STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLAN

 

OF WASH ACADEMY

 PARIMAL PRATISTAN

 

 

 

 

 

AT:- BALARAMPUR & DAMIGUDA,

Introduction

Background

WASH ACADEMY (PARIMAL PRATISTAN), as the name suggests, facilitates access to sanitation for all.

The concept of WASH Academy was conceived during implementing the ODF movement in Kandhamal and Kalahandi through CLS method. It was increasingly be observed that in spite of community’s interest to stop OD and use safe latrines, the dearth of quality sanitary materials and availability of skill masons. Being a hilly and forest covered area, traditional brick making is seasonal in Kandhamal and the techniques being dependent on burning of bricks, which requires firewood, have already been found wanted by the district administration for being environmentally hazardous.

DFID supported TMST have been working intensively in health, nutrition and WASH sectors in Kandhamal since its inception. TMST- WASH interventions led to Dodabari village in K.Nuagaon Block being certified as the first ODF village in the district; using CLS tools, TMST achieved it entirely through community process and without any institutional subsidies. Manisha Rani Pradan, a 18 years old collage going girl of Bilabari village under K.Nuagaon Block, supported by TMST, steered ODF movement in her village. Acknowledging her achievements, state Government has recently nominated her as the brand ambassador for rural sanitation.

In order to find a sustainable solution of the problem, it was decided to introduce WASH Academy with threefold objective:

• • WASH ACADEMY (PARIMAL PRATISTAN)

To establish a WASH Academy in 2 district of Odisha which is owned and managed by a local women SHG/ Federation under initial handholding and supports for establishment of systems, management and market linkages by Mentor Organization and on technical and business development, the Technical Facilitating Organization (TFO).

To develop the WASH Academy as a one-stop shop for products related to toilet construction as well as for supply of trained human resources in the field of sanitation. 

To develop the WASH Academy not only into a sustainable business group enterprise on sanitation (both in terms of supply as well as demand creation for toilets) but also develop into a WASH Knowledge Transfer Hub.

• of the proposed Business Plan

WASH ACADEMY (PARIMAL PRATISTAN) visualizes the very purpose of this business plan primarily in three fold:

• The need to build an identity of WA under the WASH ACADEMY (PARIMAL PRATISTAN).

• The need to popularize the WA initiatives in order to address the need of common people and enhancing their economic status as well.
• The need to look at sustainability of WA.

In this situation WA is going to build a proper identity for itself. The centre, ever since its inception, has been depending on external support for its establishment and activities. However, in order to be able to have optimum impact and financial sustainability and to pursue its strategic goals in the line with its defined mission, it is imperative that the center starts viewing its existence as a cost center. This will not only enable WA  to do better resource planning, it will also help the center to know how sustainable it currently is and what is needed to ensure future sustainability. Moreover, this will help the center thrive in a competitive environment, where there is competition from external players. WA  is therefore planning to undertake an ambitious change plan.

Apart from this, WA has quality infrastructure, the optimal usage of which is a great concern for WASH ACADEMY (PARIMAL PRATISTAN). Therefore, thinking has set in to see the cost benefit of the infrastructure and other hardware. Systematically, we have gone in to the nature, pricing and quality of the activities looking at the fixed, variable aspects of the cost and the issue of sustainability.

Overall, the purpose of this proposed business plan is not only to present the roadmap, which WA has envisaged for itself over the next 5 years, but also to present a source document that would iterate this plan systematically to check where WA stands at the end of every year.

Period

The period for this plan is from 2016 to 2020.  As stated above, at the end of each year, the management of WA will review the work plan, the milestones, and the budget and will also undertake a concurrent internal evaluation to see where WA stands so that it could revise its assumptions, targets, etc. accordingly. The plan is not a mere set of rules, but an overall roadmap. As important as following the plan is noticing the deviations and adjusting the plan accordingly.

Vision of Parimal Pratistan

Safe, Secured, Dignified Sanitation for ALL

Our Mission

To facilitate a need-based and systematic sanitation intervention in the rural areas synergising active roles of stakeholders at the grassroots like women SHGs, artisans, entrepreneurs and local NGOs”.

Core Values

The core values of WASH ACADEMY (PARIMAL PRATISTAN)/ WA are as follows:

• Pro-poor sensitivity (people-centered bottom-up initiatives),
• Dignity (empowering people to sustain the decisions taken by themselves),
• Social justice (including the excluded),
• Respect for nature (prudent use of natural resources)

WASH ACADEMY (PARIMAL PRATISTAN)/

• The WASH ACADEMY (PARIMAL PRATISTAN) Program promotes community control over the. Total sanitation.

• To undertake identification of potential and appropriate technologies, giving emphasis on utilization of green materials.

