State Partnership Programme with Chhattisgarh
Project description
Title: State Partnership Programme with Chhattisgarh (European Commission)
Country: India
Overall term: 2008 to 2013
Context
The European Commission State Partnership Programme (EC SPP) is a policy reform and budget support programme providing EUR 80 million of financial assistance to the state of Chhattisgarh. The main partner is the Directorate of Institutional Finance (DIF). The programme, which includes a technical assistance component, is divided into four areas:
- Governance and institutional development
- Support for health sector improvements
- Support for education sector improvements
- Forest-based livelihoods.
The technical assistance mainly involves capacity building through the activities of long- and short-term experts placed with the respective nodal agencies and line departments. The experts provided by GIZ IS support their counterparts in coordinating and managing elements of the overall programme. They also support financial and planning reforms across the sector, with special emphasis given to both the Finance & Planning Department and the Health and Education Department. GIZ IS is promoting the implementation of recommendations made in a Public Finance Management Assessment, which includes a medium term expenditure framework. In particular, it provides capacity building for elected representatives and government officials, in order to facilitate change processes in administration and governance.
Objective
Governance and institutional reforms have been introduced at state and local levels. As a result of this, quality health and education services are more readily available, and are more equitably delivered. Forest-based livelihoods have improved for tribal peoples.
Approach
The main focus of the technical assistance provided by GIZ IS is on capacity building. The programme addresses good governance and promotes democracy and the rule of law. It supports government and administrative reforms, decentralisation and the devolution of state powers, and the empowerment of local government bodies, in particular the elected representatives of the panchayati raj institutions (PRIs). In doing so, the programme uses locally appropriate approaches. It not only cooperates with government institutions, but it also promotes civil society actors.
Results achieved so far
GIZ IS has made considerable inputs to the departments of health, education, panchayat and federation (forests) for the preparation of multi-year programme implementation plans under the EC SPP.
The project has prepared a medium-term expenditure framework for the health and education departments. It has also concluded a study of the public financial management system and is helping the departments to implement the recommendations of that study, in order to improve their financial management practices.
GIZ IS has provided technical assistance for the evaluation of the Mitanin programme – a flagship intervention of the Department of Health. The support includes assistance with the functional assignment (activity mapping) of the PRIs, and the preparation of a roadmap for the decentralisation and devolution for the PRIs.
Training and exposure visits to the Department of Panchayat and Rural Development have been arranged for the elected PRI representatives. These activities examine the decentralisation and devolution strategy of the Government of Chhattisgarh.
A comprehensive Poverty Impact Assessment Study has been completed, with the participation of all departments responsible for implementing the EC SPP.
Nearly 120 micro enterprises have been developed as a part of the project, providing livelihoods to 14,500 tribal people. These units are operated by self-help groups with support from the Chhattisgarh Minor Forest Produce (Trading & Development) Co-operative Federation Ltd.