Nepal Agricultural Services Development Programme (NASDP) – Main Credit Phase 1

01.04.2014 - 30.11.2020

Agriculture in Nepal is characterized by low growth and productivity, yet it still is the mainstay for 66% of the rural poor people. The small farmers will improve their productivity, income and food security thanks to the strengthening of a decentralized and pluralistic extension and research system, receptive to their needs and demands. Built on previous SDC interventions and in line with Nepal’s Agricultural Development Strategy, this system will also enhance their social inclusion.

Nepal Vocational Qualifications System (NVQS)

01.02.2014 - 31.12.2020

In Nepal, 500’000 youths enter the labour market yearly but remain un- or underemployed. The project will support the Ministry of Education to establish a National Vocational Qualifications Framework and a corresponding NVQ Authority to manage it. Learners and workers, especially from disadvantaged groups, will benefit from an improved vocational training qualification and skills certification system, thus increasing their chances for sustainable and decent employment.

Small Irrigation Programme (SIP)

01.02.2014 - 31.12.2020

Incidence of poverty in irrigated areas of Nepal is half that in rain-fed areas and access to irrigation water contributes thus to mitigate poverty. Since the marginal lands are better accessible through small irrigation schemes, reducing poverty of smallholder farmers through small irrigation systems^[1] are more effective than medium-sized or large systems. SIP will not only help increase their agricultural productivity but will also enhance the capacity of national and local government so that they can respond to these needs.

Home Garden

16.01.2014 - 31.12.2021

Small and marginal farmers in Nepal, especially women and children, are regularly exposed to malnutrition and are vulnerable to external shocks such as health risks and natural hazards. Home garden aims to improve family nutrition and reduce vulnerability of such individuals and households. Objectives are to diversify dietary sources of disadvantaged groups in homestead for family consumption and increase capacity for adaptation to natural hazards and climate change. The project strengthens the safety net and the coping strategy of the most vulnerable in Nepal.
 

Nepal Agricultural Markets Development Programme (NAMDP)

01.01.2014 - 30.11.2020

Semi-commercial small farmers, mostly cultivating less than 1 ha and often from disadvantaged groups, face significant hurdles to participate in agricultural product and input markets, thus failing to tap existing potentials to increase their production, farm income and well-being. Complementary to other Swiss projects, NAMDP will focus on market system development to foster market-led and inclusive growth of commercial agriculture, working with the production and marketing actors.

Local Governance and Community Development Programme (LGCDP) II

16.07.2013 - 31.12.2020

As a result of this project, the demand side of local governance will be strengthened through the empowerment of right holders. Social mobilization interventions will enable beneficiaries to more effectively demand public services and hold national and local governments accountable. Simultaneously, the supply side will be strengthened. As a result, local bodies with strengthened institutional capacity and resources will provide services more effectively to the people, esp. to disadvantaged groups. In addition, an enabling policy environment will be promoted. Inter alia, this will help to prepare Nepal for a future federal system, as and when this system is defined in the new constitution.

Safer Migration (SaMi) Project

16.07.2013 - 31.12.2020

SaMi addresses the needs of Nepali men and women who migrate to the Middle East and Southeast Asia on short term labour contracts. To reduce the financial and social costs of migration and to increase its financial benefits, the project facilitates access to relevant information, pre-departure skills trainings, legal and psychosocial support. SaMI also strengthens government’s capacity to effectively implement the labour migration policy and protect migrants. Some 170’000 people will benefit from the project over four years.

Support to the Peace Process in Nepal (Nepal Peace Trust Fund) – Phase IV

01.05.2013 - 31.03.2018

Through the single funding channel of the NPTF, donors strengthen the role and capacity of the state in Nepal’s peace process. This enables suporting elements of this process that are either pivotal, such as the Constitutional Assembly, the national and local elections, the rehabilitation of ex-combatants and the establishment of transitional justice mechanisms or peripheral like reconstruction of police posts destroyed during the war, establishment of medical centres for disabled victims of the war, strengthening of local peace committees. All this support globally contributes to increasing security for the population.

Local Roads Improvement Programme (LRIP – I)

01.12.2012 - 31.12.2021

Past SDC interventions have focussed on making rural road construction work for the poor and disadvantaged through labour-intensive construction methods. This project now takes proven approaches further by ensuring even more all-weather accessibility to markets and services by emphasising the importance of maintenance and preservation of built roads through promotion of labour-based roads maintenance methods and by fostering an institutional process in the districts, which should pave the way for the highly successful concepts of road construction and maintenance to be adopted as national standards.

Nepal Resident Coordinator Office Support in Transition

01.08.2012 - 31.12.2014

This initiative is in line with SDC’s priorities both at a global level, regarding the UN coherence and improved response in post-conflict transition, and at Nepal level as the country is still in a critical phase of the peace process. The Transition support strategy (TSS) supports the strengthening of relevant actors in the peace process and the stronger coordination and harmonisation of development partners.

Strengthening Local Governance Accountability Project (SLGAP)

01.04.2012 - 31.08.2019

The project empowers communities to claim their developmental rights by capacitating local civil society organisations (CSOs) to hold their local governments accountable. This is achieved by applying various social accountability (SA) tools. A protracted phase of political transition, a lack of structural accountability and transparency, rising corruption at all levels of government, and an absence of elected representatives makes the intervention highly relevant for target communities in SDC project areas.

Supporting the BOGs Group

01.10.2011 - 30.09.2013