Ar. Ut tam K. Roy

Abstract

After 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, Municipalities (Urban LocalBodies) are empowered and entrusted to perform planning,development and governance for the city to provide services to thecitizens. Previously municipalities were unable to perform those dueto several reasons. Initiatives for the capacity building of urban localbodies have been taken by government. Multifarious problems alongwith increasing pressure of urbanization did not make those initiativesup to the expected level. In spite of those shortcomings there arenumber of experiences, which are very much relevant to the reform inthe urban local bodies and needs attention for further capacity buildingwith the reactive and proactive changes, which are taking place in theurban sector of India. This paper focuses on various aspects of trainingwhich is essential for Capaciy Building.

Need for Training for Good Governance

Good governance can be achieved through the overall performance of

officials of an organization, which is nothing but the reflection of required

knowledge, skill and attitude for the specific job. In the case of Urban Local

Bodies (ULBs) the knowledge, skill and attitude are historically lowered due

to various reasons. Willingness to perform better in the job situation is

dependent partly on the knowledge and skill level of the officials. After 74th

Constitutional Amendment (Act) there is huge scope for improvement in the

governance of ULBs. The change of out)ook towards the third tier governmentlike ULBs in the Act has drastically increased the lack of awareness in the

mind set of the municipal staff as well as elected representatives. There lies

the need of training for excellence in the service delivery specially for

organizations like ULBs.

Shri Ar. Ut tam K. Roy is Assistant Professor (HUDCO), ATI, West Bengal.

Management in Government 8 July-Septembet; 2007 23

Municipal Structure of West Bengal

28 percent of total population of West Bengal is urban. A total of 126

Urban Local Bodies are there, composition of which are as below:

Municipal Corporations 6 nos

~Municipalities 117 nos :

Notified area authorities 3 nosIt may be noted that West Bengal is one of the most urbanized state in

the country. Huge and heterogeneous staffing pattern as well as quantitybecomes the most crucial issue for the capacity building of Urban LocalBodies. Among those only Kolkata Municipal Corporation and HowrahMunicipal Corporation have around 43000 workers. Most of the staff doesnot have required knowledge about the amendment in Constitution andsubsequent changes of roles of municipality vis-a-vis individuals. Hence,training is required in all sectors but it is quite difficult to provide qualitytraining to all.

Training initiatives in West Bengal for Urban Local Bodies

Several initiatives have been taken for training for Urban Local Bodies.

These are;

Institute for Local Government and Urban Studies (ILGUS)-set up under Municipal Affairs Department, provides trainingto most of the municipalities excluding Kolkata Municipal

Corporation.

Administrative Training Institute (A TI), apex training institutionof government of West Bengal provides quality training to themunicipal staff including elected representatives. UrbanManagement Centre (UMC) set up in ATI in collaboration withHousing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) takescharge of the training activities of Urban Local Bodies.

Kolkata Municipal Corporation has separate training cell forthe capacity building of their staff and elected members.

Besides these initiatives, some training programmes are arranged inthe Urban Local Bodies itself or by other organizations for any specificprogrammes. Those are mainly imparted by private training organizations.

Training Experiences in Urban Management Centre, A TI

It has been told earlier that quality training is imparted by A TI being theapex training institution. It is known that there are four stages for systematic

24 Management in Government. July-September,200l

approach of training (SAT). The experiences gathered at A TI may be describedin the form of the following stages of training.

~

~//

~

""""~

\. Training /, /

~

,/""' *'

~/

~

Stages of Systematic approach to the Training

A Training Needs Assessment (TNA)

Unlike other demand -driven training TNA could not be done in the caseof training of ULBs due to its quantity and heterogeneity. Still for the purposeof designing the annual training calendar a training need is assumed on thebasis of the following:

.General assumption of the knowledge and skill deficiency ofnewly elected councillors regarding the municipal governancelike 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, Municipal Act,municipal resource mobilization, municipal services, wardcommittee rules, etc.

Proactive changes or reforms in the municipal governancelike accounting system reform, tax system reforms, Right toInformation Act, Draft Development Plan, e-governance, etc.

.Knowledge and skill requirement of several governmentlDFID

programmes like SJSRY, NSDP, V AMBA Y , KUSP, etc.

.Organized TNA for very few people like Executive/ Assistant

Engineers/ Executive Officers/ Urban Planners who are placed

directly by state government.

Experiences: generalized study on training need does not help indesigning training in a very specific performance oriented job, rather it makestrainer to assume from his past experiences or other studies.

