WELCOME

Performance Management in NREGA

Prepared by : Chander Sain

Introduction:
Traditionally, the focus of civil service in India was on process regulation i.e. compliance with centrally prescribed Standard & Rules.

Though it meets the economy of inputs & compliance but fails to provide a framework that would manage the results by developing robust indicators to assess performance in terms of result.

Performance management is the systematic process by which the organization involves its employees, as individuals and members of a group, in improving organizational effectiveness in the accomplishment of organizational mission and goals. Performance management is a broad system of defining and measuring performance, besides developing incentives for individuals and organizations. It touches the processes of planning, implementing, reviewing, evaluating and reporting to gauge the impact of policies and programmes. It promotes growth and learning, and recognizes that capacity building and improvement in individual performance leads to better achievement of organizational goals.

New trends in Performance Management

The conventional performance management systems in government has earned the dubious distinction of being closed and centralized with a focus on procedures, processes and inputs, there are certain new developments in the public management scenario in the areas of Public Finance, Public Administration and government interface with the community and civil society

Public Finances

Outcome budgeting: Outcome budget, as a performance management tool, helps in better service delivery, decision-making, evaluating programme performance and results.
Public Administration Citizens Charter: Citizens Charter is a declaration by the agency or department providing public service to specify the standards of service delivery and avenues for redressing grievances. The Citizens Charter is an important tool to improve the quality of services, address the needs of citizens rights and set clear standards of performance. Sevottam: The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances has introduced a model for benchmarking Excellence in Public Service Delivery (Sevottam). This is a framework for organizations to assess and improve the quality of service delivery for the citizens. It guides government departments to identify the services to be delivered to set service norms, align delivery capability with expectations of citizens, gauge the quality of service delivery through an objective assessment and to improve quality using interventions like business process redesign and information technology. Right to Information (RTI) Act: Through this recently enacted Act, citizens of India have access to information under the control of public authorities with the objective of promoting transparency and accountability in these organizations. The influence of this Act as a new paradigm in accountability is very significant in improving performance.

Civil Society initiatives in performance management in government While the focus of this paper is on the performance management mechanisms in government, it is worthwhile to look at a few pathbreaking accountability tools initiated by the civil society movement which can be helpful in improving performance management. Citizens Report Card (CRC): These report cards are surveys that solicit user feedback on the performance of public services to enhance public accountability. These scores reflect the performance of public service providers based on citizen feedback. The CRC has a good potential to evolve as a tool to support performance management system. Community Score Card (CSC): It is a community based monitoring tool that is a hybrid of the techniques of social audit and citizen report cards (CRC). This is an instrument to extract social and public accountability and responsiveness from service providers. As the citizens are empowered to provide immediate feedback to service provider, it facilitates community monitoring and performance evaluation of services, projects and even government agencies. Social Audit: Social audit is a mandatory process of transparency whereby records are placed by government officials or elected representatives for public scrutiny. Whereas the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution have created a large space for democratic decentralization, social audits are mandated in the programmes under NREGA.

The Employment Guarantee Act is a step towards the right to work, as an aspect of the fundamental right to live with dignity

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 is a law whereby:

any adult who is willing to do unskilled manual work at the minimum wage is entitled to being employed on local public works within 15 days of applying.

Each State has to launch an employment guarantee scheme within six months of the Act coming into force.

(NREGA came

into force w.e.f. 05.09.2005)

7/17/2012

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 Block is the basic unit of implementation. In each Block, a Programme Officer is to coordinate the implementation of EGS Gram Panchayats are the main implementing agencies. Accountability to Gram Sabhas.

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Gram Panchayats (half of EGS works) Other Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) Line departments (PWD, Forest Dept.) NGOs.

Note: Private contractors are banned.

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 Programme Officer to maintain shelf of projects, based on proposals from the implementing agencies.
Gram Panchayats also supposed to prepare a shelf of works based on the recommendations of the Gram Sabha.

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 Employment to be provided on demand, within 15 days. Programme Officer sanctions projects to ensure that all applicants get work. Programme Officer to arrange payment of unemployment allowance to those who dont get work.

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Step 1 (Registration): Gram Panchayat to register interested households, to facilitate advance planning.
Step 2 (Application): Adult members

of registered households apply for work.

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Any adult member of a registered household can apply for work at any time. Applications should be for at least 14 days of continuous work. Advance applications are allowed.

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 Central Government to pay for:

wage costs, 75% of material costs, and some administrative costs.

