Guidelines on operating Early Recovery Program, “Cash for Work “- 20712
Government of Nepal
Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development
Singha Durbar, Kathmandu
1. Background
Over 8,000 people died and 16,000 injured in the devastating earthquake of 7.6
in Richter scale that struck the country with its epicenter in Barpak of Gorkha
district at 11:56 am on 25 April and May 12, 2015 and their recurring aftershocks.
It caused a huge loss of properties in 14 districts while infrastructures in other 17
districts were damanged partially. In addition to this, other districts also
remained affected in the earthquakes.
Cash for Work Guidelines, unofficial translation
June 2015
Over 5,00,000 private houses, government buildings, public infrastructures,
commercial, religious and archeological centers have been fully damaged in the
earthquake and similar numbers of private houses, government offices were
partially damaged. The damage caused by the earthquake has largely affected
national economy and development works. Physical infrastructures were also
damanged. It has posed a serious challenge to government to overcome
damanges caused by earthquakes and make the relief, rehabilitation and
reconstruction operations a success. It will take time to start phase-wise (short
term and long term strategic plan) rehabilitiation and rebuilding process after
preparing Post-Disaster Need Assesment (PDNA). Debris removal, construction
of temporary shelter, resuming public service, reconstruction and repairing of
public infrastructures and providing skilld trainings for quake affected people for
their livelihood and income generateion are essential before rebuilding. Cash for
Work program could be useful to achieve afoorementined purposes in postquake scenario. This guideline is formulated to coordinate, organize and
manage inter-governmental agencies and mobilize local government mechanims
in accordance with government system and enforce Cash for Work for early
recovery purpose.
1. Objectives of Guideline
The objectives of this guideline are to provide cash to quake affected individual
and households by enganing them in early recovery activities including skill and
income generation trainings in quake-hit areas where demand for rehabilitation
and reconstruction is higher and support livelihood and earning for short period.
2. Scope of program
2.1 This guideline will be focus focus following activities for providing guidance
and implementation of Cash for Work Program lauched for purpose of early
recovery:
a) Managing debris piled up along road sides in quake-hit districts and resume
transportation service where minor repairings are enough to resume road
service.
b) Managing debris of damaged private houses and construct safe temporary
shelters for quake-survirors.
Cash for Work Guidelines, unofficial translation
June 2015
C) Managing debris of local boides offices—Village Development Committee
(VDC), Municipality and District Development Committee (DDC)—health offices,
offices of other local boides, school buildings, community buildings, histrorical,
religious and archeological sites and construct temporary buildings and resume
public service by clearing obstruction local roads.
d) Repairing and preserving public infrastructures such as rural road networks,
trekking routes, canal, drinking water and sanitation system.
e) Ensuring training and develop skilled human resource in view of high human
resource demand for rehabilitation and reconstruction works in quake-affected
districts, retrofitting for partially damaged houses and construct earthquake
resulent infrastrucutres.
2.2 Local bodies will be responsible to manage locally available equipments and
other required equipments to be used for aforementioned tasks.
3.3 Principles of Cash for Work
Cash for Work Program will be based on following five major principles:
a) Community Interest and Need: The early recovery team will be selected as per
interest and need of local community.
b) Mututal Cooperation and Self-dependency: Community will implement action
plan in accordance with the principle of mutual cooperation.
c) Gender Equity and Social Inclusion: Participation of women and marginalized
groups will be ensured and there will be no discrimination in wages between man
and woman.
d) Harm to None: All progams will be implemented without causing harm to locals
and sustainable development.
e) Security: Program implementing agencies will adopt optimum safety measures
for workers. Security measures, security awareness and orientation will be
ensured during the program period.
4. Strategies of program
4.1 The early recovery program should be implemented by adopting fast-track
process and existing government mechanisms would be mobilized for program
Cash for Work Guidelines, unofficial translation
June 2015
implementation.
4.2 Programs should be selected based on the need and demands of quakeaffected community.
4.3 Environment conservation, earthquake resilence construction and repairing
should be prioritized during the project implementation period. The use of heavy
equipments and harmful chemicals should be discouraged in quake-affected
districts to promote eco-friendly environment.
4.4 The program will adopt all available measures to maintain dignity and safery
of program benefacirires. Program implementing agencies should ensure
saceurity awareness and measures.
4.5 Program should ensure participatory and inclusive participation of locals.
Various measures should be adopted to ensure transparency and accountability
before program completes.
4.6 The program will formulate program as per principle of equity to address
need and demands of families led by women and children, single-woman, elderly
people, physically disabled and endangered groups.
4.7 Program should incorporate all quake-affected areas. The program
implementing agencies however can implement the program by allocating certain
geographical areas into various sub-committees.
