Socio-economic Empowerment of Rural Poor through Sustainable Community Institutions in Bihar

1. Socio-economic Empowerment of Rural Poorthrough Sustainable Community Institutions in Bihar JEEViKA Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (BRLPS) - State Rural Livelihoods Mission (SRLM) Government of Bihar

2. Bihar : Background • Bihar Area - 2.8% of India, population - 8% of the country • 81% depend on agriculture - 70% small & marginal farmers • Average landholding - 0.07-0.22 ha & usually no irrigation • Average food security - for 4-5 months for small holders • CD ratio 32%, much below the national average of 73% • 54.4% live Below Poverty Line • Non-existence of complementary community institutions to participate in development process • Low investment by formal sector leading to poor accessing credit at exorbitant interest rate from informal sources • Lower productivity – alienated small holders, increasing uncultivated land & food insecurity

3. JEEViKA : at a Glance • BRLPS registered in 2006 & project JEEViKA started in October 2007. • Outreach : Rural Poor HHs 7.5 lakh in 55 Blocks of 9 districts. • Mission: Social & Economic Empowerment of Rural Poor through self managed community institutions of women • Effective BRLPS Executive Committee: headed by Dev. Comm. • Systematic Pro poor targeting model & Saturation approach • Building Social Capital – “Community Cadre” • Convergence with Line Depts, Business relationship with Bankers & Partnership with service provider agencies • Exclusive system development in COM, Fin. & Admin, procurement, HR manual & its continuous updating

4. JEEViKA :Vision Each SHG member should • have accessed cumulative credit of Rs. 1 Lakh. • have retired all high cost debt . • have Invested a major part of credit in a basket of income generating activities (2 or 3 livelihoods). • have generated income Rs. 10,000 / pm (incremental). • Have substantially reduced expenditure on health and become food secured throughout the year. • come out of poverty in 5 to 7 years time frame

5. JEEViKA : Objective Social & Economic Empowerment of the Rural Poor through : • Creating self managed community institutions of poorest of the poor and poor households. • Enhancing income through sustainable livelihoods. • Increasing access to social protection including food security through a greater voice.

6. JEEViKA : Presence

7. JEEViKA : Dedicated Support Structure Dedicated Society General Body and Executive Committee State Project Management Unit PD cum CEO supported by thematic experts & support staffs District Project Coordination Unit District Project Manager supported with specialists Block Project Implementation Units a Team consisting of Block Project Manager, Area Coordinators, and Community Coordinators Cadre of Community Resource Persons, Book Keepers and Community Mobilisers

8. JEEViKA: Institutional Architecture BLF CLF 6% Interest CBLF VO 12% Interest - 2 SHG 24% Interest PG Members

9. JEEViKA : Components 1. Community Institutions Development Formation & Strengthening of a. SHG’s and its Federations b. Producers Groups Community Investment Fund a. Initial Capitalization Fund b. Livelihood Fund c. Health Risk Fund and Food Security Fund Special Technical Assistance and Development Fund a. MF Investment & Technical Assistance (MITA) b. Innovations & Partnership with NGOs Project Management a. HR Management b. Monitoring and Evaluation c. Communication

10. JEEViKA : Framework Livelihoods Enhancement Financial Inclusion Savings, Credit Insurance Remittances Help Desks at Banks Banking Correspondents Productivity Enhancement Agriculture (SRI, SWI, PVSP) Dairy & Small Ruminants Bee Keeping Fisheries , Makhana Non-farm incl. Art & Crafts Market Access Collective Marketing Producer Companies Market Partnerships Jobs and Skill Development Institutional Platforms of the Poor (SHGs & Federations) Vulnerability Reduction Access to Entitlements BPL Cards PDS Cards Job Cards Social Pensions Food Security Land Leasing Productivity Enhancement Food Rations from PDS Collective Purchase of Food Health Security Health Savings Loans from Health Risk Fund Women Outreach Workers Mobile Clinics

11. JEEViKA : Key Features • “Self Exclusion Targeting Model” & “Saturation” approach • Building Social Capital - “Community Cadre” • Working on both - “Demand” & “Supply” • Dedicated support structure • Investment in capacity building & performance monitoring • Convergence with Line Departments, business relationship with bankers & partnership with service provider agencies. • Exclusive system development & its continuous updating

12. JEEViKA : Journey of Nirmala Devi, Shekhwara Before joining SHG: • Landless Mahadalit, got 1 acre Bhudan land - low-productive • Family - Husband & 3 Sons • Average 15 days/month daily labour • 2 quintal of rice/annum (Rs. 2000) • Incurred high cost debt of 10,000 @ 120%/annum • Mortgaged half of her land • As the interest was rising, sold the only cow & repaid 5500 • Lost all hopes Joined Suraj SHG in 2006 motivated by CRPs from AP

