SWASTH BHARAT PRERAK PROGRAM UPDATE

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

SBPs support the COVID-

19 response

Overcoming COVID-19

challenge – SBPs come

together in solidarity

Assessment of the SBP

program: A summary

POSHAN Abhiyaan, launched on 8 March

2018, is a watershed moment in India’s fight

against malnutrition. With a targeted

approach to reduce undernutrition among

children, women and adolescents, the

Abhiyaan adopts a life-cycle approach with

greater emphasis on the first 1000 days (from

conception to 2 years of age of a child)

through convergent efforts. Read more

A joint initiative of the Ministry of Women

& Child Development (WCD) and the Tata

Trusts, the program supplements the

POSHAN Abhiyaan by providing

managerial and administrative support to the

district and state administrations in the

effective implementation of the Abhiyaan. It

also provides young professionals an

opportunity to contribute to nation-building

by catalysing change at the grassroots level.

Presently, there are 317 Preraks supporting

the Abhiyaan across 26 states and 7 union

territories (UTs). Read more

SWASTH BHARAT PRERAK PROGRAM UPDATEMarch – April 2020, Volume 2

SWASTH BHARAT PRERAK PROGRAM UPDATE | MARCH – APRIL 2020| VOLUME 21

http://poshanabhiyaan.gov.in/

https://www.wcdsbp.org/index.php

Our presence

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317 SBPs and 10 State Leads

40% women

76 aspirational districts

Background

40% Engineers

30% Management studies

30% Social sciences and

languages

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SBPs support the COVID-19 responseEven during the current tough times, the anganwadi worker is still the ‘go to person’ in the

community. The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) departments, the health

departments and the community health workers, including anganwadi workers have been

shouldering responsibilities to support the response measures across the country. They are

involved in a range of activities - generating awareness, checking availability of food grains with

communities, keeping track of the floating population, ensuring the distribution of take-home

ration (THR), and even making and distributing masks.

The Swasth Bharat Preraks are working closely with these ground heroes. They are an integral

part of the district administration and committed to supporting the activities being carried out to

control the spread of this virus. This volume presents select snippets of the support being

provided by the Preraks.


Hand in hand with the district: Task force and distribution committees

Three SBPs in Chhattisgarh are part of the District Health Task Force for COVID-19

prevention headed by District Collectors. The task force maps areas with high migration, visits

them and identifies migrant families. They also coordinate micro-plans, allot food grain

packages for these families and initiate distribution through the district administration.

Additionally, the Preraks are providing coordination support to the Child Development Project

Officer (CDPO) and Lady Supervisors (LS), in the distribution of THR.

In Punjab, SBP Avneet has been tasked by the district administration to distribute ration and

hygiene kits to the poor and create awareness, both online and offline. So far, they have reached

out to 5000 people. Avneet is providing coordination support for procuring Personal Protection

Equipment (PPE) kits, masks and sanitizers for doctors and frontline health workers in civil

hospitals through NGOs like Khalsa Aid International. He is also helping anganwadi workers

procure raw materials to make masks.

Kurnool city of Andhra Pradesh has a large migrant population from different parts of the

country. It also has a large number of slum dwellers, most of whom are not beneficiaries of any

government scheme and the public distribution system. SBP Shyam Sundar is helping these

groups with a team of 122 women ward secretaries.

As a first step, this team identified people/groups who have not been able to claim any benefits

from the government schemes and relief funds. This was followed by developing a plan of action

to reach out to these groups, provide them with basic supplies and food, and arrange for

accommodation. The team also used the social media platforms, including WhatsApp to raise

funds. So far, they have collected Rs 44,550 and provided food, clothes and masks to 192

families in the city.


Supporting supervision of blocks and single unit projects

SBP Aditya Madan is the nodal officer for the Solid Waste Management project in Mansa,

Punjab supervising a team of around 70 sanitary workers and supervisors, which provides waste

management services in the city. They go from door to door and collect the waste, which is then

segregated and processed. Aditya is also coordinating with the anganwadi workers to ensure the

THR delivery at the homes of beneficiaries.

Another SBP, Zammuan Thang in Churachandpur, Manipur is the nodal officer for the

Essential Commodities Monitoring Committee (ECMC) for the PDS.

SBP Sushant of Arwal is the nodal officer for Pahleja panchayat of Kaler block in Bihar. He has

been entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing and reporting any breach of law and order

situation during this period, ensuring regular distribution of food grains under PDS, maintaining

cleanliness and sanitation in and around the quarantine halls, and tracking the people coming

and going from the panchayat. He is also helping in spreading awareness, distributing masks and

sanitizers etc.


Leveraging technology to support PDS activity and relief efforts

Beed district of Maharashtra has introduced a mobile app called

‘eZee forms’. It serves as a common platform and

communication channel for all the administrative departments.

