Potential of Community Based Organisations to
undertake
Watershed Development and Natural Resource Management
programmes
July 2004
1. Introduction to
the study
WASSAN has been working
with community based organisations (CBOs) of the
poor, to enhance their capacities to conserve the natural resource base of
their members and their community, and enhance its productivity. WASSAN’s interest in CBOs arises
from its understanding that:
1. the government
invests substantially in watershed development;
2. the poor should
benefit from such investment, and they can do so only by being fully involved
with related programmes;
3. self-help groups
(SHGs), their village organisations (VOs), and their mandal mahila samakhyas (MMSs) have an active and large membership, drawn from the
poorer sections, and, therefore, their engagement with natural resource
management will benefit the poor;
4. therefore, where
watershed development (WSD) and natural resource management (NRM) programmes
are managed by VOs and MFs,
they could effectively impact the livelihoods of large sections of the poor in
the area.
WASSAN has already begun work with CBOs helping build their capacities to design and manage
WSD and NRM projects. Although these experiences are of recent origin, WASSAN
wished to step back and study closely the potential that CBOs
have in undertaking WSD and NRM programmes, the conditions under which this
potential can be enhanced, and the role that WASSAN and others may have to play
to enhance the potential.
Keeping all
these in mind, WASSAN has initiated a study to determine
a.
the potential for CBOs to
act as facilitators of NRM/WSD programmes/ projects
b.
the roles that others, in particular, voluntary
development organisations (VDOs), known also as
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and governmental organisations (GOs), could perform in strengthening VOs
and MMSs for NRM/WSD work without corrupting their
organisational integrity or subverting their agenda
c.
the support (policy, financial, capacity building,
other) that VOs and MMSs
might need, to facilitate NRM/WSD work
d.
key processes that need to be adopted at each level
for the NRM/WSD work to be effective
e.
a set of
conditions (in the form of a check list) that must exist in a VO/MMS, for
WASSAN to choose to work with it.
2. Methodology
The study began towards the end of April 2004, with
a small meeting at Wassan, to outline the methodology and scope, and set up a
small team. Two persons from within Wassan, and one external activist were
selected to take responsibility for the study, with Shri
MV Ramachandrudu, Programme Executive, Wassan coordinating the study.
Shri S Srinivas, Capacity Building Coordinator, Mahila Abhivruddhi Society Andhra
Pradesh (APMAS), Shri Ravindra,
Secretary, Dr Sanghi, Advisor, Smt
Poorna Chandrika, Senior
Programme Officer and Smt Bhagyalakshmi,
Programme Officer of Wassan interacted closely with the study team, travelling
with them to different field sites, and providing insights into NRM/WSD and
institutional development work.
In all, 6 CBOs (at Daulatabad, Kosgi, Orvakal, Peddapalem, Edakulapalli, and Nallacharuvu), located in Mahbubnagar
(2), Kurnool (1), Chittoor
(1), Medak (1) and Anantapur
(1) districts were visited, all of which had only women as members, and all of
which had, in one manner or other, engaged in NRM/WSD activity. At Daulatabad, Kosgi, Orvakal, Peddapalem and Nallacharuvu, the CBOs visited
were federations of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), at
levels beyond the village. At Edakulapalli,
interactions were with the village SHG. Each of the CBOs
visited was being nurtured by a VDO/NGO. The VDOs/NGOs
that had promoted and were supporting these CBOs were
Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), Outreach, Deccan
Development Society (DDS), and Myrada. Discussions
were also held with field representatives of the VDOs/NGOs.
During the visits to each CBO, an attempt was made
to meet as many of the elected Directors as possible, at a formal meeting held
for the purpose, at the CBO. Interactions were also held with sub-committees
and staff in the CBOs responsible for NRM/WSD work.
Visits were made to one or more of the sites where work on NRM/WSD had taken
place in the area, with the involvement of the CBOs,
and/or their leaders.
Interactions
were held with local male leadership in some areas, to assess their perception
of women CBOs in NRM work. The CBOs
themselves presented their perspective on whether or not they should be
involved in NRM work, and what advantages/disadvantages, if any, they had in
undertaking this work, and what support they felt they needed.
