was challenging. Even large, national-level seed suppliers did not have lab reports complying with USAID requirements. This has increased the time required to select an appropriate vendor and obtain USAID approval for seed procurement.

9 6. LESSONS LEARNED

• Engaging the local government representatives in sharing project plans and decision-making from project inception has proved to be invaluable. Not only has SAKSHAM been able to secure commitments to leverage government resources alongside project activities, but local government members are also enthusiastically engaged in project activities, increasing local ownership of project results. • Having KVS and NRCS Siraha lead procurement has been challenging due to the two organizations' different procurement policies and procedures and their lack of connections with national-level vendors. LWR is exploring the possibility of conducting procurement at LWR’s level, which will help provide consistency, reduce partner-level administrative burdens, and better leverage LWR’s connections with vendors in Kathmandu and nationwide.

7. PLANNED ACTIVITIES FOR NEXT SIX MONTHS

The project will support the local government, CDMCs, task forces and communities in DRR planning, institutionalization, preparedness, and response as the monsoon season approaches. Specifically in preparation for the monsoon season, SAKSHAM will ensure community disaster management plans are updated and in place and also ensure lifesaving equipment and EWS devices are in place, functioning properly, and that community members are trained in their use. While COVID-19 cases were falling in Nepal in January and February and government restrictions were loosened, the number of cases in Nepal rose again in March and April. In particular, the frequent movement of people between Nepal and India has led to a large increase in cases in Nepal, as cases in India near a crisis point. The project will continue to monitor the situation in the targeted communities and has already postponed some activities planned for May 2021. Planned activities over the next reporting period include: Risk Management Policy and Practice • Further capacity strengthening for CDMCs • Formation and capacity strengthening of citizen forums • Procurement of lifesaving equipment procurement for the 48 CDMCs • CADRE training for task force members in Saptari (2 events) • Community-based early warning training for early warning task force members • Ward-level flood simulation exercises • Establish a multi-hazard mass communication device • Update the BIPAD portal in seven municipalities and strengthen municipal officials’ capacity to regularly update it and use it for risk-informed decision-making • Prepare ward-level DRR Strategic Action Plans • Support municipalities in establishing and/or strengthening Local Emergency Operation Centers (LEOCs) • Coordinate with media to increase dissemination of early warning information • Conduct planning workshop for flood-resilient model communities

10 • Conduct Flood Resilience Measurement for Communities (FRMC) survey5 • Begin school-level DRR programs Agriculture and Food Security • Distribute improved seed varieties • Establish demo plots for climate smart agricultural practices and conduct farmer field school • Promote crop and livestock insurance • Construct one poly greenhouse nursery in each municipality • Procure and install drip irrigation systems and orient farmers on their use and maintenance Economic Recovery and Market Systems • Support women to develop skills in handcrafts • Organizational development of Shree Janaki Agriculture Cooperative Limited – Siraha

8. FINANCIAL AND PARTNER MANAGEMENT

LWR is monitoring partners through regular meetings, visits, and monthly financial reports. In the area of procurement, LWR has been assisting partners with the development of terms of reference, bid analysis, and vendor selection to ensure compliance with USAID rules and regulations. LWR conducts regular meetings with partners to review project progress and spending. LWR’s Country Finance and Administration Manager, Mr. Mohan Koirala, conducted field visits to both the partners to conduct monitoring and support the partners in financial and administrative management. Mr. Koirala also conducted a one-day financial orientation to KVS and NRCS Siraha’s finance officers, project coordinators, and management team covering topics such as USAID and LWR financial requirements and compliance, bookkeeping, procurement, VAT, monthly financial reports, and cash flow forecasts.

ANNEX A: SUCCESS STORY

Community Action for Disaster Response (CADRE) training: engaging women in emergency response

Every year, Tithari Devi, a 40-year-old woman who lives in Patherwa village in the Siraha District of Nepal, has seen her community suffer from floods. Her village lies between the bank of the Kamala river and an elevated road that runs parallel to the river. During periods of heavy flooding, the dam overflows and floods the land in between the river and the road. Floods damage crops and food stores, which can lead to food shortages. When the Strengthening Local Governance for Disaster-Resilient Communities (SAKSHAM) project, funded by USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance and implemented by Lutheran World Relief (LWR), Koshi Victim’s Society (KVS), and Nepal Red Cross Society Siraha (NRCS Siraha), came to Patherwa and established a Community Disaster Management Committee (CDMC), Tithari joined the committee in the

5 The Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance developed the FRMC to test and validate a measure of community flood resilience. The FRMC holistically measures a set of sources of community flood resilience and, when floods occur, it also measures resilient outcomes (level of loss and recovery time). See https://floodresilience.net/frmc/ for more information.

11 hopes of reducing the burdens that floods create in her community. Through her participation in the CDMC, she has learned that humans can reduce the impact of disaster with advance preparation. As part of her duties in her CDMC, Tithari was asked to participate in Community Action for Disaster Response (CADRE) training. CADRE training covers topics such as first aid, triage, mitigation measures, and search and rescue. CADRE is physically intensive and would not be possible in the traditional saris that married women wear in Tithari’s community. Women were instead encouraged to wear kurtha surwal because it allows for a greater range of motion. While kurtha surwal is common in Nepal, Tithari’s village is conservative – women are discouraged from speaking to strangers and usually wear saris, which they can use to cover their faces when in public. Tithari had never worn kurtha surwal before, but was so enthusiastic about helping her community she bought one to wear to the CADRE training. “This type of training was new to me. It allowed me to learn how to be safe and protect my family and my community from disaster. With these useful skills I will be able to help my community during floods,” Tithari says. The physical and group exercises in the training helped Tithari see that she’s capable of engaging in physically demanding tasks usually only done by men in the face of disaster, such as search and rescue, first aid, and encouraging neighbours to seek shelter. “I believe women are physically, mentally, and emotionally as strong as men – even during stressful situations like natural disasters. Women can be meaningful contributors to search, rescue, and recovery from natural disasters,” she concluded.

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