Data has the potential to positively impact and improve people’s health and well-being. Recognizing this, Lumbini Province established a Health Data Management Commission to harness the power of data to bring about positive change in the healthcare sector. This is done at a time when data-driven policymaking is often lacking at the local level.
To ensure safe childbirth, the state has developed a comprehensive Institutional Birth Action Plan. Its primary purpose is to improve the well-being of mothers statewide by providing skilled birth assistance during childbirth.
Every district in Nepal faces different disaster risks. Against this background, Lumbini has developed a Health Sector Disaster Preparedness Program to equip the health sector with the necessary tools and strategies to respond effectively to emergencies and ensure uninterrupted medical services in the event of a disaster. and prepared a response plan.
These developments in Lumbini have set a model for other state governments to follow. In other words, these examples could be success stories for specific states and local governments. There may be other, undisclosed examples of state and local governments making noteworthy achievements that are not recognized by the government or the federal government.
At the local level, there is currently a lack of formal mechanisms to promote good practices and efficient sharing of issues between two or more governments. There is also a lack of sub-national mechanisms for tracking progress in specific areas and addressing remaining challenges. Such mechanisms need to be established to facilitate cooperation and knowledge sharing between states or local governments.
A key factor contributing to this problem is the lack of a community of practice (CoP) at the sub-national level. CoP can play an important role in addressing this critical issue. Unfortunately, the government and development partners have failed to establish a CoP in Nepal, resulting in unnecessary waste of resources such as money, time, energy and human effort. Establishing a CoP fosters effective collaboration, facilitates knowledge sharing, and ultimately leads to more efficient and resourceful solutions.
The State Coordination Council, outlined in the Federal, State and Local Levels (Coordination and Relations) Act 2020, serves as a valuable working council for effective coordination between states and local governments. increase. Unfortunately, that goal has not been achieved. In addition, the Act establishes a Sectoral Commission that could act like a CoP to foster cooperative efforts and coordination in various areas such as health and education across all levels of government and non-government. I am also seeking the establishment of However, progress in this regard has been minimal or nonexistent.
Description of CoPs
The World Bank Group (WBG) defines a CoP as “a collection of individuals who transcend organizational boundaries, are interconnected, and are motivated by a desire to build a working body of knowledge through coordination and collaboration.” . In an ever-evolving global development environment, WBG plays a pioneering role in establishing and strengthening her CoP.
The Bank’s CoPs at global and regional levels serve as powerful platforms for engaging with diverse external stakeholders around the world. Recognizing that isolation is not the key to success, these platforms tackle complex challenges that require adaptive solutions. Based on my experience working with WBG, there is no doubt that the CoP offers immense value to its members, hosts and partners.
Over the last few years, CoP has been widely adopted in Western countries and India. They can play an important role in the development of Nepal. This is because 7 states, 6 major cities, 11 sub-major cities, 276 municipalities and 460 municipalities each face different challenges and have unique potential. While certain problems and opportunities may be similar, it is important to recognize that they cannot be effectively addressed alone.
A CoP is formed when it is recognized that no one person has all the answers to all challenges and opportunities and that everyone can benefit from support. In this sense, each local and state government should at least connect with other governments to exchange knowledge, expertise and experience. Mutually beneficial cooperation and partnerships, in any form, go a long way toward overcoming challenges and seizing opportunities.
Among the many areas where states and local governments can focus, there are also areas where the CoP can truly shine and deliver immediate results. One is to learn where states and local governments can learn from each other by exchanging knowledge, expertise and experience. For example, in the health sector, efforts to discourage home births in remote areas and encourage institutional births may involve good practice and unique challenges. Meanwhile, states and local governments can share these experiences to find answers about which strategies work and which don’t.
This knowledge exchange has the potential to save large amounts of taxpayers as similar interventions and approaches are likely to be successful for states or local governments facing similar geographic and social circumstances. . In addition, CoP can be used to enhance and extend innovative solutions. For any state or local government, the quest to find new solutions to unique problems, such as the healthcare sector, is like finding a treasure trove.
it’s never too late to start
Sixteen years after Nepal became a republic, the country faces immense challenges in coping with numerous development challenges. As semi-central governments are essential actors in development, they need to step up their efforts as business as usual could result in missed national opportunities. Despite the ongoing political rifts, there is a significant opportunity to shift focus to finding common ground and working together to deliver impactful outcomes. In light of this, introduce mechanisms to bring together all government agencies, international development partners operating in Nepal, the private sector and all stakeholders to foster cooperation, engage in dialogue and exchange best practices and challenges. is an urgent matter.
In summary, the CoP fosters collaboration, knowledge sharing, capacity building and innovation, bringing together experts, practitioners, policy makers and all stakeholders to share insights, experiences and resources, and to promote government’s 3 It has great potential to contribute to Nepal’s development by enabling all layers to work together. Learn from each other’s successes and failures.