The study was informed primarily by the women CBOs’ information about their own interests in NRM/WSD
work, their assessment of their capacities, their perceptions of advantages and
disadvantages in the work being undertaken by them, and the work actually
undertaken by them in the field. In order to assess organisational
sustainability, a quick look was taken at the financial status of most of the CBOs visited.
In order to
learn from the experiences and perceptions of others interested in watersheds
and rural women’s organisations, meetings were held also with Mr Jagannath Reddy, DDS-Pastapur, Mr
Shankar Naik, Project
Coordinator, Outreach, Mr Vijay Kumar, CEO of SERP, Ms CS Ramalakshmi,
Commissioner, Women’s Empowerment and Self Employment , Mr CS Reddy, CEO of Mahila Abhivruddhi Society
(APMAS), Dr Rukmini Rao,
Trustee of DDS, Mr BN Yugandhar, Managing Trustee, Wassan, Mr Bhaskar
Reddy, Project Coordinator, Myrada, Mr Anil Punetha Commissioner, Rural Development, Mr SP Tucker,
Secretary (Rural Development and Panchayati Raj) and MS C Suvarna, Director (DWCRA), Women’s Empowerment and
Self-Employment.
Every organisation and individual visited, provided
readily all the information and insights required for the study, and helped the
study team explore issues of concern to it. They shared their own perspectives
and concerns on the matter, with passion and clarity, and helped the team
understand the diversity and richness of the approaches being adopted.
The schedule of tasks
undertaken by the study team was as follows.
|
Date / District |
Place |
Tasks
undertaken |
|
|
|
|
|
19.04.04 |
Wassan |
Discussions at Wassan on scope of study |
|
15.05.04 Mahbubnagar |
1. Allapur 2. Daulatabad |
1. Visited seed storage bins at Allapur 2. Interacted with local SHG members and MMS staff regarding the
incomplete storage bins and local WSD project 3. Interacted with MMS Daulatabad leaders, staff
and WSD committee members |
|
18.05.04 Mahbubnagar |
3. Kosgi
4. Togapur
|
1. Interacted with Kosgi MMS leaders, staff and
WSD committee members 2. Visited WSD project supported by UNDP at Togapur
with VO/MMS leaders and MMS staff 3. Interacted with local women leaders and former sarpanch |
|
19.05.04 |
5. Ketavaram 6. Orvakal |
1. Interacted with VO leaders and staff at Ketavaram 2. Visited WSD project at Ketavaram with VO
leaders 3. Interacted with MMS Orvakal leaders and staff
at Orvakal 4. Interacted with Mahila Bank leaders and staff
at Orvakal |
|
20.05.04 Chittoor |
7. Peddapalem |
1. Interacted with Outreach staff 2. Visited WSD project at Peddapalem with
Outreach staff 3. Interacted with cluster association leaders and Outreach field staff at
Peddapalem |
|
21.05.04 Medak |
8. Edakulapalli 9. Pastapur |
1. Visited SHG at Edakulapalli 2. Visited WSD project with women leaders and DDS staff, at Edakulapalli 3. Interacted with DDS staff and women leaders at Pastapur |
|
27.05.04 Anantapur |
10. Kadiri 11. Jowkala 12. Nallacharuvu 13. Kammavaripalli |
1.
Interacted with Myrada staff at Kadiri 2.
Visited Jowkala WSD project 3.
Interacted with women
leaders and Myrada staff at Resource Centre, Nallacharuvu 4.
