' ( # !" ( # February 2014 Volume: 1 Book: 2 Department of Local Self Government Government of Kerala KERALA LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICE DELIVERY PROJECT (KLGSDP) www.klgsdp.org The Annual Performance Assessment (APA) process of Local Self Government Institutions (LSGIs) in Kerala has been completed. Of the 978 Grama Panchayats and 60 Municipalities in the State, 503 Grama Panchayats and 11 Municipalities were declared eligible for the share of Performance Grant during the year 2013-14. The pioneering process of Annual Performance Assessment of LSGIs under the aegis of Kerala Local Government Service Delivery Project (KLGSDP), which is mandatory for accessing Performance Grant Dr M K Muneer, Minister for Panchayats and Social Justice, speaking at the workshop on APA provided by KLGSDP in 2013-14 and 2014-15, evaluates the the LSGIs that ensuring process is intended to ensure that apart from the representatives of performance of the Grama improvement in service delivery institutionalisation of Performance Assessment firms Panchayats and Municipalities in was one of the key challenges decentralisation is taking place. and the World Bank team. Both the State. faced by the local self Though some LSGIs may not be the sessions were addressed by The KLGSDP conducted two governments in the State. eligible for the Performance Mithra T, Project Director workshops in connection with the Speaking about the recent Grant, they also should strive hard KLGSDP and Abdu Muwonge, publishing of results of APA at government initiative to obtain to achieve the desired target Task Team Leader, World Bank. Municipal House, Thiruvanantha- ISO certification of Grama levels. He said the Government Performance Grant is provided as puram on 30 January and Hotel Panchayats, he said that more was mulling over many schemes in untied funds to Grama Panchayats Mascot on 31 January. The than getting mere ISO consultation with the World Bank and Municipalities in the State as session at Municipal House was certification, the larger target is to that would benefit the LSGIs in part of KLGSDP to enhance their inaugurated by Dr M K Muneer, ensure the necessary procedures the State. The meeting was development spending in areas of Minister for Panchayats and Social are in place in the LSGIs. Likewise, attended by Secretaries of Grama public services including Justice. The Minister reminded the performance assessment Panchayats and Municipalities maintenance of assets. The release of the Grant requires the LSGIs to follow certain basic fiduciary and procedural norms. From 2013-14 onwards, LSGIs are expected to meet a set of Mandatory Minimum Conditions (MMC) assessed annually through a set of performance criteria. The Performance Assessment has two components - the first component assesses compliance with MMC and the second component assesses a broader set of weighted performance criteria, related to key performance focus areas in $ $ % &&& N est with 100.81% followed by Kozhikode with 97.56%. The low- est percentage is at Alappuzha with 71.73%. The overall percent- age of participation is 88%. PA and Training Manuals Based on the approved framework, detailed PA Manual and Training Manual were prepared by the Sutra Consulting, the lead consultant. The training manual contained details regarding trainings to PA firms, Performance audit wing and LSGD officials and software trainings. The Handbook has two Mithra T, Project Director, KLGSDP, speaking at the workshop on APA parts – first part in English and the second part in Malayalam. The the programme, on which LSGIs Following are the broad activities district-level one-day orientation manuals were vetted by the World are scored each year. undertaken for preparation of the training programmes were carried Bank and approved by the Only those Grama Panchayats and framework. out. The target group of the government. Municipalities which meet the Deliberations were held between training programme consisted of APA Software MMCs and the minimum score the World Bank team, the Govern- five representatives from each Based on the approved framework will receive the Performance ment officials, and the PMU. The LSGI – Panchayat President / and manual, software is developed Grant allocation. draft framework was prepared and Municipal Chairperson, Secretary, by the lead consultants. The Assistant Engineer, Accountant, The assessment for the year 2013- was vetted by the World Bank. software is web-based and is being and Plan clerk. 