Strategies of 10th Plan

source: http://www.visionapexcollege.blogspot.com 

The Tenth Plan, also known as Poverty Reduction Strategy Plan (PRSP)'s sole objective is to bring about a remarkable and sustainable reduction in the poverty level in Nepal over the next five years. To this end, Government has formulated a "four pillar" poverty reduction strategy, which squarely addresses the main causes and determinants of poverty identified in the preceding poverty analysis. The strategy, which is discussed in more detail below, is based on four overarching approaches: achieving sustained high and broad-based economic growth, focussing particularly on the rural economy; accelerating human development through a renewed emphasis on effective delivery of basic social services and economic infrastructure;  ensuring social and economic inclusion of the poor, marginalized groups and backward regions in the development process; and vigorously pursuing good governance both as a means of delivering better development results and ensuring social and economic justice.

the Tenth Plan/PRSP has adopted a number of new approaches and initiatives, which represent a radical departure from past plans and strategies.

(a) The poverty reduction strategy itself is significantly different.

            (i) While emphasizing sustainable high economic growth as in the past, the PRSP focuses     more sharply on accelerating income and employment growth in the rural economy where the            majority of the poor live.

            (ii) The emphasis on social inclusion and on improving governance is altogether new.

            (iii) So is the commitment to effective implementation of programs and better delivery of     social and economic services and infrastructure as the primary means of accelerating human     development, particularly among the poor and neglected groups and areas.

(b) In carrying out the strategy, the Tenth Plan/PRSP explicitly recognizes the fiscal and implementation constraints, unlike previous plans, which sought to do everything. This pragmatic approach has led to the identification of new modalities of implementation and service delivery for ensuring better development results:

            (i) In particular, the role of the Government has been redefined; and public interventions will           be limited and focussed on areas where they can yield the maximum social benefits

            (ii) The Plan relies heavily on the private sector, NGOs, INGOs and Community Based         Groups (CBOs) for carrying out economic activities, infrastructure development and service       delivery wherever possible, both in partnership with central and local governments and    agencies and to complement the role of the government.

            (iii) Strong emphasis is also placed on decentralization and maximizing the involvement of   local governments and community groups for identifying development activities and      allocating resources for them in accordance with people's needs, for strengthening service         delivery and for ensuring better program

            management, accountability and transparency through people's participation.

 (c) The PRSP also seeks to ensure strict adherence to a sustainable macroeconomic framework, setting annual budgets and spending plans within realistic levels. For this purpose, alternative

macroeconomic scenarios have been developed as a broad framework to guide future

spending decisions.

(d) The PRSP/Tenth Plan also place strong emphasis on prioritizing resource allocations annually through a rolling Medium Term Expenditure Framework, so that the key poverty reduction priorities can be protected despite shortfalls in resources.

 (e) To bring about the necessary changes in key areas, detailed structural and sectoral reform

programs have been developed, together with a program of key Immediate and Medium Term

reform actions.

(f) Finally, reflecting its emphasis on better implementation and service delivery, the Tenth Plan stresses the need for effective monitoring and evaluation arrangements, together with appropriate benchmarks and intermediate goals/targets for key activities, so that performance can be evaluated and monitored on a regular basis.

Key Goals and Targets

1. The Normal Case scenario aims to reduce the overall poverty ratio from 38% estimated at the end of the Ninth Plan (2001/02) to 30% by 2006/07.

2. Raising literacy to 63 percent, reducing the infant mortality rate to 45 thousand births.

3. Raising life expectancy to 65 years from 59 years.

4. Increasing access to drinking water for 85 percent of the population.

5. Electricity to 55 percent from around 42 percent.

6. Telephone facility to almost all village development committee.

7. Overall GDP growth rate of 6.2% per annum  is also envisaged, together with a substantial

improvement in agricultural growth to around 4.1% per annum.

DEFICIENCIES IN THE PLAN

1. UNREALISTICALLY AMBITIOUS TARGETS

UNREALISTICALLY AMBITIOUS TARGETS

2. NO / POOR MODELING

NO / POOR MODELING

3. LACK OF OWNERSHIP

LACK OF OWNERSHIP

4. WEAK STRATEGIC FOCUS

WEAK STRATEGIC FOCUS

5. WEAK LINKAGE BETWEEN TARGETS AND ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITIES

7. WEAK TARGETING

Review of 10th Plan

1. Economic growth rate remained 3.4 percent on an average during the Plan period.

2. Poverty line, has fallen to 31 percent from 42 percent.

3. Inflation was envisaged to be limited to 5 percent during the Plan period. These work out to 5.5 percent on an average.

4. The net enrollment rate at the  primary schools has reached 87.4 percent.

N NOT SUPPORTED BY FINANCING

WEAK TARGETING