HORIZONTAL LEARNING PROGRAMME (HLP):

PEER LEARNING

BETWEEN NEPAL AND BANGLADESH

2014

The peer learning visits on HLP formed a part of the peer learning activities of LOGIN planned for 2014.

The peer learning visits on HLP were supported by financial resources made available to LOGIN by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. For more information, please write to secretariat@loginasia.net .

SHAPING AND STEERING PEER LEARNING COLLABORATION Prepared by Dr. Cherian Joseph, Consultant (Institutional Development)

The Mission statement of LOGIN states that a core mission intent is to “nurture peer learning processes for: (a) Capturing, synthesizing and providing knowledge on Decentralization and Local Governance (D&LG), and (b) Improving knowledge transfer among actors and its realization in practice.”

Peer learning collaboration Since April 2014 LOGIN has been supporting a peer learning collaboration between Nepal and Bangladesh on the Horizontal Learning Process (HLP). This experience has provided invaluable learning on: The construction of a learning design for peer learning The delivery and integration of conceptual, experiential, reflective and dialogical learning The enabling of learning for informed transfer for action post learning The nurturing of individual internalization to sustain learning for action and The nature of continuous engagement and follow up required between those steering and

managing learning delivery across institutions and boundaries. Diagram 1 below captures the milestones in the collaboration that kicked off from April 2014. There had been an interest in Nepal over the last few years in the working of HLP. The interest stemmed largely from those organizations supporting the promotion of D&LG and its expansion. The Local Training Academy for Development (LDTA), the lead institution for supporting D&LG in Nepal was also in the loop.

It was against this background that LDTA organized in collaboration with CIRDAP and with support from GIZ/SUNAG, a Regional Workshop on Horizontal Learning Process in Kathmandu, in end March 2014. This was followed by a round table meeting with development partners. The Ministry of Federal Affairs and Development (MoFALD) participated in this. As a result of the workshop and the round table, the LDTA and MoFALD along with key stakeholders, in particular associations of local bodies, collectively agreed to launch the horizontal learning process in Nepal (HLPN).

Responding to a member learning need An immediate learning need that was articulated was the need to learn first-hand the working of HLP in Bangladesh. The representatives of the HLP team from Bangladesh (who participated in the Round Table)

offered to organize and lead a peer learning exposure. LOGIN in turn offered to support the visit of representative groups to Bangladesh over the year. With this a peer learning collaboration began.

Between then, and the writing of this paper, two groups of Nepali delegates have been to Bangladesh to deepen their understanding of HLP. Both groups consisted of representatives from the MoFALD, from LDTA and its constituent institutions and from the local body associations. More recently in early November a consolidation workshop was held at LDTA, Kathmandu, to bring together participants from both delegations to follow up on their roles and plans for taking HLP forward.

Dimensions of engagement and facilitation Diagram 2 captures the multiple dimensions of engagement that happened in the collaboration. It identifies the main elements of what happened / what was planned and had to be acted on in each dimension. Being alive to these multiple dimensions at all times is central for shaping learning collaboration in a network like LOGIN. The giver and recipient of learning for action are institutions and not frozen in a one way transaction role. The roles have the potential to reverse at any time and that is also the beauty and strength of adult peer learning. For those of us who were the “facilitators”, the above was a critical realization. We also soon learnt that facilitation was not just of learning and that we could not limit our roles to just being facilitators of learning in the transfer of knowledge and understanding between the visiting group and the host group. Facilitation extended to the wider universe of transactions of interaction between all of us who had come together and happened at all times in the exposure visit. The more dialogue was encouraged and facilitated outside the formal learning gathering, the richer became the learning and enhanced the potential for what would be the take away. Facilitation has to work towards creating and sustaining a non-competitive, non-hierarchical, non-threatening and non-evaluative learning climate. This is not easy. But that these were also fundamental axioms in the philosophy of HLP helped our task immensely. There was an easy flow between the theme of peer learning and the process of learning that LOGIN seeks to promote and develop. These apart, Diagram 3 reflects some of the other insights that we acquired as we transited through this learning journey. Some of these insights may seem mundane and pedestrian, but are worth reminding. Others could be new for some of us. LOGIN support for enhancing methodological competencies

Nepal – Bangladesh: HLP learning process : Key milestones

Diagram 1

First Nepal team visits Bangladesh

June 2014

Interest in HLP In Nepal

Dialogue between stakeholders and donors on HLP promotion / April 2014

LOGIN Asia offers support for peer learning / April 2014

MoFALD approves HLP in Nepal / supports

exposure visit concept

HLP Team Bangladesh offers to host peer learning visit

April 2104

LDTA coordinates with MoFALD to organize first

exposure visit

LOGIN Asia team supports planning process May 2014

LDTA supports dialogue / interaction in Nepal on

HLP

LOGIN Asia Team stays in touch with all key actors in Nepal and Bangladesh

Second Nepal team visits Bangladesh Sept 2014

All key actors discuss and agree on need for review of work done

1 day Consolidation workshop held at Kathmandu / 4 Nov 2014

Members from both delegations attend.