5. Guideline Implementation Period
The aim of preparing this guideline is to support livelihood and earning for quake
affected individual and households and enganged them in early recovery related
activities, conduct trainings in quake-hit areas in view of their mobilizing skilled
human resources where demand for rehabilitation and reconstruction is high.
This guideline will be effective for three months since government’s formal
approval. It will not affect any other regular program launched for cash schemes.
Such programs will be continued in accordance with existing procedures and
guidelines.
6. Pre-approval
Donors working under this guideline needs to seek approval while supporting
quake-affected people in VDC, Municipality and DDC from the Ministry of Federal
Affairs and Local Development in accordance with Finance Ministry endorsed
Cash for Work Guidelines, unofficial translation
June 2015
“INGO Mobilization Operation Guidelines 2072”.
7. Management Committee
A management committee will be formed in VDC, Municipality and DDC
comprising following individuals to identity quake-affected groups, fund transfer
and monitoring purposes:
a) VDC Secretary/Ward Secretary at Municipality
(Local Disaster Management Committee head)
Coordinator
b) Ward Citizen Forum Coordinator (in case of VDC
and WCF Coordinator and Municipal WCF coordinator
in case of ward of Municipality)
Member
c) A member from active political parties from VDC
and ward of municipality
Member
d) Two members from local Disaster Management Committee
(1 woman representative mandatory)
2 members
e) Two member nominated (One women representative
mandatory) by local Disaster Management Committee.
(Nominitate from Dalit and other marginalized community
if it is possible)
members
f) Social mobiliser of VDC Secretary or any official
nominated by municipal secretary
Member-Secreary
8. Project Selection
8.1 Cash for Work Management Committee can incorporate an invitee member
from project implementation agency for early recovery purposes.
8.2 Cash for Work Management Committee will call concerned VDC and
Municpality to identity recovery projects and the concerned local bodies have to
submit such proposal in the DDC. The management committee will identity
program after holding consulation with the WCF. In case of Metroplitan City and
Sub-metropolitan cities projects will be identified in coordination with DDC.
Cash for Work Guidelines, unofficial translation
June 2015
8.3 Metropolitan City and Sub-metropolitan city will prioritize projects on their
own while in The DDC will prioritize projects proposed by other municipalite.
Based on prirotiies District Disaster Committee will review them and finalizes for
implementation.
8.4 DDC, Municipality, Sub-metropolitan City will approve program in accordance
with mechanism and procedures defined by the guidelines after having
consultation with District Natural Disaster Relief Committee.
9. Project Implementation
9.1 Cash for Work Management Committee formed workers’ group will manage
project fund at local level. Separate contract papers will be signed between
VDC/Municipality and worker’s group.
9.2 Project implementing agencies should work in accordance with coordinate,
directives, superivision and monitoring for project implementation.
9.3 DDC, Metropolitan City and Sub-metropolitan City will be selected as per
priorities set by the Federal Development Affairs and Local Development
Ministry. The selection of VDCs and other manucipalities will be in accordance
with the decision of DNDRC. Based on recommendation of Cash for Work
Management Committee formed to implement early recovery schemes VDCs
and Manucipalities will select households to be involved in program. All
households selected for program will be eligible for the program.
9.4 VDCs and Municipalities selected for program will make public names list of
households participated in Cash for Work Program by using locally available
media. Concerned VDCs and Municipalities can also dissimineate such
information through ward citizen forum.
9.5 Cash for Work Management Committee will form a maximum 30-member
worker’s group comprising program’s benefaciries. Gender and vulnerable
groups will be taken into consideration while selecting beneficiaries and workers’
group.
9.6 Each Worker’s Group will elect two coordinators including a woman
coordinator to operate project works. Coordinators will be responsible to keep
records of work, monitor attendance of workers and coordinate with the VDC and
Cash for Work Guidelines, unofficial translation
June 2015
Municipalities for effective implementation of program.
9.7 A joint bank account will be opened in the name of coordinators of Works’
Group and another one member selected by the Cash for Work Management
Committee to distribute money to local workers. The wages for workers will be
distributed on weekly basis as per progress made in work and their attendance.
9.8 DDC, Manucipality and Sub-metropolitan City may assign a liason officer for
better implementation of Cash for Work Program.
9.9 The Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development will assign any of the
ministry’s department for implementation, monitoring and evaluation of this
guideline. Project implementing donor partners may also establish an office in
district headquarter as proposed in the document for overall coordination of the
project.
9.10 Overhead cost of Cash for Work Program will not exceed 10 percent of the
total budget.
10 Cash Trasnfer Modality
10.1 Cash for Work program will involve quake affected families and will
contribute wages of 20 days at the rate of existing rate to each household.
