Public Auditing
Making Sure Stakeholders’ Voices Are Heard

By Dhruba Gautam

PEOPLE-CENTRED development first emerged in the 1980’s, after it became clear that the purely technological target-oriented strategy toward development popular then was seriously flawed and, indeed, floundering. Today, people-centred development is strongly endorsed because it helps stakeholders participate actively in programmes and because it guides organisations toward incorporating people’s views and experiences in all stages of their project cycles, from appraisal and design through implementation, and on to monitoring and evaluation. More precisely, the participatory approach fosters a sense of ownership among local communities by granting them rights and decision-making powers. This strategy works, however, only if stakeholders trust each other, and it is public auditing which often is the deciding factor in such issues of faith.

Trust

Public auditing, an important tool useful for fostering programme improvements, works by increasing people’s confidence in the development process and in each other. To do so, it gives the people a forum to voice their opinions and present their perspectives, thus plugging up programme loopholes. In addition, its provision for transparency prevents corruption among participants and builds trust. A truly democratic tool, it promotes communication among stakeholders and helps them negotiate solutions to conflicts.

The benefits of properly executed public auditing are multifarious. First, it promotes local-level planning in both the present and the future and consequently supports good local governance. Decentralisation gets a further boost as participatory tools and techniques are employed. Second, it creates a sense of ownership; office bearers and the community as a whole start to view projects as their own and thus care for them accordingly. Third, mistrust and negativism are reduced by promoting an appreciative inquiry approach, which inculcate positive perceptions towards a project. Finally, public auditing enhances the existing skills and abilities of both stakeholders and project staff to carry out participatory decision making, mobilise and manage resources, resolve conflicts and disputes, communicate horizontally, and manage financial and administrative matters.

To reap these benefits, though, public auditing should follow a specific methodology. A three-day training course "Training of Trainers " (TOT) is organised for both social team members and mid level technicians (MLTs) who will be involved in the public auditing process. The course includes both theoretical explanations and field demonstrations of five sociological techniques to be used with every programme: a social map, a list of stakeholders and executive committee officers; a detailed financial status report; a strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threat (SWOT) analysis, and feedback on lessons learnt. To validate the programme, these tools are employed in a participatory way: with the help of project staff, executive committee officers, VDC functionaries, the social and political elite, personnel from local NGOs and CBOs, and users so that all will learn the actual situation of the programme. Other tools like questionnaires, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation can be used as well.

In addition to specific techniques, public auditing also requires various supporting documents: an agreement with the user committee, a book for recording the minutes of meetings, a book of accounts, a measurement book (MB), and a project register with all correspondence. These documents help to clarify any misperceptions or confusion about the programme in question.

It is not necessary that public auditing be executed right after the completion of a programme. It can, in fact, it be carried out during any of the five different phases of a project—the preparatory, input, output, outcome and impact phases.

The Bagmati Integrated Watershed Management Program (BIWMP), a European Union (EU)-funded project, employs public auditing in both hardware and software programmes like trail and terrace improvement; conservation pond construction, irrigation and drinking water system installation, community nursery establishment, and gully control and steam bank protection measures, as well as in skill development training. Stakeholders in five districts—Kathmandhu, Laltipur, Kavre, Sindhuli, and Makwanpur— benefit.

The BIWMP is one of the first organisations to use public auditing as a fundamental tool for ensuring that people’s feelings and perceptions are being honoured. Experiences show that public auditing effectively resolves disputes and conflicts. A typical viewpoint is that of Ram Tamang, Chairman of Tilbari Trail Improvement Programme of Sindhuli: "Now we are getting all types of information that we want to get from both the user committee and the Project. Now there is a good working environment not only between the Project and the user group but also among various stakeholders and the user committee. Before public auditing was executed, users often suspected executive committee members of financial mishandling." Indeed, trail improvement was one of the most disputed programmes in Sindhuli until the disagreement was successfully resolved after public auditing. Mr. Padam Moktan, a local leader of the Agretar Irrigation Project of Kavre echoes Tamang’s sentiments: "The operation of an irrigation canal needs the collective efforts of all users. Obviously, the regular de-silting of canals, allocation and distribution of water, and O&M tasks are challenging for us. They need collective action from all users. Public auditing has really generated extra energy among us by resolving all our disputes".

At this juncture, the majority of executive committee officers have realised that there is no way to win the trust of local people other than public auditing. Similarly, users say that before public auditing, they had many doubts about how officers were using funds. Now that public has built trust among stakeholders, however, they have started to discuss their agendas honestly. In fact, public auditing is successfully supporting a revolution in self-motivated development within the programme areas.

Learning

The project has found that public auditing is one of the best tools available for building trust and co-operation among stakeholders and project staff and thus for ensuring the effective execution of programmes. By providing positive and timely feedback, it safeguards programmes from failure and thus saves time and resources. Since it is only through public auditing that a project can fulfil the actual desires of local people, other organisations should adopt this practice soon.

Of Land And Reforms

By Krishna Sharma

THE fact that over 80 per cent of the arable land in Nepal is owned by only about 10 per cent people and the rest 90 per cent people share only about 20 per cent of the land may not be a convincing statistics to some. But for those who give a serious thought to the issue, the above mentioned figure is very much nearer to the reality, if not hundred per cent correct.

The inhabitants of the country’s western Tarai districts have best seen and experienced the unequal distribution of land to its extreme. The land reform system of 1964, which was introduced for the first time by His late Majesty King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, has exhibited some severe setbacks. Take for example, a case of Benwara village in Rupandehi. The village homes both the rich and the poor without any limit. Chander Chaudhari (name changed) of Benwara owns hundreds of bighas (one bigha is equal to 1.69 acres) of arable land not only in his home village but also in the adjoining villages. The newcomers who first heard about his property were left dumbfounded and were curious to know how a person could own that much of land when the country’s law forbids anybody from keeping more than 25 bighas in the southern lowlands. The villagers still repeat Chander’s story that took place in the early eighties. The story best describes how the early land reform had shortcomings and a landlord like Chander always ducked the laws.