Visited Kammavaripalli for interactions with men leaders on WSD
project |
|
22.05.04 |
SERP
|
Discussions with key persons experienced in
institutional development, women’s development, watershed development and
livelihoods development |
|
Commissioner, Women’s Empowerment; Deccan Development Society; APMAS; Chairman, Wassan |
||
|
11.06.04 |
Commissioner, Rural Development; Principal Secretary, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development |
|
|
16.06.04 |
Ms Suvarna, Director,
DWCRA, WESE |
|
|
31.05.04 |
Wassan
|
Discussions at Wassan on glimpses from field
visits |
|
26.06.04 |
Presentation of draft report to Wassan for
feedback |
3. Learnings from CBOs visited
3.1 Daulatabad, Mahbubnagar district:
The Daulatabad Mandal Mahila Samakhya,
registered as a cooperative, is situated at Daulatabad
in Mahbubnagar district. Although it has recently
been made PIA, the former PIA is yet to hand over charge to the MMS. The MMS
has, however, begun mobilising the local community for identification of WSD projects,
and is upgrading its skills to meet the new challenge. The source of funds for
the watershed programmes in the area is DWMA, Mahbubnagar.
In the past, the MMS has engaged with UNDP funds in some NRM activities. The
MMS and its member-VOs are supported for their
organisational development by SERP, and related district agencies.
A visit to Allapur
village covered by the Daulatabad MMS revealed that a
project for establishing seed storage bins had been initiated almost a year
ago. Work on the bins had not been completed, and local SHG leaders were
unhappy about it. They reported that they had opposed the design, and had
wanted to get involved in the design, costing and implementation of the seed
storage initiative. They had been informed that the project was either to be
implemented in the manner in which it was being offered, or not at all.
Finally, the members worked on it as labourers. Members complained that even as
labourers, they had not received wages for all the days that they had worked,
and that the accounts were not yet settled, though funds had been exhausted.
The project was managed by the staff of MMS, and the key staff member had since
left the MMS, without handing over accounts related to the project. A part of
the grant from the project was expected to be used as a revolving fund among
members, for land improvement and agriculture. Members shared the amount
equally among themselves for land improvement works (silt application, bunding, stone removal and so on). The amount, however, was
not revolved among them.
At Allapur, WSD work, too, had been taken up by a village
committee (largely consisting of men in the village). This project was
supported by District Water Management Agency, Mahbubnagar,
and women said that it did not invest in improving waste/ fallow lands of the
members of the SHGs. Members could not even access
employment benefits under the project. Apparently, repairs were now required to
be undertaken, but had not been taken up.
At MMS Daulatabad, women leaders spoke of their on-going battle to
take charge from the ex-PIA (ex-Project Implementation Agency), whose
coordinator was not only refusing to hand over accounts for work already done,
but was also, apparently, showing as completed, work that the MMS, as the new
PIA was expecting to take up. Women
tended to speak of the individual rather than the organisation as PIA. The
leader of the WSD committee was well informed about the role of the PIA. The
women were emphatic that projects undertaken with the MMS as PIA would be pro-poor,
arrived at in a highly participative manner, and transparently negotiated, in
the matter of work undertaken and for expenses incurred. They spoke of the Allapur experience in seed storage bins as a set of
problems arising out of direct negotiation by external agents with the VO,
without a role for the MMS. However, the accounts were handled by MMS staff and
project supervision, too, had been in their hands.
MMS leaders felt
that the right agency to lead an NRM/WSD project would be the VO, with overall
supervision lying with MMS. They spoke
of the need for training and mentioned that they had valued the training
received in project planning and WSD from Wassan. They felt that VOs and MMSs were most likely to
make best use of the resources, for maximum benefit to the disadvantaged.
A look at the
accounts books and audited financial statements indicated that there was high
cash in hand over months; that the general body had been orally presented an
annual report but that the audited accounts were not provided to them; that the
all male staff of the MMS had large amounts of advances in their names for
months. The auditors had shown capital grants for corpus and revolving funds as
income and, therefore, the audited statements were misleading. The cooperative
appeared to be running on losses. Board members of the MMS appeared not to be
aware of the financial status of their cooperative, and appeared to think that
it was reasonably sound. The cash book was not written up to date.
An intervention
that they had successfully managed was that of marketing of red gram produced
by their members. Their intervention over 2 seasons had had significant impact
on the Tandur market, which raised the procurement
price well above previous years. As a result, the MMS had not felt the need to
intervene in red gram procurement in the current year.