10.2 The cash amount will be releaed to quake-affeced household based on
work progress made in local level and their presence in work.
10.3 The cash amount will be handed over through banking systems and
financial service providers (branchless or mobile banking, agents). An
agreement will be reached among Cash for Work Management Committee, DDC
and implementing agencies regarding cash delivery model in district level.
10.4 Benefaciries will get first instalment of the work within 15 days after starting
work. The remaining amount will be released within five days of completing work.
11. Training for Cash for Work Program
11.1 In addition to Cash for Work scheme youth-centered income generating
training will be started in view of engging youths of earth-quake affected districts.
Such trainings will be focused on producing carpenter and skilled workers in view
Cash for Work Guidelines, unofficial translation
June 2015
of demands for reconstruction, rebuilding and retrofitting, repairing quake houses
damaged by earthquake in the disaster-hit areas. In addition to this, project can
conduct trainings on drinking water and sanitation and hygine and behavior
changes.
11.2 Participation selection and fund mobilization of Cash for Work Program will
be in accordance with program’s process and mechanism. However, special
priority will be given to youths and vulnerable community from quake-affected
areas and issue of social inclusion will get high priority as always.
11.3 Individuals attending training will also get cash amount tatamount to their
earnings in normal days. Participants will get the cash in lomsom after
completion of training. Quake victims wull also get equipments together with cash
amount in the training.
12 Fund Transfer Mechanism
12.1 Project implementing agencies will get funds following approval from the
Ministry of Federal Affairs and budget will be sent to DDC Fund and Municipal
Fund.
12.2 Following District Natural Disaster Relief Committee’s decision budget
deposted at District Development Fund will be released for concerned VDCs
within 24 hours.
12.3 The wages for workers will be distributed on weekly basis as per progress
report submitted by worker’s group coordinator and attendance of workers. The
amount will transferred to working group’s bank account.
12.4 The cash amount will be transfered to working groups through banking
systems and financial service providers (branchless or mobile banking, agents).
Thw worker’s group coordinator will collect cash directly if they have no access
with banking systems.
12.5 Cash will be transferred to VDCs and Municipalities within 10 days after
Gorkers’ Group Coordinator details of project projects and attendance of
workers.
10.4 Benefaciries will get first instalment of the work within 15 days after starting
work. The remaining amount will be released within five days of completing work.
Cash for Work Guidelines, unofficial translation
June 2015
13 Public Auditing
A project booklet will be provided each Workers’ Group to maintain transparency
and accountability. The booklet will include details of workers, project progress
and cash distributed for cash, equipments distributed to quake affected people
and work performance among others. Project booklet will be main basis for
public audit.
Public auditing funcions will be organized at least twice-- after handing over first
instalment of program and after completion of project—focsing on whether the
workers got cash as mentioned in booklets and project progress. Members from
Workers’ Group, representatives of VDCs and Municipalites, members of Ward
Citizen Forum and technicians should mandatorily attend public function.
14. Monitoring, Evaulation and Report System
14.1) Ward Citizen Forum, VDC and Municipality will be resobile agencies for
monitoring and evaluating Cash for Work Program lacuhed aiming at early
recovery. District Natural Disaster Relief Committee may also evaluate and
monitor projects whenever it is required. The Ministry of Federal Affairs may also
monitor project areas. Additionally, the project implementing agencies can jointly
monitor project areas together with Distric Natural Disaster Relief Committee,
DDC and donor partners. All agencies involved in monitoring will have to submit
their monitoring reports to higher authorites.
14.2) Cash for Work Management Committee needs to submit updates of
workers involved in project to VDCs and Municipalities on quarterly basis.
Moreover, VDCs and Municpalities will send to District Natural Disaster Relief
Committee montly updaes and progress reports mainly details of amount
released for workers on montly basis. In addition to this, these reports will be
submitted to the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development through
Metropolitan City, Sub-metrolitan City and DDC and District Natural Disaster
Relief Committee. As a member-secretary of the District Natural Disaster Relief
Committee Local Development Officer will be responsible for submitting the
reports to the Ministry.
14.3 Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development and project implementing
parterns will jointly evaluate project outcome after the completion of the program.
Cash for Work Guidelines, unofficial translation
June 2015
15. Complaint Hearing
Participants can raise their complants within Workers’ Group at anytime or dring
public auditing function if they have any. The complaints will be recorded in
project booklets and wil be submitted to VDCs and Municipalites. The DDC will
immediately address such complaints if complaints are found unaddress at the
VDCs and Municipalites. The unsettled complaints can be forwarded to Good
Governance Committee of the Fedeal Affairs and Local Development Ministry.
Good Governance Committee will address the complaints immediately.
Cash for Work Guidelines, unofficial translation
June 2015