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:
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.