Project Summary

Project Title: Public Awareness in the Constituent Assembly Process in Nepal
Funding Partner: The Asia Foundation/RDIF
Document Source: projectsummary9.pdf

Overview & Implementation Details

Project Name: Public Awareness in the Constituent Assembly Process in Nepal
Funding Partner: The Asia Foundation/RDIF
Start date: January 2007
End date: December 2009

Project Summary of Activities and Outcome:

IGD was commissioned to implement the project "Strengthening Public Awareness, Participation
and Accountability in the constituent Assembly process in Nepal" in sixteen districts of western
and central development region in Nepal through local patners from the respective districts.
Objectives

To support the effective participation of people in constituent assembly election in Nepal.

To support the development of more inclusive, representative and accountable system
of government in Nepal by increasing public awareness, participation and accountability
in CA process.

IGD supported and backstopped partners to implement the citizen and voter education trainings at
community level. An inter-district peer monitoring mechanism and process was developed to
enhance effectiveness of the activities. A cascade of training was implemented from centre to the
district level to produce a critical and inclusive group of facilitators to carry out citizen and voter
awareness meetings at the local level. Partners in 16 districts conducted citizen and voter
awareness meetings in their respective VDCs. They carried out conducted door to door campaign
for enhancing the voter awareness as well on the voting process.

Altogether 13, 009 people participated in community declaration dialogues. Male (45%) and
Female (55%) participants attended the citizen education meetings. 401 facilitators among them
male 150 (37.41%) and female 251 (62.59) were trained to conduct the citizen and voter education.
An impact assessment done by an independent agency indicated that the awareness level of the
people on CA and its importance increased from 35% to 77%. Altogether 1.327 voter education
classes were conducted in 744 VDCs. Voter turnout was about 75% in the villages where citizen
and voter education classes were conducted. 28 CA members, 61 local leaders, 37 government
officials, 295 ethnic leaders, 107 civil society representatives, 91 press and 83 others participated
in district declaration/public forum programs. District declarations were compiled and
consolidated into a citizen national manifesto for CA. This is being handed over CA and handed
over to CA.

Detailed Description of the Actual Services provided
 Citizen education conducted to empower rural constituents to discuss issues of
constitution making with CA members
 Local citizens including Dalits, indigenous peoples empowered to elect their
representative to constituent Assembly and advocate for their rights and interests with CA

Mr.
Nil
Kantha
Upreti,
Election
commissioner
at Regional ToT, on Voter Education, Pokhara, Kaski
Participants in Civic Education on Constitution and
CA

Significance & Legacy

This project contributed directly to IGD's institutional knowledge base and helped establish long-term networks among local communities, civic leaders, and government stakeholders.