Best practices in implementation of DDUGKY

Introduction

Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDUGKY) is part of National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) which envisages to add diversity to the income of rural poor families and transform rural poor youth into an economically independent and globally relevant workforce by providing training and placement. The programme uniquely focuses on rural youth between the age group of 15 to 35 years from poor families. It is currently running across 568 Districts of 21 States/UTs with over 690 projects being implemented by nearly 300 partners. The unique implementation structure of programme involves partners, committed to changing lives and who are experts in their areas. Partners are supported through investment, capacity building, strategies for retention, linkages to international placement and technology support for training purposes.

The focus areas with regards to implementation of DDUGKY are as follows:

• Enrolling candidates for training programmes and ensuring that they complete the training and receive certification for the same
• Covering diverse group of candidates, including SC/ST, women and minority groups
• Ensuring job placement of trained candidates, including SC/ST, Women and Minority, are appointed in jobs and placed for more than three months
• Tracking of placed candidates for at least a year
• Mobilisation of candidates and capturing information of Gram Panchayats (GPs) in which mobilisation saturation has been achieved
• Adopting innovative methods in implementation of the programme
• Ensuring transparency / accountability in implementation of programme

Best Practices for Replication

Awareness:

• Awareness is created via leaflets, banners and door-to door campaigns.
• Self Help Groups, Village Organisations, and Project Implementation Agencies (PIAs) are tapped to reach mobilisation saturation in Gram Panchayats.
• Exposure visits of stakeholders, trade lists and PIA training centre details are made public.
• Candidates are identified using the Socio Economic Caste Census.
• Visits to junior colleges are arranged to educate them about the scheme.
• Drop outs were identified and councelled for mobilising them.
• Home visits, job melas, youth conventions and alumni meets are conducted in Mahbubnagar, Telangana to increase the placement rate.
• Youth database surveys are conducted such as the Community Resource Persons (CRPs) in Dhemaji, Assam to assess the status of employment and decide upon trainings to be provided.
• To build mass support and increase sustainability, DDUGKY is implemented in Private Public Partnership (PPP) mode with market linkage.

Training:

• Computer labs and e-learning tools are made available at the training centres to enable candidates to provide opportunities for self-learning.
• A minimum monthly stipend of `6,000 is also recommended.
• Candidates are placed into jobs internationally in the construction sector as seen in the Cuttack District.
• Quality of training is maintained through regular center inspections and follow up.
• Transparency is maintained by placing all training and placement details on online portals and apps.
• Parent counseling is done at Training Center Level.
• Rigorous monitoring through visits to training centres, interaction with trainees and trainers at Cuttack, Odisha.
• SHG and VO members are taken to the training centre so that they interact with candidates from their region.
• Courses recognised by National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT), Sector Skill Council (SSC) or Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) are being offered with a minimum duration of 90 days with 75% assured placements at Karimnagar, Telangana.

Use of Technology:

The Kaushal Panjee app is used for the registration of prospective candidates. Geo-tagged time stamped and Aadhaar-linked biometric attendance in training centres has been installed. Technology is additionally deployed through the use of social media and by providing tablets to candidates.

Monitoring:

Post placement monitoring is done extensively, with a focus on female candidates to check drop out from this programme. This is done through phone calls made by the Project Implementation Agencies monthly and maintaining a progress report of the candidates.

Convergence:

Convergence is made with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act (MGNREGA) households, Self Help Group households and National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) households for targeting mobilisation of candidates.

Suggestions for Effective Implementation

To overcome high number of drop outs, especially in the Districts where training centers are far from home. Initially a skill gap analysis can be conducted to assess the manpower requirement of surrounding industries and keep in mind the same for the implementation of the DDUGKY scheme.

