The purpose of this building block is to engage different stakeholders for ownership and sustainability. It works by creating a platform for leveraging resources, market linkages, policy formulation/ improvement and mainstreaming. For instance, NDRC Nepal actively engaged relevant government agencies for the project’s implementation, namely District Forest Offices (DFOs), District Agriculture Development Offices (DADOs), District Livestock Service Offices (DLSOs) and District Soil Conservation Offices (DSCOs). Local cooperatives, CBOs, NGOs and INGOs like Heifer International were also mobilized in the project’s endeavors for ownership and sustainability. The project efforts had direct benefits for the farming, forestry and fishery sectors. The involvement of local financial institutions helped link poor families to banks for financial stability. The project worked to link farmers directly with market networks, so that they continue to receive fair prices for their produce. Working with other relevant stakeholders, NDRC Nepal was successful in pressuring the Government of Nepal to draft a policy for addressing the issue of shifting cultivation in 2014.
For the success of this building block, three conditions are imperative: First of all, desired actors need to be included from the very beginning or planning phase of the project. Secondly, continuous communication and collaboration are vital to avoid misunderstandings and lay a strong foundation of partnerships. Finally, mutual review and reflection on a periodic basis provides insights for improving the alliance and partnership development.
During the implementation of this building block, multiple benefits of partnerships were realized. Cross sectoral collaboration is greatly useful for resource leverage. Including a variety of actors in the project is crucial to ensure market linkages. Also, if policy change or modification is needed, it is helpful to include the government sectors as intensely as possible. Including key government decision makers from the initial phase helps earn goodwill and catalyzes the policy formation or modification process. Collaboration and coordination with government bodies are pivotal in integrating important initiatives in the annual plans and programs for long term sustainability.