D.O. No:- M-11/11/2015-CB Dated: 20 November, 2015. Dear Subject: National Workshop on “Panchayat - SHG Convergence for Participatory planning” (December 11-13 ,2015) 2 __A National Workshop on “Panchayat ~ SHG Convergence for participatory planning”is being held under the joint collaboration of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, the Ministry of Rural Development and UNDP at NASC Complex, PUSA, New Delhi on the 11°, 124 and 134 of December 2015. This is in the context of the Gram Panchayat Development Plans being prepared pursuant to the FFC award. 3. __As part of the planning exercise stipulated in the MoF guidelines for the release and utilisation of the local bodies’ grant, Gram Panchayats are now expected to conduct situation analysis on local development and welfare through Participatory processes. Ensuring the participation of women and the poor in the planning exercise is also critical to its success. This requires institutionalization of the engagement of PRIs with SHGs and SHG federations. Although the NRLM framework clearly lists the responsibilities of the SHG network as participating actively in gram sabhas’ and other forums of PRIs and supporting PRs in their development initiatives and planning exerciseg, it is a fact that the experience of meaningful engagement of Panchayats and SHG federations has been limited to just a few pockets of the country viz., Kerala, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, where panchayats and community organisations have worked together for ensuring that the poor access their entitlements. 4. NRLM has been anchoring pilot projects for convergence of gram panchayats with SHG networks with the support of the Kudumbashree NRO in a few States (Assam, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha and Karnataka), Various participatory tools and methods developed as part of the Convergence project resonate well with the priorities of local planning envisaged under GPDP. The Convergence pilot projects have been able to demonstrate increased participation of poor women in Gram Sabha, enhanced awareness of development schemes and improvements in scheme implementation, as well as increased confidence and mutual trust between Panchayats and women's organizations, which axe important ingredients for collaborative local partnerships. 5. __As the initiatives of IPPE, Swachh Bharat and Gram Panchayat Development Plans gain momentum on the ground, the curriculum of training to all the stakeholders must include the-training on the subject so as to develop State specific strategies for effective community participation through engaging, the CBOs of oe n yy pA as aeas 6 The National workshop on “Convergence for participatory planning at the grassroots ~ GPs and SHG networks” will share the experiences of the pilot projects, as well as cull out lessons for developing a road map for convergence of Gram Panchayats with SHG networks, including developing capacity building plans targeting PRis and SHG federations for GPDP. The participants of the workshop will include State Secretaries of RD and PR, Directors/CEOs of SRLMs, senior officers of the State departments of Panchayati Raj, SIRD faculty, NGO partners and academics. 7. In view of the importance of the Workshop it is requested that the faculty in charge of anchoring GPDP, IPPE and NRLM in the SIRD/PRTI may be required to attend the workshop and to be present throughout the deliberations. The workshop schedule and concept note on PRI CBO convergence is being circulated separatel Yours sincerely (Garada Muraleedharan) Shri Tamuna Messar, APCS Director State Institute of Rural Development, ESS Sector. ‘Behind’ - Department of Rural Development Itanagar, - 791 113 Arunachal Pradesh