Review Meeting of NRLM-NERLP held in Kohima

Dimapur, July 26 (EMN): A joint coordination meeting of the Nagaland State Rural Livelihoods Mission (NSLRM) under DAY-NRLM, MoRD and the North East Rural Livelihoods Project (NERLP) under DoNER, which coincided with a three day state level review and planning workshop on institution building capacity building (IBCB) and social-inclusion-social development (SISD), was held at the RD Conference Hall, Kohima on July 24 2018. The joint meeting A press release received here today informed that presentations were made by the district project managers of Peren and Tuensang - the districts under NERLP - who highlighted the project objectives, structure, strategies, impact and the achievements made thus far. A coordination meeting was also subsequently held with the officials from NSRLM and NERLP in the presence of the NERLP State Coordinator and the additional mission director NSRLM 'to address the eventual phase-over to NRLM after NERLP concludes in March 2019'. During the meeting, the need for compiling a cross-learning and knowledge sharing and a sound exit strategy as a joint effort was discussed. Human resource policies, institution structures, capacity building mechanisms and livelihood intervention strategies were some of the points that were taken into consideration for phasing over were discussed, the release stated. The release also informed that the managerial staff from Mission Management Units of DAY-NRLM districts and blocks, facilitated by the state mission Management Unit officials and 'national resource persons, MORD', attended the workshop. The release informed that the Addl. Mission Director of NSRLM, Kevipodi Sophie, while delivering the keynote address, appreciated the quantum leap in expansion of the program. He stressed on the need to focus in strengthening the systems and procedures at all levels and integration of Social Inclusion (SI). Sophie, while underscoring the importance of the review meeting for taking stock of progress, backlogs, challenges and addressing them during the meeting, reminded that community members are at the heart of NRLM; therefore, he encouraged for more concerted efforts towards attaining the sustainability of the community institutions. The release also disclosed that the objectives of the workshop was spelled out by the Chief Operating Officer (COO) NSRLM, M. Rollan Lotha, who highlighted on the need to intensify the focus on integrating all verticals for deepening the intervention of 'social inclusion'. strengthening the community institutions and its systems, creating model federations and districts, developing community resource centres, and developing a pool of social capital under 'each thematic'. The release stated that Lotha, in order to ensure optimal achievements, facilitated the staff on breaking down the annual action plan into realistic monthly action plan. Besides, Lotha, keeping in view the expected phase over of NERLP to NRLM by March 2019, expressed the imperativeness of regular coordination and cross learning from the best practices between NSRLM and NERLP 'to ensure the communities remain at the centre of both the programs'. The release also informed that a parallel consultative meeting with the Kiphire District team was convened by the COO to deliberate on prioritisation of program intervention for Kiphire (aspiration district), where he emphasised on block saturation by 2018-19; mainstreaming gender, leveraging bank linkage and providing alternative banking solutions to the 'under-banked and unbanked blocks'. He also stressed on deepening livelihoods intervention, fostering regular coordination with the deputy commissioner and various district department officials towards collective realisation of the 'aspirational goals'. The release further informed that during the sessions, resource person Aasha Ramesh took up the topic about integration of gender and also briefly dwelled on the topic of 'Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act'. Open discussion on progress, process and norms, gaps on IBCB 'as per observations' was facilitated by 'National Resource Person', Shivaji Choudhury. Discussion on IBCB, SISD and gender were facilitated by Imonenla Imkong Phom, SPM and Khriezovonuo Lhoungu SPM NSRLM, the release further added.