Volunteerism in LGCDP: A Concise Analysis

Local Government and Community Development Program is one of the most roaring and much expected local governance project in Nepal with multi-stakeholders’ collaboration of development partners, UN System agencies and government (central to local). United Nations Volunteers (UNV) is one of the partners of the LGCDP. The contributions of UNV has been scaled up with mobilization of volunteers through National Planning Commission/National Development Volunteers Services, only one pioneer government entity of Nepal in mobilization of volunteers as per the demand of government agencies at local level. As agreed, on support of UNV, NDVS has mobilized 100 volunteers in 48 DDCs and 52 MCs to assist LGCDP in local level in close coordination with Ministry of Local Development/ LGCDP Program Coordination Unit. Prior to the deployment of volunteers, three days orientation program was organized in building the capacity of volunteers.

Sir Namaste,

I am in Dharan Municipality, and the works going on. Municipal response is nearly good for this program but not in total. Whatever I am positive about this. And I also meet the District co-coordinator and Cluster co-coordinator; it’s really good for me.

Purna, Dharan Municipality

Dear sir Namaste and also to Pursottam Sir,

Very tough to facilitate others if they don't want to receive your quality. I am already prepared for the bad but it is worst here in the field. In the training the speeches are so marvelous at that time nobody had imagine such scene at that time. Jagannath sir had told that we never pay the volunteers bcoz they are priceless but now what i think that they are not price less but worth less in Nepal. There are lots of things sir. I'll forward u later on good night

With Regards, Sandeep, Inaruwa

Dear Coordinators,

Namaste.

I am Mr Som Bdr. Dhimal. I am very busy nowadays because our social mobilization works are on and different translation, agreements, social mobilization works are going on. Typing , recording and making system is on. I hope we will get refreshment training time to time. Please send me mail time to time. Hope you will keep touch on us.

Sender, Som Ji MorangDDC

Dear Indra sir,

i m very much pleased to you that u did mail earlier. i m glad n being very much fresh after viewing what u had send i.e. PowerPoint file. Working in the terai region is not far better. it is not more difficult to me to get my position here bcoz DF is also new even he don’t have an idea about many things, n i m making cooperate him n i m doing well as much i can. Some sort of electric problem it is not easy to be online always. sir i m frequently using this email address for official plz do mail in following address: tyagipb@gmail.com

thankx, Pramod (DDC, Parsa)

Dear friends..............

Its very nice to get in touch with all of NDVS and UNV team. Volunteer job is rather better for learning than earning. Me too is facing some problems due to lack of essential things. More over the working system of DDC sounds some how lethargic. We'll do best from our side and hope we will get good support from DDC too.

And another thing.................... Please if you want to be in touch with me then Mail me on another address i.e. anuradhaghimire01@gmail.com

acknowledging u all that this is my very informal address

Regards, Anuradha Ghimire, DDC Rautahat

Me fine and hope same over with all the NDVS team. first of all i am sorry that i could not be in contact with you in time through any means. net lines are not regular so now also i could not downloads the attachments but its all right so not need to worry, i am trying to get adapt in new environment (challenging hot summer) with few little challenges like absence of LDO and other concerned personnels but rest all going smoothly. New LDO is also soon coming. now a days i am busy in building rapport with other staffs and understanding the prevailing situation and also making my presence at DDC, Mahottari. lastly thanx for all the support and coordination.

Sincerely, Prabhat Pal, ADF, Mahottari

Dear Sir

Here at Malangwa Municipality, today staff padlocked all the department of municipality. The main reason for indefinite banda is no salary for last 3 month from MLD. Those volunteer who have been posted outside their home district should have been given preference in distribution of allowance. Now that Municipality is closed even if draft arrives I will not be able to withdraw the amount. Also since the financial authority of acting executing officer is about to finish now I am not sure when I will get my allowance in the absence of executing officer.

