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ANNEXTURES
Annex - 1Evaluation Research Questions
The Evaluation Team prepared the following questions that was put before concerned stakeholders for their response and comments :
(1) What is the level of progress made by the project ?
(2) What are the major achievements of the project ?
(3) What are the longitudinal effect of the project activities ?
(4) What is the scope and extent of the institutionalization of the project ?
(5) How is the cost effectiveness of the project activities ? (6) Who are the beneficiaries of the project and what kinds of achievements /advantages beneficiaries have so far got ? (7) What coordination mechanism exists and how it works at central and district levels ? (8) How income and expenditure of the project, financial regularities/disciplines are maintained and are they in compliance with the project agreement and proportion of programmatic and administrative cost ?
(9) What are the good lessons/success stories of the project ?
(10) What is the contribution, role and responsibilities of foreign representative/expatriate/volunteers within the project/organization ?
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Annex - 2Key Informants Interviewed / Discussed
1. Ms Pramila Acharya Rijal - President, FWEAN2. Mr Dilip Khanal - Executive Secretary, FHAN3. Ms Luna Pradhanang, Project Coordinator, FHAN4. Mr Bal Krishna Asharpati, Kathmandu - SME5. Mr Sanoj Sakya, Kathmandu, - SME6. Mr Pradeep Sakya, Kathmandu - SME7. Ms Lila Joshi, Kathmandu - SME8. Ms Basundhara Acharya, Kathmandu - SME9. Ms Shayasta Shrestha - Project Coordinator, FWEAN10. Mr Mani Maharjan, Thankot, Kathmandu -SME11. Mr Bhuvan Sharma, Nayapool, Listi, Sindhupalchowk - SME12. Mr Madan Bahadur Hamal, Narayanghat, Chitwan - SME13. Mr Dorgee Sushil Sherpa, Syangboche, Solukhambu ( Kathmandu) - SME14. Mr Ritu Raj Bhandari, Under-Secretary, MoWCSW, Singh
Darbar,Kathmandu15. Mr Raju Joshi, Director, SWC, Lainchour, Kathmandu16. Mr Paul Stevens, SNV Senior Tourism Advisor, Lalitpur17. Ms Monica Oliveros, Pro-Poor Sustainable Tourism Advisor, SNV,
Kathmandu18. Mr Arnaud de Lavalette, Project Coordinator(Expatriate), PlaNet Finance19. Ms Florence Solnica, Information, Education & Communication Specialist
(Expatriate), PlaNet Finance20. Ms Nirika Koirala, Project SME Expert, PlaNet Finance21. Mr Rajendra Paudel, Administrative Manager, PlaNet Finance22. Ms Pushpa Lata Paudel, PlaNet Finance23. Mr Sujan Karki, SME Expert, PlaNet Finance
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Annex - 3Work Schedules of the Study
SN Activity Timelines Responsibility Remarks1 Making a Work Plan Dec 28,08 TL 2 Evaluation Team Meeting 10 am,
Dec 28,08At SWC
3 Review of Project Agreements signed with SWC
Dec 26-31,08
Team Member ( SWC)
To be submitted to TL
4 Review of Agreements with FHAN/FWEAN
Dec 26-31,08
Team Member(MWCSW)
To be submitted to TL
5 Review of Project Activities/Interim Reports
Dec 26-31,08
TL Follow up PF
6 Review of Project Documents related to Financial Matters
Dec 26-31,08
Team Member(Financial
Expert)
To be submitted to TL
7 Evaluation Team Meeting( Setting Questions for Meetings with Key
Informant - PF,FHAN,FWEAN )
Jan 2,09 At TL Off2 pm
8 Interviews & Discussions with PlaNet Finance
Jan 6,09 All Team Members
At PF Office
9 Interviews & Discussion with FHAN & Beneficiaries
Jan 7,09 All Team Members
At FHAN Office
10 Interviews & Discussion with FWEAN & Beneficiaries
Jan 8,09 All Team Members
At FWEAN Office
11 Visit of Project Sites to collect information from concerned stakeholders about the Project and its future plans &
programmes
Jan 9-12, 09
All Team Members
12 Reports of Project Sites Visit Jan 15,09 All Team Members
To be Submitted to
TL13 Discussions with PlaNet Officials &
Project Steering Committee MembersJan 16,09 All Team
MembersAt PF Office
14 Discussions with line agency officials and direct beneficiaries of the Project
Jan 18,09 All Team Members
15 Draft Report on Projects Cost Effectiveness etc
Jan 19,09 Team Member(Financial
Expert)
To be submitted to TL
16 Meeting of Evaluation Team Members to review draft report
