Second year of the project operation has been progressive and collaborative despite the unprecedented situation created by the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown. The project has been able to strengthen collaborative and cooperative relations among citizens, Local Governments (LGs) and Province Government.
A critique of mainstream ‘development’ (neo-liberal modernization) which allows unjust and unsustainable exploitation of a majority of the world’s people, as well as of its natural resources. A commitment to social justice and the achievement of similar levels of dignity, wellbeing, freedom and security by all people.
FEST does not provide a blueprint to be directly replicated in all situations. Instead it suggests a range of understandings, values, and principles that must be respected in the design and implementation of programmes designed to bring about empowerment of the marginalised and wider transformation in society.
The South West Nepal Community Governance Enhancement Program (SWNCGEP) phase 3 has been implemented by Sahakarmi Samaj in Kailali and Jajarkot district in partnership with Irish Aid, ICCO-Kerkinectie Netherlands (ICCO) andSocial Health and Education Project (SHEP) since December 2013.
Sahakarmi Samaj (SS), an NGO based in Surkhe District, in South West Nepal, in partnership with the Social and Health Education Project (SHEP) Ireland, and ICCO Cooperation (InterChurch Organization for Development Cooperation – Netherlands), with funding from Irish Aid is nearly finished with the third three-year phase of the South West Nepal Community Governance Enhancement Programme. This evaluation looks at the impacts of this project’s third phase.
This election is turning the dream of functioning newly declared 7 federal states-753 local levels including six metropolitan cities, 11 sub-metropolitan cities, 276 municipalities and 460 village councils (Gaunpalikas) comes into reality. To ensure the GESI participation and opportunity, the new constitution of Nepal 2072 under election Act has provisioned the ratio of compulsory female nomination in every layer in both the local, province and state level bodies.
The year 2017 has been a remarkable year for people of Nepal when the dream of having local representatives is fulfilled through the local election after 20 years of the period.The federalism has created an opportunity for the people to witness the local level election after 20 years (Conducted in three different phases in different states –State No:-1,3,5 in 1st stage, State No:-4,6 in 2nd Stage and State No:-2 in 3rd Satage),where 73% of the voters of Nepal take active participation in local election.
This evaluation was commissioned by Sahakarmi Samaj (SS) on behalf of The Social and Health Education Project (SHEP) and by extension, Irish Aid, to independently assess the achievements and impact of the South West Nepal Community Governance Enhancement Programme (SWNCGEP) being implemented in Bardiya and Kanchanpur districts of Nepal.
This plan was developed during the course of a 5-day planning workshop held in Nepalgunj between 8th and 12th February 2016. A majority of Sahakarmi Samaj’s field staff participated for the first three days of the workshop, along with staff from the SS executive team office in Kohalpur, senior managers and the Chairperson of the Board.