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Assessing The Quality Of Poverty Reduction Delivery System Indian Context. Social Expert’s Meet OECD/Korea Policy Centre Seoul, Nov.19 – 20, 2008 Shanta Venkatraman. Overview. Background Initiatives Strategy Decision-Making Transparency Accountability Predictability Participation
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Assessing The Quality Of Poverty Reduction Delivery System Indian Context Social Expert’s Meet OECD/Korea Policy Centre Seoul, Nov.19 – 20, 2008 Shanta Venkatraman
Overview • Background • Initiatives • Strategy • Decision-Making • Transparency • Accountability • Predictability • Participation • Capacity-Building • Monitoring • Summary of Social Protection Programs • Overview Of Wage-Employment Schemes
Employment Labour force (millions) 419 - Organized sector 7-9% - Un-Organized Sector 91-93% Unemployment rate 8.28 No. unemployed (millions) 34.74
Program Implementation Private (Including NGOs, Rotary Club, Lions Club, Health Insurance Cos. etc. Government / Public Sector including Corporations Center State Externally Aided Project Centrally Sponsored Schemes (Center - State share) Funding Through Central / State Governments. E.g. ICDS – World Bank funding Central Scheme State scheme 100% funding by Center 100% funding by State Source : Central Ministries / Departments Reports / Plans Source : State Annual Plans / Reports
Targeting: Indicators - Central Government • Income Generation Through Employment Guarantee Schemes that entitles them for wages both in cash and kind and empowering BPL population to self sustainable employment by creating assets.(SGRY,SGSY, NFWP,UWEP, NREGS) • Food Security Through ‘Targeted Public distribution Program’ (TPDS)- subsidized food grains covering the deprived, socially oppressed and vulnerable group of population and BPL families(ICDS) • Primary Health Care- Health for all • Elementary Education for every child in 6-14 yrs of age
Targeting: Indicators - Central Government (contd.) • Housing For the homeless- economically weaker section of population and socially deprived families. (IAY, VAMBAY) • Micro Finance Forthe urban poor and the rural masses especially women(SJSRY) • Child Protection Support for education, growth monitoring of infants, immunization, nutrition supplement. (scholarship, hostels, uniforms,stationary, shelter, mid-day meal program)
Targeting: Indicators - State Government • Central Government is the Apex body initiating all the major poverty alleviation programs. The implementation of these programs at a De-centralized level is done by the state govt. with centers’ guidance. However, monitoring and supervision continues to be the center’s responsibility • Majority of the CG programs are on cost sharing basis with the state. State complements these depending on the need of the local population. Nevertheless, these programs are often politically influenced
Targeting: Vulnerable Population Other Than BPL • Disabled/handicapped • Orphans/street children / beggars/ • Scavengers/homeless/beggars • Elderly • Socially oppressed • Destitute Benefits may be in cash, kind, tangible and non-tangible assets (tools, medical facility, informal education, skill training, shelter, food etc.)
Decision Making At Local Level • On paper a standardized manual exist for every program and depending on the suitability of the local conditions in the given local context they are modified. • Stages/process of selection of the beneficiaries varies between programs depending on the eligibility criteria • Further, programs related to central government are supplemented by the state government to cater to the needs of the local population • Nevertheless, much of these are politically influenced. • Program priorities change depending on the need of the hour.
High Priority • Food Security Public Distribution System • Primary Education Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, Spl. Prog. for girls • Secondary Education Scheme for Universalized of Access to Secondary Education • General Health National Rural Health Mission 2005. Thrust on public health programs • Cash Benefit for minimum standard of living Wage employment schemes • Micro Credit SHG’s, skill training • Temporary Employment Wage employment schemes
Medium Priority • Nutrition Nutrition supplement through ICDS, Mid day meal programs in schools. Since 70’s & 80’s • Safe Water Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission - 1986 • Physical Infrastructure Road connectivity, marketing, electricity, water, sanitation • Job Training for Unemployed ITI’s
Decision-Making • Collect orate office is the final authority to initiate a scheme • The Block officer/Zila parishad/ panchayat/gram sabha who are the local officials in the rural often have the authority to decide • The gestation period for application and entitlement vary from program to program and place to place • Beneficiary entitlements are reviewed annually and frequency of payment depends on the duration of the programs • The Below Poverty Line families are identified from the live registers [records land holding, occupation, birth, death) maintained by the Patwari for every village. The families identified as poor are issued ‘Ration card’ of different colours [depending on the family income]. This card entitles them to buy food grains, kerosene, sugar etc.from the local fair price shops • This serves as ID card for identifying the poor families for many of the other programs
Benefit Disbursement • The component of benefit in kind under any scheme is delivered in person through the agency identified for implementation. • In the case of wage employment schemes, the cash too is delivered in person. • The same is not be true of micro-credit and self-employment schemes. These are often operated formally through banks or organized village co-operatives.
