IIM-UNICEF workshop for district response plan

Indore, Sep 9 (UNI) With the objective of helping prepare a district response plan to address service gaps and aspirations of communities that emerged through village microplans for children's benefit, a two-day workshop -- organised by IIM Indore in partnership with the Shivpuri district administration and UNICEF -- concluded today.

The purpose was to prepare the plan following principles of a Result-Based Management (RBM) approach to promote, survival, growth and development of the district's children, a release said.

This initiative is part of an integrated village planning effort being undertaken by the district administration in partnership with UNICEF.

All 661 villages in four of Shivpuri's total eight blocks have readied their microplans wherein they have worked out issues that impact on lives of children and areas where they would need support from departments.

Some issues that came up during the exercise were water scarcity, non-availability of adequate livelihood opportunities, open defecation, irregular immunisation, pregnant women not receiving healthcare, delivery in the household, frequent outbreak of seasonal ailments, child marriages, irregular availability of complimentary feed, neglect in girl's education, non-availability of roads and transport and inadequate power.

''This is a step wherein we are looking at positive change in the lives of children and women in villages of Shivpuri through enhanced knowledge and efficient district planning using modern management techniques,'' said Collector Manohar Agnani.

IIM-I Director S P Parashar, who led the workshop, said in his presentation that the focus had to be village children who are the target beneficiaries.

''The plan is intended to be providing value for money for the children, women and village communities. Are we giving outcome from the resources or not? That is the question we should be asking ourselves,'' he said.

He took the participants through RBM principles, management control systems and budgeting areas.

Participants were divided into four groups to articulate key result areas, key performance indicators and work out SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) district targets -- for the current and next fiscals -- which would look at areas impacting on child survival, growth and development involving inputs primarily from the Woman and Child Development, Health, Public Health Engineering and School Education departments, the release added.

UNI Team-AC 1703