Management in Government 8 July-September, 2007 25

B Planning and designing of Training

Planning for the training in a particular year becomes challenging asthere was not so organised base of TNA (i.e. in organized format). Framingof training calendar always remained an exercise, based on the experiencesof the past year training. Below are the numbers of training during last fiveyears showing the evolution of selection of appropriate training from the past

year.

~

no,1

Table I:Training imported working the last five years

Training selection No of trainingorganized/planned per year

I 2001-0212002-03

Continued from previous year 0 23

~ New training course added j 12

I

Total training par year 12 28 24 21 28

Source; Internal repor1, UMC, ATI

25 13 9 5

Basis of Training Scheduling

30

25

20

In01C

'2

9...0..GI

.QE~

z

15

10

5

02001-02 2002-03 2003-04

Years

2004-05 2005-06

It is quite evident from the table and charts that

The number of newly added training per year is decreasing eachyear and

Number of training evolved from previous year is increasing.

The trend reflects that the training package incorporated or selected

26 Management in Government 8 July-September, 2007

through the years is becoming more appropriate with requirement

of the contemporary situation.

Now if we give an insight at the selection or delivery of training as per

subject areas more avenues of experiences will emerge. The table and chart

below may be referred.

Table II: Selection of training as per subject areas through years

SI J Types of training asno per subject areas

No of training organizedl

planned per year

2001 tlO02 12°03-1~ I -io-05

02 b3 04 05 06

6 10 2 2Urban governance/management

(for chairman and executive officer)

4

Total

(in perc.

entage)

24(21%)

, 2 I Finance and Acco-un~~~m~n-tI3

16

2

4

4

2

6

3

2

8

~21(19%) 6(5%)

21(19%)

3 I Assessment and tax administration' 0

4 Computer application(for clerical staff)

Q

5 6 3OI 4 7 120(18%)Orientation courses(for councillors and wardcommittee members)

6 Planning, development and Municipal

municipal services(technical)!3 4 6 34 120(18%)

Sources' Internal Report, UMC, ATI

Training by subject areas

18% 21%

.Urban go\emancelmanagement

.Finance and Accounts management

DAssessment and tax administration

I .Computer application

.Orientation courses

.Planning, de\elopment and municipalser..;ces(technical) courses5%19%

. The above chart clearly shows that a major portion of training,39%(21 + 18) has been provided for the policy makers 1ikechairman, executive officers, councilors, etc. where as 61 %training in number has been provided for the staff directlyengaged in the execution of the municipal services.

Management in Government. July-September; 2007 27

As the application of computers has come through variousprogrammes and reforms after the year 2000 the training incomputer orientation has been provided in good number .

.

Designing of Tr~ining Module

Like the planning for the training schedules, the designing of trainingmodule also was a continuous process of changing and synthesis. Acomparative analysis as shown below may be a good example to illustratethis. The training named Capacity building for Elected Representatives(Orientation Course for the councillors) is taken for the present study.

Table III: Change in the Module of a training through year

Learning Units Time allotted in each learning unit

2002-03~ 2003-0412004-0512005-06'

3.001 Municipal governance 3.45

1.15

2.30

5

2.5

2.5

5

2.5

2.5

Decentralization

WBM Act

Legal provision:

1.00

1.00

Constitutional and

legislativeRole of Municipal NGO/CBO in the Municipal

governance

1.00

Asset Management 1.15

2.452 5 4.45 4.00Municipal Services,planning and development

Urban Planning andBuilding bye laws

2.30

GIS 1.15

1.151.30

1.15

1.15

2.30

Citizens Charter

Urban Planning and

development

Management of Municipal

Projects

1.00

Management in Government 8 July-September, 200728

1.00

1.00

2.00

4.003 5.15 10 5.00

2.30

2.302.45 2.30 1.00

1.00

1.00

Draft development Plan andAnnual Development Plan

Vigilance and Monitoring

Recourse mobilizationi and allied programmesIMunicipal finance

Poverty alleviation

programmes

Revenue Collection

Joint Ventures

Scope of Local initiatives

Urban Finance

Municipal budgeting

Assessment and ValuationModern Accounting Systemand Budgeting

Role of Councillors 00

Councillors as decisionmakers

Councillors as overseer

Urbanisation:Challenges and

opportunities

Total average timeallocated

1.15

1.15

1.15

1.00

2.30

2.30 2.301.15

4 2.30 1.15

1.15

2.00

1.15 1.00

1.15

5 1.00

3 days 15 days 14 days 3 days

Source: Internal report of ATI

.Time allocated for the capacity building course decreased incourse of time. Chairman, member Chairman in council andcouncillors are more convenient and willing to go for small andcompact training courses.