Extent Of BPL Population Benefiting • Under the food security program almost all the BPL families receive some level of support either in cash or kind. However this may often fall short of the quota allotted
Transparency • Since 2005 the citizens of India are provided access to ‘Right to information Act’ that entitles citizen to access data/information • Source of Access: web sites, authorized desk in every Ministry • Relevant information is available in documented form
Accountability Issues • Performance Evaluations for most of the implemented programs are carried out. • Agencies may vary from program to program • The public officials are rewarded as the case may be. • Committees may be in place to address complaints relating to unfair action/incompetence of authorities.
Predictability • Laws are in place for different programs. Adhering to the laws are the responsibility of the respective government/ministries • Beneficiary entitlement for every program is spelt out clearly. This varies from program to program. • At the grass root level, it is common that beneficiaries’ eligibility are manipulated to suit the purpose, especially in rural areas • Any unplanned benefit may not be seen on paper lest it might be exposed to questioning by the authorities • Among the Targeted programs,only ICDS prog. receives some foreign aid.
Participation • The program requirement normally demands community participation at local level, but until recently this was the monopoly of the local/village leaders/influential persons. • The National Rural Employment Generation Scheme (NREGS), initiated in in phases, beginning in 2006, is believed to involve the local villagers in implementation. As a result minimum wages are protected. This has helped to reduce migration for work. Wages are streamlined through the local banks.
Capacity Building • Training / orientation programs are organized for all programs to ensure the delivery of programs in an effective manner as the need may be. These are usually carried out at a de-centralized level • Training program are carried out by the senior govt. officials and content depends on the program • The central government officials generally train the local government staff/ NGO’s for the implementation of the programs. Sometimes the senior local government officials are trained as trainers at a centralized place by the apex body to maintain uniformity • Frequency of training depends on the need
Capacity Building (contd.) • Since this forms part of their duty, if a person is unable to attend a training program for some reason, substitutes are in place to take care. If without notice a trainee absentees oneself strict penalties are imposed • Since the civil servants are recruited at different levels in the govt. depts. through service commissions and have met the eligibility requirement at the time of recruitment for different levels, qualify for training automatically
Monitoring • Various government ministries and departments monitors the poverty reduction programs • Planning commission, Government of India authenticates the poverty estimates in India.
Outcome Indicators Of Poverty Monitoring • Head Counts • Poverty Gap • Severity Of Poverty • School Enrolment • Food Security • Minimum Food Consumption • Water And Sanitation • Duration Of Employment • Repayment Of Micro-Credit • General Health and RCH • Income • Earnings • Consumer Expenditure
Tools For Monitoring • Household Survey by the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) • State Census • Administrative Data from Local agencies such as co-operative banks
Shortcomings Of Wage Employment Schemes • More than half the beneficiaries are not from the needy group • Bureaucracy dominated planning with little participation of community • Work to women less than stipulated norm of 30% • Only 16-29 days employment provided to household • Assets created not durable • Corruption: reports of false muster rolls; contractors persisted; payment often less than prescribed wages
About NREG Act - NREGS • NREG Act introduced a right–based framework • It introduced legal guarantee of work, as opposed to a government program which could be withdrawn by a government at will • Time bound action to fulfill guarantee of work within 15days of demand for work • Incentive structure for performance • Disincentive for non-performance • Demand based resource availability • Accountability of public delivery system through social audits
Performance Of NREGS • Wage rates are better than agricultural occupations in rural India • On an average 43days of employment are provided • Generated 1437 million person days in only 330 districts, highest so far compared other wage employment schemes • 10-11% of all households completed 100 days of work compared to 2-3 % in earlier programs
Suggested improvements in NREGS • Administrative cost to be increased • Technical, professional and management level support to be appointed at district and sub-district level. • Grievance cell to address the issues such as non-payment of wages, non-distribution of job cards, non-maintenance of muster rolls etc.