Diagram 2 The Multiple Dimensions Of The Collaboration

LOGIN support for enhancing methodological competencies

Mission and committment

Encourage member exploration of needs to enhance methodological proficiencies Share success experiences even if small Support cross learning Provide back stop support for faciltiatiing institutional coordination and learning facilitation

HLP & Nepal

Background / first steps Key actors get to know of HLP practise in Bangladesh Building agreement between stakholdersPreparation of HLP Plan Seeking MoFALD involvement / and approval in principle Setting up of Steering group at MoFald with representation from key stakholders to promote HLP

Bangladesh member support

Bangladesh Offer Share concept of HLP / evolution and experience The Bangladesh D&LG context The role of Dept of Local Govt in promoting HLP Connect with practioners from the fieldOpen to back stop work in Nepal

Peer learning

Structure and processVisits to Bangladesh ...inputs and engagement with like insitutions Learning from peers in the field Observing live specific group activities of local govt reps in HLP Accompaniment of the deleagtion by selected representaives from HLP team Bangladesh to enrich discussionStructuring exposure into distinct modulesInvolvment of local institutions in desgn Assimilating learning from nepal experience

Diagram 3 Learning from the collaboration

Essential to understand member constraints and refrain from pushing their boundariesPeriodic , continuing contact and discussion between partnering institutions on design, logistics, particpant needs...makes for collaborative peer learning design.Prepare for local language requirements .Organise pre visit

discussion with local particapting partners / institutions to plan and detail their engagement and contribution in the learning process.

Managing delivery

Make time to revisit their experience and share their observations, undrstanding,

doubts, apprehensions.

Let them discuss with each other...such occasions may provide rare opportunities for them to open up...without this neither internalization nor collaboration between them is possible

Power equations that hinder change agendas

may come up.....provide space for the discussion and facilitate methodical

discussion.

Challenge them to spell out what they would like to do and its implications

Individual internalisation

Enable methodological learning and understanding.

Focus on what methodological learning they can use and how. Connect members in dialogue

Encourage spelling out of roles and repsonsibilites for proposed action.

Articulate what back stopping support they seek and see as critical.

Implementing learning

Prepare l particpants to understand the purpose of the exposure and connect with thier respective roles and responisbilitesProvide selected conceptual inputs . Do not overload.Connect inputs to context of learning.Struture the exposure visit ..prepare those bieng visited to share .Ensure sufficient time and space for peer dialogue, reflection and consolidationConnect and link different aspects of learning .... make linkages clear.

Design

HORIZONTAL LEARNING PROGRAMME (HLP):

PEER LEARNING

BETWEEN NEPAL AND BANGLADESH

The HLP learning visits formed a part of the peer learning activities of LOGIN planned for 2014.

The HLP learning visits were supported by financial resources made available to LOGIN by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. For more information, please write to secretariat@loginasia.net

Learning Visit on HLP in Bangladesh:

Narrative report of the first exposure visitOn the evening of 21st June 2014 a group of 11 animated delegates arrived from Nepal at Dhaka International airport. For the larger number this was their first trip to Bangladesh. They were received and welcomed to Bangladesh by a representative of the Horizontal Learning Process group in Bangladesh. With this began the Learning Visit on HLP in Bangladesh of a multi stakeholder team from Nepal.

The Background

At a Round Table hosted jointly by the Centre for Integrated Rural Development in Asia and Pacific (CIRDAP) and the Local Development Training Academy (LDTA, Nepal) at Kathmandu, (April 2014) it was discussed and agreed that the Horizontal Learning Process will be initiated in Nepal for contributing to Decentralisation and Local Government (D&LG) practice and growth. Santanu Lahiri, Country Facilitator of LOGIN Bangladesh, on behalf of the HLP team of Bangladesh offered to arrange and conduct a peer learning exposure for representatives from Nepal.

LOGIN Asia offered to support this peer learning engagement between Nepal and

Bangladesh as both are members of LOGIN and as this is fundamental to the purpose of LOGIN’s raison de etre. To enable this to take shape quickly, a planning mission was undertaken (supported by LOGIN) to Nepal to support LDTA to prepare the concept note on HLP and for seeking the approval of the government. This mission took place in May, and in a couple of weeks after that the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Government (MoFALD) gave its approval in principle. Parallel to this Santanu Lahiri led the dialogue with HLP partners in Bangladesh to design and plan the exposure visit. This was further assisted by Cherian Joseph (mid-June 2014) who joined Santanu Lahiri at Dhaka to interact and collaborate with HLP partners in the design and planning of the learning visit.

Considerable homework was accomplished between HLP Bangladesh, the Country Facilitator LOGIN Bangladesh on behalf of Bangladesh LOGIN partners, LOGIN partners in Nepal, including MoFALD, and LDTA, and the LOGIN Secretariat, New Delhi, to convert a learning idea request into a learning event. It saw realization within a period of three months. This was why the delegates were both excited and curious when they arrived. There were many questions, clouded perceptions of the purpose of the visit and yet a sense of something to look forward to.

