PROBLEM SOLVING WITH GIRLS AND WOMEN
Read more about the 3D Program's three-tier mechanism linking women at the village-level to block-level problem-solving and district-level decision-making:
Village Convergence Planning Committees
After hearing from girls and women that existing village-level platforms, such as village panchayats or Mahila Gram Sabhas and even self-help groups often do not meet their diverse needs, the 3D Program, in partnership with NGOs MASUM and Chaitanya, is facilitating women's collectives called Village Convergence Planning Committees (VCPCs) in five villages across Purandar and Khed blocks and plans to scale up to 15.
VCPC members include: Girls and women from the community, village level government workers, including community leaders, community health workers, such as ASHA workers and auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs), and other community leaders across sectors, including Police Patils, sanitation workers and school principals.
The committees meet 8 times annually and the agenda is driven by the priorities of girls and women in the community. Since the VCPCs were launched, they have identified a range of issues that are preventing girls and women from accessing government and other programs and opportunities, including local problems, such as broken school fences; widespread infrastructure needs, such as public transportation and lack of mobile phone and Internet coverage; as well as strategic issues, such as home and land ownership by women.
Learn more about the structure and mission of the VCPCs:
Village Convergence Planning Committees - TOR (Marathi)
Village Convergence Planning Committees - TOR (English)
Block-level Problem Solving
The Block Convergence Planning Committees in Purandar and Khed provide a forum for girls and women from Village Convergence Planning Committees to meet face-to-face with government officials and leaders who can address their questions and issues. Additionally, VCPC members present important data collected from girls and women on their experiences accessing government schemes and programs and their feedback on the effectiveness of these schemes and programs.
In the words of an adolescent girl in Khed taluka:
Through participation in the VCPC, I came to that the village level government officers report to other senior officers. We liked the Block Development Officer. He tried to solve whatever problems that were presented by us by calling the concerned officer immediately and ask why it was not being addressed.
Learn more about the structure and mission of the BCPCs:
Block Convergence Planning Committees - TOR (Marathi)
Block Convergence Planning Committees - TOR (English)
District-level Decision-making and Planning
The 3D Program convenes and facilitates the District Convergence Planning Committee (DCPC) to inform district planning and budget processes and strengthen district-wide services for girls and women. Chaired by the CEO, Zilla Parishad and endorsed by the District Collector, the committee is comprised of key district government departments and representatives of NGOs and the private sector engaged as needed. The DCPC is tasked with creating a shared vision for girls and women, jointly defined targets and accountability mechanisms for implementation that can be integrated into district program planning and implementation.
To truly serve girls and women effectively, we need to coordinate multiple inputs and provide them simultaneously. By talking to each other within the ZP and sharing data, we will be able to jointly plan and implement programs more effectively. By working with partners in civil society and the corporate sector, who can provide technical and other inputs, we can fill gaps and benefit from new methodologies and additional resources.
Suraj Mandhare, District Collector, Nashik, and former CEO of Pune Zilla Parishad