Jan 21,09 All Team Members
TL makes presentation
17 Sharing a Draft Evaluation Report with PF, FHAN and FWEAN
Jan 23,09 All Team Members
At PF Office
18 Final Presentation at SWC Jan 25, 09 All Members At SWC 19 Submission of Evaluation Report Jan 26,09 All Members
This work plan is prepared by the Team Leader in consultation with the Members of Evaluation Team and remain effective until any changes required for any genuine grounds and reason. It is requested to all concerned, particularly PlaNet Finance, FHAN, FWEAN and SWC to cooperate the Team in completing the tasks in due time. December 28, 2009
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Annex - 4Name Lists of 25 best business planners Nepalese SMEs
S.n Registered Name of
Organization
Name of Participant
Sector KTH Valley Address ( detail phone )
Out of valley detail
Date of entry in Planet
Remark
1. The Last Resort Bhuwan Sharma Tourism Thamel,4439501 Sindhupalchowk April2. Cottage
Crafts/Loojah Enterprises
Prabal Tamrakar Metal Patan, 9841583579, 5536209, 5525330
Lalitpur do
3. Harati Wollens Knitwear
Narendra Shakya Pashmina 4285453, 4288492 Kathmandu do Dilli haat participant
4. Sinchuri Handicrafts
Hari Sinchuri Jewelry 9851082430 Kathmandu do Dilli haat participant
5. B & B Silver and Gold Craft
Balkrishna Asrapati
Jewellery 9851046198, 4218573
KTM do Dilli haat participant
6. Creative Crafts Deependra Shakya
Jewellery 9841260480, 5525951
KTM do Dilli haat participant
7. Valhalla Suman Ratna Dhwakwa
Jewellery 5537081, 5010531 Patan do
8. B.K. Handicraft Salina Shrestha Metal 9841789876, 5546750
KTM do
9. Creative Classic Craft
Bobby Sapkota Metal 4478903, 9803414521
KTM Do Dilli haat participant
10. Silver & Gems Trade Link
Samit Shakya Jewellery 5537599, 9841241932
Do Dilli haat participant
11. Mooc Cooperative Society
Shanti Laxmi Shakya
Metal 9841774382 Patan Do
12. Araniko Crafts Binod Bajracharya Jewellery 9841873043, 5534998
Patan Do Dilli haat participant
13. Gyamo Creators
Manik Ratna Shakya
Jewellery 9841223050, 4278033
Tahachal Do
14. Sahasrabhuja Avalokiteshora Handicraft Udhyog
Sabin Shakya Metal 9841329150 Patan do Dilli haat participant
15. Trade De Nepal
Sagun Shakya Jewellery 5526094 Patan Do
16. Kayo Handicraft
Sanoj Shakya 9841319800 Patan Do Dilli haat participant
17. Shashi's Sweater Industries
Rekha Aryal Pashmina Gairidhara, 4427552, 9851063599
Kathmandu Do Dilli haat participant
18. Sunkoshi Craft Sandeep Upadhaya
Pashmina 4822634, 01-2333079
KTM Do Dilli haat participant
19. Hill Top Cashmere Pashmina
Binod Malla Pashmina Putalisadak, 4246177, 9851048275
KTM Do
20. Balthali Village Resort
Ashis Humagain Tourism 4108355, 9851087772
Panauti Do
21. Syanboche Panaroma Hotel
Dorjee Susil Sherpa
Tourism Chabahil, 4468937 Solukhumbu Do
22. Ultimate Descents
Kuman Gurung Tourism Thamel, 9841575061, 4701295, 4700866
Kathmandu, Pokhara
Do
23. Amazing Tours Govinda Bhatta Tourism Opp. Tri Chandra College, 9851079226,
Mahendra Nagar, Kanchanpur
do
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422903324. Gangotri Tours
and TravelPranil K. Upadhyaya
Tourism Thamel, 4258625, 4264791, 9841517034
JanakpurDham, India
Do
25. M.R. Handicrafts
Mahendra Ratna Shakya
Metal 5531580 Patan Do Dilli haat participant
DILLI HAAT PARTICIPANTS(apart from the ones listed above)1)
New Gift Shop Sampurna Shahi JewelleryThamel, 4265695/9841258130
Do
2)Gorkha Gems
Bikash Man Pradhan Jewellery
Patan, 5540846, 9841489195
Do
3) Silver &Gems Trade Link Mr. Samit Shakya Jewellery
Patan, 5537599/9841241932
Do
4) Manjushree Trade Link Manju Shakya Metal 9841588734/5533106
do
5) Hangrib Handicraft Basu Shrestha Metal 5541847/9841258912
Do
6) Scope Co-operative Society Pradeep Shakya Metal
Patan, 5528044/9841367447
Do
7) Craftsline Kamala Tamrakar Metal Patan, 5531960 Do8) Pwasya Metal
CraftsRavindra Raj Tamrakar Metal
Patan, 5531394/ 5553638/9841217330
Do
9) Euro Pashmina Pvt Ltd Mani Maharjan Pashmina
Swayambhu, 4276200/4279876
Thankot Do
10) Asian Handicrafts
Mr. Asbin Kumar Bhetwal Pashmina 9841522281
Do
11) Novela Silky Wool
Ms.Basundhara Acharya Pashmina
Patan, 5522332/9841200050
do