13. JEEViKA : Journey of Nirmala Devi, Shekhwara After Joining SHG: • Took 3 small loans from savings: 200, 300 & 500 for health needs • Took 5000 from ICF to start a grocery shop, earning 2000/month • Two sons trained under DRF & earn 150/day for 15 days/month • She is a senior CRP now, moves out to mobilise and earns also • She cleared all high cost debts and mortgaged land • Husband tried SRI and got 5 quintal amounting Rs. 5000 • Her family income raised from 1500 to 7000/month • Gets regular food grains - right price & quantity from VO run PDS • Set to take another loan to settle her last son in business/dairy • Great difference she feels is a debt free, tension free happy life

14. Social Inclusion

15. JEEViKA : PROGRESS

16. JEEViKA : IMPACT • Sample 2666 HHs completed 3 years, shown the following results-

17. SIGNATURE LITERACY

18. JEEViKA : IMPACT • Sample 4000 HHs - 400 villages completed 3 years, shown the following results-

19. Exposure of the Project • Her Excellency, Honorable President of India, Mrs. Pratibha Patil’s Presidents’ Secretariat has invited JEEViKA on 11th August 2010 for presentation on rainfed farming : its opportunities and challenges with specific reference to System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and System of Wheat Intensification (SWI). • The World Bank President Mr. B. Zoellickand Country Director Mr. Roberto Zeiga visited the Project and met community members from the project. • A NATIONAL COLLOQUIUM ON SCI was organised by the Project in which Prof. Norman Thomas Uphoff from Cornell University, USA; Dr. Erika Styger with experience of working in Africa and Ms. Susan Burnell Edwards, Director-Institute for Sustainable Development-Addis Ababa, Ethiopia have participated. • The Project was honored by the “SKOTCH CHALLENGER AWARD” for livelihoods intervention.

20. JEEViKA : Positive Factors • Display of leadership / Team Work: • Pilot of all interventions with small numbers in a focused manner • Expert agency/Special spearhead teams to undertake the pilot • Based on learnings, refinement made in implementation strategy • Standard guideline prepared for scaling up • Sustainability factor: • Institutions managed by the community • Financial viability over time • Active Sub-committees in the VOs • CRP Strategy • Community professionals as driving force • Web Enabled MIS: • For effective monitoring of outcome indicators

21. JEEViKA : Dedicated Support Structure Dedicated Society General Body and Executive Committee State Project Management Unit PD cum CEO supported by thematic experts & support staffs District Project Coordination Unit District Project Manager supported with specialists Block Project Implementation Units a Team consisting of Block Project Manager, Area Coordinators, and Community Coordinators Cadre of Community Resource Persons, Book Keepers and Community Mobilisers

22. JEEViKA : Sustainable CBOs • Formation of CBOs and their quality nurturing • Mobilisation starts from the poorest hamlets • Focus on vulnerable sections like SCs, STs, minorities, differently able, landless, migrants, isolated HHs etc • Formation of quality SHGs based on “affinity” & “neighbourhood” • Standardized COM, Training modules etc for intensive capacity building of the SHGs and their federations • Development of livelihood groups (Producer Groups) and their federations (Producer Cooperatives/Companies) • Creating the federations as centre point of all entitlements • Block Level Federation to act as sustainable community managed agency in a span of 5-7 years

23. JEEViKA : Sustainable CBOs • CBOs to be self managed, supported by community cadres • Taking support of Community Resource Persons (CRP): • Selected & trained best practising members mobilise in new areas • CRPs as agents of change & no dependence on outside factor • Development of Master Trainer CRPs for training by the community ii. Knowledge Rooting at Community Level: • Social assets - cadre of Community Mobilizers and Book Keepers • Community managed extension system in agriculture – VRPs • The federations monitor & release payment to community cadres • Sub committees function to plan, execute and monitor activities

24. JEEViKA : Financial Inclusion • Financial assistance to the poor through Capitalization: • Uniform books of records • Participative Micro Planning (MP) at community level • Community Investment Fund (CIF) for capitalization • Range of requirements kept open ended and as per MP • Debt reduction & mitigate other vulnerabilities • Designing of financial products : • Health Risk Fund • Food Security Fund • Streamlining Mainstream Bank Finance: • Partnership (MOUs) with Commercial Banks & RRBs • Banks came forward to facilitate the process Financial Inclusion

