Details activities performed by Community Awareness and Participation Consultants (CAPC) for Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Improvement Project are given below:
Baseline Information Collection/Survey:
Prepared community profile of each DNI and BDS zones though desk study of previously collected baseline and poverty mapping survey available at KUKL and through primary data collection/survey by covering 20% of the total households in the DNI areas under the project. The report provides total population of Kathmandu valley with variations based on gender, caste/ethnicity, total water tape user households at present and possible water tap connection households after availability of Melamchi water. The baseline survey was conducted to prepare social technical profile to execute the Project.
Community Awareness, Participation, Mobilization and People’s Education:
Community Awareness and Participation Plan has been prepared in consultation with PID and DSC’s social development specialist and in line with available community awareness and participation plan (CAPP). CAPP includes overall guidance, coordination and implementation plan for community awareness, participation, mobilization and people’s education, Social and Urban maps;
• Project information had been disseminated, awareness building activities had been carried out focusing on discussions with community through ward citizen groups, Tole committees, local NGOs, municipal ad-hoc committees, other civil society organizations, schools, and the general public on;
• Prepared records of every consultation/discussions, accordingly reports has been submit to PID for further actions on recommendations arising from each of the consultations;
• Organized consultations in a joyful, interesting and participatory manner for effective community mobilization and to sustain interest of the people to participate in project activities;
• Facilitated and ensured participation of women, poor and disadvantaged groups in the consultations. Also organized separate focus group discussions with vulnerable groups wherever needed and identified appropriate mechanisms to hear their voices and actions needed;
• Identified poor households, indigenous people, dalits and other vulnerable groups, including Project affected people, identified Project affected people were compensate as per the resettlement policy of government of Nepal and in line with ADB safeguard policy-2009. Apart from that Project affected people were encourage to take up the employment opportunities in the project;
• Paid special attention and made concerted effort in ensuring that the concerns of women and disadvantaged groups are adequately addressed by the PID while planning and implementing the project activities;
• Supported PID in formation of citizens committees (ward level or tole level or as deemed appropriate) for institutionalizing people’s participation including drafting of self-governing charter/rules of business document of such committees taking into account pro-poor and gender mainstreaming perspective;
• Involved in schools for public education campaigns. Formed, if appropriate, special focus groups in schools for the purpose of organizing debates, drawings and arts competition, essay competition, etc. involving children in at least 50 schools in a year;
• In collaboration with PID and DSC’s social development specialist, planed and implemented various Information, Education and Communication (IEC) strategies such as use of electronic and print mass media, distribution of leaflets, posters, use of banners, hoardings, school health and hygiene program, mass workshops, public meetings, development of locally relevant users friendly audio-visual material and broadcast/telecast on local radio/cable, etc.;
• Organized special mobilization activities for highly marginalized and vulnerable groups for their participation in the project and other consumer/community based groups; ensured that their voice is heard and acted upon, especially as related to the project activities.
• Developed Brochures, leaflets and short video documentary to disseminate project related key activities as per requirement.
• Oriented individuals and communities by organizing mass rallies, campaigns, video shows, and display hoarding boards involving different target groups.
Health and Hygiene Education:
• Prepared a Health and Hygiene Education Plan (HHEP) that includes public health awareness campaign and activities at various levels (mass level, community and schools) at all stages of project implementation. Involve the community, ward and tole committees, schools, CBOs, and other relevant organizations in the public health education and campaigns;
• Prepared records of every consultation/discussions take actions/submit to PID for actions on recommendations arising from each of the consultations; prepare and disseminate action-taken reports in subsequent meetings;
• Planed and implemented various IEC strategies such as use of electronic and print mass media; distribution of leaflets, posters, use of banners, hoardings, organization of street plays, debates (especially at schools), concerts, organization of competitions in schools, mass workshops, public meetings, development of locally relevant users friendly audio-visual material and broadcast/telecast on local radio/cable, etc.
Individual House Connections, Good Waste Management Practices
• In close coordination with the PID and DSC, developed and implemented a time bound plan to provide individual water supply house connections to all female household heads (FHHs), poor and socially excluded groups of the project area;
• Prepared and widely disseminated important messages for good waste management practices such as public education to motivate citizens not to connect their roof-top rainwater drains to sewers, not to dispose of solid waste in sewers or manholes, not to connect storm water rains to sewers, not to throw garbage on public places, 3 R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle) of waste, etc. and
• Coordinated with other agencies to assist in the construction of rainwater harvesting structures in the project areas for demonstration purposes.
Communication Activities:
Developed IEC materials, prepared quarterly news letter up to 4th Volume both Nepali and English, Prepared Video documentary about the Project, organized radio/ TV programs, arranged Media Visits to the Project Sites, Coordinated with media houses, Traffic Police, assisted PID to update webpage and prepared press release and also worked with social media and documented the valuable photographs
Gender Equality and Social Inclusion
• Conducted consultation sessions in selected wards and tole on all issues identified in the GESI Action Plan and CAPP, including the project issues;
• Assisted the PID and the contractors in communicating with and ensuring household connection to the poor;
• Oriented all PID, DSC and contractor staffs, including laborers, on gender related aspects of core labor standards and provide simple, easy-to-understand IEC material in local language to the participants;
• Included gender considerations in HHEP preparation and its implementation, and in the promotion of water conservation and rainwater harvesting;
• In coordination with the DSC, assisted the PID in planning and monitoring the project activities ensuring gender sensitivity and social inclusion;
• Assisted the PID in ensuring participation of women and disadvantaged group members of the relevant committees of any user groups if formed in important stakeholder meetings and decisions during the project implementation;
• In consultation with and guidance from the DSC and PID, oriented and sensitized the community and the relevant institutions including other stakeholders on gender and social inclusion with to the project design;
• Provided trainings to PID and contractor’s staff (including laborers) on aspects covered above and identified as relevant by PID.
Training
The team of CAPC has organized following training activities during project period:
• Training on Construction management including safety measure and community mobilization focusing on Gender Mainstreaming and Social Inclusion ;
• GESI training to the KUKL Staffs;
• Training on Solid Waste Management to the local users of Aarubari;
• Training on Environment and Social Safeguard to the Contractor’s representatives and Engineers of Design Super vision Consultant team;
• Capacity Building training on Systemizing Water Supply in Kathmandu Valley;
• Training on Non-revenue water,
• Training of Financial Management System and revenue enhancement to KUKL;
• Project orientation training to public relation officers
• Trainings to PID and contractor’s staff (including laborers) on aspects covered above and identified as relevant by PID.