3.2 Kosgi, Mahbubnagar district:
The Kosgi Mandal Mahila
Samakhya, registered as a cooperative, is situated in
Kosgi in Mahbubnagar
district. The MMS has helped implement NRM works with UNDP SAPAP funds with
member-VOs. Actual work was implemented with the
involvement of the local sarpanch and benefiting
farmers (including VO leaders). The MMS and VOs are
supported for their organisational development by SERP and related district
agencies.
The Board members of Kosgi
MMS were articulate about the functioning of their MMS. They spoke of a number
of interventions that the MMS was engaged in, in the fields of women’s legal
rights, jogins, health, credit, child labour,
education, and NRM. Here, too, red gram had been marketed with significant gain
to the members and the organisation.
Mention was made of 50 member-SHGs
being helped to clear dry lands for cultivation. They also spoke of scheduled
caste women being helped to form an SHG in order to get their contiguous lands
cleared for agricultural operations.
When field projects on WSD were discussed, women
who had been quiet till then, spoke forcefully about
the work that they had done. The study team was taken by two women, both non-literate, to their village Togapur
and shown the earthen bund with masonry waste weir, constructed across a
stream. Under the supervision of the VO, three such structures were constructed
in the village, with the support of UNDP. They were able to discuss the project
in some detail, starting with the conceptualisation of the project, the
selection of the area, the money spent, the numbers of persons who had worked,
the roles of local farmers, the local sarpanch, and
the women themselves, and even about the actual design of the WSD, the acres
and people served by it, etc. There appeared to be a sense of ownership over
it, and an ability to deal with the external world.
When the issue
of maintenance work was discussed, however, the same sense of ownership was
missing, although the women did accept that they needed to address maintenance
issues. Further, when speaking of benefits of the WSD, women spoke of how bore
wells could now be dug/deepened in the acreage
benefited. What was clear was that where MMS leaders spoke of other
interventions in great detail, when it came to WSD, it was the VO leaders who
had directly benefited who had greater information and interest in the project.
The VO leaders
took the study team to the home of the former sarpanch,
who spoke of the value of the exposure visit that he, along with MMS leaders
had been on, to DDS in Zaheerabad. The former sarpanch acknowledged the role played by the women, but
appeared also to have played an important role as watchdog and facilitator for
WSD projects in the village, as was acknowledged by the women.
At Kosgi, too, the women leaders recommended that the MMS play
a supervisory and facilitating role in WSD/NRM, while the VOs
lead the actual field operations. They spoke of the need for an engineer to be
at the MMS. They felt that the MMS needed to get engaged in multipurpose
functions, as long as grants for such work could be accessed. They felt that
provision of loans from the MMS to VOs was necessary,
if VOs were to have cause to interact with the MMS.
When leaders
were asked whether the Gram Panchayat was not a
better organisation to handle WSD work than the VO, they responded saying that
the gram panchayat did not usually look at the
interests of the poor, that the work it undertakes does not always get
completed, that they are not able to withstand corruption. In all these
respects, the VO/MMS combine was superior, the leaders felt. When asked about
their level of competence, they said that they felt the need for training in
the actual technology and in preparing estimates for projects.
A quick look at
the MMS books of accounts revealed that here, too, the auditor had shown
capital grants as income. Without this, the cooperative may have been running
on loss. Several VOs
were in default and interest earnings were low. The MMS discussed default
regularly, but action had not been taken against default. The staff of the MMS was all male.
3.3 Orvakal,
The Orvakal Mandal Mahila Samakhya, registered as a
society, is situated in Orvakal, in
The meeting at Ketavaram,
a village covered by Orvakal MMS, was not a planned
one. Yet, leaders and staff of the VO came to meet the study team and provided
information on the VO and WSD works undertaken. The area was of rocky terrain
with low rainfall. VO leaders were able to provide information on 4 check dams,
with details on expenses, acres benefited, farmers benefited, etc. As in the case of Togapur,
the women took the study team to the field site and showed the team the work
done. Even on the technology of the work actually done, the women were
reasonably well informed. Again, as in Kosgi, the
women spoke of the benefit to bore wells, and to those wishing to dig bore
wells. Some unfinished levelling, some removal of silt which was required, had
not been undertaken by the women.