It is also being used by the anganwadi workers, ASHAs, gram

sevaks and other social mobilisers to identify and track those

who have recently traveled back to the district.

The app facilitates medical response as well. Once the field

workers enter relevant data, the health team reaches those who

might be sick, conducts medical checkup and tests, and provides

further referrals, when necessary.

SBP Bhusan was on the team, which trained the anganwadi

workers on the rationale, installation and usage of the app. He

also conducted orientation sessions on appropriate measures on

community visits and social distancing.

The district administration in Raipur, Chhattisgarh has come up

with a ‘Donation on wheels’ app to collect cash and in-kind

contribution from people to support the relief efforts. SBP Neha

used her technology expertise to help create and promote this

app on different social media platforms. She is also responsible

for monitoring and disseminating the data from the app.

So far, the team has collected close to Rs 20 lakh and around

two tonnes of food grain through the app.

Ankit, SBP from Khagaria in Bihar supported

the district in ensuring installation of Chakshu

App in devices of anganwadi workers. The

app collates the data of migrant labourers and

the data entered by the anganwadi workers and

LSs. He has also supported the district in

creating awareness, including printing and

dissemination of COVID-19 posters.

SBP Vishal of Almora, Uttarakhand is also

collecting data related to those who have

travelled during the COVID-19 period. He

has developed google forms to record and

streamline data of travelers and their

symptomatic histories to support the district in

quick testing measures and response.


Creating COVID-19 awareness

SBP Bhawna Arora from Ratlam Madhya Pradesh and Akshita Bansal from Sri Ganganagar,

Rajasthan designed IEC materials to create awareness about the behaviours one needs to adopt

to stop the spread of COVID-19, the dos and don'ts and how to stay healthy.

#PrerakSpeak“I feel responsible towards my district. Making people aware about the

current situation should be everyone’s responsibility, irrespective of their

involvement with the ICDS. I feel this responsibility as a citizen. We can

further contribute to incorporating the important habit of hygiene and

hand washing techniques into the Jan Andolan activities, using diverse

platforms and leveraging any other resources through the district.”

- Pratibha, Guna, Madhya Pradesh


Overcoming COVID-19 challenge – Preraks come together in solidarity


Keeping the POSHAN components functional

In addition to the response and relief operations, states are keeping the POSHAN Abhiyaan

components functional, especially completion of Convergence Action Plans, THR home

delivery and dashboard data entry.

In most of the states, the focus is on the smooth delivery of THR at homes of beneficiaries.

Preraks are coordinating this important activity. They are also responsible for collating detailed

information and coordinating with CDPOs and anganwadi workers personally to ensure

delivery, understand challenges and report to the district.

In Himachal Pradesh, Preraks are supporting the anganwadi workers to complete the e-

Incremental Learning Approach (e-ILA) modules. They are following up with the anganwadi

workers regularly over phone to identify challenges and address them. In Andhra Pradesh, SBP

from Chittoor supported the CDPOs to conduct e-ILA trainings and is now ensuring that all the

supervisors and anganwadi workers complete the training.

Assessment of the SBP program: A summary

IIT Gandhinagar, led by Principal Investigator, Prof Malavika Subramanyam has completed a

sample study on the role and impact of Preraks and the SBP program.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the implementation of the program vis-à-vis its intent;

understand processes of change catalysed by the Preraks; describe the views of the district-level

stakeholders about the program; and document the effect of the program on the Preraks.

The results are encouraging and the SBP team is enthused. Some of the key findings of the

study are given below:

• The Preraks’ biggest contribution is to data-driven monitoring, follow-up and reporting.

Additionally, Preraks have been successful in establishing themselves as one of the key

contacts at various levels, including the village level functionaries. This is primarily because

Preraks’ profile provides fluidity in terms of functioning across departments. As Preraks on

average are technically sound, it makes them the favoured candidates for such tasks and has

helped build reliance on Prerak’s presence.

• Preraks are involved in planning, training, monitoring and executing action plans such as

Poshan Pakhwadas, CAS roll-out, organising community-based events (CBEs), etc. and more

often than not, become part of the system.

• Prerak’s presence and enthusiasm has also motivated District Program Officer (DPO)/

District Magistrate (DM)/ Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) to be more engaged in POSHAN

Abhiyaan goals. The Preraks’ technical skills, balanced involvement with administrative as

well as field functions, convergence-related activities (like regular follow-ups to ensure

smooth workflow), training skills, monitoring through field visits and inter-personal skills have

reportedly had a positive impact on the implementation process.

• The districts view the SBP program as a “good initiative” as Preraks assist in needs

assessment, identifying weak links, bringing innovative solutions to the table, and putting

forward insights for bringing change in the current system.

SWASTH BHARAT PRERAK PROGRAM UPDATE

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