Informal dinner meet

Within an hour of reaching the Hotel, the group gathered to meet with the team who would accompany them for the week ahead on the learning journey. This consisted of Mr. Santanu Lahiri who represented both LOGIN Bangladesh and the HLP partners, Mr. Salim Bhuyian and Mr. Tareq Mahamud from HLP Bangladesh and

Dr. Cherian Joseph from LOIGN Asia. Also present were some representatives from HLP/LOGIN Bangladesh who were keen to meet and greet the delegates from Nepal. Over a short and brief interaction the group exchanged introductions and Santanu shared the background of the visit and a snap shot of the design for the week ahead. Mr. Dotel from MoFALD and Mr. Jaya Krishna Srestha from LDTA on behalf of the Nepal delegation, conveyed their appreciation to HLP Bangladesh and Login for making the event possible and that they looked forward to an enlightening learning trip.

The start of the learning journey

As the members of the group had been invited to join only a little over a week before they made the trip, it was agreed that the learning journey would begin with an extensive discussion within the Nepali delegation on why HLP was being initiated in Nepal in the context of D&LG. The group consisted of 6 officials from MoFALD, a representative from each of the three major local government associations (representing village level, the municipality level and the district level), and two from learning providers. (List attached/ Annexure 1).

The first day morning was hence set aside for the Nepal team to inform themselves of the purpose of HLP in Nepal. Santanu Lahiri opened the discussion with a brief overview on what had led to the Round Table in Nepal earlier that year. Jaya Krishna from LDTA then followed with a detailed presentation to the group on what had led to the taking up of HLP as a learning process for strengthening D&LG. The clarity and involvement he brought to the presentation enabled the group to raise numerous questions and seek clarifications.

The group then went on to work in groups on what they considered would be the questions they would wish to raise as the subsequent concept/experience sharing sessions happened

before they left for the field. This provided further space for clarification about HLP and what the exposure visit would cover. (See Charts in Annexure 2.)

That afternoon the group drove to the National Institute of Local Government (NILG), the lead institution in Bangladesh for D&LG and also a key partner in the HLP team of Bangladesh. The group met the faculty of the Institute including the DG of NILG Mr. Kabir M. Ashraf Alam. They were provided a background on D&LG and HLP in Bangladesh, which covered:

D&LG administrative structure, Capacity building framework of

Bangladesh The growth and development of HLP in

Bangladesh and HLP communication reach

Santanu Lahiri introduced the speakers and linked the presentations to the exposure trip. This provided the background and context of HLP in Bangladesh and how it had taken shape. The discussion provided participants the opportunity to consider their backgrounds and experience vis-a-vis the experience in Bangladesh and provided the first triggers to reflect on what they wished to understand of practice and concept as they prepared to visit the field.

23rd morning the group was back at NILG, en route for the field visit. The first session was a special interaction with Mr. Shams Uddin Ahmed, joint secretary, Local Government

Department, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development &Cooperatives, as well as focal person-HLP in Bangladesh. The session saw animated interaction as the group connected with him. That a senior civil servant could be so passionate and provide the leadership for HLP in the D&LG context was something that seemed to surprise them but at the same time provided valuable insights for their reflection. The session concluded with the delegation presenting mementos from Nepal to both Mr. Sham Uddin and DG, NILG to express their appreciation for the support and collaboration to have made the HLP learning visit possible.

After tea the group broke into stakeholder groups (officials from the ministry, association representatives, and training institutions) to discuss what questions they should be asking when they visited different constituencies in the field. Each subgroup shared their individual thoughts and questions first, and then prepared a joint list of questions they would ask in the field from the perspective of the particular stakeholder. They also informally agreed as to who would lead the questions, who would document the main points from the interaction etc. This was supplemented by brief outlining of the travel pan for the afternoon.

The group then spent time with the Horizontal Learning Centre at NILG which coordinates continuing interventions of HLP and the documentation of the process. Here they met Mr. Mahidul Islam, and his team at the Learning Centre. The interaction continued over lunch. The group then set out for Rajshahi in North Bangladesh via Tangail.

Late evening, around 8.30 pm the delegation reached Hotel Projoton, Rajshahi, their accommodation for the next two nights. For this part of the trip 7 members drawn from different stakeholders in HLP in Bangladesh, joined the group for interacting while in the field.

The Field exposure

24th /25th June were set aside fully for visiting two union parishads and a pourashova in the Chapai Nawabgunj division and to attend a Thematic Policy Workshop. On 24th morning before setting out for the field, the delegation met and reviewed in their stakeholder groups the questions they had prepared to ask in the field. They further shared the question their fellow groups and invited comments and suggestions. This enabled revision of their questions and to sharpen their focus for the field. This done they moved to the field.

The first stop on 24th morning was the union parishad of Mahrajpur. Both here and at the second UP, Ranihati, key members of the UP had gathered to receive the delegation and for the interaction. After initial introductions and a brief explanation of the purpose of the visit of the delegation, the UP office bearers made presentations on the work of the UP and good practices developed. The language of interaction included translation by a competent translator, broken Bengali with flashes of Hindi and Nepali, and of course English. Questions ranged from seeking to understand the working of a UP, its administrative writ, to how was HLP relevant, how did it come into use, when did it begin, what do ordinary people feel about it, etc. The questions the members had prepared in the stakeholder sub-groups enabled them to focus on exploring the HLP methodology.

