Newsletter Volume 2 Issue 7 September 2013

In this Issue

PRAN is pleased to announce that our short videos on specific social accountability (SAc) tools are now available on-line on You Tube. The eleven videos are simple and well-illustrated. They provide a quick glimpse on the importance and usage of various SAc tools PRAN has been implementing in Nepal. You can view the films online at: http://www.youtube.com/MiddlewayFilms

Also, PRAN is now collaborating with the Association of

Community Radio Broadcasters Nepal (ACORAB) to extend

its outreach further into rural Nepal. One of the initial activi-

ties was to train ten radio journalists from ten West, Mid-West

and Far West districts. These radio producers received a three

day training on social accountability as well as Public Finan-

cial Management (PFM) in Butwal. more below...

PRAN’s Announcements

From September 20th to 22nd, ten radio producers from ten districts gathered in Butwal for a creative workshop on radio program production to promote Public Financial Management (PFM) in Nepal. PRAN has recently partnered with ACORAB to extend the message of social accountability, budget transparency and PFM reaches more citizens of Nepal. The ten radio journalists from Achham, Bajura, Dang, Gorkha, Jajarkot, Kailali, Kalikot, Kapilvastu, Palpa and Rolpa learnt how the complex budgetary information could be simplified and explained for the benefit of communities at the local level. For the first day of the workshop, CSOs from Kapilvastu joined in to share their ideas and experiences on how the media could work with PRAN. The workshop served as a platform for both parties to understand how each other works and how the synergy could achieve the overall PRAN goal of ensuring that well- informed citizens are aware of their budgetary rights and government processes. Capturing the essence of the workshop, PRAN Coordinator, Keith D Leslie, addressed the participants and confirmed the role of media in informing people about the GoN budget at the local level. He said: “Assuming that the local budget only belongs to the government is wrong. The budget is the common citizen’s money – your money! Our work on Public Financial Management involves all the local public services you use, such as education, transport, health. Only if people realize that the GoN budget is a part of their lives will they be able to make their government authorities accountable to the people.” The three day workshop was based on a series of interactive sessions addressing PFM and social accountability through radio programs. The formats for these programs came from the participants based on their overall professional experience, keeping in mind the local context and constraints.

Successful Grievance and Redressal System

RTI Critical for Development

Social Accountability in the Region - Pakistan

Creative Media Workshop with ACORAB

Creative Media Workshop with ACORAB

Participants during the workshop. (Photo Courtesy: ACORAB)

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PAKISTAN

Social Accountability in Education

Shared or participatory governance is the new mantra of the social scientists demanding and working for provision of quality public service deliveries in Pakistan. The demand for such governance models is based on an exposure to the success stories of the world where after public’s participation, provision of health, education, water and sanitation has not only been ensured at all levels, but its quality has also improved. Read More: http://ansa-sar.org/2012/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5847:social-accountability-in-education&catid=37:notice-board

“Successful Public Grievance and Redressal System!”

For further information please contact:

Deepa Rai

Social Development Communications and Outreach Officer PRAN (Program for Accountability in Nepal) The World Bank drai1@worldbank.org Tel office: 4226792 (Ext. 6158) http://www.worldbank.org/np/pran

Program activities under PRAN are funded by SPBF (State and Peacebuilding Fund) and MDTF (Multi Donor Trust Fund)

One of PRAN’s past grantees, Bageshwori Asal Shashan Club (BAS), proved that it is possible to “ask in order to receive”. Implementing PRAN supported Social Accountability Program under the theme of Municipal Good Governance, BAS set up a successful Public Grievance and Redressal System that helped improve the town’s infrastructure under our Municipal Good Governance program in 2012. Bageshwori Asal Sashan Club in Nepalgunj established an excellent example of how a local municipality (the supply side) can work together with the demand side (citizens) of good governance. BAS recruited 20 volunteers who ventured door to door to register grievances from the community and held rigorous meetings with the municipal staff. They also campaigned widely through radio and publications, as well as held community consultations with over 3,000 citizens in 17 wards. Through these committed, grassroots efforts, BAS was able to start what became a very successful public grievance mechanism. Where, for once, the municipality was lauded for its enthusiastic involvement with the local community. One of the 20 volunteers, Ms. Radha Gurung, explains about the difficulty at the start of the program: “We went to different wards every day and asked them about their problems in the community. There would be problems about solid waste management, electricity and water supply. It was very difficult to talk to people about these problems as their faith in the municipality was very low. This caused us a problem at first, however, when they realized that we were not just there to note their complaints but also to help address them, they started to collaborate with us.” “A complaints mechanism to listen to their pleas and address their needs had not yet been established. The people would come to the municipality and just complain about their grievances. The municipal staff would talk about their lack of funds to address the public problems. However, with constant meeting and the understanding, a new understand was possible,” says Namaskar Shah, Social Accountability Practitioner and BAS President. Shakuntala Shah of ward no. 16 explained, “The road in our ward was very difficult to walk along and the monsoon made it even worse. Our complaint went to the municipality and the road was gravelled because of that complaint. There was a 60%- 40% ratio of the community involvement and municipality.” Shakuntala’s story is one of the hundreds of the cases that were later solved by the municipality. Mohan Hamal, Municipal Administrative Officer said: “The program was new to Nepalgunj and it proved to be very good as well. We recruited a staff to register the complaints. Directly or indirectly, more than 1,901 complaints were registered that, in turn, were addressed, as well. We collectively found solutions. The project made us highly responsible and we also received the respect from the community in return.” What’s more, the project that was spearheaded by PRAN is still continuing, though not as vigorously, according to Namaskar Shah. The

sustainability of the project is also one of the highlights in terms of overall success of the project.

SA in the Region

In collaboration with the World Bank Nepal office, Freedom Forum and the Citizens' Campaign for The Right to Information (CCRI) organized a national seminar on the Right to Information in Kathmandu on September 20th, 2013. World Bank Country Manager in Nepal, Tahseen Sayed, and former Chief Information Commissioner, Binay Kumar Kasajoo, jointly released three books: ‘Towards Open Government in Nepal’, and ‘RTI Success Stories from Nepal’, published by Freedom Forum and ‘RTI Use Tracking Survey’ by the CCRI. Addressing the program, Ms. Sayed said the three books would be extremely useful to expand good governance and RTI in Nepal. She thanked Freedom Forum and CCRI for preparing and publishing such insightful publications that promote a more democratic culture. She also stressed that the World Bank was committed to push the RTI agenda ahead as a critical tool for local and national development. A total of 175 persons, including government officials, RTI experts, activists, campaigners, legal practitioners, civil society representatives (including sever-al PRAN grantees), media officials and researchers attended this important seminar.

September 28 (Saturday) is the International Right to Know day.

SA in the Region RTI Critical for Development

An elderly man registering his complaint. (Photo Courtesy: BAS)

Tahseen Sayed (3rd from right) with the panelists.

Photo Courtesy: CCRI