12) Palanchok Bhagawati Pashmina Industry Parbati Shrestha Pashmina
Gyaneswor, 4413978 Do
13) Unique Hatakala Mrs. Leela Joshi Pashmina
9851050419 Do
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Annex - 6Summary Report of Trade Fair, Delhi
1. Overview of the programThe workshop cum trade fair at Dilli Haat was fourteen days’ event held from 16 th
December to 29th December. 25 participants from Jewellery, Metal-craft, and
Pashmina sector participated in the program.
The inauguration ceremony was on 17th December which was well-represented by
authorities from PlaNet Finance, Dastakari Haat Samiti, and Federation of Women
Entrepeneurs’ Association of Nepal. The chief guest of the program was His
Excellency Ambassador of Nepal to India Mr. Durgesh Man Singh. The cultural
presentation by Nepalese troop added the indigenous feel to the ceremony.
From 18th Dec till 26th Dec, the entrepreneurs participated in Enterprise Development
workshop which included theoretical sessions followed by practical sessions where
entrepreneurs implemented what they learnt during theoretical sessions. The
workshop included a variety of topics that focused on Branding and Corporate
Identity, Marketing and Export, Presentation and Window Display, Design/ Product
Development in three sectors, Moving from traditional to Contemporary, and Jewelry
Design Development.
Besides participation in workshop, the entrepreneurs also had opportunity to sell their
respective products through 12 stalls that were made available to them by DHS. As
expected, some of the enterprise could do good sales while others were not able to sell
as well as others. However, everyone was of the common opinion that participation in
Dilli Haat trade fair was good opportunity to experience direct selling which had been
the first experience for most of the entrepreneurs. It could also help them to better
understand the Indian market and choice of customers there. Being at Dilli Haat
represented unique experience to the entrepreneurs. It was the combination of hard
work (the hectic schedule kept the entrepreneurs at Dilli Haat for almost 11 hours),
knowledge sharing, and gaining of experience for the entrepreneurs.
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2. Summary of each Sector2.1 Pashmina: Pashmina was one of the most well received products among three
product categories. This is exemplified by the fact that the stall with highest sales
turnover was that from Pashmina sector. However, not all Pashmina sector
entrepreneur could reach the similar level of sales because of differences in their
product designs and their salesmanship.
The product much in demand in Dilli Haat are 100% Pashmina shawls. However, our
entrepreneurs had more of 70/30% blend of Pashmina and Silk stoles. The wrong
product choice had been the major reason why all Pashmina entrepreneurs couldn’t
sell the entire products they had taken to Dilli Haat.
Everyone from Pashmina sector found “Design Development” work session the most
productive and effective one. This work-session was carried with much rigor due to
which it generated good result. Since there were no weavers among our entrepreneurs,
DHS brought students from an institute called DIA (Design and Innovation Academy)
to weave new patterns on site. Altogether six new designs were created and the
weaving draft was handed over to the entrepreneurs.
2.2 Silver Jewellery: The common opinion of most of the buyers about the silver
jewelry of our entrepreneurs was that they were very expensive. Most of the buyers
couldn’t move beyond the price tag and look at the craftsmanship and fineness of
these products. From customer feedback it was known that silver jewelry is relatively
inexpensive item in India due to which customers couldn’t justify the high price of
Nepalese silver jewelry.
On the other hand, Indian customers were more into wearing stones according to their
horoscope and avoided using stones that were not recommended by their horoscope.
Thus, knowledge about the stones and their significance in respective horoscope could
have improved the ability of entrepreneurs to sell their products in Dilli Haat.
