Annual Progress Report – Part I 1. Overview of the Project The overall objective of this integrated, area-focused, project is to contribute to local peace building and restoring the foundations for sustainable livelihoods in Central Tarai districts of Mahottari, Sarlahi and Rautahat. The focus is on improving household/community livelihoods and local economic recovery, enhancing social cohesion, strengthening village and district level local government and non-government institutions for supporting livelihoods initiatives, and empowering women. Because of the negative impacts of natural disasters and conflicts in Nepal, the programme pursues its goal through ‘Do No Harm’ (DNH), disaster risk and conflict prevention lens, whereby conflict and hazard mapping are at the core of the livelihood assessments, strategy development, and implementation processes. Livelihoods recovery initiatives through community mobilization have been carried out to create platforms to bring communities together to promote social harmony and peace. The programme targets mainly women, youth, conflict-affected, poor, and other socially excluded and disadvantaged communities and households. The project activities are in line with the policies of the Government of Nepal (GoN) and are implemented in collaboration with local government, relevant district line agencies, non-governmental organization (NGOs), community based organizations (CBOs), and community organizations in the form of youth clubs, women’s groups, user groups, etc. and monitored and administered by a team of technical experts. The project was approved in August 2009 and the project office was setup in Jaleshwar, District Headquarters of Mahottari by mid-October the same year. While the first half of 2010 saw new staff continuously joining the LRP team, the arrival of the International Livelihood and Recovery Advisor in October 2010 completed LRP’s Programme Management team. The Project has adopted a phase-wise approach to implementing the project whereby 104 village development committees (VDCs) (38 in Mahottari, 33 in Sarlahi and 33 in Rautahat) were covered in 2010. The project is guided by the principles of conflict prevention and risk reduction, gender equality and women’s empowerment, social inclusion, and community-centered approach described in UNDP’s Early Recovery Policy document. Geographically, it is targeted at a region of the country where armed groups are still prevalent, where prevalence of gender-based violence is high, and where natural disasters in the form of floods are an annual event affecting thousands of people. This project is one of the initiatives through which UNDP Nepal is promoting local peace using livelihood support as an entry point to directly support the communities to have better livelihood outcomes. 2. Key Results in 2010 Summarize three major results achieved in 2010, emphasizing changes in development conditions and/or people’s lives. Explain how these interim results are leading towards the overall intended results of the project. (You may wish to report on some cumulative results 2008-2010.) 1. The inclusive social mobilization approach initiated with Vulnerable, Excluded and Economically Deprived (VEED) people as reflected by 90% beneficiaries are women, 59 beneficiaries are Dalit and more than 80% decision making positions in community groups is occupied by women. 2. Community infrastructures have complemented to the social mobilization process whereby, firstly, the communities were assisted with construction and rehabilitation of community space that brings them together at one platform; secondly, VEED community who are vulnerable during frequent floods have access to an emergency shelter; thirdly, 44,218 person-days short-term employment were generated that benefitted more than 13,000 VEED households. 3. The youth groups’ engagement in actively promoting peace through various activities such as, street plays/dramas, dialogues with communities, sports & socio-religious and cultural events based on peace themes have created an environment of social cohesion, togetherness and motivation to be engaged in productive and peaceful activities. 