NATIONAL NETWORK ENABLING SELF-HELP MOVEMENT (ENABLE)

Meeting on 13th December 2019

Venue: APMAS Training Centre, Hyderabad

Minutes

The meeting started with all the participants’ introductions and greetings. A welcome speech was
given by CS Reddy explaining the objective of the meeting:

 To fine-tune the vision, strategies and role of ENABLE network at national level
 Develop ENABLE network action plan for the year 2020

Introduction of meeting agenda and setting the context by CS Reddy by explaining different
projects implemented in different states and the outcomes of them, over the years and also the
experiences and learnings from many projects:

 The rural inclusive growth projects in AP and Karnataka are based on SHGs and its
foundation
 In most of the cases, more than 90% of the FPO members are members of SHGs
 During a meeting with AP Govt. the officials were of the opinion that many organizations
are wasting time doing the social mobilization again. We do have SHGs and their
federations, they can be involved in forming the FPOs directly
  The concept of Village Secretariats (Grama Sachivalayam) in AP with a cadre of
technical professionals in agriculture, veterinary sciences etc. are being recruited to meet
the needs of the rural households
 More money got pumped into the SHGs and their federations because of many funding
agencies – the idea of self-reliant institutions is lost here
 Secondly, the govt. in AP and Telangana introduced PaavlaVaddi (4% interest loans) and
later the govt. introduced Interest Free loans

Some of the participants also shared their experiences working in different projects in different
states:

 Focus should be on Women Empowerment

 Having worked with the Govt. and NGOs, the important learning has been that nothing
can work without network and partnerships
 The State and Central Governments, Civil Society Organizations and every other
organization, personnel, working in the space of social development should form a
network to deal with issues in India
 To form a framework with all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)and
organizations should work within that framework to ensure, we all collectively achieve
the SDGs
 Restructuring and re-strategizing the women empowerment programs is very necessary
 The relationship that existed between the Banks and SHGs in the starting days is lost now
and efforts should be made to reinstate that
  Urban SHGs are a big problem now; most of them are becoming defaulters; more
handholding is necessary in Urban areas and its SHGs

In conclusion of the introductory address, by CS Reddy said that

 The year 2020 shall be an year of test for the ENABLE network
 The network should also look into as how the civil society organizations come into an
understanding with the SRLMs, work together, establish few models, use technology and
serve the target population

A presentation was made by Ramalakshmi on the outcomes of the ENABLE National Level
Conference held during September 2019 at APMAS Training Centre. Some of the points
discussed were:

 Business orientation is very poor in more than 70% FPOs in India

 There is no ‘savings concept’ in FPOs as it is in SHGs. There is no additional
mobilization of funds by the members. The members just pay the share capital
 SOC (Sector Own Control) and SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) are applicable for
FPOs also as they are in SHGs
 Vision and Mission statements of ENABLE
 Why ENABLE and the roles of the ENABLE Network was also discussed
 SOP, by-laws and some non-negotiable to be prepared for the ENABLE Network
 34 members are shown interest to take membership in the ENABLE Network as of now –
details as follows –

 No Working States number  No Working States number

1 Andhra Pradesh 2 11Odisha 3
2 Andhra Pradesh and Odisha 1 12Rajasthan 3
 Andhra Pradesh, Telangana,
3 Kartnataka 1 Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh,
13
4 Bihar 1 Jharkhand, Chattisagarh
5 Gujarat 3 1
6 Karnataka 4 14Tamil Nadu 2
7 Madhya Pradesh  1 15Telangana 1
8 Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan 1 16Uttar Pradesh 2
9 Maharastra 3 17West Bengal 2
10 New Delhi 1 18CSR 2
0 0
  Grand Total 34

Where some organisations are working in multiple states, the working states also considered.
However we have now the SHPIs working in 15 States. We can explore the possibilities in North
Eastern States and Northern India (J&K, HP,Punjab and Uttarakhand). We need to ensure from
Kerala too.

List of the organisations – Out of 34 organisations, we have received membership forms from 20
organisations.

Membership
Organisation Name State
Sl No Format sent
Andhra Pradesh and
WASSAN
1 Odisha Yes
2 NIDAN Bihar Yes
3 ISMW Gujarat Yes
4 Sree Jnanodaya Grameena Vidya trust Karnataka Yes
5 Chaitanya Maharastra Yes
6 Development Support Team Maharastra Yes
7 Krushi Vikas va Gramin Prashikshan Sanstha Maharastra Yes
8 Sa- Dhan New Delhi Yes
9 Harsha trust Odisha Yes
10 IBTADA Rajasthan Yes
11 RGAVP, Rajasthan Rajasthan Yes
Rajasthan, Madhya
PRADAN Pradesh, Jharkhand,
12 Chattisagarh Yes
13 Peoples Action For Creative Education (PEACE) Telangana Yes
Calcutta Society for Professional Action in
West Bengal
14 Development (SPADE) Yes
Rural and Environment Development Society
Andhra Pradesh
15 (REDS) Yes
Madhya Bharat Consortium of Farmer Producers
16 company Limited (MBCFPCL) Madhya Pradesh Yes
17 SAMPARK Karnataka Yes
 18 Accion Fraterna Andhra Pradesh Yes
19 Reach India West Bengal Yes
Madhya Pradesh,
SRIJAN
20 Rajasthan Yes
Andhra Pradesh,
ALC India
21 Telangana, Kartnataka No
22 SEWA Bank Gujarat No
23 EY Foundation CSR No
24 SKRDP Karnataka No
25 MYRADA Karnataka No
26 BISWA Odisha No
CYSD (Centre for Youth and Social
27 Development) Odisha No
28 CMF Rajasthan No
29 Hand in Hand Tamil Nadu No
30 DHAN Foundation Tamil Nadu No
31 FWWB Gujarat No
32 HCL Foundation CSR No
33 Shramik Bharathi Uttar Pradesh No
34 PANI Uttar Pradesh No