• To demonstrate the pilot plants and scale up the proven technologies for commercial production and help in developing of appropriate standards.

• To undertake collaborative measures with other organizations and state government for disseminating of the technologies to public and private agencies and sanitation sector.

• To provide technical assistance, materials and market surveys for preparation of techno-economic feasibility reports and advise on location of industrial units for manufacture of building materials.

• To help in developing a policy on effective utilization of fly ash and other industrial and agricultural waste products for production of building materials components and application in construction sector.

• To promote innovative construction techniques like prefabrications technology, ready mixed concrete in construction of sanitation projects and help in the establishment of industrial units manufacturing prefabricated materials and components.

• To assist manufacturers of conventional materials like bricks ring etc. in introducing modern cost effective and energy efficient technologies for improving productivity, quality of products and reducing energy consumption.

• To develop and promote, substitute materials of wood and cement for reducing their consumption in housing and building construction. Also to support, further research and development of process technologies and production design.

Current Status

WASH ACADEMY (PARIMAL PRATISTAN)/ Current Programmes

• Production of low cost and environment friendly building materials.
• Conducting research works on low cost Sanitation materials.
• Organizing awareness and knowledge building activities like workshops, Mason an Artisan Training.
• Undertake Sanitation programs throughout the District.
• Developing capacity of rural artisans, mesons and women through trainings, exposures and practical orientation.
• Providing employment opportunities for Adivasi, rural women, artisans, mesons and youths.

Focus Areas                                                            

Wash Academy programmes are focused on the following broad domains:

·       Provide employment opportunity for the grassroots.

• Capacitate the rural artisans, mesons and women
• Transfer the technology of low cost building material
• Conduct research on low cost, environment friendly building materials
• Create a distinguished identity of the Wash Academy towards self-sufficiency.

Stakeholders of WASH ACADEMY (PARIMAL PRATISTAN) program

There are number of stakeholders which are directly and indirectly involved in WA’s program. The foremost and primary stakeholders are the grassroots such as underprivileged and downtrodden. They are the rural artisans, mesons, women, adivasi, scheduled caste and youths. The other stakeholders are the entrepreneurs, contractors, traders, architects, donor agencies, government, semi-government departments, and civil society bodies. As well the women self help groups and their federation and cooperative societies are other stakeholders.

Current Infrastructure Facilities

 Locational proximity and facilities at Damiguda WASH ACADEMY (PARIMAL PRATISTAN)

• Situated – 310 km Southern direction from Bhubaneswar.
• Accessibility – Accessible by road and the site is next to National High Way No. 92
• Communication – Well communicated by Vehicles & all electronics media.
• Area of land – 1.50 Acres.
• Red Soil & Mohurum Source – Within the radius of 20 Km.
• Sand Source – Within the radius of 16 Km.

Infrastructural facility

• Three temporary Work sheds for labour.
• A dug well of 40 feet depth as a backup support of water.
• A block-staking yard for 50,000 blocks.

Fixed assets

• One-hydra form block making machines.
• Two Ring frame

Human assets

• Ladies oriented Trained Artisan.
• Ladies operate machines
• Committed permanent labour force.

WASH ACADEMY (PARIMAL PRATISTAN)’s Programmes

Environment and opportunity analysis

 External

Political: The user groups, i.e., the poor community, CBOs, SHGs and even institutions suffer from low awareness with respect to their rights and entitlements. Their capacities in this regard need to be built. . There is also the need to strengthen user groups (rural artisans, mesons and women). Some advocacy efforts along with some policy debate are necessary for strengthening the institutions.

Economic: Widening of livelihood options for the vulnerable groups, an important requisite for the health growth of the state, is an enabling condition for the growth not only of WA but also of similar organizations.

Social: Networks not only bring together diversified energies and isolated efforts of different organizations to ensure wider social impact, they also increase the bargaining power and influencing capacities of NGOs vis-à-vis other sectors. Hence, it is important that care is taken to build collaborative networks among civil society organizations and the communities. WA can play a bridge role and create longer-term needs for its users. 

Technological: It is important for the WA to improve its machinery and infrastructure utilization. It needs to increase the production quantity so that it shall able to cater the demands of the market as comparison to the conventional building materials.

Internal

Strategy:

• :  WA has to strategically focus on its sustainability. It has to move towards that in a very conscious manner. This means less dependency on aid.
• WA has to have a systematic growth plan, which is why this business plan was attempted. This will be followed up with a change plan. The milestones will be monitored against the performance.
• User satisfaction is the key to WA’s growth, and this requires continuous innovation.
• – WA has a dream to make a foray in the state level. This calls for a market study that will identify the niche where it will operate.
• : WA has to establish at least two new building centers and market establishments at different places throughout the state.

