Local Resource Persons Acting as Catalysts for Change in Karnali

March 19, 2024

a landscape photo of sinja with houses at the base of a haill

For more than 10 years, Deepak Nepali Badi, a member from the marginalized Badi community, often discriminated against and facing economic hardships, has been supporting local NGOs in income generation and agriculture. While travelling around Karnali Province that has notably low socio-economic indicators, he held a long-standing desire to become a trained resource person so he could contribute more to the economic well-being of the community. Participating in these activities made him realize that the potentials of economic development had rarely been explored—let alone materialized – in much of Karnali and that local governments could do a lot to change things if they incorporated local economic development (LED) policies and acted on them.

"Working alongside retired senior bureaucrats in workshops and seminars, I aspired to emulate their skills and expertise," reflects Nepali, a resident of Bheri Municipality in Jajarkot, Karnali Province that was hit by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake on November 3, 2023. Having lost his home in the earthquake that claimed 158 lives and affected 38,705 families, Nepali sees widespread economic distress caused by the disaster as a reminder for local governments to prioritize economic development activities. Currently residing in a makeshift shelter, he emphasizes the need for resilient settlements through inclusive economic development that would make recovery quicker.

portrait photo of a man — Deepak Nepali Badi

"If I hadn't received the LED training, I might not have understood the link between economic development and the earthquake," Nepali reflects. He believes individuals like him play a crucial role in educating the local governments about LED, enabling them to create evidence-based economic and development plans aligned with local needs and realities. Nepali is one of many professionals who completed a Master Training of Trainers (MToT), focusing on LED among other two themes.

The training was the result of a partnership between Karnali Province Training Academy (KPTA) and European Union Support to Inclusive Federation (EUSIF), a UNDP project in the province. The primary goal of this partnership was to create a pool of local experts in LED, public procurement, and periodic planning along with mid-term expenditure frameworks (MTEF). EUSIF collaborated with KPTA, a key institution of the Province Government that is responsible for capacity development of provincial and local government authorities. Together, they are working to enhance the capacities of provincial and local governments in Karnali, working in coordination with the Provincial and Local Government Support Programme (PLGSP), the national governance programme of the Government of Nepal.

This comprehensive effort resulted in training 88 professionals, including 28 from provincial and local governments with 32 resource persons in LED, 28 in public procurement and 31 in periodic planning and MTEF. EUSIF's support also included candidate selection through a competitive process, designing the training curriculum and facilitating the sessions.

trainer lady training participants of cluster-level LED training — Participants of cluster-level LED training in Sarada Municipality, Salyan district

The Constitution of Nepal, along with relevant laws like the Intergovernmental Fiscal Arrangement Act 2017 and the Federal, Provincial, and Local Level (Coordination and Interrelation) Act 2020, entrusts local governments with the exclusive authority to promote inclusive economic development. For each local government, a LED plan serves as a key guide for economic progress. However, these local governments face challenges in developing effective development plans due to a capacity gap. According to OCMCM Secretary Ananda Saru efforts to address this capacity issue are ongoing.

Mobilizing locally available resource persons at local levels

KPTA is working to make sure that the trained resource persons contribute their expertise to local governments in Karnali. Before the earthquake, Nepali participated in a cluster-level capacity-building workshop on LED in the neighboring district of Salyan in which he facilitated discussions involving 32 representatives and officials from various local governments. "During the workshop, I guided discussions on identifying development goals, especially focusing on agriculture, and helped prepare a detailed action plan with specific strategies to achieve those goals," he explains.

This event saw the participation of 50 local elected representatives, including mayors and officials from Salyan, Jajarkot, and Rukum West. Additionally, Musikot Municipality independently organized a similar training for elected representatives and staff with the assistance of trained resource persons. Up to now, KPTA has deployed seven local resource persons, six for LED workshops and one for a capacity-building workshop on periodic plans and MTEF.

Kashav Raj Acharya from Jumla, also trained in LED, conducted six capacity-building workshops in Jumla. Over 95 elected representatives and staff from local governments in Salyan, Surkhet, and Jumla attended the events. Their aim was to guide these representatives in initiating and executing local economic development interventions using strategic planning. Both Nepali and Acharya serve as examples of how trained individuals act as catalysts for change at the local level. They actively promote and facilitate economic activities, ultimately contributing to the local economy.

Recognizing the capacity gaps in key provincial and local institutions related to laws, policies, planning, execution, and intergovernmental efforts in Karnali, EUSIF is working actively with relevant government and non-government stakeholders including OCMCM, KPTA and PLGSP to address these gaps.

‘Ready to provide support whenever required’
The individuals trained in public procurement not only have enhanced skills but can now perform their responsibilities more effectively. Jyoti Shahi, an officer at OCMCM, shares that as government officers they often procure goods and services for their offices. While they tried their best with the limited knowledge they had, the training equipped them with better skills for procurement execution. Like Shahi, 28 individuals from provincial and local governments received training in public procurement.

Similarly, the province now also has a diverse group of local trainers in public procurement. These trainers possess sufficient expertise to conduct workshops at the local and provincial levels. The goal is to boost the knowledge and skills of government officials so that they can facilitate a transparent, accountable and efficient public procurement process in their respective institutions.
Establishing a pool of local resource persons from diverse backgrounds in Karnali is anticipated to benefit local governments. Moreover, local resource persons understand the local context and the needs of the community, providing a valuable advantage during capacity-building workshops. According to Tilak BK, Administrative Officer of Dullu Municipality who is part of the pool of local resource persons on periodic plans and MTEF, utilizing local experts is cost-effective compared to bringing in professionals from Kathmandu. “This leads to significant savings for local and provincial governments in Karnali,” he says.

Durga Lamsal, another professional who underwent the MToT on periodic plans and MTEF, also emphasizes the economic advantages of utilizing local expertise. “This approach is something that ensures local ownership and sustainability.” Despite not being mobilized to support local governments yet, she says, "I am prepared and ready to support local governments in developing periodic plans and MTEFs whenever required."