At Orvakal MMS office,
the women clarified that they had established 2 organisations – the MMS as a
society under the Societies Registration Act, and a Mahila
“Bank”, as a cooperative. The President of the MMS introduced herself as the
PIA, and was referred to as the PIA by others. When asked whether she was PIA
in her own right, or whether it was the MMS that was the PIA, the women
explained that the MMS was PIA, and that the President was the coordinator. The
leader of the WSD committee was not well versed with WSD issues, and other VO
leaders with experience in WSD took the lead in the discussions.
Several cases of WSD work were then discussed by
leaders from different VOs. In Bairamapuram
village, the VO had made every attempt to be made the watershed committee.
However, the sarpanch called for a meeting in the
village, and finally, the work was handled by a village committee consisting of
men members. Here, too, the women spoke of the individual, and not a body of
persons as the committee.
In Orvakal and in Kalva, WSD work
relating to farm ponds, horticulture, check dams, bunding,
etc had been undertaken by the local VO. The women were able to provide
details of work undertaken, benefits, costs, etc, indicating their active
involvement with WSD work in their respective villages. Women of one village
were not able to provide information on WSD work in another village, even
though they were responsible, as members of the sub committee for watershed
projects in the MMS.
The leaders felt that if MMS got involved with WSD,
then, one could expect timely payment to labourers, quality work, no bribes, no deductions for disputed measurement of work done. They
felt that the watershed development team that they employed for the work at the
MMS, had a high turnover, as engineers were used to
taking bribes, and did not wish to work for the MMS, as a result.
When selecting
WSD projects, they said that they first looked for villages with a good track
record, with good books of accounts. They mentioned that several people spoke
of good performance of their VOs and SHGs, but only a look at the books gave proof of their real
financial status. They thought the age and experience of the VO, too, was
important. An assessment of unity/disunity was necessary before selection of a
VO for project implementation. They saw the MMS as the link and buffer between
the VO and the government. They felt that it was not enough if only women were
involved – the whole village needed to be involved in WSD/NRM work.
Under areas of
support needed, they felt that the political environment had to be favourable
to women’s organisations, for which political parties needed to be supportive.
Further, technology training, exposure visits, and funds were required for the
work to be successful.
The books of
accounts and financial statements of the MMS revealed that here, too, the
society was probably running on loss, but the audited statements were
misleading, as they showed as income, capital grants. As against the MMS, the Mahila “Bank” working fully with its own members’ funds,
was clearly running profitably. Although many of its expenses were being met by
MMS, it had, in turn been asked by the MMS to use its profits for common good.
If, therefore, all costs incurred by it had indeed been directly met by it, and
if it had not been required to play a charitable role, it would probably have
still been in clear profit. Where the books of accounts of the “Bank” were
readily produced, those of MMS were not. Women leaders and staff appeared not
to be familiar with the differences in legal form of the 2 organisations. While
the Mahila “Bank” was staffed by women recruited
locally by the MMS leaders, the MMS itself had mainly male staff.
3.4 Peddapalem, Chittoor district:
At Madanapalle in Chittoor district,
the Voluntary Development Organisation Outreach was the PIA for watershed projects
supported by DWMA, Chittoor. The VDO concentrated on
WSD work in the area, and watershed committees consisting of representatives of
user groups assisted in the implementation of the work in the area. SHGs were formed around watersheds, and Outreach supported
the SHGs and their cluster associations in
organisational development.
At Peddapalem, the study team first visited the WSD site. The
promoting agency, Outreach, which was also the PIA for the WSD work, had a
woman engineer on its Watershed Development Team. The engineer accompanied the
team to the field site. Check dams, farm ponds, rock field checks, etc had been
worked on, and had obviously benefited several acres and families. The work
appeared to have been thought through for maximum benefit. The approach of
Outreach was to work intensively in a village, and to work equally intensively
in villages around it. The long-term effects of such focussed work in a small
area, was likely to be very high.
A meeting was then held with leaders of the cluster
association, and the Outreach staff. The women spoke of work in other villages
nearby – in Bipagarepalli, in Chennaigaripalli,
in Kotauru, and in Thumannaatta.
