Session II

1. Session II

2. Building Awareness through Information, Education and Communication ( IEC) • NREGS is demand- based, awareness generation is critical to its implementation • Key Target Groups: • Local rural community, special focus : work local force engaged in manual labour • Poor rural households • SC/ST/women/ minorities • Remote habitations • Drawing up an IEC Plan • Preparation of Communication and publicity material on NREGA processes in simple local language

3. Information dissemination • An intensive One day orientation of all Sarpanches at the Block level • A Gram Sabha in every village to acquaint the local people with the key provisions of the Act. Participation of beneficiaries be ensured • One day be fixed & publicised as Rozgar Diwas • Facilitate information dissemination and work disposal • Use of multi media; • TV and radio where ever possible. • Print media –local vernacular newspapers. • Pamphlets and brochures in simple local language with Graphics. • Local cultural forms, like puppetry, folk theatre and music may be used at the village level

4. Information dissemination • Door to door survey and household contact campaigns • Information counters in the local Market days using audio-video material • NGOs to facilitate awareness generation • A toll free Help Line should be set up to give information and answer queries on NREGA either at State or district head quarters.

5. Important aspects of NREGA for communication • 100 days of employmentcan be availedof under NREGA by a local rural household. • A Job Card is necessary for demanding employment under NREGA. • To get a Job Card, a family must apply for it, in writing or orally to the local Gram Panchayat for registration under NREGSRegistration, Job Cards and Photographs are free of cost • A written application by a Job Card holding family to the GP or Programme Officer is necessary for demanding employment • Dated receipt of the application for employment must be given by the Gram Panchayat to the applicant. • Unskilled manual Work is provided within 15 days of demand. • If employment is not provided within fifteen days of application, unemployment allowance will be paid by the State Government .

6. Feed back on IEC Every Panchayat will give a certificate that it has convened a Gram Sabha in each village and acquainted the local community with NREGA provisions • Concurrent assessment of the effectiveness of IEC activities must be done and any deficiencies that come to light, must be removed

7. Outcome Indicators of effective IEC Local community aware of NREGA and its key processes: • How and where to apply for registration • Use of job card for demanding employment and recording entitlements, job card with photographs are free of cost. • After receipt of job card, local community has chosen to apply for employment according to its own choice of time & days • Dated receipt for application for employment is issued • Authentic Muster rolls

8. Training Target groups of training are: • Gram Rozgar Sewak • Programme Officer • Engineers -Block –District • IT Personnel -Block –District • *Accounts Personnel -Block -District • PRIs • GP Sarpanches( Priority)

9. Activities under Training • Training calendar to be drawn up • Training modules to be calibrated in content and process according to the different target groups of training • Training to be in local language • Cascade Model for Training. Training of trainers (TOT) at the District/ Block/GP levels -District Resource Group -Block Resource Group

10. Key Components of Training • Enabling Local Communities to know their Rights under the Act • Procedures for registration and issue of Job Card • Procedures for employment application • Procedures for Planning and Executing Works • Maintenance of Muster rolls • Norms of Measurement • Wage Payment • Unemployment Allowance • Update of Job Cards • Maintenance of Records • Maintenance of Accounts • Social Audit • RTI

11. Impact Assessment of training • Concurrent assessment of the impact of the training programme to ensure that all key responsible agencies understand the provisions of the Act, their respective roles in it and have the skills to implement it. • Reiterative Cycles of training using the feedback

12. Agencies with Critical Functions • Gram Sabha: • Panchayats: Principal agencies for planning and implementation • Gram Panchayat : basic unit of implementation. • In each Block, a “Programme Officer” is to coordinate the implementation of EGS • District Programme Coordinator at district level:Collector /CEO • State Employment Guarantee Council

19. Planning and Executing Works

20. Perspective Plan • A 5 Year District Perspective Pan • Perspective Plan has to : -be village based -Map Physical Resources available: -Map social infrastructure available -Identify Gaps -Identify works that can be taken up as per NREGA permissible list -Identify resources available for them under existing programmes -identify works and resources proposed to be budgeted under NREGA -Assess labour demand -Estimate employment likely to be generated from these works • Formulating Perspective Plans will require professional expertise as well as well as participation of local communities and PRIs • Districts may engage professional agencies • Separate Guidelines for Perspective Plans will be issued • Separate funds for making Perspective Plan will be given to districts

21. Annual Work Plan and Labour Budget • The AWPB is the instrumental Plan for operationalising the Perspective Plan • The Annual Work Plan and Labour Budget selects works from the Perspective Plan to be taken up in a year • Making the Annual Plan provides an opportunity to: - Revisit the Perspective Pan proposals in a dynamic and flexible way to accommodate new emergent needs -Give concrete and precise details to the Works Proposals: • The plot numbers of the sites where works are to be executed should be mentioned, so that each work has a unique location code. • Outcomes expected from the works should indicate : -estimated benefits in terms of person days - physical improvement envisaged ( land/water conservation etc)- - benefits to the community

22. Preparing a Shelf of Projects • The Perspective Plan and the AWPB will take some time to prepare. • In order to start work upon Demand, the District administration will ensure that each village has a shelf of projects. • NREGA is open to all households in a village. But experience has shown that mainly the poor households come for employment under NREGA. • Therefore, the number of works that may be required in a year in a village may be estimated by taking the village average of BPL families and deriving the total person days that will be generated by providing 100 days of employment to all these families. • Shelf of projects in a village must be adequate to meet one and a half times estimated demand for employment for a year • Each village must have an approved shelf of projects of at least five works with technical and financial estimates.

