Vth. Group

Members Jammu & Kashmir. Meghalaya. Punjab. West Bengal Sikkim.

Foreword Lab to Land had its genesis in the deficiency in the present system towards effective implementation of the Govt. programmers. More communication is felt necessary coupled with efficient and responsive machinery both at PRIs and at the Govt. at different levels. So 12 th Plan shall address the issue as its thrust area with SIRDs taking the lead role.

Important issues of 11 th Plan. Inclusiveness. Skill Dev Programme (Job less growth).

Aspirations

Vision SIRD will be a center of excellence in the arena of Capacity Building of PRI and Govt functionaries as well as in the arena of empowerment of rural people.

Mission It will aim at capacity building of PRI and Govt functionaries as well as Rural Development workers of NGOs and CBOs through training and empower rural people through sustained communication. It will undertake research to enrich the process of training.

Objectives Undertaking training in different modes suitable to the demand of trainees which include PRI functionaries at different levels, Govt. functionaries and rural development workers of NGOs, CBOs etc. Preparation of study materials for training. Undertaking research on different issues of rural governance and rural development mostly in action research mode and in lesser no on fundamental issues. Outcome of research would enrich the content and direction of training.

Objectives Redefining its role through taking part in IEC activities. Empowering rural people through sustained communications as above. Creating and nurturing change agents like BNVs Networking with different institutions working in the same field. Providing lead role in bringing together all rural appropriate technologies.

Organizational structure Present structure may remain with addition of experts in IEC, management of BNVs etc. ETCs should be strengthened with faculty and support staff. Structure should remain horizontal to encourage specialization and thereby professionalism.

Technology Both traditional as well as modern technologies shall be used depending on the demand of the situation. Along with traditional method of training, use of IT technology in its different activities. SATCOM technology for wider participation.

Human resources Number of core faculty members should be increased to seven at the least. Inclusion of IEC expert. Appointment of at least one Faculty at ETCs if necessary on contractual basis along with support staff.

Infrastructure Modernization of existing facilities-class room, accommodation, computer lab, equipments etc. according to the demand for training. Introduction of SATCOM facilities and strengthening of the facility if it exists. Addition of recreational facilities. Setting up documentation unit.

Research and Development More stress on action researches. Network with different institutions and universities and other educational institutions for undertaking joint endeavours. Engaging/ involving community in action researches.

Communications Assuming the role to communicate the Govt. programmes with the people in general poor in particular. Drawing up a communication plan. Creation and involvement of volunteer who will act as the communicating agents. Strengthening peoples institutions for acting as a medium of communication,

Monitoring and evaluation Strict real time and periodical monitoring on the basis of a simple format using modern technology. Evaluation should be concurrent and at the end of project and carried out by independent agency. Training module itself shall contain a simple pro forma for evaluation showing the thrust area.

MIS Should be based on simple format. Should network with other stakeholders. Should be structured on the basis of expected outcome. Should use IT technology. Useful soft wares may be developed for the purpose.

Distance training Distance training is necessary for wider participation. Should consider demand carefully. Use of modern technology. Impact of training should be assessed in a regular manner for tuning it to the ground realities.

Current situation

Strengths Varies with SIRDs. Faculties. Infrastructure. Teamwork. Different facilities.

Weakness Fund. Mobility. Human resources at ETCs. Absence of autonomy. Quantity and quality of training not at desired level.

External Environment Constituted by social, political, economic and cultural condition. Religion may appear as a factor. Political conditions determine the environment largely. Absence of stability affects functioning seriously. Socio economic factors are also determinant in this regard.

Stakeholders relations Identification of all the stakeholders. Finding out the nature of relations boosting or affecting functioning of SIRD. Capacity building of all the stakeholders. Defining the roles of stakeholders.

Leadership Analyzing present status of leadership-autocratic or democratic. Is it participatory (a team man). Encourage risk taking and accepting challenge. Oriented towards undertaking studies for deeper understanding.

Organizational design. Horizontal in structure. Director dependent. Present organizational design is not sufficient to carry on its new role in Communications.

Knowledge and skills Stresses more on knowledge than on skills. Faculty development with modern methodology of training was not given due importance. Knowledge and skill elements are not properly identified.

Processes and procedures Still traditional. Still more stress on precedence. Complex and Cumbersome. Needs to be simple.

Strategies

Key initiatives Cogent National Training Policy. State Training Policy. Setting up Training Institutes based on the requirement of the states. Autonomy of the SIRDs. Training should be catered in demand driven mode i.e, based on the needs of trainees. Identification of the needs considering the outcome.

Key initiatives Use of modern technology in different spheres. Communicating people to make them partner in development through initiatives like Lab to Land. Capacity building of all stakeholders to make them partners in development. Identifying the needs of trainees based on the outcome expected of them in relation to the programmes.

Key initiatives Processes should be re-engineered to make them simple and understandable. This will ensure transparency. Infrastructure development should be based on requirement in terms of quantity and quality. Scope for consultancy etc. for generation of own resources.

Key initiatives Fees may be charged for special training(vocational- skill Dev) conducted on the basis of demand. Networking with different training institutes for pooling there resources. More reliance on e-governance to make it more transparent and accessible. Simple structure of MIS based on the requirements.

Implementation plan

Milestones: Road map shall be drawn up for every activity to instill objectivity. National Policy and State Policy shall be finalized with the participation of all stakeholders. Considering requirement based on demographical and geographical character as well as needs of the community, training institutes should be set up. For the existing ones a relook may be given for further steps.

Implementation plan Old practice of consolidating expertise developed in different sectors should be encouraged and further sharpened. Progress should be measured on the basis of measurable targets contained in the roadmap. Time and cost shall be important measurable quantities for review.

Implementation plan Data flow should be ensured for quick feedback and real time monitoring to avoid slippage. Dedicated personnel should take care of data flow management. Management of risks should consider the cost and benefit. Expected outcome at every activity (capacity building in particular) shall be the corner stone in management of risks,

Documentation and Evaluation

Evaluation Should be held concurrent as well as at the end of the project. By an independent agency On the basis of terms of reference agreed upon between the parities. Evaluation of both the output and the outcome. Concurrent evaluation will enable restructuring in case it veered off the target/goal. Evaluation may involve community/stakeholders to understand benefit accrued to them.

Documentation Use of different media for documentation. Documentation should be concise and to the point. Should be made in the light of its future use. Stress on documentation of processes for replication. Documentation through films would be more attractive. Sense of Cost and benefit will prevail.