2.3 Metal Craft Items: In metal craft there were basically metal statues, and
decorative and utility items. Looking at the sales figure it can be said that decorative
and utility items were better received by customers compared to statues. The reason
behind this is once again the high price of Nepalese statues compared with similar
competing Indian products which are, however, not as well crafted as Nepalese
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products. On the other hand, since most of the statues were based on Buddhism, they
could instill lesser curiosity among people who were neither practicing Buddhism nor
very aware about it.
Among the decorative and utility items, singing bowl generated greatest interest
among the buyers.
3. Feedback from Entrepreneurs: 3.1 Most Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory Aspects of the Program
Satisfactory Aspects Unsatisfactory AspectsLectures from wonderful resource persons
Very long daily schedule
Stalls provided, instead of just workshops- it gave chance to interact with Indian Customers
Workshop sessions were not very lively. They were very lightly done.
The overall management including conducting of workshop, traveling, food and accommodation was good.
As location of workshop area was very close to stalls, it was difficult to concentrate in training especially when customers. Thus, venue wasn’t appropriate.
The content of the workshops were good and were helpful for the business
Carriage of goods wasn’t handled very professionally.
Visit to different shopping malls was very good aspect as it helped to gain idea about the presentation and display.
Representation of women was smaller
The blend of theoretical (workshops) and practical aspect (participation in stalls) of the entire program
Heavy bargaining by customers
Well managed stalls Lack of banners and displaying materials to show our Nepal pavilion
Support of organizers Lack of presentation document of training, eg. Handouts.
Promotional aspect of the program Distance of place of stay (YMCA) from Dilli Haat
The practical session of selling the products was good for gaining theoretical and practical knowledge.
The area allocated to Nepalese Entrepreneurs inside Dilli Haat wasn’t the best location.
The program gave international marketing experience, especially for Nepalese women entrepreneurs.The program gave a good opportunity to show-case Nepali products in foreign land.Gave hands-on experience about the customer’s choice in DelhiUseful and practical training sessions
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Joint discussion and interaction during workshop sessionsTheoretical sessions followed by practical sessionsField visit and case study method of teaching- learning environment.Cooperation from DHSResource persons of workshopManagement by DHSHands-on experience on consumer behavior.Combination of workshop and sales opportunity simultaneously.Workshop topicsCraft atmosphere and security arrangement inside Dilli Haat
3.2 Product Variations which could have helped Entrepreneurs to sell more at
Dilli Haat:
Pashmina Sector Entrepreneurs’ Response:
Fashionable woman wears items like tank top, dikny and summer-wear knits
plus accessories.
More of 100% Pashmina Full shawls of the size 36”*80” in darker shades
Focus on plain/ solid design
Varieties of 100% Pashmina product ranges with different product varieties
for babies and men
Darker shades of shawls, are more of beaded variety
Metal Craft Entrepreneurs’ Response
Small sized metal statues without gold plating, colored statues, and some
utility products like incense holder or box
Smaller statue sizes which are also cheaper
Statues of Hindu deities and other contemporary products
Cheaper version of products
Semi precious stones pasted statues
Embossed and oxidized statues
Variety in statue sizes: from 6-12”
Silver Jewellery Entrepreneurs’ Response
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Variety in products: Chain bracelets, Small rings, long earrings, Necklace,
Silver chain, hair clips, tie pin, toe ring, etc.
Variety in different colored semi precious stone like turquoise, garnet, blue
stone
Cheaper version of products, for example silver plated items.
3.3 Improvement aspects
1. Aspects which will be improved by entrepreneurs in future program
Right product choices which is the combination of right design, color, quality,
and price
Carry appropriate communication materials
Improve the presentation of products
Take low-priced products
Variety of presentation materials inside a stall like light system, flex board,
attractive design, brochure, visiting card, and product description cards
Get detail information about market and customers beforehand.
Gain technical knowledge about the product so that one can depict the story
about the product he/she is selling.
Greater product variety
2. Aspects to be improved by the Organizers/ Suggestions from Entrepreneurs
Organizers should disseminate more information about market and nature of
customers so that entrepreneurs can prepare accordingly for the program
Such kind of program should focus more on Business match-making
The future program- if possible, should organize 1-3 days of trade-fair
especially meant for bulk-buyers/importers
As Pashmina is a high-value product for people with higher disposable income
and fashion trendy people, thus future exhibitions need to be held at big
departmental stores, chain-stores, fashion houses and fixed-price stores.