23. Preparing a Shelf of Projects • The shelf of projects at the village level will comprise small projects that can be quickly executed within one working season • Priority will be given to works that can be executed by the Gram Panchayat. • Only such works that involve more than one GP may be taken up at the Intermediate Panchayat level. • .

24. Executing Works • Displaying the list of approved works at the GP. • Technical estimates to be displayed at all work-sites in simple local language. • Progress report by Implementing Agency to local vigilance committee. • Asset register at GP with unique number to each work to prevent duplication

25. Muster Rolls • Numbered Muster rolls will be issued for each sanctioned work by Programme Officer (this is a check on false muster rolls). • Muster rolls will be maintained on the work site by the executing agency. • Muster roll must mention Job Card numbers of workers (this is a check on false names and contractors). • Muster roll will mention: • Muster rolls should be read out on the work site during measurement and wage payment to prevent bogus records • Entries of the muster roll must be correspondingly recorded in the job cards of the workers • If Line departments are identified as implementing agencies, they will have to be trained in undertaking labour intensive works and the maintenance of muster rolls for each work.

26. Measurement and Payment of wages • Schedule of rural rates based on work time and motion studies for labour intensive works should be formulated for measurement of work out turn. • Regular measurement and supervision of works to be done by qualified technical personnel on time. • Measurement to be recorded in authenticated measurement books. • Measurement details should be read out to workers • Wages may be paid in cash. Wages must be paid in front of the community. • Wages may also be paid through Post/ Bank accounts of wage earners. • Wages paid must be entered in the Job Cards.

27. Tracking number of days of employment • Unit of measuring person days is a household and not an individual • The number of days worked by all the members of a household whose names are on the job card person should have been entered on the muster rolls and the job card • The total number of days of a household so recorded is counted as Person days • Total number of person days of a household cannot exceed 100

28. Key Documents and Records • Principal Documents: • Application forms for registration • Job Cards • Application Form for employment • Muster Rolls with unique number • Key Registers • Registration • Issue of Job Cards • Demand and provision of employment • Assets • Finance • Complaints. • Printed documents must be distributed to the GP, Block and District levels • All printed documents under NREGA will have the words National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, on top, followed by the name of the state • These documents are the basis of NREGA Data Base and Reports • Their Formats are compatible with electronic processing

29. Review & Reports • Regular Review • Once a Fortnight on a fixed day at Block by PO with Gram Rozgar sewaks • Once a month on a fixed day at District by DPC with POs • Once a month on a fixed day at State with DPCs • Collect and discuss information on NREGA. Problem solving • Monthly Progress Reports: • Employment demanded and provided • Persondays • Financial status • Works • Reports: on line MIS

30. Establishing the MIS for NREGA

31. Monitoring Mechanisms • Monitors for internal and external monitoring must be identified and trained at the State/ District and Block levels • 100% verification of works at the Block level, 10 % at the District and 2% at the State level has to be ensured. • Local vigilance and monitoring committees to be set up and trained • Data Analysis and timely remedial measures • Follow up on feed back

32. Monitoring Output and Outcomes

33. Transparency • Three Pronged -Proactive Disclosure -Social Audit -Information upon Payment (RTI) • Proactive Disclosure All NREGA-related documents to be available for public scrutiny: *Key information in local language at GP level *Muster rolls to be read out & pro-actively displayed at Gram Panchayat Office. * Web-enabled MIS www.nrega.nic.in

34. Social Audit • System where local Community scrutinises all records and procedures of a programme and verifies its authenticity whether the expenditure incurred has delivered its objective . • The Implementing agency is bound to provide all necessary documents • Social audit is in addition to the CAG audit • Should be both concurrent ( of live works) and Post completion • Social Audit by Gram Sabha of all works in a Gram Panchayat • GP to provide records • PO and DPC to facilitate through resource support: planning, training, ensuring access to records, follow -up