As the day progressed the delegation members became more involved. The discussions continued in the vehicles as we travelled from one venue to the next. Group photos were

always being organised and tea and snacks were always in the supply chain. And not to forget, as Rajshahi and Chapai Nawabgunj are the biggest mango growing areas of Bangladesh, there was always mango on the table!!! Everywhere!!

The accompanying HLP partners, too, participated in the discussions. The mayor of Chapai Nawabgunj, whose poraushava (municipality) we were visiting later that afternoon, joined the group for Lunch. From lunch the delegation went to meet with the Deputy Director, Local Government in his office at Chapai Nawabgunj. Here the group had a chance to understand the perspective of a senior local civil servant, responsible for D&LG administration and his take on HLP.

The reception at the Pourashova by the mayor was possibly the highpoint of the entire visit for the group. It was formal and a celebration of goodwill between two countries - Bangladesh and Nepal. It was marked by remarkable sense of goodwill for learning from each other.

The mayor had invited all the department heads to attend as well as the councillors, a few of whom were women. The interaction that followed after the presentation by the mayor saw a number of issues raised on the management of a municipality and the services provided. It also saw the active participation of women councillors.

The final stop for the day was back at Rajshahi at DASCOH, a partner NGO of HLP Bangladesh.

The group met in the conference room for an introduction to LOGIN Asia and its work. It was well past 7pm when the group broke for the day. Some in the group were amazed to know of the diverse nature of learning and knowledge exchange opportunities that LOGIN Asia had managed to provide for its members in the short span of a year.

This exploration of HLP deepened the next day. The group attended a Thematic Workshop organised by the Department of Local Government and NILG on Practice to Policy at DASCOH. This was attended by chairpersons of 8 union parishads – five of whom were already practitioners of HLP, while three were not. The workshop was facilitated by Santanu Lahiri. The purpose was to enable the attending UPs to identify good practices which exemplified practices that could be considered for promotion through policy initiatives. The Nepal delegation participated in this workshop not as observers but as active participants. They were invited to identify what they considered their own good practices which had found fairly wide replication. The structure to undertake this identification was provided to both sides. For the Nepal delegation it became a live experience of the methodology of identifying good practice and how thereafter a dialogue was conducted with others to encourage replication. (See Annexure 3).

At the end of this exercise there was an extensive discussion on the methods and process of good practice identification, to acceptance as best practise, and the promotion of practice as policy. This provided an excellent exposure to deeper aspects of the HLP methodology for all in the room.

After lunch a group of women and men from a tribal background put up a fascinating dance presentation based on local art forms through which they communicated good practices in D&LG and water and sanitation to the local communities. The way the dance performance linked with the manner in which messages were

conveyed had the group enthralled. It was an absolutely wonderful way to bring the curtain down on a scintillating, illuminating field exposure to HLP. The dance group was one of the communication modes developed by DASCOH to reach out to the poor and marginalised in the larger community.

The group returned to Dhaka that night, well past midnight, after negotiating some maddening traffic snarls that seemed to make the journey an unending drive through the night.

Sharing reflections and consolidating learning After the continuous interaction in the field and a very packed field programme it was time for returning to the small group to share between themselves what they had seen, what they had learnt and what they would possibly take back with them. The entire morning of the 26th was spent in individual reflection and then in subgroups to chart their understanding and learning. Cherian Joseph facilitated this dialogue, to pull together the threads of perception and understanding about HLP. The group slipped into this process with surprising ease and soon began to articulate and organise their thoughts. The groups discussed, clarified understanding and brought out observations on their:

• Key impressions of HLP • The objectives of HLP • The methodology of HLP and • The achievements of HLP in

Bangladesh

The discussion was particularly enriching for the group. At one level the group began to distinguish between HLP as a methodology for peer learning and the practices that HLP helped identify and consolidate. At another level the discussion turned to the roles and responsibilities that different stakeholders had. This aspect was taken further in discussions next day. The group also delved into the distinctions in methodology between framework, steps, tools, techniques and process. While this discussion was inconclusive, it enabled them to distinguish specifically between steps in HLP and techniques and process. The broad contours of the discussion were captured in cards and posted. Later these were organised by the group into three presentations on three boards. It was decided that they would share this with those who would join the formal closing discussions that evening. (The formal closing was done that evening as it would have been difficult for many to join the next day, a holiday.) That evening close to a dozen guests representing a variety of organisations joined for a wrap up discussion with the delegation and for dinner. This was chaired by Mr. Shams Uddin Ahmed from the Ministry of Local Government. The conversation that followed the presentations by the Nepali delegation reflected more than anything else the validity of peer learning and the strength of HLP as a peer learning methodology and its relevance for strengthening decentralisation and local government structures and process.

The evening closed with the Nepali delegation thanking the Govt of Bangladesh, NILG, the HLP partners in Bangladesh and LOGIN for making the peer learning trip possible.