14 was carried out in the following Conduct of pilot field assessment hosted at State Data Centre. areas. was carried out in 15 Grama The programme started on 16 Training to assessors (i) planning and budgeting; Three-day training programme (ii) project execution and Table was conducted for the field service delivery; Assessment areas No. of Scores for assessors. The in-house training MMCs Benchmarks (iii) accounting, financial programme was arranged by reporting and audit; and Planning and budgeting 2 10 PMU. Classroom training, mock exercises, and field-level trainings (iv) participation, transparency Project execution and service delivery 3 40 were provided to them. The and accountability. Accounting, financial reporting and audit 2 25 sessions were handled by PMU Under each area there are few Participation, transparency and Specialists and Lead consultant. Minimum Mandatory Conditions accountability 2 25 Assessment process (MMC) and Performance Bench- Total 100 A mid-assessment review was con- marks which are scored. The de- ducted by the PMU to take stock tails are shown in the Table. of the progress in assessment and The consortium of M/s Sutra Panchayats and 3 Municipalities August, 2013 at Kollam district to re-orient the assessors on key Consulting, Bhubaneswar and across the State. A workshop of and concluded on 8 October, 2013 issues. Results of the first round Rajagiri School of Social Science, the stakeholders for finalising the at Kozhikode. of Quality Assessment by the lead Kochi is the lead consultant of the framework was conducted. The Participation consultant were discussed and framework was then submitted to APA and the field assessment is Analysis of training details midway corrections were pro- the Government for approval. The conducted by the following firms. revealed that of the 1038 LSGIs, posed during the review. framework was revised incorpo- except two all were represented in Software training Ms/ Mott McDonald Pvt. rating the suggestions of the Gov- the training programmes. The Ltd. – Southern region ernment. The Government ap- Two-day training on the APA absentee LSGIs are Sholayur software was arranged by the M/s STEM, Bangalore - proved the final framework to be Grama Panchayat in Palakkad Middle region followed for Annual Performance PMU. The first day was for the district and Pathanamthitta training of PMU staff and make Assessment and issued it as a Gov- M/s JPS Associates - Municipality in Pathanamthitta alterations in the software. On the Northern region ernment Order [G.O.(Rt) district. Thus the representation No.1943/2013/LSGD dated second day, assessment firms APA Process of LSGIs in the APA training is were given training. 23.07.2013]. 99.81%. Preparation of Framework Field assessment Training to LSGI officials Altogether 4394 participants from Based on the discussions with the Project Management Unit 1036 LSGIs have attended in 14 Due to the constant follow-up and World Bank and the Government, undertook the task of training programmes. Malap- the co-operation extended by the the lead consultant developed the familiarising the LSGI puram district witnessed the high- firms and the LSGIs, the field-level framework. The MMCs were kept functionaries with the APA est representation with 463 par- Performance Assessment process as it was defined in the Project process. With the aim of ticipants followed by Palakkad dis- could be completed within the Implementation Manual (PIM). equipping the LSGI functionaries trict with 407. The percentage of time frame. LSGI officials Performance Benchmarks were with the APA process and participation level showed that extended their wholehearted co- modified as per the discussions. Performance indicators, 14 Thiruvananthapuram is the high- operation during the assessment. 2 February 2014 N The two-and-a-half year old Kerala Local District-wise Status of KLGSDP Projects Government Service District No. of Projects Fund Allocation (Total) () Figure 1: KLGSDP Projects 2012-13 Delivery Project Toal No: of Projects: 11,448 (KLGSDP) was Trivandrum 655 835 formulated with the aim of Kollam 494 643 institutionalising Pathanamthitta 392 606 the decentralisation Kottayam 625 713 process in the State. Idukki 339 549 The Project, supported by the Alappuzha 625 991 World Bank, Ernakulam 672 1019 1,39,72,79,000 2,83,21,80,000 provides Thrissur 577 861 performance-linked, Malappuram 986 1515 additional discretionary funds Kozhikode 594 878 to the Local Self Kannur 563 823 Government Kasaragod 291 485 Institutions (LSGIs) in the State. Wayanad 166 413 Palakkad 769 1117 During the financial year of 2011-12, Total 7709 11,448 Grama Panchayats were given Rs Figure 2: KLGSDP 2012-13 Figure 3: KLGSDP 2012-13 Project 121.73 crore and Project status – Number status - Fund utilisation Municipalities were given Rs 18 crore. The allocation to Grama Panchayats and Municipalities for the financial year 2012-13 was Rs 246.98 crore and 36.24 crore respectively. A sector-wise break- up of the projects