35. Steps for a Social audit 1). Setting up a Resource Group for social audit at the village level to facilitate it -Village monitoring and vigilance committee(5 members may be selected) 2) Training the resource group: Initial training should be atleast a week: thorough understanding of -Act -Guidelines -Social Audit Hand book and how to use it for collecting, verifying and recording information 3). Plan for social audit: To be drawn up by DPC Conduct social audit twice a year: corresponding to working seasons 4) GPs to be informed three months in advance by PO 5) Records to be made available atleast one month before to the village social audit team 6) Scrutiny of records: internal cross checking & external verification with persons/works 7) Reading out the findings of social audit on a specified day in the social audit forum:

36. Steps for a Social audit Concerned Officials to attend from district administration: engineers/accountants 8)Public Hearing and evidence 9) Record of proceedings 10) Follow up by District administration. Action taken to be reported in the next social audit forum

37. Grievance redressal system • Complaints book at GP level • PO responsible for disposing complaints within 15 days • DPC must review on Monthly basis • Toll free Help Line

38. Positioning key personnel • The District Programme Coordinator( DPC ) • The Programme Officer (P.O.) • A Gram Rozgar Sewak at the GP level • Registration • Verification of registration applications • Issue of Job Cards • Receiving applications for employment • Issue of dated receipts for employment applications • Reporting Demand to the Programme Officer so that work may be allotted to the implementing agency • Informing the applicants to report for work • Ensuring payments are made on time to the workers. • Reporting work progress and all other matters to the Programme Officer on a regular weekly basis.

39. Key Functional Areas for deployment of additional full time dedicated personnel

41. Administrative expenses permissible under the 4% financial limit • Information Education Communication (IEC) • Training • MIS • Quality supervision: This includes monitoring and verification (specially muster roll verification) evaluation, Social Audit. Quality Monitors at the State, District and Block levels. • Setting up grievance redressal systems • Engaging professional services • Operational Expenses: Office expenses related to the implementation of NREGS • Stationery related to computational processes/MIS. • Additional Staffing dedicated to NREGS in key functional areas of the Scheme at the Gram Panchayat/Block/District levels

42. Expenditure not permissible under the 4% administrative limit • Salaries/ remunerations/honoraria of functionaries already engaged by the Government/ PRIs / any other implementing agency. • Personnel, other than indicated by the Ministry. • Purchase of new vehicles and repair of old vehicles. • Civil works

43. Administrative expenses apart from 4% limit • Expenditure on workers engaged to look after crèche on site/carry water - To be separately charged to unskilled wage cost -Not to be included as part of the work – measurement. • One time expenses: Separate from the 4% permissible limit. -Preparation of Perspective Plan - Printing of job cards, photography -Augmentation of computational facilities at the Block and district level. -Almirahs for record-keeping and functional furniture at GP, Block and District-levels

44. Administrative expense as function of total expenditure • 4% administrative expense is a function of the total expenditure under NREGA resulting into creation of person days in a financial year • Need for a Management Plan • Need to monitor total programme expenditure and outcomes to leverage appropriate management support to it

45. Fund Management • Dedicated NREGA accounts in a PSU Bank at district/Block/GP levels • DPC/PO and GP Secretary/Gram Rogar Sewak to be authorised to operate the account. • Demand Based release of Funds. No fixed installments • No allocations on a 50-30-20 pattern to GP-IP-ZP as in SGRY. • Funds released on specific proposals of the districts based on physical and financial progress • Proposal for financial claims to be moved as soon as 60% of available funds are utilised • Proposal must be signed by District Programme Coordinator

46. Fund Management • Documents needed for release of next installment: • Proposal on prescribed form • UCs • Audit report for the last year(due on 30th September), in the original form • Bank reconciliation statement, in the original form. • Requirement of funds to be indicated in the covering letter. • Recommendations of State Government about specific amount required • MPRs on prescribed proforma should have been sent for all months in the year. • Non-diversion and non-embezzlement certificate. • Compliance report of any condition imposed earlier • Outcomes and output are mentioned in UC. • Conformity to NREGA Processes

47. Lessons Learnt from First Phase of NREGS Implementation: Mistakes that must avoided

48. Problem: Lack of Awareness • Basic Problem: Key Stake holders: Wage Seekers/PRIS/ Block functionaries lack adequate understanding of NREGA • Adverse effect on all NREG Processes: • Demand Process Biggest Challenge: Moving from Supply based wage employment programmes to Demand based NREGA -No Application for registration and Job Card by wage seekers -No Written Application for Employment by wage seekers -Works opened on administrative fiat. Not wage seekers demand

49. -Generating Awareness through IEC. Civil Society organisations should be enlisted • Keeping a shelf of projects ready and displaying it on GP walls indicating that work is ready if someone wants to demand it. • Deploying a full time Gram Rozgar Sewak to give information, and keep GP premises open for applications to be submitted • Training GP/GP functionaries and Block functionaries on the Act’s Procedures

50. Problems: Guarantee Process Registration • Refusing oral application • Registering only Below Poverty Line families. • Refusing locally domiciled but migrant families. • Denying registration on the basis of gender, caste and creed. • Inordinate delay in verification.