Independent evaluation mechanism to measure impact of NRLM

NEW DELHI: The government will set up an independent evaluation mechanism to assess the impact of the ambitious National Rural Livelihoods Mission ( NRLM) launched to alleviate poverty in villages.

Addressing a workshop organised here to evaluate the results from rural livelihood projects, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said up to 50 professionals from different walks of life will be recruited soon to measure the impact of each of the components of the NRLM.

Noting that NRLM has five components including formation, federation and financing of women self-help groups and livelihood programme for rural women farmers and agricultural labourers, he said, "I think it is important for us to have a group of professionals who are not directly involved in the implementation of the programme who are constantly looking at matrix to measure the impact on each of the components."

The three other components of NRLM include value addition on non-timber forest produce in tribal districts of states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, gender rights issue and Aajeevika Skill Development programmes like Himayat, Roshni and state-level skill development schemes financially supported by the Centre.

Ramesh said that the Cabinet had recently approved the setting up an autonomous, adequately staffed, professionally managed and empowered agency at the national level to implement the NRLM, called the National Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (NRLPS) under the Societies Registration Act.

The setting up of such a society is essential to implement the programme in a mission mode, as livelihoods programmes require a wide range of specialisation and experience, he said.

The main objective of the society is to continuously build capacities of the state rural livelihoods missions in planning, implementing and monitoring the programme, Ramesh said.

"Further it will provide an opportunity for formally involving state governments in decision-making, by nominating them to the executive committee of the society."