Regards, Pramod Bhagat

At the end of the visit program, LGCDP hosted a sharing meeting at cluster office Biratnagar. With very happily, Mr. Mahesh Nepal thanked to UNV team for the field visit so that the there had been initiated very remarkable actions to the entire program progress. Similarly Mr. Christan Simmelkaier Programme Officer for the UNV (Team Leader) expressed his excitements along with Programme Coordinators about the coordination of cluster for effective implementation of the programme since he also pointed out the some area such as logistics and working environment need be ensured as soon as possible. After the visit UNV was really pleased of volunteers’ contribution in LGCDP. Additionally during the field trip, almost all Local Development Officers and Executive Officers expressed that they had been receiving instrumental support from the volunteers which was very fabulous achievement in the context of local bodies approach towards volunteerism.

No doubt UNV/NDVS had been advocating for conducive environment for the effective implementation of the programme since the very outset. UNV considers for the advocacy, integration, and mobilization with due practical initiatives. Therefore UNV wants to be reflected its major themes in it works as well. In the mean time we received the following mail;

dear all

Its me Bishowmaber khadka, UNV for LGCDP, working as AMF at Hetauda Municipality.My case so I do wanna put my reality at Hetauda Municipality. We do have contract period of just four month. Till date I have just get a table and a chair to reside. I do not have any logistic support but our seniors want the related report to be submitted at time. it is not explicitly written over there about the expenses regarding the net surfing coz how long we have to depend upon other. Why our seniors/heads do not take it as a serious matter? Work cannot be performed with bare hands, They do expect much from us but we are not EQUIPPED yet? Thats my reality still I do bear HOPE in near future we will get sound environment and we will be equipped tooo!

Kindly , Khadka Bishowamber

In response on aforementioned mail the following mail was sent to all volunteers and giving CC to concerned officials

Dear All,

We have been receiving numbers of mails from volunteers for LGCDP assigned in the field (DDC and MC) depicting your feeling working with local government. Except few examples, we are being reported that you have been adjusting with your placement gradually which is very nice to hearing from you. On the contrary, we have received the mail and report indicating the worst condition taking place. The case raised by Anuradha jee and (Bishowamber jee) not only by mail but also she had mentioned along with her report (even some other friends) which is not fair and we shared issues with LGCDP concerns officials to overcome the issues but not able to reflect in action which is not just.

But in any case we need to move with the circumstances appear in the field. For your kind information recently we had a meeting with LGCDP cluster coordinators along with MLD officials about the concerns raised by you and all of them had realized to coordinate with the selective DDC and MC. Let’s see how the action comes up. If you have especial issues please do not hesitate to share with us we will try our best. In the other cases of contract extension which might not be the matter of discussion among yourselves. If you ask me about the term extension, we will share the your performance with certain criteria being based on your TOR along with concerns officials involved in LGCDP in the board formulated by National Planning Commission/NDVS. When time comes we will inform you. Don’t pay any kind of anxiety. No doubt contract extension will be measured on the basis of performance.

Thank you! Lets hope for the betterment!

Have a nice time.

With Best Regards, Indra

As part of coordination we had been received the following mails from the volunteers regularly:

sir afternoon.

sir what’ special .in my municipality 10 projects r running just before . I m trying to send some running projects photo within few days .no any problem about my working room except computer, sufficient net& telephone........ I m going to visit some projects from tomorrow .but some projects r already visit by me. Ok bye

Janak, Siddharthanagar Municipality

Not only UNV/NDVS but also Cluster office of LGCDP was much sensitized with the programme and the issues of volunteers. We also received the mail from cluster office Hetuada which speaks;

Dear Colleagues (DFs/Asst. DF and MFs)

Me and MRO -Manoj G have just come back from visiting field: Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Kathmandu and Lalitpur. During our field visit, we found that the overall progress of LGCDP was not much satisfactory as observed. It is to note that the LBs are not following the GL for implementing the projects though we are regularly backstopping them including DF/Asst. DF and MF regarding the fact that LB should maintain Project Book with all the information required; attaching detail cost estimate and drawing of respect project; keeping hoarding board in the project site....... We could not see the hoarding board being kept in the project site in following LBs: (Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Lalitpur & Dhading DDCs and Kirtipur Municipality) and similarly most of the LBs have just started to maintain Projct Book, which lacks detail cost estimate, drawing of project, beneficiaries/UC members name..... Furthermore, the overall progress of Projects being implemented under DDC is below 50 % though it is more than 80% for Municipalities.

