LEP for Nepal and community empowerment process

LEP approach for the development of Nepal

LEP stands for Labour-based, Environment-friendly and Participatory approach. It is a development approach for local infrastructure (rural roads, trails, bridges, small irrigation and water supply) that uses local labour as the main resource, causes minimum harm to the environment, and involves the beneficiary community in all stages of the project. Nepal adopted it in the Local Infrastructure Development Policy, 2061 (2004).

• L – Labour-based: local labour is the main resource; light equipment is used only where labour cannot give the required quality (e.g. compaction). Money spent goes to local workers as wages.
• E – Environment-friendly: the work causes minimum damage to nature: balanced cut and fill, no dumping of spoil down slopes, proper drainage, bio-engineering (planting grass, bamboo, shrubs on slopes), gradual construction to let slopes stabilise, and use of local materials.
• P – Participatory: the beneficiaries take part in all stages – selection, planning, design, construction, monitoring, and operation and maintenance – usually through a users' committee, with public hearings and public audits.

Why LEP suits Nepal:

• Nepal has abundant labour but scarce capital; LEP creates rural jobs and keeps money in villages.
• Steep, fragile hills and monsoon rains make machine-built roads landslide-prone; green roads with drainage and bio-engineering are more stable.
• Remote areas lack access for heavy machines.
• Users' committees and local governments under federalism can manage small infrastructure.
• Ownership improves maintenance and sustainability.

Examples: green roads in the hills (Dhading and others, supported by GTZ/SDC), DoLIDAR rural road programmes, trail bridge programmes, community drinking water and irrigation schemes.

Community empowerment process of the participatory approach

Community empowerment means increasing the community's capacity, confidence and control over its own development. In the participatory approach it happens in stages:

1. Entry and rapport building: facilitators/engineers meet local leaders and people and build trust.
2. Awareness raising: people learn about their problems, rights and possible solutions.
3. Participatory need assessment: using PRA tools (FGD, resource and social mapping, wealth ranking), the community identifies and ranks its problems.
4. Organisation: formation of inclusive users' committees or groups with clear roles.
5. Participatory planning: the community prepares the plan, chooses technology, and agrees on cost sharing.
6. Capacity building: training in construction, leadership, accounting and maintenance.
7. Implementation and resource mobilisation: community provides labour and materials and manages work.
8. Participatory monitoring and public audit: ensures transparency and accountability.
9. Operation and maintenance: community runs the facility with an O&M fund.
10. Self-reliance and scaling up: confident groups take up new initiatives and link with other agencies.

Rapport -> Awareness -> Need assessment
   -> Organisation -> Planning -> Training
   -> Implementation -> Monitoring/Audit
   -> O&M -> Self-reliant community