• A high number of female drop outs are also observed due to parents’ unwillingness to send daughters for training/placement and candidates sometimes express dissatisfaction with the stipends. To incentivise their engagement, the minimum stipend of `6,000 may be raised to a sustainable amount, covering living expenses of the candidates for six months, instead of the earlier three months.
• For better coordination between various stakeholders throughout the cycle, workshops should be conducted and close network of communication should be created, from enrolling the candidate to stable placement.
• For industrial placement of candidates in areas where trainings were imparted, demands courses like GST, Animation, and Accounts Tally can be included in the curriculum and Dedicated placement cells and migration support centres can be established at the District headquarters.
• There is an unmet need for training and resources for candidates who wish to start enterprises and embark on entrepreneurship ventures. The programme can be linked with Entrepreneurship Development programmes of the Government viz. Skill India, Stand Up India, etc. Long duration District specific customised skill or trades may be included in the programme, lasting from six months to one year.

Case Studies

Case Study 1: Jorhat, Assam

Creating Awareness:

Door-to-door visits were undertaken along with audio publicity in Gram Panchayats, distribution of leaflets and pamphlets.

• Self Help Groups and Village Organisations were involved in the awareness campaigns and raised awareness in meetings.
• An orientation programme for Panchayati Raj Institution members was also organised.
• Before, every mobilisation camp, Project Implementation Asgency visit the concerned BMMU and prepare a proper plan for organising a successful mobilisation camp in terms of participation of eligible candidates.
• Mobilisation is wholly carried out by Project Implementing Agencies (PIA) with the help of Block Mission Management Units (BMMU) staffs. Additionally, mobilisation of candidates was followed by an aptitude test and counselling session.
• Job melas were conducted to increase the placement rate and bring all the stakeholders and PIA members under one place.
• Hoardings and flex were fixed in the market areas.

Convergence with Other Schemes:

Convergence with Government schemes such as MGNREGA is done to create awareness and improve the functionality of the scheme.

Impact (01.04.2016 to 31.12.2017)

Total 325 candidates were trained, 226 of whom were placed into jobs for more than three months. A total of 578 candidates have been mobilised. A total of 172 mobilisations were carried out with an average turn out in the mass mobilisation of about 300.

Case Study 2: Dhemaji, Assam

Creating Awareness:

To promote the initiative, awareness campaigns in the village and Gram Panchayats were conducted regularly.

• Awareness was created through the distribution of leaflets, banners, and conducting meetings in the Village and Gram Panchayat. A youth database survey through Community Resource Persons (CRPs) was also conducted.
• Eligible school dropout youths are identified and registered by DDUGKY officials from different villages and Panchayats so as to prepare them for sending them to training centers.
• The CBOs and their sub committees are given orientation about the Yojana whereupon they discuss it in their meetings so as to get good output from the Scheme.
• DDUGKY stall was highlighted during Namami Brahmaputra and Dhemaji Haat.

Convergence with Existing Schemes:

This initiative was converged with various government schemes such as MGNREGA to create awareness about the DDUGKY scheme.

Strategies Adopted:

The innovative approaches in the implementation of this programme in the Dhemaji district included:

1. Strengthening organisations such as Community Based Organisations (CBOs)/Self Help Group (SHGs)/Voluntary Organisations (VOs)/Cluster Level Federation (CLF) and include discussion of DDUGKY in their regular meeting agendas. They were also provided access to the training centres and encouraged to interact with the trainees.
2. Regular meetings in the Project Implementation Agency (PIAs) in the Block and District level were conducted. This helped in better implementation of the programme.

Using Technology:

The use of technology was promoted at multiple levels by promotion of Apps such as Kaushal Panjee for the online registration of candidates, and the use of smartphones to relay information.

Transparency and Accountability:

To ensure transparency, Self Help Groups and Village Organisation members are given access to the training centers to meet candidates from their region and interact with them. In addition, the candidates are counselled by District and Block Officials through visits to the training centers. Before mobilisation, regular meetings with the Project Implementation Agencies were conducted and strategies were adopted to reduce the number of dropouts. The community was made aware about the reasons of dropouts and the possible ways to combat them, and the parents are counselled for the same. The sustainability and replicability of this programme stems from the positive impact that it has created in Dhemaji as deprived sections of this community have gained access to a career and develop their skills.

