Sector Own Control Project

Bikanoor MS receiving AWARD from District Collector

Test course with community members at Kamareddy Mandal

Goal

Develop Self-reliant, Self-Managed and Sustainable Self-Help Institutions

Objectives

• Develop SHGs & SHG federations into self-managed, self-reliant, & sustainable institutions
• Strengthen KCPS in intensifying their own system of regulation & supervision and operationalizing their business plan
• Customizing and piloting SOC system with Farmers Producer Organizations and Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACSs)
• Up-scaling SOC system in partnership with the large Self-Help Promoting Institutions working in rural and urban areas in different states of India and beyond
• Sustainable increase in the incomes of small land holders through Farmer Producer Organizations in Kamareddy district of Telangana

The SOC project contributes to the SDG 5 -Sustainable Development Goals);to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

Vision, Objectives and Strategies of KCPS

Key Achievements

KCPS Vision

Facilitate SHGs and SHG federations into financially prudent, profitable, socially responsible institutions for socio-economic development of their members on sustainable basis

Major Activities and Achievements

The highlights of achievements in the journey of KCPS till date

Besides the KCPS has been involved in the following major activities:

• KCPS started lending support to 3 Maha Samakhyas (Warangal, Mahabubnagar and Khammam) for implementation of community audit systems
• 106 community auditors were trained on SHG auditing in 6 batches
• KCPS was recognised as a state level resource agency by SERP to strengthen SHGs and their federations in other states
• 105 CRPs / senior CRPs and 15 PRPs were given 100 of intensive residential training to develop them for deployment in West Bengal, UP & Bihar
• 15 PRPs and 60 CRPs were deputed to West Bengal and 30 Senior CRPs to Bihar.KCPS also deployed 20 CRPs to MAS operational area in Digwara & Garkha blocks of Saran district in Bihar
• Till date KCPS organised 94 exposure visits for 1834 members.
• In this year alone,18 publications and learning materials developed.

The following committees have also been formulated as part of SOC activities to achieve its vision and objectives:

Co-ordination Committee: Office bearers of all the six MSs in the cluster are part of this committee, which focusses on developing strategies and propagating the self-regulation process. This committee guides the mandal level federation in developing and establishing internal control systems.

Advisory Group: An advisory committee was formed with representation from IKP and MAS which provides its support through material/module development, organizing capacity and knowledge building trainings and exposures, propagating self-audit and assessment procedures.

Co-ordination Committee and Think Tank: The Co-ordination Committee meets once every two months, to review progress. A think tank of all the Executive Committee members of all the six MSs, also meets once every four months to review working drafts prepared by the Advisory group. Through the review, conclusions are arrived after intense debates and final publications are given to MAS which publishes the materials. Some of the drafts reviewed include internal and external audit of SHG federations and annual plans.

Structure of SOC Project

Package of Resource Materials

Constraints and Challenges

• The staff machinery and authorities not very keen to take forward the SOC concept.
• Vested interests dilute the unity of the SHGs and their Federations.
• Political interest to utilise the presence and collective strength of the SHG moment.
• Lack of adequate and timely cooperation from the concerned authorities for effective implementation of planned activities.
• Taking the SOC to next level.

Way Forward

When MAS first began its work in the cluster, it of course, expected a reasonably good response, but was quite surprised by the innate competence and capabilities of the women. Their thirst for knowledge, their joy in dealing with complex issues of election management, reconstruction of accounts, audit, arriving at weightages for performance standards, reviewing financial statements, and so on, have been truly inspiring. It is necessary that the SHG members and SHG federations agree upon the need for SOC, declare their willingness to accept ownership, and be willing to implement SOC effectively. With this in view, MAS started the pilot with SOC capacity building. Now SHG-members and federation are sensitive towards SOC issues and, therefore, ready for further development and implementation.

MAS is conscious that it has a long way to go before it can declare the intervention ‘successful’, but it is also aware that it is on the right track, that this is work worth undertaking, that the rural woman wants to be in the driver’s seat and is capable not just of driving, but also of manoeuvring through obstacles that may come her way, that her intelligence and dedication to making the world around her a happier place for all need to be nurtured and brought to fruition. It is for this reason that MAS is choosing to share, even at this early stage, its thoughts on and experiences in Sector Own Control.