Different women leaders spoke of work in their own villages. As on previous
visits, cluster leaders had little comprehension of WSD/NRM work elsewhere, but
each was familiar with work in her own village. Women spoke of diversion
drains, trenches, farm ponds, check dams, waste weirs, percolation tanks, gully
checks, and horticulture being built into the projects being undertaken by
them.
Women were not familiar with estimates, and
Outreach field staff (mostly male) working in the area, provided the figures.
In each village discussed, between 250 and 300 acres had benefited, and around
13-14 lakhs of rupees had been spent. Because of the
systematic coverage of the area, women spoke of the impact of the WSD/NRM
interventions, not only on agriculture related livelihoods, but also on
non-agricultural trade and services in the area. As with other CBOs visited, the sense of ownership that they exhibited
towards the implementation of the project, was missing
when it came to post project work. A walk through the village had indicated
that repairs that needed to be undertaken had not been attended to.
The women spoke of clear benefit to them, saying
that now they worked on their own farm, instead of going to work on someone
else’s farm. They also mentioned the recharging of bore wells in area, fodder
for animals, stoppage of soil erosion, etc. They said that the SHGs had been formed around the watershed. That is, women had been mobilised first for
the watershed, and then into SHGs for mutual savings
and credit. The relationship between the woman engineer and the leaders was one
of camaraderie.
Outreach had
been the PIA, and cluster association committees had played the role of
watershed committees in the area. The women thought that the advantage of
having all-women watershed committees was that costs were considerably less,
that there were no quarrels, that more labour was involved, that
there was concentrated work in the area. They felt that the disadvantages were
that the work load was heavy, that they could not undertake as many supervisory
field visits as might be needed, that there were some delays as a result.
On the other
hand, they said that all-men committees would have had the advantages of better
quality work and timely completion, but there would have been excessive
politics, excessive expenditure, and outside labour would have been brought in,
denying local communities employment opportunities.
They further
said that panchayats, too, could act as watershed
committees, but then contractors would get involved, that benefits would go to
relatives, but that good work could be done by them, too.
Of support
needed, they felt that training and funds from Outreach had been very helpful,
and thought that if the government, too, would provide similar support and
insist that only women’s organisations should handle such work, then it would
be helpful. They advised the study team to assess when entering new areas,
before initiating WSD/NRM work, whether the women leaders and members were
good, enthusiastic, enlightened, whether the CBO had enough poor members likely
to benefit, and whether the project would provide enough work opportunity for
the local community. They felt that participatory processes were essential for
every WSD/NRM project, from appraisal to completion.
The Project Coordinator of Outreach met the team
separately and in response to the team’s questions spoke of the need for
careful selection of an NGO by the government to act as PIA. At any rate, he
felt that even where a good NGO was the PIA, it was important that CBOs were closely involved with actual implementation of
the work. For this, intensive training of the CBOs
was required, he felt. The fact that leadership of women CBOs
was elected and, therefore, likely to change from time to time, and that the CBOs were engaged on multiple fronts with multiple
interests made it difficult for them to be effective PIAs,
he felt. They made good watershed committees. On the other hand, every NGO was
not automatically a good PIA – NGOs that were committed to, focussed on and
specialised in ecological issues, WSD/NRM included, were suitable to be PIAs, especially as the persons trained and experienced in
the NGOs held appointed and not elected posts, and were, therefore, likely to
be available as a constant resource to the area.
The books of accounts of the CBOs
were not looked at in this CBO. However, as with the other cases, women did not
know the approximate total savings in their groups/cluster, amounts lying as
loans outstanding, default rate, and other key information on the financial
status of the groups/cluster.
3.5 Edakulapalli, Medak district:
At Pastapur near Zaheerabad in Medak district,
At Edakulapalli, near Pastapur, the lands were dry and barren and poor farmers had been willing to sell these lands to a chemical factory, when they went through a participatory exercise with DDS on what their land could do for them. The project is known as Dalit Watershed, and is supported entirely by DDS. The lands owned by Dalits in the area, were barren and required more investment than other lands. This resulted in 95 acres of land belonging to aro