Staffing

• : It will continue to have less number of high performing accountable staff. This will be conducive for its growth.
• : This is an area where WA staff needs improvement.
• : WA has to improve its reach through habitat networks, tap their knowledge, and expose its staff to new areas and methods of delivery.
• : The middle level leadership is going to be the prime movers for growth of WA.
• WA needs female leaders in the community level initiatives.

Structure

• : WA has to view its existence as an independent cost center of WASH ACADEMY (PARIMAL PRATISTAN).
• WA needs to strengthen its linkages with different social development projects of ASHRAY a as well as other partners for improving its performance in consulting.
• : Gradually, it has to create building centers in its entire range of focus areas. 

 Shared Value

These are the core values identified

Systems

The following systems need to be strengthened.

• : WA needs to strengthen the database of its product users, artisans and mesons and technologies.
• : A system for tracking the inputs, outputs and quality needs to be developed.

Skills

• WA needs to develop the analytical skill base of its staff. This is very important, especially in the areas of pricing and other financial aspects. This will provide support to the finance managers.
•   It is essential that WA enhance its marketing and communication skill.
• : – the critical staffs of WA need to be properly trained in IT.
• : This is very important for improving the motivation and performance of WA’s staff.
• Clarifying WA’s core values to the staff are important for building a vision.

Style

• WA follows a participatory decision making and implementation process.
• The existing framework for ensuring accountability needs to be further strengthened.
• Systematic performance and potential assessment needs to be planned by WASH ACADEMY (PARIMAL PRATISTAN).
• : The management is fair, open and transparent and is also trying to disseminate those values to its all stakeholders.
•   Team leaders need to be given larger responsibility.

 

Strengths And Weaknesses

Some of the strengths and weaknesses of the WA are mentioned below:

Strengths

• The center has rich experience of working with the poor and deprived section of remote tribal locations in Orissa. While working with people, it has made a number of experiments and has built a rich treasure of organizational learning.

• WA has got expertise in the following theme areas:

• Production of low cost, environment friendly building materials
• Self Help and Micro Finance concept and programs
• Tribal development and optimum use of natural resource management
• Civil Society building
• Strengthening livelihood through farm and non-farm interventions.
• Gender mainstreaming.
• Strategic planning and project formulation
• Business entrepreneurship promotion

• WA has excellent infrastructure with state-of-the-art facilities for production, research and organizing various capacity building events.
• WA is always responsive to the changing technological aspects.
• WA also provides external faculty support like appropriate technology, business entrepreneurship in development sector, market research and also architectural designing.
• It has a team of committed staff members.

Weaknesses

• There is a need to prepare annual production and marketing plan looking at the emerging need of the various client groups. A more rigorous marketing assessment needs to be undertaken as soon as possible.
• There is a need for the staff members of WA for self-renewal, learning and enrichment. 
• There is a need to install the computer for the operating staff.
• A knowledge management system should be in place for enhancing the effectiveness of WA as a building center.
• Current level of efforts put towards the marketing of products is not adequate.
• WA should keep track of its competitors and the marketing strategies adopted by them.

Market Analysis: Competition

As the government has banned the conventional bricks and building materials, it is the time for us to depend on non conventional building materials. A collaborative initiative is required from all stakeholders to promote these materials.

OPERATIONAL PLAN

WASH ACADEMY (PARIMAL PRATISTAN)/

The uniqueness of WASH ACADEMY (PARIMAL PRATISTAN)

• WA is the only multi-dimensional building center with adequate facilities.
• The building materials produced by WA Has non-conventional cost effective environment friendly.
• The materials are cyclone & earthquake resistant.
• It is totally managed by the community people.
• It provides employment opportunity for the rural artisans, mesons, women & youths.
• It preserve environment by using non-irrigated soil & check pollution y using industrial waste products.
• By providing employment opportunity to the community the WA checks migration and stop wage exploitation.
• Forest protection ensured by providing employment opportunity.
• It shall be a self-sufficient unit to contribute social development programs for the community.
• It transfers the technology by providing capacity building trainings & skill up-gradation of the community & civil society bodies.

The framework used for making the business plan of WA

                                                         Customer Focused

                                                                Productions

Target Group, Market                                     Value Based Services

 Understanding                                                & Community

Development

                                  Capacity Building and

Knowledge Transfer

Marketing strategy of WASH ACADEMY (PARIMAL PRATISTAN)

 

 

 

Issues and problems prevailed in the WA operational tribal communities

Illiteracy is one of the major problems for adivasi. Women literacy rate is very low.  They lack all the kind of information.  In the society they are not respected. The youths are ignorant about their culture and tradition.  The non-adivasi people exploit adivasi.  The government officials exploit them, the contractors give low wages, and their children at the school are exploited by the other caste.  Even among the adivasi there are power tribe and powerless.

