Outline of the Project

Project Name

The Project on Participatory Rural Recovery

Country

Nepal

Date R/D Signed

July 8, 2019

Term of Cooperation

From September 1, 2019 to August. 31, 2023

Implementing Organization

National Reconstruction Authority/NRA (From September 2019 until December 2021) and National Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Authority/NDRRMA (From December 2021 until August 2023)

Background

After the Nepal Earthquake occurred on 25 April 2015, the Government of Japan has been providing assistance for reconstruction, rehabilitation, and recovery in a wide range of sectors in Nepal. Japanese assistance is firmly based on the principle of Build Back Better (BBB) adopted under the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR).

Over the past several years, steady progress in the post-earthquake reconstruction has been made. At the same time, Nepal made a historic shift from a unitary state to a federal republic, which has posed many challenges. Among others, the newly elected local governments are in dire need for capacity development while they now bear the main responsibility for reconstruction and recovery. Recognizing such shift in responsibility, NRA has signed MoUs with local governments in the affected districts, outlining the kinds of support NRA is to provide.

Further, recovery experiences in many countries in the past - including in Japan - have shown that sustainable recovery is made possible by ensuring participation and ownership from the affected population in the entire process of recovery - starting from visioning and planning, implementation, to monitoring. In Nepal, the importance of community-based recovery was also proven through JICA's support in housing reconstruction. It is also important to promote inclusiveness in recovery efforts by giving special attention to disadvantaged and vulnerable groups within the community who would be otherwise left behind.

Lastly, it should be emphasized that achieving BBB requires not only reconstruction of physical infrastructure and buildings, but also a diverse range of measures to strengthen individual and institutional capacities and to reduce vulnerabilities to future disasters. Such multidimensional approach was also adopted by the Post Disaster Recovery Framework (PDRF), but the past recovery efforts have focused disproportionately on physical reconstruction, neglecting many critical issues such as economic and social recovery. However, various studies indicate supporting earthquake-affected communities in rebuilding their livelihood, for instance, is urgently needed.

The new federal system of governance, which devolves authority to local governments, offers an opportunity for expediting reconstruction and recovery while promoting citizen empowerment and participation. At the same time, the new local governments would need capacity support in planning, implementing, and monitoring local recovery processes. There is an urgent need to enhance such capacity so that local governments can effectively lead rural recovery. In order to achieve the PDRF's Recovery Vision, JICA supported 2 districts in preparing Recovery and Rehabilitation Plans (RRPs). The new local governments can use these District RRPs and develop their own Municipality Recovery Plans (MRPs) in a participatory manner. Such recovery planning will help realize community-based rural livelihood restoration and revitalization, leading to longer-term structural transformation of the economy.

The project will be an integral part of the Priority Area of the Japanese development assistance, which is "Building resilient nation and earthquake recovery with structural and non-structural measures". In addition, as the project adopts a participatory approach to rural recovery led by new local governments, it will also contribute to another Focus Area on "Governance enhancement and democratization system development".

The Overall Goal

Capacity of local governments is strengthened to promote BBB-based recovery in a participatory manner.

Project Purpose

Capacity of pilot local governments and community groups is strengthened to realize Build Back Better using the Participatory Rural Recovery Guidelines.

Output

1. Recovery priorities are identified and incorporated into development plans through a participatory process in pilot local governments.
2. A mechanism is established to promote Community Recovery Projects in pilot local governments.
3. Participatory Rural Recovery Guidelines are developed and shared with other local governments.

Project Activities

Output 1

1.1	Review relevant plans, policies, projects and other information in the pilot local governments.
1.2	Collect information about community groups and disadvantaged groups in each local government.
1.3	Conduct a baseline survey and an end-line survey.
1.4	Develop and conduct capacity development training for elected representatives and local governments officials and on participatory recovery planning.
1.5	Develop and conduct capacity development training for community groups on participatory recovery planning.
1.6	Organize participatory consultations to identify and agree on recovery vision and priorities in pilot local governments.
1.7	Facilitate discussions to incorporate the recovery priorities into periodic plans.
1.8	Facilitate discussions to incorporate the recovery priorities into annual plans.

Output 2

2.1	Collect and analyze information about the present situation in the pilot local government related to community-led projects and other relevant policies, laws and processes.
2.2	Develop an Operational Manual to implement Community Recovery Pilot Projects.
2.3	Organize orientations for local governments and community groups to explain the Community Recovery Pilot Projects.
2.4	Select prioritized Projects based on established selection criteria.
2.5	Provide capacity development training for the selected community groups regarding work planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of the Pilot Projects.
2.6	Implement the selected Community Recovery Pilot Projects.
2.7	Monitor and evaluate the selected Pilot Projects.

Output 3

3.1	Develop plans and tools for lessons learned documentation and replication.
3.2	Promote experience sharing among pilot Local Governments and with non-participating Local Governments.
3.3	Develop Participatory Rural Recovery Guidelines.
3.4	Share the Guidelines with other local governments.

Inputs
[Japanese side]

1. Dispatch of Experts
2. Trainings in Japan

Inputs
[Nepalese side]

1. Assignment of Project counterparts
2. Expenses and administrative logistics related to the implementation of the Project