During the presentation it was also mentioned that there is no membership fee for ENABLE
Network as of now, though around 34 members are there in the Network.

Before breaking for lunch, the entire group was divided into 4 groups. Each group was given a
topic to discuss and present their findings. The topics are:

1. Capacity Building
2. Research & Advocacy – Best Practices
3. Systems & Processes – SOP Centers of Excellence
4. Membership & Mandate

The presentationsshall be used to consolidate and prepare an action plan for the ENABLE
Network for the year 2020. The participants were asked to follow the following norms while
preparing their presentations:

 Do not compete with members

 Do not re-invent the WHEEL
 Greatest impact/value-addition

All the groups have made presentations on the topics given to them:
Membership & Mandate
1. The group mainly discussed about the members, who should be in the ENABLE
Network. Apart from the things mentioned in their presentations, some other aspects
added by the larger group with regards to membership:
a. Experts and Practitioners
b. Some special invitees
c. Cluster based business organizations (CBBO)
2. About the Mandate of the Network, almost all the points discussed were agreed by
everyone
3. Action plan for 2020
a. Preparation of Brochure
b. Website – brand building

Research & Advocacy – Best Practices

1. The group discussed about the broad activities that should be done as a part of
Research and Advocacy, which by and large the entire group agreed
2. An important point mentioned by the group is to create a presence on Social Media
and they feel that Twitter handle could be an effective tool by creating creative hash-
tags
3. Action plan for 2020
a. Twitter handle for ENABLE Network
b. Profile of all partners should be created and uploaded in the website to be
created. The following information about the individual member organizations
is to be collected and collated
 i. No. of SHGs
ii. No. of FPOs
iii. No. of members
Systems & Processes – SOP Centers of Excellence
1. The aspects discussed were all agreed by the group
2. All the legal aspects, bookkeeping, internal audit formats, rating and grading tools,
policies, MIS, appraisal systems etc. should be standardized
3. Action plan for 2020
a. Developed understanding of FPO registration formalities region wise
b. Finalization of standard bylaws registration wise and region wise
c. Development of Compliance checklist specified under different registration.
d. Capacity building of the Network partners on Standard guidelines for
promotion
e. Format development – Financial formats / Reporting format
Capacity Building
1. Mapping resources for CB across partner`s state (Infra, RPs, materials etc.,)
2. Module and Materials development
3. ToTs
4. Action Plan 2020 – for both FPO and SHG Federations:
a. Training needs assessment
b. Mentoring (use IT)
c. Solution exchange

All the aspects discussed by the participants were consolidated by CS Reddy:

1. Positioning ENABLE Network

2. Regional representation in the board should be there (like organizations from North,
South, West, East, North-East)
3. One full-time person to be positioned to coordinate all the activities – budget review to be
done before taking a decision
4. Once in a quarter, at least one event should be organized
5. At least an event, region wise – some member has to take the responsibility in hosting the
event, APMAS shall bear the expenses
6. An executive committee may be constituted to ground all the activities
7. APMAS by the end of January 2020 shall come up with an action plan, which shall be the
implemented in the year 2020

At the end, CEO APMAS, CS Reddy, thanked all the participants who have come all the way to
APMAS to discuss a way forward for the ENABLE Network.
 National Network Enabling
Self-Help Movement (ENABLE) 1

Supported by
Meeting on 13 – December 2019
Venue: APMAS training center

Objectives

 To fine tuning the vision, strategies and role of ENABLE network at national level
 Develop ENABLE network action plan for year 2020

Time Agenda Point

10.00 – 11.30 Welcome
Introductions
Introduction of meeting agenda
Presentation on outcome of the ENABLE national level conference
10.30 – 11.30 Tea / Coffee break
11.30 – 01.00 National Level Policy issues related to SHGs & FPOs and ENABLE response
01.00 – 02.00 Lunch break
02.00 – 03.00 Develop ENABLE network action plan for year 2020
03.00 – 04.15 Presentations of small group work and discussion on way forward
04.15 – 04.30 Vote of thanks
04.30 – 05.00 Tea / Coffee break

1
ENABLE, a National Network Enabling Self Help Movement, was formed in the year 2007 with funding support
from the Ford Foundation to promote and fortify the women self-help movement in India and facilitate a
conducive policy environment for its sustainable growth