Poor access to resources, markets, information and services, are constraints to realizing the potential of available opportunities and hinder diversification of livelihood strategies in tribal areas of Madhya Pradesh.

Madhya Pradesh Rural Livelihoods Project (MPRLP) seeks to enhance poor people’s livelihoods in tribal dominated districts of the State through an inter-linked two-track strategy.

First by strengthening the resource base that generates livelihoods; and then by fostering micro-enterprises that provide employment and income opportunities to the rural poor.

The first initiative seeks to improve land, water and forest resources of poor people through integrated watershed management and community forest management.

The second track seeks to promote enterprises that lead to value-addition of agricultural and forest produce as well as other micro-enterprises. Multiple livelihoods strategies of the project would also include migrant labour support and access to information.

The first phase of the project was operational in 822 villages of eight predominantly tribal districts namely Badwani, Dhar, Jhabua, Mandla, Dindori, Anuppur, Shahdol and Sheopur. Decision to include Sheopur district with significant population of primitive tribal group Sahariya in the first phase was taken in middle of 2005. The Department For International Development (DFID) of the Government of UK has provided £16.41 million (Rs 114.87 crore) over 3 years (2004-07) to support the first phase of the Madhya Pradesh Rural Livelihoods Project.

In the second phase, the Project covers about 4000 villages in the same districts including 822 villages of the first phase. A total of £45 million (Rs 357 crore) for five years is being provided by DFID for improving livelihoods of the poor.

The Project focuses on the poor and vulnerable: tribal populations, scheduled castes, women, landless and displaced households, migrant and casual labourers. Recognising the vulnerability of migrant labourers, planned support programme will concentrate on developing bargaining skills, technical expertise and disseminating information on rights at the village level. The project will develop and implement its gender strategy, defining participation norms for women, reflecting not just representation but participation in decision making as well.

The key innovative institutional aspect of the project is that funds are channeled from the Zila Panchayat to the Gram Kosh (village fund) of the Gram Sabha (village assembly). This is expected to fill crucial resource gaps that hinder the implementation of identified strategies on an effective scale. The project directs efforts and resources on the development and performance of the Gram Sabha, other organisations and user groups in which the poor are represented, and district level institutions. The project operates at village, district and state levels promoting innovation and convergence of resources in responding to people’s livelihood choices. There is a separate Innovation Fund supporting innovative proposals capable of generating livelihoods. To provide constant support to the project at the village level, village specialists would be employed by the Gram Sabha, who would be supported by the PFTs and District Project Support Units. Selected livelihood promoters would be given intensive training in community mobilisation and other skill-sets.

The project provides an opportunity to test and identify best practices and approaches that can be incorporated in the wider Government system, thereby enhancing the effective investment of other available funds in the State. A Livelihoods Forum has been established at the State-level to evaluate experiences from rural development programmes in the state, commission analyses and make recommendations on actions that would improve the impact of policies and programmes targeting rural poverty. The Forum will also investigate issues related to the sustainability of rural development interventions.

The project is being implemented by the Madhya Pradesh Society for Rural Livelihoods Promotion which is registered under the M.P. Society Act and Minister for Panchayat and Rural Development is the Chairperson of the Society. An Executive Committee of the Society under Principal Secretary Panchayats and Rural Development oversees the project. There is an Empowered Committee headed by the Chief Secretary of the State Government to provide strategic direction, inter-departmental coordination and policy inputs to the project. The project coordinator leads the State Project Management Unit (SPMU) that has the primary responsibility for effective project implementation and monitoring. The PMSU ensures horizontal and vertical linkages and coordinates the project at the state level. All Government staff involved in the project are funded through the Rural Development Department budget.

A steering group gives the overall strategic direction for the Livelihoods Forum and development of the work programme. The project coordinator acts as the secretary to the steering group. For coordination among different departments and agencies Project Management Committees (PMCs), chaired by the District Collectors have been established at district level. The CEO of Zila Panchayat has been designated District Project Coordinator and is supported by the District Project Support Unit (DPSU) for implementation of the project. Multi-disciplinary Project Facilitation Teams (PFTs) have been established at the village cluster level to support village committee, community groups and livelihood promoters to undertake the micro planning, source technical inputs and identify capacity building needs. At the village level, the Gram Vikas Samiti and other committees of the Gram Sabha will organise and support execution of the project.

Departments of Tribal Welfare, Forests, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and the SHG Directorate are closely involved with the project both at the district and State levels. The project would also collaborate with NGOs for capacity building, action research and information dissemination.