Sustainability Strategic Plan in NERCORMP - Case Study Example

Community Project in India: NERCORMP Executive Summary NERCORMP project was initiated with funding by IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development). It was initiated to ensure that it facilitates local communities in India on natural resources management. The project targeted vulnerable groups in the rural areas by sustainably restoring sanity in natural resource management through restoration of forest reserves. To ensure the sustainability, the project completion was extended from 2006 to 2008 two years to define its sustainability plans. Through the help of IFAD, the body had targeted the vulnerable communities across Asia and pacific division[Ken06]. The success of the project is an important consideration for this project in the implementation of the proposed schedule of activities. Clear stakeholder analysis accompanied by community training on the importance of embracing the project has been of great importance. The ideological conclusion was to help vulnerable members of the community with emphasis to women to establish themselves in ensuring that the community project was certainly reviewed to accommodate their needs. The needs of the organizational project were classified into three key groupings. These three groupings are sustainability of income, process and resources[Tha04]. Introduction Through review of most of the IFAD projects, it agreed that most of their projects fail in their sustainability plan. Sustainability arising as a major challenge for the organization, there is the need for internalizing and carrying out research on how the organization may boost the sustainability of these projects. This report will mainly discuss and analyze critically the strategic response to sustainability focusing strategic response to the issue and analyze the specific measures to address the issue related to the project carried out in Asia and the Pacific Division of IFAD. In addition, this report will focus on a clear framework for approaching sustainability, rationale on the importance of this framework, description of the specific tasks and strategies that would be used and the community development skills employed to approach the issue. Furthermore, it will examine the expected outcomes of the strategy used and how it might evaluate the range at which the success would be achieved[Fos11]. Objective of the Report The objective of the report aims at analyzing some of the causes of failure to achieving sustainability of the projects and make a review on the suggestion that would be employed to curb this trend. Sustainability has been highlighted as a major reason why most projects fail in meeting their objectives. Critical analysis on the cause of the failure should be emphasized. In addition, the project risk management project plan and implementation should be emphasized. From the analysis of the characteristics of the entire project, the report will make some recommendations on how sustainability as barriers to success of the project implementation should be handled. Limitations of the report This report is compiled through the three step process that entails the review of all considerations made pertaining sustainability, discussions with the project implementation team and by embracing the theoretical understanding of the issue identified to influence sustainability. Time has been identified as a major hindrance towards achieving the specifications of the study. Such short threshold in time was used appropriately by considering data through a vast number of information sources[Gra91]. However, it is important to consider future research entails all the details and should focus on entire project analysis rather than just concentrating on sustainability. However, the author of this report has tried to minimize any error that may arise to negligible levels to improve on clarity and accuracy of the data collected[Tha04]. Methodology There are a vast of methodologies that have been applied in determining the relevant conclusions and recommendations. There are three methods that have been applied in determining the measures and analysis of sustainability issues in the project. Initially, the documents available on the project were reviewed for information relevant and related to sustainability. Project documents are revisited to ensure and identify possible occurrences where sustainability has been an issue[Ken06]. Secondly, the various stakeholders and the project team were involved in discussions to identify their approach to the issue of sustainability. The team in the implementation of the project of NERCORMP was involved in several discussions that were identifying a possible approach and mechanisms to ensure the projects are sustainable. Finally, a number of records were used in getting the information in the field. Field practices were considerable area where sustainability may be influenced[Fos11]. Community Development Approach Kenny (2006) argues that, development projects for the community are based on the motive of ensuring that there is equal distribution of available resources, bring people together to work and develop skills to meet their demands and increase social interaction, respect and cooperation. It is aimed at empowering members of the society who lack resources and encourage those who feel set aside from the other members of the society. Well-structured strategic plans should address the communities to develop resources, skills and the lives of the marginalized communities. In this regard, it is aimed at ensuring that people benefit from their resources sustainably with a definite future direction. This report has viewed community development strategies, effective for the benefit of local communities across India[Joa10]. Community development practitioners facilitate the community in analyzing their political, social and economic abilities advising them of the available ways in which they can leap more from the resources they have. Impartiality and objectivity of a community project process ensure that a cohesive society can achieve its formulated strategies in the right way possible. Synthesis of the right procedures and considerations in community development projects must rely on the participation of the members of the immediate society where the program is initiated[Tha04]. Theoretical View of Sustainability Sustainability may be defined as the capacity to endure hardship arising in the implementation and the ability to form continuous production expected results and benefits to the society. Community development is an important pillar that holds the society’s beneficial programmers. Sustainability is the view of the future of the society. Empowering the community with projects that cater for their fundamental development through empowering