To steer the program, a diversified partnership is being envisaged. This partnership entails NGOs, Community Based Organisations, Bi-Multi lateral Programs and alliances with national and international agencies and research institutes.... 

WASSAN and CSA

WASSAN is the anchor organisation for the project being responsible for the over all management and project outputs. It is collaborating  with Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA) in achieving the objectives.  The project is managed by a steering committee consisting of representatives from WASSAN, CSA, Government Programs, partner organisations and persons of repute in the subject. WASSAN and CSA have the core competencies and necessary experience in achieving the project objectives. An Advisory Group consisting of various individuals/ nominees from research institutions and reputed organisations with experience provide the necessary thematic guidance to the project.

NGOs and Community Based Organisations as Partners

The program partners with NGOs and Community Based Organisations (like Federation of SHGs) and Government Programs in different districts for generating field experiences. A detailed selection process and criteria is evolved during the first two months of the project. The site locations are spread around some agro-climatic regions in the state. Some of the experiences are also to be generated within the mainstream development programs.

A  selection criteria was evolved to identify the partners. They are :  

• Strategic location (in predominantly rainfed & drought-prone areas)

• Experience in taking up sustainable agriculture & natural resources management initiatives with equity and gender concerns

• Ability to partner with and influence mainstream programs

• Experience in partnering with policy advocacy initiatives

Accordingly the  following  partners are identified to collaborate for this program.  

• Kosgi Mandal Mahila Samakhya : A federation of SHGs at Mandal level in Kosgi of Mahabubnagar district.

• VIKASA: (Based in Bhimili in Visakhapatnam)

• CEAD (Based in Adilabad)

• SWEET (Based in Nalgonda) in collaboration with CSA (Centre for Sustainable Agriculture) and CRIDA (Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture)

• Timbaktu Collective based in Anantapur

 Networks and Advocacy platforms

For evolving policy framework and advocacy, WASSAN and CSA will use the advocacy platforms already available and also link with research institutions in ICAR, agriculture university, government departments, relevant bilateral and multi-lateral programs, NGOs and reputed experts in the field. Involvement of civil society organisations like farmers’ unions, CBO platforms will also be part of the advocacy strategy. Such multi-stakeholder partnerships and platforms will be the basis of advocacy.

Mainstream Government, Bi-lateral and Multi-lateral Programs

The program will partner with the mainstream government programs like Comprehensive Land Development Project (CLDP), Bio-villages program, Velugu (District Poverty Initiatives Project) and watershed development programs of the government. Several other options like Indo-German Watershed Development Program, Watershed Development Fund of NABARD would also be explored for possible collaboration. WASSAN is a major partner in all the mainstream programs mentioned above; mainly in the roles of program design, capacity building and providing support services. CSA is the anchor organisation for the Sustainable Agriculture program being taken up in the District Poverty Initiatives Program. Such partnerships with the government programs will lend credibility/ acceptability to the policy initiatives and open up scope for upscaling. The following presents a brief description of these government programs:

Watershed Development Programs: There are three variants of these programs in Andhra Pradesh. One is a Government of India program taken up since 1995 anchored by the Commissioner, Rural Development.  National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development anchors the watershed projects under the Watershed Development Fund and Indo-German Watershed Development Program (IGWDP). There are watershed projects supported under A.P. Rural Livelihoods Program (supported by DFID).

Comprehensive Land Development Program (CLDP): This program is supported by a loan from NABARD to Government of Andhra Pradesh specially for developing blocks of lands assigned to dalits and poor.

NPM-Scaling Up: This program is anchored by the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty under the Government of Andhra Pradesh under the Indira Kranti Patham. It is intended to reduce the costs of pest management by promoting non-pesticidal management methods to pest management. It is envisaged to move towards comprehensive sustainable agriculture based livelihoods.

Indira Kranti Padham: This is a program to build institutions of the poor and to empower them. SHGs and their federations at village and mandal level are built in almost all the rural mandals in Andhra Pradesh. About 80% of the poor are covered in this program.

By partnering with these programs, it is envisaged to mobilize complementary investments and also generate working experience within these programs.

National and International Alliances.

The program will also build national and international alliances and will explore partnerships. CSA’s partnership also extends to several national and international alliances like SAAPE, SUSTAINET.  Efforts will be made to link with UN initiatives like CCD. The proactive role of the environment and development department of the Ford Foundation (Delhi) in building the national and international alliances and partnerships is envisaged.

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