Implementation of projects by a non-profit (NGO) in Nepal comes with a number of legal requirements. One such requirement is holding a social audit of the project after completion. Another is a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) by the team from Social Welfare Council (SWC), the body that had oversight on non-profit activities in the entire country.
After the completion of Taltuleshwori Primary School, social audit was conducted last August, about which you can read here.
As for M&E of the first phase of the reconstruction project, a team from SWC visited Thangpalkot, Sindhupalchowk District last October. The evaluation team comprised of the Deputy Director, Mr. Durga Prasad Bhattari (Team Leader), and Senior Assistant, Mr. Prakash Chandra Bhatta (Team Member), ushered by COMMITTED’s Project Coordinators for Local Governance and Education. Funded by AVAAZ.org, the reconstruction of school at its first phase was completed in a span of six months with a total budget included NPR 50,70,000.
SWC M&E Team Members (second and third from left), and COMMITTED’s Team members: Field Staff, Project Coordinator and Senior Project Coordinator, respectively (first, fourth and fifth from left).
The monitoring and evaluation team analyzed the impact, sustainability, relevancy, coordination, compliance, transparency, accountability, financial operation and regularities, institutional capacity and achievement of the rebuilding project.
With a joint consensus of both SWC and COMMITTED, the evaluation concentrated principally on a review of existing project documentation like project proposal, progress report, audit report and Terms of Reference (TOR) and in-depth interviews with District Education Office (DEO), District Development Office (DDC), observation at project site, face to face interview with the beneficiaries in Thangpalkot ward, School staffs, School Management Committee Members, School Construction Committee members and local project staffs.
A snapshot of ongoing discussion.
The concluding remarks of a SWC M&E report reads thus.
” Actually, community mobilization and engagement has been seen satisfactorily in the project site during reconstruction of school buildings. It has been clearly seen sense of ownership of community people towards the school buildings and health post. Local resources, skill technology and labor were fully utilized during project construction. It has been seen that the project is directed towards promoting the available local resources in local level, which is a good practice. Co-ordination, co-operation and community mobilization has been seen more effective during construction. Structures are made disabled friendly so that the kids having special abilities could equally participate in the educational courses. As per the discussion with concerned stakeholders and our observation, highly qualitative construction materials are used, end result is highly appreciable. The locals are also gratified by the work. “
The school is currently serving 182 students and staff members of Taltuleshwori School. Finding the construction and implementation of overall project very effectual, the M&E team also provided some recommendations for future projects. This monitoring and assessment visit was completed in one phase with 2 days of full working hours.
A group picture of evaluation team with members and students of Taltuleshwori School.
To learn more on the above, please go through the links below:
Since the massive earthquakes of April and May 2015, COMMITTED has completed assisting with the reconstruction of two schools in Thangpalkot: Shree Taltuleshwori Primary School and Shree Chilaune Secondary School.
COMMITTED with the help of its donors, partners and volunteers started reconstructing these schools from December of 2015, completing the reconstruction in about a year. The schools were handed over to School Management Committees (SMC) last February. (Click here for details of the handover of Taltuleshwori School and here for the details of the handover of Chilaune School. Click here for a blog post with an embedded video of almost complete Tatuleshwori School and here for that of Chilaune School, both made in May 2016.)
A glimpse of social audit at Chilaune School.
After six months of sound teaching and learning environment at newly constructed and improved class room structures, COMMITTED held social audits of the construction work on 8th and 9th of August, 2017. The information related to project expenditure, funding partners and building utility were shared with those present by COMMITTED’s Project Coordinator and Finance Officer. The audience included members of the School Management Committee (SMC), Parent-Teachers Association (PTA), School Construction Committee, Chairperson and ward members of respective ward, and community members.
COMMITTED’s Project Coordinator (Education), Gautam Lamichane, talking to the attendees at Taltuleshwori School.
Below are the financial details of rebuilding of Taltuleshwori and Chilaune Schools:
Conducting social audits of projects is a legal requirement. However, COMMITTED carried it out NOT only because of that. We did so because we as an organization believe in transparency and accountability in general, part of the reason for our implementing the project Accountability and Transparency mechanism in School Governance System.
For more on the above, follow the links below:
Following the April 25, 2015 earthquake, COMMITTED, in addition to providing relief and emergency assistance to the affected in Thanapglkot, supported Chilaune School with a couple of work.