There is a need of Trade fair management training to those who organize these
type of program
Need of proper displaying materials to present the Nepal pavilion
Such program should be made a regular event, for example once a year. It will
help to understand the market trend and know the customers’ choice, and also
motivate the entrepreneurs.
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Organizers should give enough time for preparation to the participants
Such programs should be conducted in Nepal so that participation of more
number of people can be ensured
Trainings should also be conducted in the financial aspect
The issue of carriage of goods should be taken greater care of in future should
such event be organized in future.
Advanced level training on the same topics which were discussed during this
workshop should be organized in future.
As e-business is the upcoming issue, there should be training on this matter.
4. Strength and Weakness Analysis4.1 Strengths
Good Craftsmanship: Products of our entrepreneurs are well-crafted and have very
good finishing. Although the customers felt that the prices were high, many of them
did recognize the finesse of these products.
This led to my conclusion that Nepalese products in the three selected sectors have
good scope in Indian market but they need greater exposure so that the customers start
becoming aware of these products. The products will also need to be adapted in terms
of their prices to appeal to these customers. Since high price had been the common
concern of most of the buyers, the entrepreneurs will have to find ways of reducing
price of their products.
4.2 Weaknesses
Price Variations: Regular price variation (increment) was one common error made
by the entrepreneurs. According to the entrepreneurs, such variation had to be made
because earlier they had no idea that customers bargained a lot and they had put fair
price on their product. But due to huge bargaining, they had to increase the price of
their products. Whatever might be the reasons, this left bad impression especially
among those customers who visited stalls more than on a single day and compared the
prices of different days.
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Stall Presentation: Entrepreneurs could get away with poor stall presentation
because they were the part of special program organized by DHS for them. However,
such presentation wouldn’t help them attract buyers if they are on their own in such
fairs. Stall presentation plays a great role in attracting the customers and adding value
to the products being displayed.
One of the reasons for poor stall presentation was the low volume of goods that were
taken to Dilli Haat because of the problem of carriage. However, the entrepreneurs
had also not taken enough promotional materials, like pictures and flex prints, which
could have made-up for the low volume of goods in stalls.
5. Which stalls did better? The clue to generate better sales: Those entrepreneurs who showed dedicated salesmanship. Often in places like
Dilli Haat where people visit to have a look around with no specific product in
mind and pick the goods which appeal to them with, salesmanship plays a
greater role in one’s ability to sell their products. In such scenario if the
entrepreneurs were themselves present in the stall most of the times (instead of
leaving it to volunteers), they had greater success in selling their products
Who gave elaborate details about their products to the customers and showed
enthusiasm towards them. Since the products of our entrepreneurs were all
high value items, they required greater efforts to sell. Those entrepreneurs who
gave the reasons behind the high price of their products could sell better
compared to others who didn’t give much concern to information sharing
aspect with their customers.
6. Logistic Arrangement by DHSThe logistic arrangement of Dastakari Haat Samiti for the entire program is worth
mentioning. All the arrangements from shuttle service to accommodation to
workshop had been smoothly organized.
On the inauguration day, the presence of authorities from all concerned organizations,
like DHS, PF, FWEAN, and especially His Excellency Nepalese Ambassador to India
made the program fuller and complete. The cultural performance by Nepalese troop
added indigenous touch to the program which was well thought-of by DHS.
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The publicity of the program is another worth mentioning aspect of the program. The
participation of Nepalese Entrepreneurs from the three sectors was advertised in a
number of newspapers and a lot of television channels were called in for the coverage
of the program. This helped our entrepreneurs and Nepalese products to gain exposure
in Indian market. The entrepreneurs could also highlight about their products to larger
audience through the series of interviews they had with the news channels.
On-site advertisement was also well displayed in large banners in important places
around Dilli Haat to make people aware about the Nepali stalls. Another arrangement
like presence of cultural troops in the area helped to increase the flow of audience in
the area. The cooperation received from all the staffs of DHS made everyone feel
comfortable and “at home”.