2 Acronyms APR Annual Progress Report BCC Behaviour Change Communications CBOs Community Building Organisations CI Community Infrastructure CTEVT Council for Technical and Vocational Training DDC District Development Council DEEU District Energy and Environment Unit DEES District Energy and Environment Section DIM Direct Implementation Model DLCC District Livelihood Coordination Committee DPRs Detailed Project Reports ER Early Recovery GBV Gender Based Violence GSI Gender and Social Inclusion HHs House Holds IGA Income Generation Activity IGA NGO Partner NGO involved for income generating activities IIF Income Improving Facilitator LA Livelihood assessment LRP Livelihood Recovery for Peace LTA Long Term Agreement ME Micro Enterprise MIS Management and Information System MoU Memorandum of Understanding NGOs Non-Governmental Organisations PALs Peace and Livelihood Facilitators PLA Participatory Learning and Action PMU Project Management Unit SSA Special Service Agreement ToR Terms of Reference ToT Training of Trainers TT Technology Transfer UC Users’ Committee UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNFPA United Nations Fund for Population Activities VDC Village Development Committee VEED Vulnerable, Excluded and Economically Deprived YC Youth Club YV Youth Volunteer 3 3. Achievements against Annual Work Plan (Annual Targets & Activities) Achievement (against Financial Annual Targets Annual Targets) Planned Activities Achievements (against activities & actions) Fund Budget Budget Expenditure Code $ (estimated) Livelihoods assessment • Livelihood Activity Result 1: 26941 71200 520,00.00 0.00 (including analysis of assessment (LA) of Communities are UNDP 71300 5,200.00 17,087.32 the vulnerability 175 VDCs completed; mobilized for improved 71600 17,736.00 7,751.07 context and conflict 115 reports accepted social cohesion, local 72100 238,109.00 187,384.35 and hazard mapping) and comments peace building, and 72200 0.00 10,951.14 completed in 175 VDCs forwarded to livelihood choices for 72400 0.00 4,806.20 and results shared with Samuhik Abhiyan on individuals, households 72500 6,630.00 4,732.91 stakeholders; the remaining and communities. 72600 5,4670.00 0.00 400 Community Groups reports, since final 73400 0.00 284.30 formed and entered reports were not 74200 13,250.00 4,353.81 into the process of submitted by the LA 74500 23,838.00 18,109.24 empowerment and NGO, the final capacity building; payment of the NGO Total 411,433.00 225,460.34 104 youths received has been postponed. Action a: Understanding Assessment and Mapping: In addition to Livelihood CTEVT certificate in • 350 groups with local issues and livelihood assessment, Peace and Livelihood Facilitators (PALs) social mobilization average size of 29 strategies: prepared resource and vulnerability map of the 104 households formed i. Assessment and Mapping village development committees (VDCs) of Sarlahi, in 104 VDCs of (to identify root causes of Rautahat and Mahottari. Together with local Sarlahi, Rautahat and poverty and exclusion, and communities, they identified and prioritized poverty Mahottari. 100 identification of needs and pockets of the VDCs where social mobilization and youths were trained issues) other project activities are being conducted. under the social ii. Rapid labour market Underlying causes of poverty and community needs mobilization assessment; and issues were identified and prioritized which are mentorship iii. Capacity of Peace and being addressed in a phase wise manner through programme. The Livelihood Facilitators Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) sessions plan was to train 104, (PALS) and youth (conducted once in a week in each of the community however, 4 of them volunteers built. groups. dropped out due to Rapid labour market assessment: Postponed as we did personal reasons. not get suitable consultant to conduct the study. Certificates were Capacity building of PALs and Youth Volunteers (YVs): issued to those Training on social mobilization (LRP Modality), ‘DO No youths who Harm’ (DNH), PLA sessions conducted for 104 Poverty completed the and Poverty and Livelihood (PALs) facilitators of programme. Mahottari, Sarlahi and Rautahat. Besides, training on different themes like community infrastructure, Income Generating Activities (IGAs), Youth club, Gender and Social Inclusion (GSI) and rural energy implementation procedures and guidelines were conducted for them through the monthly reflection, 4 Achievement (against Financial Annual Targets Annual Targets) Planned Activities Achievements (against activities & actions) Fund Budget Budget Expenditure Code $ (estimated) planning and capacity building events. Similarly social mobilization training for YVs of the districts was conducted; regular capacity assessment and capacity building of YV were done by the partner organisations. Though several methods of need assessment were taught to PALs; gap for a comprehensive community need assessment tool was realized. The LRP team is likely to develop such tools and train PALs again on it in 2011. Communication materials: These were prepared as required materials to enhance capacity of PALs. Hand book on social mobilization finalized and will be distributed to partner organisations, PALs and other relevant stakeholders;. Handouts for PLA sessions are also being finalised. As an advocacy tool on livelihood recovery for peace, production