Supporting sustainable development at the gram panchayat level: The Varanasi SeVa project

• Dec 28, 2023
• 2 min

NITI Aayog onboarded MSC to support the Varanasi district administration to implement and monitor the unique gram panchayat-level saturation program called “Sewapuri Vikas Abhiyan (SeVA).” MSC set up a full-time program support unit (PSU) to review the on-ground situation and gather critical insights to support the implementation. Key deliverables included the development of strategic plans for the five sectors, the design of a monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEAL) framework, the development of the program’s communication plan, support to development partners to train, hand-hold, and increase their community outreach and build capacities, and the submission of periodic reports with the analysis of KPIs.

MSC supported the district administration of Varanasi in India’s Uttar Pradesh state to implement and monitor the unique gram panchayat-level saturation program called “Sewapuri Vikas Abhiyan (SeVA).” MSC set up a full-time program support unit (PSU) that comprised development sector professionals. The team reviewed the on-ground situation and consulted relevant government ministries and departments, development partners, and sector experts to gather critical insights and support the implementation.

MSC developed strategic plans for the five sectors in focus—health, education, nutrition, sanitation, and financial inclusion. We developed detailed action plans and designed a monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEAL) framework to monitor and evaluate key performance indicators (KPIs) regularly. We developed the Abhiyan’s communication plan and a note with key principles and approaches to transform the Abhiyan into Jan Andolan—a people’s movement. The team supported development partners to train, hand-hold, and increase their community outreach through a cadre of SeVA volunteers and submitted periodic reports with the analysis of KPIs and qualitative observation.

The Sewapuri Vikas Abhiyan made tremendous progress in infrastructural development, beneficiary enrolment, training and capacity building, health promotion, disease prevention, and change in the local population’s behavior. It impacted more than 230,000 lives. It transformed more than 34 community health centers into health and wellness centers and improved the infrastructure of more than 124 governments through the introduction of smart classes. It built public convenience facilities, such as community toilets, gram panchayats, and Common Service Centres in all the gram panchayats. It led to increased enrolments under the multiple welfare programs run by the government.

The NITI Aayog commissioned the project with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).