Phased Implementation -covering Sub Districts (RD Blocks) in phased manner

DAY-NRLM is a highly process oriented programme and requires intensive application of resources, both financial and human, in order to mobilize the poor into functionally effective institutions, promote their financial inclusion and diversify and strengthen their livelihoods. It is, therefore, not feasible to roll out the programme in full scale across the State in one go, and therefore, phase implementation of the programme over period of 10 years.The indicative phasing is such that the blocks and districts in which all components of DAY-NRLM are implemented are treated as ‘intensive’ blocks and districts, whereas the remaining as ‘non-intensive’ blocks and districts.

NSRLM intends to work in a block for a period of ten years till community federations take responsibility of implementation. In a typical intensive block, the first 3 years are spent in building the organisations of the poor by mobilising them into SHGs, Federations at Village, Cluster level and Block level. Funds flow to the community institutions over the first 4-5 years. The middle years, years 3-6, are invested in deepening the activities and addition of various layers such as health, nutrition, interventions for Persons with Disability (PwD), etc. Last 4 years is essentially a maintenance and withdrawal phase where the community institutions graduate to self-reliance and self-sustainability.It is important to ensure that the quality and effectiveness of the interventions is not diluted. It is therefore imperative to implement NSRLM in phase manner/approach.

Implementation in the blocks is being done in four ways:

   1.Resource Blocks

A critical first step in the process of implementation is the development of Resource Blocks (5 to 6% of the blocks in a state). These blocks would be model blocks where all the key strategies would of DAY-NRLM would be piloted. These blocks would create a ‘proof of concept’ for other blocks to adopt and replicate. The social capital expected to be generated in the resource blocks would support the intensive blocks in implementation.  A National Resource Organisation (NRO) supports the states in implementation in the resource blocks, through an intensive Community Resource Person (CRP) Rounds for a stipulated time. Community Resource Persons (CRPs) are members of the community who have graduated out of poverty with the help of their SHGs. CRP rounds are the cornerstone of the Resource Block strategy. This strategy essentially rests on the premise that the community learns from the community better. CRPs are employed by the Community Based Organizations (CBOs) at various levels and in various verticals. There are some CRPs who specialize in certain areas, such as gender, social action, etc. These CRPs visit different states in teams to inspire women from other communities to form and run SHGs.

   2.Intensive Blocks

Implementation is done with the support of State Rural Livelihoods Mission staff and internal Community Resource Persons (iCRP) generated in resource blocks. The internal CRPs are chosen from the resource blocks to accelerate implementation in these blocks. The protocols of implementation followed in the resource blocks would be adopted in these blocks as well.

   3.Partnership Blocks

Implementation is done with the support from local community federations and NGO partners. Implementation is taken up in blocks where there is pre-existing significant mobilization of poor women into SHGs as partnership blocks in partnership with Community Federations and the NGOs working in these blocks. DAY-NRLM has developed Partnership Guidelines to identify and work with NGOs and CBOs. NGOs that have significant presence (done 80% mobilization or promoted a SHG federation) in a block are identified as partner NGOs. These NGOs are expected to follow DAY-NRLM’s implementing protocols and processes in the blocks.

   4. Non-intensive Blocks

These are blocks which are not taken up for implementation in the initial phase.Theremainingblocks in a state (other than resource, intensive and partnership blocks) are non-intensive blocks. NRLM strengthens existing SHGs in these blocks with some capacity building and limited financial assistance. No new mobilization would be done in these blocks. Over time, as NRLM implementation progresses, these blocks also would come into the intensive-fold. 

Area of Operation

Based on the unique socio-geo context of Nagaland, out of the 11 Districts and 74 Rural Development Blocks, NSRLM selected 9 Blocks in 9 Districts as Resource Blocks (fig) initiailly. The focus was on the development of resource blocks, particularly, during the first 18 to 24 months and generate the required social capital in the form of internal CRPs to implement intensive strategies in the rest of the Blocks in phase manner. This facilitated organic scale up to the rest of the Blocks. The remaining 2 Districts and its 13 Blocks which were earlier under North East Rural Livelihoods Project (World Bank funded), Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), GoI, was phased over to NSRLM on 30th September 2019.