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Annex - 6
Minutes of the First National Level Steering Committee Meeting
Venue: Meeting Hall, PlaNet Finance Office, Kalikasthan, KathmanduDate: Tuesday, November 18, 2008Time: 4 pm-5:45 pm
Name of the Participants:-
1. Mr. Raju Joshi, Social Welfare Council (SWC)2. Mr. Ritu Raj Bhandari, Ministry of Woman, Children and Social Welfare Council
(MoWC & SWC)3. Mr. Bhim Koirala, Ministry of Woman, Children, and Social Welfare Council (MoWC &
SWC)4. Mr. Dhurba Lal Rajbamshi, Ministry of Industry (MoI)5. Mr. Dal Bikram Kadel, Ministry of Local Development (MoLD)6. Ms. Pramila Rijal, Federation of Woman Entrepreneurs Associations of Nepal
(FWEAN)7. Ms. Luna Pradhananga, Federation of Handicraft Associations of Nepal (FHAN)8. Ms. Florence Solnica, PlaNet Finance 9. Mr. Rajendra Nath Poudyal, PlaNet Finance
I) Presentation of PlaNet Finance by Ms. Florence Solnica
- Introduction of PlaNet Finance, its expertise in microfinance and its Board members.- The presentation of PlaNet Finance along with the work-plan of the project was
distributed in terms of hard copy to each participant.
II) Presentation of the PlaNet Finance in Nepal by Mr. Rajendra Nath Poudyal
- PlaNet Finance first made its appearance in Nepal in 2003 through a 3-country project financed by Asia ITC.
- It operated its second project called “Micro Invest IT” in 2005. It was invested by TIPS-Nepal, an Italian project (situated at FNCCI building, Teku).
- The agreement between PlaNet Finance and Social Welfare Council was signed on December 18, 2005.
III) Discussion on the project Status
- Mr. Raju Joshi of SWC briefed on the Project Advisory Committee and the Project Facilitation Wing.
- The members of SWC drafted a ToR, and submitted it to the National Planning Commission (NPC). This led to the establishment of Project Facilitation Wing under SWC. It works with one window policy, and circulates every agreement that has been signed to the concerned ministerial bodies.
- Similarly, the Project Advisory Committee has been formed as per the policy of the government of Nepal. As per this policy, every INGO should held a Project Advisory Committee Meeting every 6 months.
- Meanwhile, Mr. Rajendra Nath Poudyal commented on an issue that even some ministries and district level agencies seemed unaware of the provision of National Level and District Level steering committee.
- Mr. Ritu Raj Bhandari (SWC) enquired about the status of the General Agreement of the project.
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- Mr. Rajendra Poudyal informed the committee about the newly won World Bank project on Markey Survey of Micro-finance Institution of Nepal. Mr. Raju Joshi (SWC) expressed his ignorance regarding this project’s agreement. Mr. Poudyal informed the committee that the application for renewal of general agreement of PlaNet Finance has already been submitted to Social Welfare Council in August, 2008.
IV) Presentation of the SMElink project by Ms. Florence Solnica
- SMElink project is a three year project signed by the European Commission in September 2007.
- PlaNet Finance and Social Welfare Council has signed the SMElink project agreement on May 14, 2008 due to procedural delay in SWC.
- It works with its local partners (FWEAN, FHAN) and its international partners (DHS, SLPSM).
- Its main goal it to enable 150 Nepalese SMEs every year to upgrade themselves so that they can export to Europe by themselves.
- At its implementation phase, a market survey was conducted, and three viable sectors were identified: Jewellery & Metal-craft, Pashmina and sustainable tourism.
Year-wise briefing of the project
- In Year 1, the project beneficiaries were trained on Business Planning issues. PF alone with the local partners received positive feedback from them.
- In Year 2, the beneficiaries will be trained on IT, communication and marketing issues. Also, they will be enabled to apply for system certification.
- In Year 3, PF along with the project partners will follow their entry into the European Market.
SMElink’s web-portal
- A web-portal was built in Year 1. It contains various sections such as: on-line business directory, on-line trainings, news, links, photo gallery, contact and sitemap.
- Mr. Ritu Raj Bhandari of MoWC & SWC enquired if the beneficiaries are taking benefit of the portal.
- At this Ms. Florence Solnica clarified that in the beginning only a few beneficiaries seemed interested, but this year PF along with its local partners has distributed questionnaires to them in order to know about their IT usage; the portal will prove useful this year; more and more beneficiaries are registering themselves in the “Discussion Forum”- a tool for interaction and communication with the beneficiaries.
Recruitment of the beneficiaries
- The beneficiaries were recruited through FHAN and FWEAN.- An advertisement campaign was performed through Kantipur on April 17 th and 19th
since it has the widest circulation in Nepal.- More than 100 beneficiaries from three selected sectors were trained on Business
Planning issues from June to August.- The Small Enterprise Excellence Awards (SEEA) was held on September 16. It was
hosted by His Excellency the French Ambassador at his residence. There were more than 150 attendees. At SEEA, 25 best business planners were rewarded.