One was the reconstruction of two classroom blocks, which was handed over to the community last February. CMMITTED was represented by the Executive Director Jayjeev Hada, Senior Program Coordinator Kecher Acharya and Program Coordinator Gautam Lamichhane Magar at the function.
Chilaune School children preparing the block for the function.
COMMITTED Team Members with other officials after the inauguration.
The other was funding the construction of a fence around what was originally conceived as the multi-purpose court. Construction of the court had begun just before the earthquake. Unfortunately, the quake damaged the court and it had to be fixed. Both the fence and renovation of the court were carried out with left-over funds from the original multi-purpose court. The funding for the court came from Nemira, a business our friends in Switzerland run.
The fence around the multi-purpose court. (This photo was taken from a post on Chilaune School Facebook page abut the project. Click here to see the post.)
The newly renovated multi-purpose court. (This photo was taken from a post on Chilaune School Facebook page abut the project. Click here to see the post.)
Here’s a video of the progress of the construction and the condition of the multi-purpose court in May 2016.
For more on the above follow the links below:
Last February, a little over a year since commencing the reconstruction of Taltuleshwori School in Thangpalkot, Sindhupalchok, we were finally able to hand it over to the community in a small ceremony conducted at the school.
In addition to COMMITTED Team Members, including Executive Director Jayjeev Hada, Program Coordinator Gautam Lamichhane Magar and Senior Program Coordinator Khechar Acharya, members of the School Management Committee, school staff and local community members were present at the formal ceremony.
A glimpse of the ceremony.
Executive Director inaugurates the new school buildings.
Executive Director Jayjeev, other COMMITTED members and school officials after the inauguration.
Executive Director Jayjeev speaks at the ceremony.
The school with the students on the grounds.
As an organization, COMMITTED frowns upon such ceremonies and have been doing what it can to eliminate all or parts of such formal functions. More than anything, such functions in Nepal serve as platforms for people who have a knack for talking, among other things!
Here’s what the school looked like in early May 2016 when school had resumed following the completion of reconstruction of most of the academic blocks.
For more about the reconstruction of the school follow the links below.
Chandika School, Baruwa VDC where we plan to build a library
With the support of funds from Give 2 Asia, we have initiated a new project that aims to ensure accountability and transparency within the public school system in Sindhupalchok district. The project site is located in Ilaka 12 of the district and has six local bodies – VDCs; namely, Baruwa, Gunsakot, Thangpalkot, Thangpaldhap, Bhotenamlang, and Bhotang. The monitoring of public education system is not practiced best in Nepal. COMMITTED identifies that the school system has failed to capitalize on the available Village Education (VEC) structure as well as local civil vigilance groups – Parent Teacher Associations (PTA); Ward Citizen Forums (WCF).
Assesment of Bhotang Devi School, Bhotang VDC for construction of Library
Through this project firstly the VEC will be strengthened for all education needs, including the formulation of a Village Education Plan including resource generation. Second, a citizen driven vigilance system will be created through which students, citizen groups, and government resources are mobilized to ensure all actors in this sector are transparent, accountable and diligent in their duties. This will be complemented with raising awareness and processes regarding the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Third, the capacity of the School Management Committee (SMC) will be developed for improved planning, reporting, and operations. In addition, five school libraries will also be rebuilt using earthquake safe material as a part of the rebuilding effort in the post earthquake stage. Rebuilding libraries at these schools will assist the underprivileged children to return to formal school environment. Having a new permanent library will enable these vulnerable children from getting back to reading and enjoying school.
Assesment of Thangpaldhap School, Thangpaldhap VDC
We believe that efforts to bring in qualified teachers and improve on infrastructure, facilities and resource generation are all necessary for an effective education system. However, without governance system to not only monitor activities and check for malpractice, but also create a plan for moving forward, all such efforts could only prove to be futile. This program will resurrect and strengthen the governance structure as well as create a system through which all stakeholders’ roles are clearly defined, their capacities built and as a result, in unison, an education governance mechanism will be built to benefit all households for current and future generations.
Our team comprising of the Senior Program Coordinator, Program Coordinator and Technical Engineer visited the six VDCs last week. They assessed the six different schools in the six VDCs which have been selected for the construction of libraries. The libraries will also serve the purpose of conducting VEC activities as when required and appropriate. Simultaneously, the team is currently rigorously involved in planning and management of the activities that will be undertaken within this project.