their project has been the essential role of projects in the society[Els01]. Sustainability is viewed from a variety of perspectives that include: political, socioeconomic and environmental sustainability via feelings of ownership for the target community members or the beneficiary. Enabling communities to establish sustainable community projects with a view neighborhood approach is the most cost effective means of ensuring these projects are successfully implemented. Interaction between the projects with other businesses in the community is an important factor to ensure that they benefit from the project[Gra91]. Sustainability Strategic Plan in NERCORMP The strategic sustainability program should be well-structured and maintained to allow easier communication of the strategy within the implementation team. Guided step by step principle should be explanatory for any member of the team to ensure conflict that may arise is handled effectively. In the case of this report focusing on the project in India, sustainability plan may be viewed in three lenses that are interrelated to the entire project plan. These lenses are sustainability of resources, outcome and process[Fos11]. Outcome sustainability influences the improvement of the standards of living of the locals and consideration of their quality of life. NERCORMP was intended to increase the local’s income and create concern to their wellbeing. In addition, there were also more underlying outcomes that are of concern to their environmental, health and hygiene. Assessing these achievements, a variety of measures would be cross-examined to identify the potential for survival and sustainability of the project[Ken06]. Sustainability of resources would be approached in terms of how the resources are utilized and measures taken in regulating their usages. Lucrative way of utilizing resources would lead to depletion of resources interfering with the sustainability of the project. Finally, there should consideration in the project process sustainability. After the project is handled over to the community, strict measures should be put in place make sure the project continues to offer the same limit of services to continue the process. Institutions set to manage the facility should be aware of other factors that might interfere with continuous running of the facility[Tha04]. Implementation of the Sustainability Plan (a) Role of management The management of the project plays a critical role in the process of implementing the strategic plan. For example, they can foster the participatory approach, flexibility in case of a limiting factor and building the capacity of the latter partnership. With the diversification in technological approaches, fluctuation of global material prices and other natural occurrences, the entire practice requires flexibility in the implementation. For example, if the computations were carried manually, with an increase in computer use, most of these computations can be done through the use of a computer system[Fos11]. (b) Decision making process Decision making is a strategic way of improving the service delivery to the locals can be sustainability practice that promotes the interest of the community. For example, with energy use in the project, decision of utilizing a cheaper and environmentally friendly energy source would positive gesture towards project sustainability. Project running cost should also be a consideration by the management to ensure that they reduce chances of incurring loss due to the high cost of running the facility[Fos11]. (c) Risk management Risk identification and management is another setback to sustainability. In the process of running the project after completing, there are a number of risk factors that may arise. Risk management is critical to the sustainability of the project. Ensuring that good measures to manage the flow of resources, the outcome and ensure that process runs through continuous consideration since they promote the reliability of discharged services to the community. Ensuring reliable services promotes the intended durability of the project. Use of the risk register would be a step forward in controlling and managing risks. It is comprised of a simple matrix that identifies potential risks, determine their occurrence probability and their effects on the project[Ken06]. (d) Supervision mission The implementation team may sometimes ignore some concepts in the sustainability plan. This is where the supervision missions come in. It could be done through sustainability tests to the various components of the strategic plan in sustainability. Any indicator showing possible collapse of the project should be controlled and corrected to ensure the services in the project does not come to stand still. Such interventions would restart the failed components that would comprise maintenance practices[Ken06]. (e) Alternative funding The project, strategic plan, should also incorporate measures to ensure that the sustainability of the project running cost is catered for. Availability of funds to run the project after completion should be a consideration. For example, the project committee should link the project with income generating activity that continuously funds the project. Funding by the sponsors may sometimes fail due to changes in policies in the sponsoring units. To cater for this event, more linkage with other generating programs in the major project may be essential[Ken06]. Evaluation Evaluation of the project is an essential process that determines the entire operation of the project. Monitoring and evaluation influence sustainability of the project in two ways. First, the M&E process determines the criteria and method of measuring the progress of the project. Secondly, it is the source of information for anyone determined to understand the progress of the project. For this project in NERCORMP, there was a reduction in the progress of the project that led to suspicion on the progress of that project[Ken06]. Conclusion From the results of an evaluation of NERCORMP project, it was determined that there was a reduction in the progress due to factors such as funding, repair maintenance and marketing of the agricultural produce. Consideration of such factors is essential in ensuring that the project runs as expected and the long term benefits are sustainable achievement. These issues are highlighted as the most influential to the sustainability of the project. Observing the proposed items, would help in making sure that the projects are sustainable to benefit the community by promoting their welfare as well as improving their living standards[Gra91]. Bibliography Ken06: , (Kenny, 2006), Tha04: , (Thapa, 2004), Fos11: , (Fosfuri, et al., 2011), Gra91: , (Grant, et al., 1991), Joa10: , (Ochocka, et al., 2010), Els01: , (Elson, et al., 2001), Read More