25. JEEViKA : Financial Inclusion • Exposure Visit of Branch level & Senior Officials of Banks • Improving quality of service delivery by setting up ‘Bank Mitra-Help Desks’ at branches • Bank Mitras are community members trained to facilitate banking procedures at the branches for SHG members • It reduced banking time for the poor • Ratification of Bank Mitra policy by SLBC • Formation of a Steering Committee of SLBC on SHG financing and Financial Inclusion • Enhancing the credit limit of SHG’s to minimum of Rs. 50,000/- • Ensuring issuance of directions from different Bank’s HOs • Ensuring timely supply of stationery from Banks for SHGs

26. JEEViKA : Reduction of Vulnerability • Strategies for Enhancing Food Security • Productivity enhancement in cereal crops • Community managed Food Security Mechanism (FSF) • Enhancing access and management of PDS by the CBOs • Strategies to enhance Health Security • Dedicated financial product for Health (HRF and its saving) • Service at doorstep by Women Outreach Workers • Access to the public health facilities (Community Clinics) • Strategies to enhance Entitlements • VOs facilitated to access Social Security Schemes • Implementation of MGNREGA through community institutions

27. JEEViKA : Integration with Livelihoods • Comprehensive agriculture intervention with small holders • SRI, SWI & SCI, PVSP, Vermi Compost for productivity enhancement • Formation of Women’s Farmer Producer Companies • Promotion of Honey producers network • Organizing SHG HHs into Dairy Cooperative Societies • Fishery & Makhana: Mobilizing fisher-women in cooperatives • Cluster based approach for selected art & crafts sectors • Assessment of the skill gap and placement in jobs • Community Based Extension Mechanism : Key to success • Village Resource Person (VRP) is a local farmer identified by the VO • Conduct micro-plans & handhold 50 – 80 members in the entire cycle • Service charge designed to mobilize & motivate vulnerable sections

28. OFF/NON FARM GOAT REARING / POULTRY / BEEKEEPING / FISHERY / SKILL BUILDING 20000/- DAIRY 24000/- MGNREGS 14000/- AGRICULTURE 50000/-

29. JEEViKA : Strategies : Project Management • HR & OD : • Multiple recruitment options: Open Market, Deputation, Internal selection, Campus, Intern model • Partnership with academic / training institutions for CB • Staff deployment with tapering strategy linked with graduation of CBOs • M & E : • Institution based MIS - Web-based monitoring system • Qualitative measurement with Process Monitoring & Thematic Studies • Concurrent management review, learning system and impact evaluation • KM / Communication & Governance / Accountability • Use of new mediums with traditional channels for both Internal and External Communication • Integration of IT with CBOs for transparency & credibility

30. JEEViKA : Innovativeness & Replicability • Learnings of JEEViKA incorporated in National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) Framework and Guidelines. • BRLPS designated as SRLM for rolling out NRLM in Bihar. • The model of JEEViKA approved for scaling up in the whole state under NRLM targeting 1.25 Crore poor HHs. • State Perspective and Implementation Plan (SPIP) for NRLM approved by the State Cabinet and MoRD, GoI. • System of book keeping for CBOs is being accepted by Banks & CSOs. • Results of SRI pilots instrumental in GoB launching “SRI Kranthi” in 3.5 lakh ha across the state. • BRLPS providing resource support to similar projects.

31. JEEViKA : Key Results by 2021-22 Social Inclusion and Institution Building • 1.25 Crore women mobilised, 10 Lakh SHGs, 65 Thousand VOs, 1600 CLFs • 3.75 Lakh of Community Para Professionals providing services to CBOs Financial Inclusion • 3100 Crore in Savings & Rs. 12,000 Crore Credit from Banks • Atleast 70% SC/ST/Vulnerable HHs access funds Vulnerability Reduction • Atleast 80% HHs improved Food Security • Atleast 50% HHs covered under Health Safety Net & Social Security Schemes Livelihoods Enhancement • Atleast 70% HHs achieved 40% increase in Income • Atleast 15 lakh jobs created with placement in formal & informal sectors

32. President World Bank Shri R. B. Zolleick interacting with community at Patna

33. British Parliamentary Committee discussing with households at Bhusia Village, Gaya

34. Shri Norman UpHoff from Cornell University, US with SRI farmers in Ghantadih Village, Gaya

35. Country Director, WB, Shri R. Zagha interacting with VO at Bhusia Village, Gaya

36. THANK YOU A Presentation by JEEViKA : Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society – State Rural Livelihoods Mission, Bihar