Planning next steps On 27th morning the delegation again met to now look to the future and to plan the steps for taking the process forward. Mr. Dotel from MoFALD, Mr.Jaya Krishna from LDTA and Mr. Rishi Raj Lumsali from ADDCN played a key role in enabling the group to look across the landscape of learning and the context of Nepal while planning the next steps. Santanu Lahiri provided the group a framework to use for the planning and responded to issues raised. While they worked initially in their respective stakeholder groups, they came together to

prepare a consolidated plan. The plan that emerged is attached (Annexure 4). With this Dr. Cherian Joseph and Mr. Santanu Lahiri brought the exposure learning visit to a close. They reminded the group that there was a great responsibility on the present delegation to ensure that the proposed plan was implemented. This responsibility included the obligation to share and brief stakeholder members who would be selected for future groups and to disseminate the understanding and learning gained from this exposure. The delegation presented a special memento to thank Mr. Salim Bhuyian for his unstinting support during the entire trip and also presented Cherian and Santanu a memento to be given to the LOGIN Asia Secretariat.

Cherian Joseph and Santanu Lahiri LOGIN Asia July 2014

List of Nepali delegation 21 - 28 June 2014

S. N. Name Institution

1 Mr. Vishwa Raj Dotel Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development (MoFALD)

2 Mr. Ganesh Raj Karki Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development (MoFALD)

3 Ms. Maiya Kadel Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development (MoFALD)

4 Ms. Minakshi Bhurtel Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development (MoFALD)

5 Mr. Shyam Kanta Khanal Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development (MoFALD)

6 Mr. Krishna Prasad Gnawali Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development (MoFALD)

7 Mr. Dilli Raj Ojha Dhangadhi Municipality (FWR RLC)

8 Mr. Laxman Pandey National Association of VDCs in Nepal (NAVIN)

9 Mr. Rishi Raj Lumsali Association of District Development Committee of Nepal (ADDCN)

10 Mr. Pramod Nyachyon Municipal Association of Nepal (MuAN)

11 Mr. Jaya Krishna Shrestha Local Development Training Academy (LDTA)

Annexure 1

Charts from Day 1

Annexure 2

Practise to Policy

Good practices identified by the Nepal delegation

Good Practices identified by the UP Chairpersons

Annexure 3

Plan prepared by Nepal Delegation

What When Who Support Remarks

Working Committee Meeting

July 2014 MoFALD, HLP Desk

Orientation on HLP to staff and stakeholders

July/AUG 2014 MoFALD, LBAs, RLC Each organization to conduct orientation workshop

Regional Workshop at RLC Level

July/AUG 2014 Muan, RLC, LDTA GIZ, LOGIN Asia Technical support from LOGIN Asia and HLP Bangladesh

Regional workshop at VDC/DDC Level

Aug/Sep 2014 ADDCN, NAVIN, LDTA

Helvetas Nepal, LOGIN Asia

JICA Nepal, and LOGIN Asia

Second Exposure Learning visit in Bangladesh

Aug/Sep 2014 MoFALD, LDTA LOGIN Asia

Third Exposure Learning visit in Bangladesh

Oct/Nov 2014 MoFALD, LDTA LOGIN Asia

Collection and dissemination of Good practices

Aug-Dec 2014 RLC, NAVIN, MuAN, ADDCN

MoFALD/ JICA Nepal

Monthly E-Newsletter July 2014 MuAN, NAVIN

Preparation workshop for Nepal Delegations

Aug-Oct 2014 LOGIN Asia, LDTA LOGIN Asia

Annexure 4

HORIZONTAL LEARNING PROGRAMME (HLP):

PEER LEARNING BETWEEN NEPAL AND BANGLADESH

The HLP learning visits formed a part of the peer learning activities of LOGIN planned for 2014.

The HLP learning visits were supported by financial resources made available to LOGIN by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. For more information, please write to secretariat@loginasia.net .

Learning Visit on HLP in Bangladesh: Narrative Report of the Second Exposure Visit Strengthening people’s capacities to determine their own values and priorities and to organize themselves to act on these, is the basis of development. (Eade and Williams 1995)

Capacity building, internalization of learning and transfer of learning to action are central to sustainable development. The Horizontal Learning Process (HLP) methodology provides a unique opportunity to communities to engage with public processes, make choices, identify good practices, share and replicate good practices, and to assess for themselves the value of their choice.

From September 13-20, 2014, a group of eleven participants from Nepal, drawn from the local government department of the central government, training providers and local government associations, visited Bangladesh to learn the HLP concept, to see its practice and results, and to conduct a dialogue with those who have led and implemented the process. This was the second group to come for an exposure visit on HLP from Nepal. The earlier group, consisting of representatives from the same institutions, visited in June 2014.

The Background These learning visits were the outcome of a proposal decided earlier in April 2014. At a round table hosted in Kathmandu jointly by the Local Development Training Academy (LDTA), Kathmandu, and the Centre on Integrated Rural Development in Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP), it was proposed by Nepali stakeholders to initiate the Horizontal Learning Process (HLP) in Nepal.

The success of HLP in Bangladesh at the lower tiers of local government in enabling local government bodies in administrative and developmental practices, had attracted serious attention. It was felt that to further strengthen decentralisation and local governance (D&LG) in Nepal through the identification of good practices, scaling up of best practices and to contribute more critically to policy formulation, HLP would be extremely relevant methodologically for key stakeholders to learn and internalise.

However, to gain a more comprehensive and in depth understanding of HLP methodology, as well as to

understand its achievements and challenges, Nepali stakeholders expressed a keen interest to learn HLP from Bangladesh.

Team Bangladesh offered its services to facilitate peer learning visits and host representatives of relevant institutions.