.New subjects like Right to Information Act, Joint ventures,Role of NGO, etc. have come in the course with the time asnew reforms are coming.

Management in Government 8 July-September; 2007 29

Introduction of subjects like Draft Development Plan happenedin recent years due to thrust caming from programmes likeKUSP, JNNURM, etc.

c Implementation stage: Learning Event

Experiences in learning event are again very interesting in the case ofATI, Kolkata. This may be better understood as per the analysis ofstakeholders of training =

Table IV: Analysis of learning event

Type of Trainees

(participants)

IType of learning

event as desired

Preferredtime fora singlesession

Type of subjects

they enjoy

I Ambience of

the classroom

preferred

Chairman/ViceChairman andCouncillors

Group discussion,group exercises,case study, guidedpractice, role

playing

Not more

than

one hour

I Legal and financial

matters

Interactiveinformal.

ExecutiveOfficers

Case study, guided

practice, lecture,

i demonstration

Do 1-1.30 hr! Interactive

I formal

Finance persons

includingassessment

persons

DoI Case study, guidedpractice, lecture

Financial mattersand relatedmatters

I Interactive

formal

Urban Planners

Engineers~ Presentation, guided practice, lecture, off

site training session

Do but

maysustainup to4,QO hr

ITechnical matters Interactiveformaland informal

Clerical staffs Presentation, guidedDractice

~Theoretical as well

as practical knowle-dge of their works

Interactive and

formal

Do

D Assessment

In ATI, West Bengal internal assessment is done by an immediatereaction questionnaire (IRQ) and question-answer after the completion of thetraining. External validation is done for very few cases, as these trainingsare not demand -based. In some cases the external assessment is doneand follow up training courses or workshops are organised. In fact, as thetraining by and large is supply -based and the authority is not keen to knowthe development of the performance of the staff. For the assessment of the

30 Management in Government. July-Septembel; 2007

training the institute has gathered little experience. It can only be said thatfor the better efficiency the training should be demand -based and have theprocess of assessment from the employers.

Emerging Issues and Areas for Concern

Training for the Urban Local Bodies is a thrust area for the governmentas well as in the foreign programme. Hence, in the light of the experience inthe training delivery .modalities and the present perspective some areas ofconcerns are to be considered on an urgent basis. Planners, administratorsand elected representatives should understand the essence of thecontemporary change in the modalities of the training delivery and carryforward. The following points may be referred:

.

.

The reforms in urban areas are emerging in a rapid way. N-eedfor training is also increasing. For these the training should beframed in the planning of the local bodies on the basis ofdemand from the municipality itself. The modalities of thetraining needs analysis may be worked out in consultationwith other training agencies and stakeholders.

Attention and concerns to the training from various levels ofdecision makers is not as required.

. The experienced officials as well as elected representativeshould have an exposure of training which is trainee based.Thusthe future training modu'e needs to be reoriented intoexperiential learning rather than supply the based trainercentered learning.

~iner ba:;;"-"classroom

oriented learning

' ~

)~ Traine~ ba~ ' ?'Jd

experiential

learning,

I Lesser involvement of

the trainees and lesser

interaction

Management in Government 8 July-Septembel; 2007 31

Major concern for the Training Modalities in the Present Perspective

.To supply more number of trainings to cover all municipalities.Capacity of existing nodal training institutions need to be augmented

Use of innovative methods like role playing, case study, field visit,skill development exercise, brain storming, etc. seems to havegreater contribution in facilitating the learning.

.

Training and related course materials will be more effective if

translated in the regional languages for elected representatives.

. Processes of external assessment need to be started otherwisethe training process will lose its integration with implementationof training performance in the work atmosphere.

Training for Community Development society and ward committee

should be organized in a decentralized manner..

Training Of potential trainers from the municipality itself may be

thought of for the wider coverage..

ConclusionSustained supply of quality training for capacity building is one of the

best ways to get excellence in municipal service delivery. Efforts should bethere to increase the quantity as well as quality training to comply with theneed of the current situation. Initiatives from NGO, CBOs with governmentorganization may be fruitful for improvement. Stakeholders need to sit withthe emerging issues in capacity building and sort out the possible path for

further excellence.

References

1. Internal course report and other study, UMC, ATI.

2. Urban West Bengal, 2000-2002, ILGUS, Government of West Bengal.

3. Course module of DTS I and DTS II, DoPT, Government of India.

4. Monograph for the trainers handbook, Dr. Arabimda Ghosh, ATI,

Kolkata.

Management in Government. July-September, 200732