V) External difficulties faced by the project 1. Reaching all the districts of Nepal
- Reaching all the districts of Nepal was not viable. PF tried its best to include beneficiaries from all over Nepal. It advertised through “Kantipur”, and sought the help of its local partners (FHAN, FWEAN). However, it could reach only 3 districts besides Kathmandu valley: Chitwan, Kaski and Solukhumbu. But PF is willing to
41
incorporate SMEs from more other districts, and it will be done by focusing on sustainable tourism.
- Meanwhile, Mr. Rajendra Nath Poudyal clarified the cause for the absence of SMEs from outside Kathmandu valley: PF does not have much in its budget to pay for the transport fares. Also, it was difficult to set up offices for a limited number of SMEs who come from out of Kathmandu. Moreover, the project should focus on Medium level entrepreneurs who can export to Europe as per the EC’s directive. He also urged the presidents of the partner organizations to be familiar with the on-going activities of the project.
- At this Ms. Pramila Rijal (FWEAN) raised an option: FWEAN is district based and it has a strong network. The training centre, i.e., Kathmandu is easily accessible. Hence, incorporating SMEs from outside Kathmandu is not a big issue. FWEAN is ever-ready to co-operate with PF. PF can gather more SMEs from tourist centered towns (Pokhara, Chitwan, Nepalgunj). She feared that the partners would be held responsible if the project moves ahead without including SMEs from out of Kathmandu valley.
- Also, Mr. Ritu Raj Bhandari of MoWC & SW commented that SMEs of Kathmandu have already been exposed worldwide. By focusing on Kathmandu-based entrepreneurs, the project will make the rich richer. Hence, PF should make a strategy to incorporate SMEs who reside out of valley. He added that the evaluator will question if only a single sector/city is focused. Hence, PF needs to fulfill the requirements of Nepalese SMEs, and not that of the EC (European Commission).
- Similarly, Mr. Raju Joshi of SWC suggested to include SMEs from outside the valley. Otherwise, the SWC could also be held responsible by the evaluator. He added that the project’s final evaluation will be done by this year; the evaluator will be critical and will use his third eye while going through project agreement, general agreement and the project reports. Hence, it is necessary to work as a team for the smooth operation of the project. He stressed that regular meetings should be held to streamline these obstacles.
- Similarly, Luna (FHAN) clarified how FHAN collaborated with PF while recruiting the SMEs. Recently, she has contacted some SMEs who reside out of Kathmandu, and has found them quite interested.
- Ms. Florence Solnica expressed the willingness of PF to recruit more SMEs esp. from the tourism sector, and she asked for the co-operation of the local partner organizations. She also forwarded a solution towards the problem of distance – E-learning module. This is an open tool available in SMElink’s web-portal, which can be accessed by everyone.
- Mr. Raju Joshi (SWC) expressed the council’s interest in such a module. In his opinion, this module could be put to use by SWC in order to train its saving and credit groups.
- Ms. Pramila Rijal (FWEAN) further urged PF to accommodate district level SMEs, esp. those who reside in semi-urban areas and who are interested to export, in its future activities.
- Regarding the absence of SMEs from out of valley, Mr. Rajendra Poudyal clarified that the SMElink beneficiaries were selected on the basis of three criteria: those who are already exporting, those who are planning to export and those who want to export. He stated that it was mandatory to follow the directives of the EC. Also, he added that it would be difficult to enable rural entrepreneurs for ISO certification. Moreover, many SMEs, who were approached, seemed indifferent. He asked FWEAN to provide the name list of its district members.
2. Frequent strikes and Petrol Crisis
- Frequent strikes and petrol crisis prevented the SMEs to attend training fields, to meet their coaches, and to concentrate on the training matters.
3. Fund-raising
- Ms. Florence Solnica clarified the fact that the project was 95% funded by the EC, the next 5% would have to be met through fund raising. The prizes that were distributed
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to the participants were not EC funded. PF had held meetings with more than 20 commercial banks for fund-raising. It was willing to provide new clients (SMEs) to them, and to enhance the access of Nepalese SMEs to formal sources of finance. But, not a single bank seemed interested. The 5 laptops were sponsored by two French companies while the ceremony was hosted by the French Ambassador at his residence.
- At this, Mr. Raju Joshi (SWC) claimed that it was not fair to complain about fund crunch since the project’s financial commitment towards Nepal’s development has already been mentioned while signing the project agreement.