LOGIN Asia offered to support this peer learning initiative as the key institutions involved in this from Nepal and Bangladesh are members of LOGIN. LDTA Nepal and HLP Bangladesh prepared a concept note to take this forward. The concept note elaborated that the peer learning would focus on: Understanding the principles and process underlying horizontal learning Learn the fundamental mechanisms and methodological practices for initiating and sustaining HLP

and Discern how HLP fits within a national capacity development framework.

The HLP team in Bangladesh consists of 32 partners who have promoted and facilitated the use of HLP in Bangladesh. A core group from the HLP team, led by Santanu Lahiri (Country Facilitator LOGIN, Bangladesh) organised and designed the exposure with the active support of the National Institute of Local Government, Dhaka (NILG) and the HLP Centre located at NILG. LOGIN Asia supported this as part of responding to member country needs for strengthening methodological competencies to promote decentralisation and local government.

The Design The learning exposure was organised broadly in three parts. One part focused on the introduction of the delegation to the HLP plan for (HLPN) Nepal which has been approved by the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development (MoFALD) of Nepal. This introduction to HLPN provided an overview of the design of the plan, the intent, and enabled the participants as stakeholders to look at roles and responsibilities. This was taken up on the first day and revisited during later discussions and purposefully addressed again on the last two days of the visit as they worked on planning next steps.

The second part of the exposure was designed around introducing the Horizontal Learning Process and its development and evolution in Bangladesh. The D&LG structure of Bangladesh was also introduced, as also how HLP contributed to the strengthening of D&LG in Bangladesh. The impact of HLP on decentralization and the changes brought about at the grass root level were shared. The role of the Local Government Department in steering and promoting HLP was highlighted. This was covered largely at NILG on the second day through presentations by individuals who played key roles in facilitating the growth of HLP and its positioning within the national capacity development framework.

At NILG, Dhaka

The third part of the exposure involved the visit to the field. This covered interaction with elected local government representatives, learning of the use of HLP and seeing results that have followed from the identification of good practices.

Welcome at the Sakhipur Pourashova, Tangail

The most valuable part of the exposure was having the opportunity to witness live ward members of a Union Parishad in Tangail collectively developing good practices at their UP level. The entire learning exposure for the most part was accompanied by selected representatives drawn from important stakeholders of HLP in Bangladesh. They accompanied the group to the field, and participated in group discussions while clarifying and explaining HLP practice and evolution to the delegation at different points in this learning journey. Their participation contributed to a vibrant and collaborative horizontal mutual learning between members from corresponding institutions of the two countries.

These learning inputs provided by the HLP team included meaningful conceptual and experiential inputs from resource persons from the NILG and practitioners in the field. A special and very pulsating component of the learning was the folk dance presentation called locally as the “pot song”. This was performed by a group which has for the last few years been active in promoting HLP and broadcasting D&LG messages through the use of this popular art form at the grassroots. It brought home that communication outreach has many dimensions and that use of folk art to reach out to communities in their own idiom and metaphor has few parallels.

POT Song performance.

Ward members identifying good practices, Danniya, Tangail.

The HLP process and methodology The design moved from sharing between delegates, to exploring with those who have shaped HLP in Bangladesh, to engaging with those in the field who shaped developments. The methodology deliberately sought to create space for non-competitive, non-threatening but dialogical learning. It was for this reason that a few who represented different interest groups (who have promoted HLP in Bangladesh) were invited to partake in the entire process and be available as peers to enrich mutual, reciprocal learning.

It was through this peer learning that the visiting delegation acquired a clearer understanding of how HLP as a methodology has enabled the community to identify good practices and how in turn repeatedly proven good practice came to be adopted as a best practice. The group also learnt of how best practices in turn led to policy impact in D&LG through the endorsement of a particular best practice as a standard for adoption in local government. Examples of the movement from practice to policy were highlighted.

Another aspect that was stressed was that HLP processes and steps have continuously evolved, shaped by field learning and increasing conceptual clarity. The danger that a particular practice often became the focus of emulation and not the methodology by which it emerged, was revisited repeatedly. This was done to enable the Nepal delegation to recognize that when they sought to practice HLP in their own unique context, actual practices would differ. What was essential was that they understood the steps for identifying a good practice and the participatory processes engaged in to ensure that people could participate in sharing, understanding and shaping decisions. It was stressed that HLP is not a top down implementation method, but a bottom up, community driven, peer learning methodology for capturing what is important to replicate across local governments. The failure to replicate worthwhile practices had negatively impacted development.

The particular relevance of HLP as a methodology is rooted in its ability to promote community engagement in the non-class room context. This needs to be fully understood and exploited. In the context of the practice of HLP, the group was sensitised to this, and to take the HLP process forward, what is essential is the availability of a few people skilled in facilitating the process, the continuous follow through and its integration into the capacity building framework for addressing the agendas of development .

It was pointed out that the practice of HLP does not require heavy budgets. Much of what needs to get done can be done at the lowest level of the administrative unit within the usual resources available at that level. What is critical is that achievements need to be broadcast.

HLP fact sheets and brochures prepared by the HLP Bangladesh team were shared and explained. The work and services provided by the HLP Helpline drew particular attention. The manner in which the HLP Helpline responded nationwide to information demands and in sending out well-crafted messages across the country, generated intense interest.