Impact (01.04.2016 to 31.12.2017)

Total 153 candidates completed training. Further, 120 candidates are placed for 3 or more months. A total of 272 candidates were mobilised from SECC households with at least one deprivation.

Case Study 3 : Karimnagar, Telangana 

Creating Awareness:

Awareness campaigns were organised at Panchayat Level for wide publicity through media.

• Visits to junior colleges were made where the young unemployed were briefed about the programme and resource persons interacted with the youth.
• NGOs, public representatives, and alumni of the programme were involved in motivation of candidates.

Use of Technology:

The use of technology for this programme involved SMS alerts, interaction with employers through video call, and counselling with job based videos. Call center support was also established for registration, counselling, and grievance redressal and success stories of candidates were shared on the programme website. Kaushal Panjee, a web based application, was used to manage the training and placement needs of the rural youth.

Transparency and Accountability:

• Candidates were selected through screening camps at the village level.
• All training and placement details were provided on URL: tssm.cgg.gov.in. Progress reports of candidates/trainees were shared with the parents, supplemented with monthly parent meetings at the training centers.
• District Rural Development Authority staff carried out home visits for mobilisation, counselling of youth who drop out and acquired feedback from stakeholders.

Strategies Adopted:

Innovatory approaches to the implementation of this programme include:

• Conducting a demand assessment to match candidates with skills and opportunities, facilitating regular interaction with prospective employers, and creation of progress reports on candidates undergoing training.
• A village level survey was conducted and a database at the village level was maintained by involving Community Based Organization (CBO) and Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) Staff.
• Post placement support of `3,000 per month was also provided to the candidates for a period of three months.

Impact (01.04.2016 to 31.12.2017)

Total 2,209 candidates were trained in the programme, exceeding the allocated target of 1201, of which 2,072 were placed into jobs for three months or more. A total of 3,767 candidates were mobilised in the District.

Use of Technology 

• Call Centre Support for registration, counseling and grievances redressal
• Tab based counseling with job role based videos
• SMS alerts and counseling for dropouts
• Trainees interaction with employers for specific requirements through video call
• Sharing of success stories on website
• Iris based placement verificaton
• Permanent Recruitment Centre for job information

Participatory Approach

• Involvement of Community Organisation viz., SHGs, VOs and MSs at every level of the process
  
  • Motivation and awareness generation
  • Identification of Skill gaps
  • Registration of students
• Involvement of NGOs, public representatives in motivation
• Involvement of alumni for creating awareness and career counseling

Case Study 4: Mahbubnagar, Telangana

Creating Awareness:

Mahbubnagar’s strong SHG network was leveraged at all villages for awareness creation, survey, follow-up, and mobilisation. At the district level, the initiative was supported by the District Rural Development Agency.

• Home-visits and Job melas were conducted for mobilisation. And parents counselling and call centre was set up to manage the drop outs in the programme.
• Varied industries were involved in the initiative with specialised jobs such as Accounts Assistants, Food and Beverage Services, etc.
• Additionally, EGMM, DRDA conducted District level and Mandal level mobilisation melas with the help of advertisement in newspapers and mobilising the youth with the help of Jobs Resource Persons (JRP’s), field staff of DRDA, Assistant Project Manager’s, Community Coordinators etc.
• During mobilisation all staff interacted with the rural youth and their parents, and gave them details about the DDUGKY project.

Convergence with Existing Schemes:

The training under DDUGKY was converged with other schemes for better mobilisation of candidates and to reach all households. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act (MGNREGA) households were targeted under the Project Livelihoods in Full Employment (LIFE). Employment generation and Marketing Mission (EGMM) with the help of District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) implement DDUGKY in the District.

Strategies Adopted:

Sophisticated lab, accommodation for trainees and security surveillance were established at training centres for their security and effective monitoring.

Impact (01.04.2016 to 31.12.2017)

A total of 1,619 candidates were trained under the programme, exceeding the District target of 1,558. Of them, 1,474 were placed into jobs for a period of three months or more. Total 177 candidates completed 700 days of wage employment.

