NEPAL - Presence of Village Development Committee (VDC) SecretariesComparative Results of 2008 and 2009 Survey

Map data source(s):Geodata - DoS/GoNData was collected by WFP field monitors; field offices ofUNDP and UNDP supported projects, Helvetas, WorldVision, Li-Bird, RPI and OCHA through direct contactwith District Government Officials.

Disclaimers:The designations employed and the presentation ofmaterial on this map do not imply the expression of anyopinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of theUnited Nations concerning the legal status of anycountry, territory, city or area or of its authorities, orconcerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

0 50 100 kms

Map Doc Name:

GLIDE Number:Creation Date:Projection/Datum:Web Resources:

Nepal_VDC_Secretary_08_09_A4_12012010_v01N/A

12 Jan 2010MUTM /Everest 1830http://www.un.org.np

LegendAdministrative Boundaries

International

Development Region

District

Municipalities

Park Areas

Presence of VDC Secretary - 2008

Present as required (51%)

Present but less than required (41%)

Resigned, Absent or Vacant posts (8%)

Data not available

Presence of VDC Secretary - 2009

Present as required (42%)

Present but less than required (39%)

Absent or Vacant Post (19%)

Data not Available

2008 Survey2009 Survey

±

Present as required:VDC Secretary is present and workingregularly in the VDCPresent but less than required:VDC Secretary is partially present in the dutystation i.e. temporarily absent without leave orVDC Secretary is absent in the duty station butproviding services from district headquarterAbsent or Vacant post:VDC secretary is premanently absent withoutleave from the duty station or the position isvacant.

E A S T E R N

C E N T R A L

W E S T E R N

M I D - W E S T E R NF A R - W E S T E R N

Change in Presence in 2009 as compared to 2008 Survey

±

Change in Presence (2008 - 2009)

Increased Presence (15%)

Decreased Presence (28%)

Note:2008 Survey - Data collected between Februaryand May 20082009 Survey - Bulk of the data collected betweenSeptember and December 2009

Note:Increased Presence - Indicates that partial presence of VDC secretary haschanged to full-time present or absent/vacant post has changed to fully or partiallypresent

Decreased Presence - Indicates that full-time present VDC Secretary haschanged to partially present or absent/vacant post; or partially present haschanged to absent/vacant post

Unchanged - Present as required (31%)

Unchanged - Present but less than required (23%)

Unchanged - Absent or Vacant (3%)

Data not available

Results of 2008 and 2009 Survey in Different Regions

38% 36%

90% 91%

80%

58%

74%67%

44% 43% 39%

20%

43%

24%

48%

53%

43%

9% 3%

13% 23%

11%

46%

36%50%

78%

43%

38%

62%

51%

9%

21%

7%

25%

10%

21%14%

38%

36%

17%

1%

10%

5%1% 2%2%3%

22%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2008 2009 2008 2009 2008 2009 2008 2009 2008 2009 2008 2009 2008 2009 2008 2009

Mid-Far Western Mountain/Hills

Mid-Far Western Terai

Western Mountain/Hills

Western Terai

Central Mountain/Hills

Central Terai

Eastern Mountain/Hills

Eastern Terai

% Present as required % Present but less than required % Absent or Vacant posts

Prepared by OCHA Nepal

VDC Secretary Presence in Nepal

Note on 2006, 2008 and 2009 surveys: VDC Secretaries are government civil servants and serve as the local interface and primary contact between the state and the citizens of Nepal. Their responsibilities include: administration of the VDC allocated budget for basic services and development projects; registration of births, deaths and marriages; management of voter lists; and tax collection. Since 2002 they have also been required to recommend individuals for citizenship certification and property transfers and have been standing in for the chairmen of the Village Council, which remain vacant pending new local elections. A reduction in the presence or absence of VDC Secretaries is likely to have consequences on the delivery of state services and the citizens’ perceptions of the state. To better understand governance at the community level, OCHA and its partners have conducted three surveys of VDC Secretary presence since 2006. The first survey was conducted in mid-2006, soon after Janandolan II (People’s Movement) and the April ceasefire. Due to insecurity during the conflict the majority of VDC Secretaries formally moved to District headquarters or Municipalities where Security Forces were present. The May/June 2006 Survey revealed that only 32% of VDC secretaries were able or willing to work from their respective VDCs. The remaining (68% of VDCs) were predominantly working from “clusters” in District headquarters. A high level of Secretary presence was only recorded in a few mountain districts (and a few Central Terai Districts) A second survey, conducted between February and May 2008 and covering 3,853 VDCs, reflected the situation had improved and 51% of VDCs Secretaries were present as required. Of the remaining Secretaries 41% were partially present, making occasional visits to the VDC and based in district head quarters or other parts of the country, and 8% were vacant positions or absentee Secretaries. Some of the VDC Secretaries (9%) had been assigned to multiple VDCs to help cover vacant positions. However, at the start of 2010, the situation is far from resolved with only 42% of VDC Secretaries present as required based on the most recent survey conducted in late-2009. This is a 9% decrease in Secretary coverage over roughly 18 months since early-2008. An additional 25% of the Secretaries provide services from District HQs and 14% are only partially present. The number of vacant posts and absent Secretaries has more than doubled from 8% in 2008 to 19% in 2009. Many of these absent or vacant VDCs (91%) are receiving services from Secretaries covering up to five VDCs. Based on the 2009 survey, the highest percentage of VDC Secretaries present as required can be found in the following districts:

VDC Secretary "PRESENT AS REQUIRED" - Top 15 distri cts

100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 98%91% 91% 88% 84% 83% 83% 82%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Bar

diya

Bha

ktap

ur

Dha

nkut

a

Kan

chan

pur

Kat

hman

du

Mor

ang

Rup

ande

hi

Ban

ke

Jhap

a

Kas

ki

Lalit

pur

Bai

tadi

Kai

lali

Sya

ngja

Dan

g

Present as required Partially present Services from DHQ Absent or Vacant

Districts with the highest percentage of VDC Secretaries partially present are:

VDC Secretary "PARTIALLY PRESENT" - Top 15 district s

92%

73%

62%

52%49%

41%35%

35%34%

33%31%

31%

31%

29% 29%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Dot

i

Jum

la

Sin

dhul

i

Baj

ura

Rol

pa

Pyu

than

Ilam

Mak

wan

pur

Kav

re

Dar

chul

a

Kap

ilbas

tu

Dha

nusa

Chi

taw

an

Mug

u

Sar

lahi

Present as required Partially present Services from DHQ Absent or Vacant

Districts with the highest percentage of VDC Secretaries providing services from district headquarters are:

VDC Secretary "SERVICES FROM DISTRICT HQ" - Top 15 districts

91%91%

89%

78%

76%

74%

73% 69% 67%

64%

52%

52%

49%

48%

46%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Rau

tah

at

Ru

kum

Sir

ah

a

Hu

mla

Ba

ra

Dol

pa

Sa

pta

ri

Ma

na

ng

Dh

an

usa

Sa

nkh

uw

asa

bh

a

Nu

wa

kot

Pa

rsa

Pa

nch

tha

r

Sa

rlah

i

Bh

ojp

ur

Present as required Partially present Services from DHQ Absent or Vacant

Districts with the highest percentage of VDC Secretary positions vacant or with absent Secretaries are:

VDC Secretary "ABSENT or VACANT" - Top 15 districts

55% 52% 49% 48% 48% 47% 47% 47% 46% 43% 42% 39% 38% 38% 36%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Da

de

ldh

ura

La

mju

ng

Bh

ojp

ur

Okh

ald

hu

ng

a

Ta

ple

jun

g

So

lukh

um

bu

Te

rha

thu

m

Jaja

rko

t

Pa

nch

tha

r

Do

lakh

a

Dh

ad

ing

Kh

ota

ng

Na

wa

lpa

rasi

Ra

me

chha

p

Ba

jha

ng

Present as required Partially present Services from DHQ Absent or Vacant

Some observations

• Mid and Far West Terai districts, parts of Western Region, and Morang and Jhapa districts in the East Terai remain with a high number of Secretaries present as required.

• Central and Eastern Terai districts from Parsa to Sunsari have a high number of Secretaries working from DHQ – particularly in southern VDCs (south of the East West highway). The history of violence and lack of security in many of these districts is the main cause of displacement to district head quarters.

• Several mountain districts (Humla, Dolpa, Rukum, Manang and Sakhuwasabha in particular) have high numbers of Secretaries working from DHQ. The remote terrain in many of these districts accounts for the Secretaries move to DHQ.

• There are several Central and Eastern Hill and Mountain districts that have 40-50% of the VDCs with absent Secretaries or vacant post (Bojpur, Okhaldhunga, Taplejung, Solukhumbu, Terhathum, Panchthar, Dolakha, Dhading).

• Comparison shows that significant changes in two indicators (present as required - 42% vs 51% and vacant positions or absence of VDC secretaries 19% vs 8%). However, for 91% of these VDCs with vacant position, services are provided by the secretary of another VDC.

The following table attempts to reflect the current VDC level of presence and the trend from 2008 to 2009 across eight sub-re gions.

Sub-region 2009 presence 1

2008 – 2009

^, <, 0, >, v

Note

Mid and Far Western - Mountain/Hills

Low >

Predominantly present but less than required with an increase in absent or vacant posts from 9% to 21%.

Mid and Far Western - Terai

Very High 0 Predominantly present as required (90%).

Western - Mountain/Hills High V

Modest presence as required but a significant increase, 7% to 25%, in absent or vacant posts.

Western - Terai High >

Modest presence as required but large increase, 3% to 22%, in absent or vacant posts.

Central - Mountain/Hills Medium >

Modest increase from 10% to 21% in number of absent or vacant posts.

Central - Terai Very Low V

19% decrease in presence as required (from 39% – 20%) but an improvement in the number of absent or vacant posts (from 10% to 2%).

Eastern - Mountain/Hills Very Low V

Highest number of absent or vacant post in 2008, 14%, and this almost tripled to 38% in 2009.

Eastern - Terai Medium <

Increase in presence as required from 36% to 48% with the lowest percentage of absent or vacant post (1%).

VDC building status: Of the 3,460 VDCs surveyed in 2009 in regard to building-status, 69% of the VDC Secretaries have a their own office building, 20% rent a house or share an office with another agency, and 11% do not have a formal office in the VDC.

1 100 - 75% Very High, 75 - 60% High, 60 – 40% Medium, 40- 25 Low, < 25% Very Low.