Next steps The exposure visit closed with the delegation sharing among themselves what they had seen, understood and what they felt was important for them to implement when they returned. The representatives from the local association bodies brought to the fore the questions of who leads, who helps connect and back

stop the process of promoting HLPN when they returned. The discussion was vigorous and forthright. It culminated in each identity group preparing what they would lead back in Nepal and a commitment to coordinate through and with MoFALD and LDTA.

With the community

Planning for action on return

The learning experience had lessons for all who contributed to the learning. As someone pointed out, everyone is an expert and everyone is a learner. Very simply put, yet it summed up neatly what peer learning has come to mean in the lexicon of LOGIN and its members.

For all in the HLP Bangladesh team, the Nepal delegation, and from LOGIN, it was another

meaningful step in the great endeavor to share knowledge and learning across the network. Small steps, but very valuable small steps to contribute to change and reform in the D&LG process of member nations.

Hey..we had a good time !!

Cherian Joseph and Santanu Lahiri

LOGIN

LEARNING VISIT ON HLP IN BANGLADESH * Nepal Delegation

13-20 September 2014 ORGANIZED BY: LOGIN ASIA WITH SUPPORT FROM HLP IN BANGLADESH

Peer Learning Agenda:

Dates (Day) Time and Activities Remarks

13 September 2014 (Saturday)

18.00 hrs. 11 member Nepal team arrives in Dhaka Hotel Lake Castle

21.00hrs: Welcome / dinner

Welcome to Nepal Delegation, SL/CJ/SB/TM Roof top conference room, Hotel Lake Castle.

14 September 2014 (Sunday)

09:30 – 11.30 hrs: (Only Nepalese delegation) • Program background /introduction • Preparing for Learning : What is to be

achieved through mutual learning between Nepal and Bangladesh?

Dr. Cherian Joseph / Mr.Tareq Mahamud / Mr. Salim Bhuiyan

Venue: Roof top conference room, Hotel Lake Castle

11.30 – 11.45 hrs: Tea Break Hotel Lake Castle

11.15 – 13.00 hrs: HLP in Nepal Objectives and Plan Introduction and clarification Mr. Binay Kafle / Dr. Cherian Joseph

Hotel Lake Castle

13.00 – 14.00 hrs: Lunch break Hotel Lake Castle

14.00 -15.15 hrs: How HLP strengthens / facilitates D&LG: : Mr. Santanu Lahiri

Hotel Lake Castle

15.15 – 15.30 hrs: Tea Break Hotel Lake Castle

15.30 -17.00 hrs: Briefing on LOGIN Asia: Dr. Cherian Joseph Hotel Lake Castle

15 September 2014 (Monday)

09:30 –10:30 hrs: D&LG Administrative Structure, Md. Serajul Hosen, Deputy Director, NILG

Venue: NILG, Dhaka

10.30 -11.00 hrs: National Capacity Development Framework and HLP – Mr. A.J. Minhaj Uddin Ahmad, LGSP-II, LGD

Venue: NILG, Dhaka

Schedule as held

11.00 – 11.15 hrs: Tea Break Venue: NILG, Dhaka

11.15 -12.45 hrs: HLP Overview and methodology – Shams Uddin Ahmed, Joint Secretary & FP-HLP, LGD, MoLGRD&C

Place: NILG

12.45 – 13.00 hrs: Address by DG, NILG Venue: NILG, Dhaka

13.00 – 14.00 hrs: Lunch break Place: HLP Centre

14.30 hrs: Departure for Tangail 19:00 hrs: Briefing on field visit and Question preparation for field visits, Dinner

Venue: Elenga Resort, Tangail Nepal team (11 persons), LOGIN support team and HLP Partners* =20 persons *See names at end of design

16 September 2014 (Tuesday)

09.00 -15:00 hrs: • 9.15 hrs : Departure for Sakhipur Pourashava • 10:45-12.00 AM: Meeting at Sakhipur

Pourashava • 12.30 hrs : Visit Treatment plant at

Rokibnagar Abashan ( Village) • 13.30 hrs : Visit Biogas Plant within

Pourashava

Sakhipur Pourashava (Municipality)

14.00 hrs: Return to Tangail Venue: Elenga Resort, Tangail

16:30 – 19:30 hrs: Visit to Tangail Heritage Centre Tangail

Dinner Venue: Elenga Resort, Tangail 17 September 2014 (Wednesday)

09.15 - 16.00 hrs: (with travel time and lunch): Travel to Tangail Sadar: Dhainya UP HLP Workshop on identification of good

practices Ward members of block participate in workshop Lunch

Dhainya UP Tangail

18.00 -19.00 hrs: Cultural group Shushilan presents Pot Song: Folk art and promotion of HLP

Venue: Elenga Resort, Tangail

19:00-20:30 hrs: Dinner (LOGIN) Venue: Elenga Resort, Tangail 20:30-23:00 hrs: Check out and travel back from Tangail to Dhaka