State governments to pay for:

25% of material costs other administrative costs, unemployment allowance.
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 Registration for Employment. The adult member of every House hold who Reside in rural area ; and Are willing to do unskilled manual work may apply for registration of their household for issuance of Job Card. AND If Employment is not provided within 15 days of receipt of his application he shall be entitled to a daily Unemployment allowance.
Within 15 days of receipt of an application and within a radius of 5 kms. from their place of residence

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 For First 30 days For the remaining period of the Financial year Employment wage + Unemployment allowance

One fourth of the wage rate. Not less than one half of the wage rate Equal to the wages for 100 days of work in a financial year

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 A person working for 7 hours would normally earn a wage equal to a wage rate Minimum wage fixed by the state Government under section 3 of the minimum wage Act,1948 Wage rate is fixed by the Central Govt. Shall not be at a rate of less than Sixty rupees per day .

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Water conservation and Water harvesting Drought proofing(Aforestation and tree plantation) Irrigation canals Provision of irrigation facility to land owned by SC/ST/beneficiaries under Indira Aawas Yozna Renovation of traditional water bodies De-silting of tanks Land development Flood control and protection works including drainage in water logged areas Rural connectivity to provide all weather access Other works notified by the Central/State Government

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 Sarpanch/ward panch Programme Officer

At Gram panchayat Level At Block/Tehsil /Taluka Level (appointed specially for this scheme)

GP/PO shall be bound to accept the valid applications and to issue a dated receipt to the applicant .
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Gram Panchayat will issue a Job Card after registration Job card containing the details of adult members of household such as ; Names ,age ,address and photographs. Registration will be made for five years and may be renewed from time to time.

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 Applicants will be intimated by written letter and a public notice will be displayed at the office of GP and PO. Priority shall be given to women and in such a way that at least one third of the beneficiaries shall be women. Employment shall be provided within a radius of 5 Kms. from their residence. If Employment is provided outside 5 Kms., it must be provided within Block with 10 % extra wage to meet additional transportation and living expenses.

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 Safe drinking water Shade for children and periods of rest First-aid Box for emergency treatment and minor injuries Health hazards connected with work to be provided Depute one woman worker to look after five or more children below the age of six years of women laborers Deputed woman shall be paid wage rate

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 If any person employed under the scheme is or child accompanying any person injured ; he/she shall be entitled to free of charge medical treatment During the period of hospitalization of injured worker

If a person employed under a scheme

Accommodation, treatment and medicines Half of the wage per day to be paid to injured person

dies or becomes permanent disabled by the accident at site The legal heirs of the deceased or the disabled shall be paid an ex gratia payment at the rate of Rs.25000 By the Central government.

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 The wage under a scheme may be paid either wholly in cash or, in cash and kind But at least one fourth of the wages shall be paid in cash only All payment of wages in cash and UA shall be made to concerns in the presence of independent persons of the community on pre-announced dates. The disbursement of daily wages Weekly basis or in any case not later than a fort night specified under the scheme. Laborers shall be entitled to receive payment of compensation as per the provisions of payment of wages Act,1936

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 The Gram Panchayat shall be responsible for

Identification of projects in the GP area and prepare a development plan as recommended by Gram Sabha and ward Sabha Maintain a shelf of possible works to be taken up as and when demand for work arises Execution and supervision of such works

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 Programme officer (Not below the rank of BDO at block level)

GP shall forward its proposals in the order of priority to PO for approvals PO shall allot at least 50% works in terms of cost to be implemented through GP PO shall supply each GP MRs for the works A list of employment opportunities.

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 All NREGA-related documents to be available for public scrutiny. Copies of documents to be made available at nominal cost. Muster rolls to be pro-actively displayed at Panchayat Bhawan. Documents can also be obtained under the Right to Information Act.

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The Gram Panchayat

Shall make available all relevant documents; MRs, bills, vouchers, MBs, sanction orders and other books of accounts and Paper to the Gram Sabha for the purpose of social Audit.

Gram Sabhas to conduct social audits of all works taken up within Gram Panchayat

All relevant documents to be provided to the Gram Sabha by the Gram Panchayat and other implementing agencies

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 The Gram Sabha

Shall monitor the execution of works within the GP Shall conduct regular social audit of all the works done by GP

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 All efforts should be made to ensure transparency and accountability All accounts and records relating to work shall be made for public scrutiny A copy of Muster Rolls of every work shall be made available in the office of PO and GP for inspection by any person after paying such fee The DPO, PO and GP shall prepare annually report containing the facts and figures and achievements relating to scheme within its jurisdiction All the above documents shall be made available to the public on demand and on payment of prescribed fees.

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 The Scheme shall not permit engaging any contractor for implementation the project under this scheme Works under this schemes shall be performed by using manual labor and not by machines

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 The State Government shall makes rules and regulations to deal with any complaint at block and the District level
If any dispute or complaint arises the scheme by GP the matter shall be referred to PO The PO shall enter every complaint in a complaint register and shall dispose the disputes and complaints within 7 days of its receipt.

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Thankyou