Process Development of Model Gram Panchayats

Process Development of Model Gram Panchayats:

The process of development of model gram Panchayats for reference and replication involves a series of steps. To strengthen the management and monitoring functions, it is essential to work closely with the community members and PRI functionaries.

Scaling Up of Social Audit Processes: Social audit at the community/ GP and District level of different development programmes and actors have be undertaken in context of which, development of methodologies, toolkits and facilitators is crucial.

Right to Information (RTI): RTI is a tool to ensure accountability in governance. The RTI Act enables Indian citizens to seek information from public authorities. It aims to empower people by allowing them access to different kinds of information across almost all sectors of the Government.

Emphasizing use of RTI for demanding accountability: RTI is an effective tool to get information on critical issues affecting poor and marginalized and also to make government system accountable. To benefit the weaker and marginalized section, mass scale RTI facilitators with better understanding and requisite skills have been passed on the baton.

Citizen Report Card on Public Services in Bhubaneswar: An important criterion of the success of civic authorities is how effectively they provide basic services to their citizens. In order to assess this in Bhubaneswar, CYSD collected feedbacks from citizens on public services in the city, using the Citizen Report Card method. The study, carried out in collaboration with Public Affairs Centre, Bangalore, assesses the state of major public services in the city from a users' perspective, builds a set of benchmarks for the future, and aims to create public awareness and influence the urban governance system to improve the quality of services. Nine basic services in general, namely roads, streetlights, public ration distribution, public transport, police, primary education, health care, anganwadi, and housing, and three basic services in particular, such as drinking water, waste management and supply of electricity have been analyzed See more on:  www.citizenreportcard.com

Corruption Study: In early 2006, in response to the issue of corruption in Orissa, the Vigilance Directorate of the Government of Orissa, completed a comprehensive Corruption Perception Study in all the 30 Districts of Orissa. CYSD provided support for the methodology workshop; the preparation, field-testing and finalization of study tools; the training of investigators; and report preparation.

The study focused on the assessment of petty corruption in ten field level government offices including Police, Transport, Block, Tahsil, Treasury, Land Registration, Land Acquisition, and Urban Local Bodies as Bhubaneswar and Cuttack Development Authorities. The study findings contribute towards the larger goal of improved governance and transparent administration.

Education Watch: CYSD plays a key role in the research initiatives undertaken by Education Watch, a collaboration of various members from civil society who are concerned about strengthening universal primary education in Orissa. The research focuses on Universal access, retention and completion while ensuring Quality education.

Social Watch India: Citizen's Report on Governance and Development - 2006

Social Watch India is a research initiative, which critically examines the performance of key institutions of governance, in relation to social development. Citizens' Reports on Governance and Development have been published in 2003 and 2004. Following on from these reports, the Social Watch India Report 2006 has been published. The reports aim to encourage citizens to demand their rights and participate in various processes of development so as to create a meaningful democracy.

The 2006 report, like the previous ones, analyses the performance of institutions of governance such as Parliament, the Executive, the Judiciary and local self governance institutions. The workings of these institutions have been evaluated from a citizens' rights perspective, with emphasis on ensuring the rights of vulnerable sections of society such as dalits, women and tribal people. The report aims to contribute to the cause of governance accountability in India and generate debate on issues relating to the whole process of governance and participatory development.

National Social Watch Coalition (NSWC): To monitor the institutions of governance at the Parliament, Judiciary, Executive, and Local self-governance levels, a coalition of civil society organizations, citizens and communities was set up in 2002 in the form of National Social Watch Coalition (NSWC).

National Social Watch Coalition is a national CSO network monitors state and civil society development action and publishes annual documents on the results. A report is released every year on the performance of the four key institutions of governance in India in relation to social development. Policy makers, planners and the media use the reports to question the accountability and performance of the Government.

The coalition is promoted by CYSD along with the National Centre for Advocacy Studies (NCAS) of Pune, Samarthan of Bhopal, and other partners from many States to make the institutions of governance truly accountable and responsive to the real needs and aspirations of the people. See www.socialwatchindia.net for more on Social Watch.

Wada Na Todo Abhiyan: A national campaign called Wada Na Todo (Keep Your Promises) was initiated in 2004 by the NSWC. It is a countrywide initiative by civil society to remind government about the existing low accountability of governance and to make them accountable to the Millennium Development Goals as well other promises made by them.

Grassroots Monitoring: People’s Organizations are trained to monitor Panchayat functioning of ensuring the availability of copies of resolutions and implementation of recommendations made at Palli Sabha as agreed by Gram Sabha. They also monitor the management of development activities undertaken by the Panchayat, such as road construction.

Participation in Toolkit: the Toolkit Foundation is the result of a global joint venture by civil society organisations and local authorities, launched in 1999. It is an instrument to support growing efforts to increase citizens' participation in local governance by building a web site and creating opportunities for exchange of experience. The Toolkit Foundation aims to support these efforts by making available an easily accessible database of cases of local participation as well as by analysing and presenting various tools to stimulate participation.

CYSD acts as the regional coordinator for India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal. CYSD collects case studies relating to people's participation in local governance and promotes the toolkit through the website, informal/formal discussions, meetings and workshops. See more on www.toolkitparticipation.com