Case Study 5: Cuttack, Odisha

Creating Awareness:

The District Administration involved micro level Community Cadres like Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Cluster Level Forums (CLFs) and Gram Panchayat Level Federation (GPLF) members to reach all households for mobilisation of candidates.

• A dedicated Nodal Officer at Block Level was designated and the progress was reviewed regularly.
• Mobilisation camps were organised at the village or community level and counselling camps were organised at the GP or Block Level.
• Leaflets, trade lists, and details of Project Implementation Agency (PIA) Training Centre were made public and exposure visits of stakeholders were organised.
• Additionally, sun board, hoarding, wall paintings and posters placed at each GP, Block and other important places at the District Level. Announcements were made on Public Address System before counselling camps and during important events like Swachhata Pakhwada, Republic Day, Independence Day, and Gandhi Jayanti.
• Performance of Block Functionaries was reviewed on a monthly basis to monitor progress of the awareness programmes.
• The Dakshyata Skill Rath with branding was taken out for the rural campaigns and felicitation of parents at different forums.
• Skill caravans were sent at different institutions. Parents’ counselling was done at the training centers.

Convergence with Existing Schemes:

The training under DDUGKY was converged with other schemes for better mobilisation of candidates and to reach all households. Households under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act (MGNREGA) were covered under the project under Project LIFE (Livelihoods in Full Employment). The initiative was also converged with Odisha Skill Development Authority (OSDA). Additionally, special mobilisation was carried out for Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETI) during counselling camps. Self Help Group households were specifically targeted for skilling of their unemployed youth due to their close involvement in mobilisation.

Strategies Adopted:

• Candidates were tracked at the Village level by Community and Panchayati Raj Institution members.
• PRI members were also involved in the identification and sourcing of candidates.
• Grass root level mobilisation was carried out by SHG members and community cadres with 2 people responsible for each Gram Panchayat.
• A grievance redressal cell for candidates enrolled in the DDUGKY programme was also established.
• There was close monitoring of training centres, interaction with trainees and trainers and parent visits. Training centres were closely monitored and parent counselling sessions were conducted at the Training Centre Level.
• Role models and success stories of the DDUGKY programme were showcased to increase motivation and post placement tracking was carried out.

Use of Technology:

During this initiative, social media platforms such as WhatsApp was extensively used for disseminating details among community members and for awareness creation and brand building. Moreover, Kaushal Panjee application was publicised at the village point for online uploading of prospective candidate profiles. Additionally, biometric candidate data and relevant information was uploaded on a web-based MIS to avoid duplicity.

Transparency and Accountability:

Efforts to maintain transparency and accountability in the implementation of the programme included regular training center inspections and follow up, weekly review by Block Development Officers at the block level, and monthly review meeting under the Chairmanship of the District Collector with the participation of BDOs and PIAs. PIAs also take permissions while migrating the candidates to workplaces, especially out of State.

Impact (01.04.2016 to 31.12.2017)

Total 2,410 candidates were trained under the programme which exceeded the District target of 1,561 candidates. Of which 1,521 have been placed into jobs for three months or more which is a 63% placement rate. Total 4,151 candidates have been mobilized in the District.

Convergence of Existing Schemes of Government

• MGNREGA House Holds are targeted under the Project Life
• SHG House Holds are specially targeted for skilling the youth
• Convergence with State Skill Development Authority (OSDA)
• Special Mobilisation for RSETI during counseling camps
• HH covered under Mission 2,64 - livelihood initiation of OLM

Local Policy

• PRI involvement in DDUGKY programme for identification and sourcing of candidates
• Involvement of Community institutions (GPLF, CLF etc)
• Declaration of dedicated nodal officer at Block level like PA, GPEO, BPM, BLC and regularly reviewed in every month
• Grass root level mobilisation by SHG members, Community cadres at two people per Gram Panchayat

Source : Emulating Excellence Takeaways for Replication