In this juncture, all DFs/Asst. DF and MF are strongly suggested being serious in above subject matter and facilitate LBs for timely and effective implementing of projects within remaining time period of this running fy (15 days max.). Furthermore, they need to facilitate equally for carrying out activities targeted under CD plan and Social Mobilization programme.

Also, we are forwarding an important/urgent letter that you might have already received. You are requested to co-ordinate LDO/Account section to act according the letter.

Thank you for your understanding and result based facilitation.

Regards, Saroj Shrestha Hetauda

Since we received the mails from cluster office regarding the effective implementation of the programme, we coordinated and back stopped to volunteers for the success of programme. At the mean time we (Indra and Puru) programme coordinators visited to different sites together and separately to get know the circumstances of volunteers and their contribution which has been proved as milestone for creating appropriate working environment for volunteerism. After the end of the fiscal we received the mail from cluster office as;

Dear Bishowamber G

YES ! This time you have done well and completed the reporting part of LGCDP of Hetauda Municipality.

Now, you have been the first person providing complete report of LB, out of 39 LBs under Hetauda Cluster. Keep on doing job meeting deadline and assisting Municipality as usual. I do expect receiving the report from all DFs/Asst. DFs and MFs on time and as per the format provided with data verification.

Thank you for your final contribution in LGCDP in the then FY 066/67. Saroj ! Hetauda cluster LGCDP

It was very outstanding performance of volunteers in LGCDP since they hadn’t equipped with logistic and computers. This reflects that how volunteers are committed to their assignment and accomplish as per the given time frame by taking an appointment to other staffs members of DDC and MC for the using computer which exactly meet with the spirit of volunteers regardless to facilities and arrogant rather they want to reflect the volunteerism.

With the evidence from reports, recommendation taken from concerned official we were able to extend the term of volunteers minimum 3 months and maximum for 6 months and again wrote an email to volunteers as;

Dear All,

With this mail, I am taking an opportunity to congratulate to all that your term has been extended for the next time. Authentically, we are sending by fax (@ the number written in letter head of MC/DDC). So please follow to your fax machine operator to collect the fax and proceed to other formalities being made in DDC and MC. If you are here in Kathmandu in any case, please visit us at NDVS to collect original copy. However the fax works for your continuation. Though, the original copy will be kept in safe in office so that you can collect at any time you have time to visit NDVS. We come to know that some of our friends are in Kathmandu for their exam and you want to collect or send with hand please inform them as well. If you don't get fax please let me know by calling so that I can send by scanning or re-fax.

The other things you have been raising and we have noticed about the logistic and others have been informed to LGCDP concerned official by mail and oral discussion. Let's hope for the betterment.

Have a nice time!

Good Luck! With Best Regards, Indra

With aforementioned evidences we can conclude that volunteerism is yet to be explored and make it very effective in LGCDP. Without motivation and positive attitude of local bodies, the spirit of volunteerism would be incomplete and concerned officials need to know about volunteerism and their perspective in development. In my view deployment of volunteers to any particular programme would be very beneficial and it is also important that the retention of volunteers and maximum usages of expertise and helps them to understand the development process. So that volunteers would able to contribute in achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Currently UNV is preparing for the consultative meeting in three different areas of Nepal to grant the audience of success and grievances of volunteers along in presence of representatives of NPCS/NDVS, LGCDP and UNV which may create greater avenues in volunteerism promotion and contribution in development.

Composed by:

Indra Bahadur Bhujel

Baluwatar, Kathmandu

August 1, 2010