It so had happened that in order to avoid the fixed land ceiling, Chander Chaudhari had registered his land in the name of every member of his family. Along with him when the family members could not cover all the land, Chander had registered 23 bighas of remaining land in the name of one of his most trusted butlers. But after some time there was a conflict between Chander and his attendant who quit working under him and started living on his own without handing over the land back to his master. When Chander asked his land back, the docile servant turned turbulent and threatened to lodge a complaint against the master at the court of law. He said he would also expose the landlord’s corrupt behaviour and the land property he actually owns. Then, Chander had no other choice than to keep mum and close the chapter.

There are many Chander’s in the Tarai who have deceived the government and have defied the Land Reform net of 1964. And again there are others who have to toil hard round the clock for just two meals a day.

The story, meanwhile, does not end here. Even after the official declaration of the Kamaiya system, some sort of slavery still exists in the Tarai villages. The villagers have to compulsorily contribute their labour to the malik (chief of the village) free of cost before or after they finish their own plantation or harvesting works.

But with the government’s recent decision regarding the introduction of radical land reform measures, there must be millions who are happy. It is one of the welcomest steps on the part of the government that it is going to manage the land of the country on which almost 80 per cent of the people earn their livelihood.

But there are every chance that people like Chander can evade the government’s land reform measures and continue deceiving the system and the nation as a whole.

At a time when the government has courageously frozen land sales ahead of radical reform measures, it should be prepared to take another very bold decision. That is, the government should fix a new land ceiling and get hold of the land exceeding the ceiling by providing compensation.

Meanwhile, cases have been filed at the Supreme Court against the recent decision of the government citing that one of the fundamental rights to hold, buy and sell property, including land, has been infringed. There is no doubt that peoples’ right regarding the use of their property is violated. But it should also not be forgotten that the constitution of the country encourages the government for social reforms.

It should also be realised that before talking highly regarding constitutional rights, the rights are worth only when they provide ‘the greatest happiness to the greatest number’ of people. One should accept the fact that the existing land reform measures have not been able to benefit many people. Similarly, the tillable land has not been properly utilised due to the lack of appropriate care, which has resulted in low productivity.

If the country is to benefit and people are to prosper from agriculture, the Prime Minister’s recent move should be duly respected and sincerely followed. The Land Reform Act launched in 1964 needs to be amended because of no other reason than its higher land ceiling and the lack of its implementation aspects. But if sincerity and solidarity are not exhibited from all sectors of life while implementing new land reform measures, which is in the offing, it would again be ‘the old wine in a new bottle’. A broad national vision, which the parliamentarians have shown this time, is what is sought for the good of the nation. If protest is done only for the sake of protest and the reform process is hindered, it would be the nation and the nationals who would ultimately suffer the most.

Modern Education Blues

By PNK

A KID jumps from a five storeyed building and commits suicide. The reason: the taxing school studies and tough exams. Don’t do well in the exams and there is hardly opening in later years for further studies or even in finding the right job. Maybe it hasn’t come so far in Nepal, but that is exactly what is happening in highly competitive and fast moving societies like that in Japan or Singapore. The above incident that took place in Singapore was just reported a few days back.

The fear of psychosis among students, especially in very developed societies where the tradition has come up straight against modernity, is matter of deep concern. And, surprisingly enough, nothing of this sort reported from the highly industrialised countries of the West. Where lies the difference? It could be the soft landing process in the West that has cushioned the effects despite the fast pace of life. In the East, the acclimatization period has not been enough and that creates frustration and the desire for self-destruction.

Nepal too hasn’t been left in isolation. There have been cases of failing a dozen times in the SLC exams and that was no problem. Take the case of Writer Baje who got through this time in first division and that too at an age of 85. At the same time, the Rani Pokhari too had its share of dubious reputation for seeing a number of suicides committed by those who failed to get through the "iron gate".

Times have changed though. Look at the kids with that overbulging knapsack of a bag with 10 or 15 kg. of books and copies on their backs. Well, there may be insects that may carry a load many times its actual weight, like the dung beetle. But the case of a human being is different. For insects it may be a way of life as nature has designed them. Not human beings at least.

Staggering under the heavy load to school is not enough. At school the student has to go through the most gruelling experience. Besides a number of whimsical and inconsiderate teachers in every school, including the most reputed ones where are charges are beyond the reach of an average Nepali, the study schedules are a mental strain on the young and developing minds.

When a grade one pupil seems to stretch the hours for completing the homework by burning the midnight lamp then it naturally tends to be too much for the parents to bear. But, what can a parent do but watch. After all, this is what quality education means.

The government schools are there if parents like less burden on the children. The results are there to show what less burden can lead to. At the same time the private schools are way ahead in the SLC results, a standard measuring rod. Isn’t that interesting. On the one hand the private schools with their heavy study schools tend to make zombies of young children, the government schools make most of them aimless and out in the street for nothing.

The sleepy eyed children going to private schools at an early hour in the morning contrasts well with those arriving to government schools without any serious linings on their face. As for teachers, winter is the fit time to observe them. Seriousness can be seen whether they sit in the sun with the students crammed inside the dingy class rooms or go ahead doing the teaching tasks suppressing the chattering teeth.

Like the old adage, play and studies must mix well and the former ought not to be six teaspoonfuls to a cup of tea. That could get things right for the kids. But are the schools listening by any chance?