- Mr. Rajendra Poudyal further clarified that PF has sufficient fund for the implementation of SMElink project as it was committed in project agreement signed on 14 May 2008. But SEE Award ceremony was an extra event not funded by the EC. Moreover, PF wants this award ceremony to continue even after the completion of the project through the collaboration of Nepalese SMEs and the commercial banks.
- Since the evaluator will enquire about the investment and the achievement(s), SWC as well as the local partners will have to justify it. Hence, Mr. Raju Joshi and Mr. Ritu Raj Bhandari (SWC) and Ms. Pramila Rijal (FWEAN) urged PF to positively interpret this issue, and to include SEEA as an extra initiative.
- Ms. Florence Solnica interpreted SEEA as an event that provided an advertising ground for the SMEs. She hoped that some big business houses will support this cause next year.
VI) Discussion on the organization of the national level steering committee meeting
- Mr. Bhim Koirala (MoWC & SWC) pointed that such a meeting should have been held earlier. He suggested to chart a workplan/ToR, and to allow a member of the committee to make field visits during trainings conducted by PF.
- PF assured the committee that it was the first time that PF has conducted such meeting and PF will host the next NLSC meeting will be organized on time.
- Ms. Pramila Rijal (FWEAN) supported his view. According to her, had the meetings been held earlier in the presence of local bodies, PF would have to heed to the proposals put forth by the local partners.
- PF assured the committee that it was the first time that PF has conducted such meeting and PF expressed its commitment that the next NLSC meeting will be organized on time.
- Mr. Raju Joshi (SWC) clarified that such meetings would be held half-yearly. Also, he further briefed on the Project Facilitation Wing. This wing is an autonomous state of the Council which has been established with the mandate of the House. It does the half-yearly review of the projects, and circulates the reports to the concerned authorities. He added that we do have enough time to learn from and to rectify our mistakes.
VII) Upcoming activities of the SMElink project
- Ms. Florence Solnica briefed on the upcoming activities of SMElink. They are:- - System certification: SMElink will conduct system certification training. It will aim at
ISO certification, but not product certification. The training will be provided to the SMElink beneficiaries. PF will enable and facilitate them to apply for ISO certification.
- Information Technology Training: PF has distributed questionnaires to its beneficiaries in order to know about their IT usage. As per the findings, they will be trained on basic features (Word, Excel, Power point), Photoshop and web-designing.
- 25 websites will be built and hosted by SMElink’s portal.- Trade fair: 25 of the SMEs will participate in the trade fair, “Dilli Haat”, organized by
DHS (an international partner). This fair will be held for 15 days from December 16-
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29. In the morning, the SMEs will attend trainings on product development and design while the afternoons will be purely dedicated to sales. These SMEs will be helped by their coaches.
- SEEA: Finally, the award ceremony will be held at the end of the second year.
VIII) Conclusion
- Ms. Florence Solnica expressed her gratitude on behalf of PF towards SWC for approving the SMElink project as well as for facilitating while applying for the non-tourist visas for the project’s foreign experts.
- Ms. Florence Solnica expressed her gratitude on behalf of PF towards the different ministries for the granting approval of SMElink project agreement
- Mr. Dhurba Lal Rajbamshi wanted to have pre-information so that other concerning issues could be discussed.
- Ms. Pramila Rijal raised the issues of project’s budget and the frequent changes in PF’s office staff.
- Mr. Rajendra informed the committee that the budget has been reviewed. The fund for the partners has been increased to NRs 27, 00,000. This fund will be disbursed for organising trade fairs. Moreover, the internal account of PF is being audited and the report will be prepared by this Friday.
- Mr. Ritu Raj Bhandari urged PF to listen to its partners, and to implement the project’s activities through them since it has been mentioned in the preamble of the agreement. He asked PF, FHAN and FWEAN to work with internal understanding and co-operation.
- Mr. Raju Joshi (SWC) informed that a four-member high level committee will be formed by the Social Welfare Council. It will review and evaluate the financial reports of INGOs. He hailed the meeting as a good discussion, and appreciated the presence of the participants. He suggested PF to come up with the financial description and the status of the project in the next meeting. Further, he asked PF to bring the team to the field so that they can get the feel of reality. He also enquired about the DPAC (District Level Project Advisory Committee) Meeting [has been fixed for November 23]. He termed the renewal of the General Agreement as urgent. He concluded that the meeting was a good start, and should be held regularly. In the next meeting that would be held after 6 months, he would want a briefing on the things discussed above in order to check the progress of the project.
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