Continuous degradation of natural resources has led to food in-security.  The control of the government over the forest and its resources damages their major source of income.   Even in agricultural season they migrate to nearby cities and abroad.

The agricultural production is decreasing against increasing needs.  It also suffer from:

• Record of rights for land under cultivation
• Land alienation
• Indebtedness
• Irrigation failure
• Using chemicals and decline of indigenous practices

Migration is a common phenomenon in the districts with the poorest of the poor migrating to the brick kilns of Andhra pradesh or to other parts of Odisha.  Many other migrate to the carpet making factories of Rayapur of bhodoi, surat of gujarat and other region.  Many even goes to the canal irrigated areas in the adjacent districts during the sowing and the harvesting seasons.  The children also accompany their parents to the brick klins, which naturally hinders their education.  Many families are often forced to migrate to the brick klins for more than 6 months in a year.

Misappropriation in the public distribution system is high on the remote Adivasi area. The middlemen are engaged in hoarding & looting of the basic need items. The people are unaware of the situation and could not avail the items. Swati organized regular awareness campaign in all its operational villages to raise awareness & build confidence of the people to organize & fight against the corruption to avail the items.

Other Issues

Macro

• Continuing cultural degradation
• Some primitive tribal communities being vanished.
• In the name of industrial development poor adivasi being displaced and moved into deep jungle and worst economy.
• Implementation of scheduled area act 1996 on land, water and jungle. The land owned by adivasi has been treated as encroached land. To restore ownership over land joint forest management and community forest management system must be in operation.

Micro

• Understanding on adivasi development lacking in NGO sector
• Inadequate representation from adivasi community in development sector.
• Lack of relation and network among different adivasi races.
• Land alienation is an important factor in the process of impoverishment.  Poor families in many villages have lost their lands due to mortgage and debt to the rich of the village and also to outside moneylenders.  The incidence of land alienation is progressively high.

Linkage of WA with SHG federation

PARIMAL PRATISTAN has the SHG Federations, which are running micro credit activities. The federation shall avail the working capital loan and invest its own margin money in WA. The WA would be the entity of SHG members, women, rural artisans and mesons. It will provide direct employment opportunity to 300 women, rural artisans and mesons. Their knowledge and skill shall be developed. In this way their income will strengthen and exploitation shall be checked. Transfer of technology shall occur through training & the skill up gradation shall ensure. Ultimately the economy of rural community members shall strengthen. The WA aims at procuring agro based products & industrial waste products to produce building materials and other products, which are environment friendly. Through this program the environment shall be preserved and the economy of the community shall enhance. Overall their social, economical, cultural & political condition will improve. The federation shall be the partner of WA and share profit out of it.

ADIVASI WOMEN, YOUTHS,

RURAL ARTISANS, MESONS

             SELF HELP GROUPS

SHG FEDERATION

         W A

    EMPLOYMENT          MARKET                              CHECK        SHARE

    OPPORTUNITY         FACILITY                       EXPLOITATION  PROFIT

The strategies

• Utilize fly ash, bamboo timber & other industrial and agricultural wastes to produce building materials and in the construction sector.

• Put emphasis on economy aspects and efficiency in construction projects and public agencies.

• Technology dissemination and training through building center.

• To promote intensive entrepreneurial development programmes for commercialization of technologies and innovative building materials.

• To act as a platform for continuous interface between the research organization, housing agencies and financing institutions for reorientation of the professional practices to facilitate the use of innovative technologies and building materials.

• To promote new technologies, by establishing a suitable system for performance evaluation and validation of new technologies and building materials.

• Training through WA for village artisans, craftsmen and help them in producing simple building materials components using local material and skill.

Training and capacity building

• Management training for managerial staffs of WA

• Training on Non-conventional building material for mesons and helpers.

• Training on production, management and marketing of products

• Exposure visits to successful building centers management and supervising  staff of WA.

• Upgrade production systems (Equipment and machineries) installed at the building center including all casting and curing yards.

• Training to production staff in production quality control and cost control.

• Training of selected workers in community mobilization rural sales and social entrepreneurship by resource person.

• Exposure visit to successful community group SHG/ CBO

WASH ACADEMY stakeholders map

WOMEN, ARTISANS                     SHG MEMBERS             ENTREPRENEURS

MESONS

SWATI

  TMST                                              WASH ACADEMY

                                                         (PARIMAL PRATISTAN)

                                                                                    PROG.              

BUILDING                                         BUILDERS                           CONTRACTORS

CENTRES