| MYRADA |
No.2, Service Road
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| Rural Management Systems Series Paper 30C |
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Guidelines For The Evaluation Of Self-Help Groups |
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We are often asked how we decide when a group can begin to function on its own without day-to-day contact with MYRADA. ‘Phasing out’ does not happen suddenly; it is a gradual process. When groups are new our staff are present at almost all their weekly meetings. This is followed by a period over which our Training Staff provide regular trainings to the group members on group development, income-generating programmes, credit management, common fund enhancement, documentation and book-keeping, responsibility sharing for group administration, establishing linkages with other institutions, and awareness on various social and developmental issues. All these training programmes have a bearing on the groups’ day-to-day functioning. Meanwhile, our staff slowly reduce their presence at group meetings to once or twice a month or even less. There comes a point when our staff stop attending group meetings of the older groups altogether. If the groups do require our assistance once in a while, they come to our Office and ask for it rather than the other way around. Our contacts with these groups may be at Federation/Apex Body meetings of which they are members. We have had instances where older groups requiring training inputs are even paying some faculty charges; in other cases, some of the group members themselves are providing training to other groups, independent of MYRADA. The audit of group accounts is also paid for by the groups themselves. A single staff member, who can only work with 10 to 15 groups at the initiation stage, can now support over 50 groups once they reach this stage of managing most or all of their affairs independently. Total discontinuation of all forms of contact results in some of the groups deteriorating or collapsing. After a decade of experience in working with self-help groups, MYRADA has realised that many groups do need a ‘rallying point’; a psychological reassurance that “some one out there is interested in us”. We, therefore, recommend staying in touch through Federations/Apex Bodies but interactions are far less frequent and qualitatively different. The Guidelines that follow are an indicative check list of whether that stage is reached. Section A :
Month and year of group formation/Age of the group : ________________ Funds available with the group as on date of this evaluation :
(Section B follows) B : Essential criteria that the group must fulfil
Score ‘1’ if point is fulfilled and ‘0’ if not. There are no scores in-between. These criteria must be essentially present in every group; Even if one is not present, it means the group requires focused attention for some more time.
(Section C follows) SectionC : Optional criteria that the group may fulfil Score ‘1’ if point is fulfilled and ‘0’ if not. There are no scores in-between.
These criteria are optional; they need not be considered in deciding whether to withdraw from a group unless the evaluator has some specific concern in mind.
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1. The group has atleast one trained promoter and access to the services of other trained promoters (e.g., in accounts, health and mid-wifery, etc.)
Comments : _______________________________________
Score : _______
2. The group is a member of a local Federation of similar groups (Apex Body).
Comments : _______________________________________
Score : _______
3. The group has an adequate place to meet where all are allowed to enter.
Comments : _______________________________________
Score : _______
4. The group is successfully managing atleast one Group Income Generating Programme.
Comments : _______________________________________
Score : _______
5. The group has implemented some community action programmes and is capable of continuing to do so independently.
Comments : _______________________________________
Score : _______
6. The group has successfully conducted literacy, numeracy, and functional education classes for its members.
Comments : _______________________________________
Score : _______
7. The group is involved in promoting some social and cultural activities among
its members and the community.
Comments : _______________________________________
Score : _______
8. The group has made atleast one effort to promote social justice and/or prevent the exploitation of its own members by others.
Comments : _______________________________________
Score : _______
(Section D follows)
Section D : Other critical points
This section has YES/NO responses. Negative responses have to be given serious consideration in deciding whether to phase out of the group.
1. Does the group have any liabilities against MYRADA ?
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Yes : ____ |
No : ____ |
Comments : _________________________________ |
2. Has the group undergone the full training syllabus with minimum 80% attendance in each session ?
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Yes : ____ |
No : ____ |
Comments : _________________________________ |
3. Is the group following its rules and regulations properly, with sanction and control mechanisms ?
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Yes : ____ |
No : ____ |
Comments : _________________________________ |
4. Is the group following collective decision-making processes ?
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Yes : ____ |
No : ____ |
Comments : _________________________________ |
5. Does the group have a clear vision and plans for the future ?
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Yes : ____ |
No : ____ |
Comments : _________________________________ |
(Section E follows)
Section E :
Summing Up
1. Essential criteria :
Maximum points obtainable : 12
Minimum points obtainable : 0
POINTS OBTAINED BY THIS GROUP :
2. Optional criteria :
Maximum points obtainable : 8
Minimum points obtainable : 0
POINTS OBTAINED BY THIS GROUP :
3. Evaluator’s main observations : ________________________________
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4. Evaluator’s recommendations regarding phasing out by MYRADA :
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