Hotel Lake Castle

18 September 2014 (Thursday) (Political Strike)

09.30 -13.30 hrs : Only Nepal delegation: Reflection space: Questions / clarifications arising from field

exposure

Venue: Hotel Lake Castle

Supporting institutionalization of HLP in

Nepal Providing leadership for HLP

Small group work Exploring understanding of HLP: Individual reflections Small group exchange

Dr. Cherian Joseph & Mr.Tareq Mahamud 13.00 -14.00hrs: Lunch Break

Venue: Hotel Lake Castle

15.00– 17.30 hrs: Exploring understanding of HLP …contd Plenary discussion Consolidation / relating to learning theory

Preparing for discussion with HLP Bangladesh team in concluding session Dr. Cherian Joseph & Mr. Tareq Mahamud

Venue: Hotel Lake Castle

19 September 2014 (Friday)

9.00-14.00 hrs: • Preparation of Plan for HLPN implementation • HLP Communication Strategy: Impact and

partner contribution • Elaborating roles / responsibilities/ timelines • Feedback • Closing

Venue: Hotel Lake Castle Santanu Lahiri Cherian Joseph

14.00-15.00 hrs: Lunch Break

Venue: Hotel Lake Castle

15.00-10.00 hrs: Free time to move around

Venue: Hotel Lake Castle

20 September 2014 (Saturday)

Depart for Nepal

*Design recorded as held

Facilitation group for exposure visit

1. Mr. Salim Hossain Bhuiyan HLP Team / Login Bangladesh 2. Mr.Tareq Mahamud HLP Team / Login Bangladesh 3. Mr. Santanu Lahiri LOGIN Bangladesh, Country Facilitator 4. Dr. Cherian Joseph LOGIN Asia, Consultant.

List of Nepali delegates

SL Name Institution E-mail Address

1. Mr. Narayan Prasad Pandey MoFALD np.pandey@hotmail.com

2. Mr. Shobhakhar Regmi MoFALD rshobhakhar@yahoo.com

3. Mr. Suresh Bastola MoFALD sures_bastola@yahoo.com

4. Mr. Lal Kumar K. C. ADDCN lalkumarkc@yahoo.com

5. Mr. Madan Krishna Shrestha MuAN sht_madan@yahoo.com

6. Mr. Bhim Prasad Dhungana NAVIN bhimpdhungana@gmail.com

7. Mr. Devilal Bhandari MoFALD -

8. Mr. Binay Kumar Kafle LDTA ldta.bkkafle@gmail.com bkafle1959@hotmail.com

9. Ms. Kalpana Shrestha LDTA udtc.kshrestha@gmail.com

10. Mr. Udaya Nath Khanal LDTA ldta.unkhanal@gmail.com

11. Mr. Tirtha Bahadur Tandukar LDTA ldta.ttandukar@gmail.com

Bangladesh HLP Team partners who accompanied Nepal delegation to field

12. Ms. Monika Mitra NILG manika_khama@yahoo.com

13. Mr. Dolar Kumar Saha Bangladesh Union Parishad Forum (BUPF)

bupf2003@yahoo.com

14. Mr. Nur Mohammad IRG Ltd. HLP-HubTangail

setu903@yahoo.com

15. Ms. Israt Jahan DASCOH sdsdraj.dascoh@gmail.com

16. Ms. Rakhi Barua CDD rakhi.barua@gmail.com

LOGIN Asia support team

17. Dr. Cherian Joseph LOGIN-Asia hranewdelhi@gmail.com

18. Mr. Santanu Lahiri LOGIN-Asia slahiri@worldbank.org

19. Mr. Salim Hossain Buiyan HLP team Bangladesh salim.bhuiyan5@gmail.com

20. Mr.Tareq Mahamud HLP team Bangladesh tareq.mahamud@gmail.com

Annexure-1

From Group Work Charts (19 Sept,2014)

A. Work Plan of MoFALD

SL. What we do Who will do

How it will be implemented

Who will facilitate

Supporting Agency

1. Consulting among us

All participants

By calling immediate meeting

Ministerial team

Focal person of MoFALD

2. Selected best practices among local bodies

MoFALD, LDTA

By taking MCPM report and monitoring

Ministerial team

Focal person of MoFALD

3. Exposure visit within Nepal by LGIs

MoFALD Selecting partners from different sectors i.e. Govt. NGO, Donor and DPs

MoFALD MoFALD, LDTA

4. Collecting best practices from local bodies

MoFALD By field visit and MCPM report

MoFALD, LDTA

MuAN, ADDCN, NAVIN

B. Work Plan of LDTA

(i) Incorporate HLP session in LDTA training course (ii) Identify good practice within organization (iii) Organize workshop with MoFALD, Associations/LDTA and LGs (iv) Identify HLPN focal persons for each stakeholder (v) Hold regional level workshop on HLPN (mentioned in first work plan)

C. Work Plan of LG Bodies (Translated from Nepali) (i) Central working committees of each body make decision to be associated with HLPN by the end

of November 2014. (ii) Internalize HLPN within the Local bodies Association coordination committee between MuAN,

NAVIN and ADDCN - by December 2014. (iii) Advocacy and lobbying related to HLPN to ministry and development partners - will start in

December 2014. (iv) Disseminate HLPN good practices and process within its own newsletter - started by NAVIN. To

be published in ADDCN & MuAN newsletters.