1. Professionalizing State Rural Livelihoods Missions: Challenges and Solutions By Ved Arya, SRIJAN 15 February 2011 at Maharashtra NRLM Workshop, Pune

2. Poverty in Maharashtra and Paradigm Shifts in NRLM Perceptions of Prosperity and Reality of Poverty in Maharashtra Building Institutions of the Poor Pro-Poor Financial Sector Implications for Human Resources – Empowerment – Quality SHGs – Work Ground Up: Process Intensity

3. What does Professionalizing mean? Some Questions. How should the leadership behave and what culture should s/he promote? What kind of organisational structure and staffing would deliver results? How to get the best talent possible to work in SRLM? Is salary the only weapon? How to retain the best performers, when the job market is dynamic?

4. Some Answers Evident as they are from other Experiences

5. Professionalising … Results Orientation in Leadership; Competence of staff (subject matter related expertise and experience, leadership); Scientific and Transparent Recruitment and Selection Methodology (eliminating bias); Promotion and Salary are performance-linked, Pro-staff and Coded HR policy leaving less scope for discretion; Challenge: – Demonstrating it across the state as opposed to in a few districts through a SPV;

6. Autonomy of the State Structure Financial autonomy to decide Human Resource related norms; – To decide on salary – higher salary may mean higher productivity; – To decide on recruitment and selection – open market, or deputation; – To decide on several other things such as performance linked salary, travel and leave rules; Examples of several states – Gujarat

7. Lessons in Human Resource Policy for States in NRLM 7 Bihar: Structure and Staffing State Team State Project Managers Project Managers District Team District Project Coordinators Training/CB Coordinator Training/CB Officer (DTO) Functional Specialist Block Team Block Project Managers Area Coordinator Community Coordinator

8. Organisational Structure…. State level autonomous society Usual Structure with a few innovations – State and district management units - specialists headed by full time long tenure CEOs – (i) state CEO an IAS officer, aided by a COO from the market; (ii) district CEO from the market; – Experience range of specialists – state (10-15), district (5 to 10); Block (3 to 5); what is relevant experience? – State specialists to have enough experience to command respect, to be mentors to their district and block level colleagues; Structure to retreat as Community Institutions Take Over, and Community Resource Persons take on some of the roles

9. Leadership and Culture Evident earlier in MP, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and now at the national level in NRLM – Leader is accessible, approachable – listens - mobile and email address; – Creates a culture of openness – anyone can read the documents – googlegroup for NRLM; – Consultative rather than authoritarian – networks and dialogues with insiders and outsiders – Welcomes interaction with community and with its leaders

10. Dedicated Teams at the Block and Sub-block level: Was something missing in SGSY? Commitment and Psychological Dimension of Dedication: – Commitment to the vision of empowerment of rural poor; – Building institutions of the poor, that will empower them; – Reaching out to genuine poor and working out solutions for the problems they face ‘Professional teams’ at the cutting edge, – Work in a demarcated area - not larger than 30 or 35 village cluster, – Work with a single objective and clear strategy to ensure development outcomes; Such dedicated professional teams must be allowed – large scope and freedom and given adequate resources to work intensively with community, and – Innovate and implement community demand based solutions rather than implement top down schemes;

11. Lessons in Human Resource Policy for States in NRLM 11 Skills Knowledge Creative, Committed, People Oriented Leadership and Workforce Attitude Values Human Competency Set

12. Recruitment and Selection…. Compensation Structure to be based on market survey Bidding Process to Select an independent HR agency Multiple tests to objectively assess “attitude” and “values” Challenges: – Asking for the moon (everyone would want a Sachin Tendulkar) – Universe: Staff from Leading NGOs and Existing Externally Aided Projects – would need more than raise 20% plus – Work within parameters of “reservation” system – to find enough people from among SC/ST/EBC communities, women; – Branding SRLM and Attracting talent from campuses, private sector

13. Lessons in Human Resource Policy for States in NRLM 13 Selection Tests Development Awareness IQ Case Analysis Knowledge Temperament Motivational Profile Leadership Style Personality/Attitude Group Discussions Role play Teaming

14. Retention …. Challenge 1: How does the system work with “contract staff” especially when they are professionals in their own right? Challenge 2: Leadership will see two phases – Phase I -- Inspiring, visioning, inducting, training freshly recruited staff – Phase II -- Staff tiring out, retiring, leaving, seeking new opportunities; Solutions – Coded HR Policy – Performance management system (PMS) – Ongoing training and career growth

15. Performance Management System in Tamil Nadu: Salient Features Weightage to self-assessment and verification of results in the field; Encouraging team spirit; Including community members in the assessment team; Randomising selection of village panchayats enhancing objectivity; Linking reward to performance

16. S NoGradeAction Taken 1 Star Performers Incentive of 20% of consolidated pay given at the time of renewal of contract 2 Good Performers Incentive of 15% of consolidated pay given at the time of renewal of contract 3 Average Performers No incentive at the time of renewal of contract and to be put on notice to improve performance 4 Poor PerformersContract not to be renewed Linking Reward to Performance

17. P OSITION Staff Number Assessed Star Performers Good Performers Average Performers Poor Performers DPM1062-2 APM59193622 Team Leaders 30910719057 TOTAL378132228711 Results of Performance Assessment

18. Summing Up Organisational Culture of Openness and collegiality to create a learning organisation Recruit people who would be empathetic to poor as well as capable Retain those who perform

19. Thank you for Your Patience! www.srijanindia.org