Development can succeed if it is demand based, led and owned by local communities. This is one of the key learning Helvetas has gained from its approximately 28 years of involvement in the development activities in Palpa District. It requires strengthening of institutional mechanisms at community level on the demand side. On the supply side, it needs to develop demand-responsive services, organizations and funding modalities. However, development efforts may still fail unless the needs, interests and voices of socially and economically excluded people are well-regarded.

LOCAL INITIATIVES SUPPORT PROGRAMME, PALPA (LISP)

The Local Initiatives Support Programme (LISP) has strengthened local organizations for institutional capacity building in Palpa for the last 10 years. This was accompanied by supporting income generation initiatives at local level. It is now in its final phase of localizing the entire planning, implementation and financing modality.

OUTCOMES

• Planning and managerial skills enhanced at village and district level Local institutions (local NGOs, farmer associations, federations) tackle the socio-economic problems and enhance opportunities of people to achieve a higher level of self-reliance.

• Local economic initiatives (e.g., vegetable, coffee, ginger, NTFP, goat raising) generate cash income of small holders after adopting improved technology and through better marketing mechanisms.
  
  PRESENT STATUS

• Planning and managerial capacity enhanced to 1 DDC and 31 VDCs through capacity building activities (preparation/implementation of District Transport Master Plan; District Periodic Plan; Village Development Periodic Plan)

• More than 20,800 households (41% of the district’s total households) participate in project activities

• Proportion of participating Dalit (15%) and Janajati (64%) households above district average

• Local funding system initiated which finances demands from groups for technical support from Local Resources Persons (“drSP fund”); more than 5700 households served through this system in 2005

• Farmers generated a gross income of NRs 2.0 million from coffee, 42.2 million from ginger, 18.5 million from vegetables and 12.48 million from NTFP (for 2005)

• 77 micro-hardware activities (including small drinking water/sanitation schemes, irrigation, agro product collection centre, Pico-hydro power and plastic ponds) supported on cost sharing basis (over 3 years)

• 26.72 km. of village roads under construction following the green road concept

PARTNERSHIP

All works are implemented by local partner organizations or directly by self-help groups.

• Self-help groups demand services from the drSP-fund and are supported accordingly

• District level association of coffee farmers and forest users

• Saving/credit cooperatives, milk cooperatives

• Five local NGOs, 2 local community radios

• DDC, 31 VDCs and line agencies for coordination and joint implementation of development activities (e.g., road, micro-hardware)

FUNDING

About 160,000 CHF per year from Helvetas/ DFID partnership funds.

CONTACT DETAILS

LISP
GP.O. Box 688, Kathmandu, Nepal
Ph: 075-520075;
Email: lisp@helvetas.org.np