Sl.
No.		 Characteristics  Criteria for labelling the Sangha "GOOD"
10. DOCUMENTATION OF MEETINGS, PROGRAMMES AND ACCOUNTS All books and records must be properly maintained wherein `proper' means - according to simple and acceptable systems.

maintained by themselves or some person appointed by them.

Written in a way which is understood by all.

All records must be up to date wherein ‘up to date’ means that each day’s transaction should be written in on the same day.

Books should be open to all members.

All financial transactions should be reflected in the minutes book also.

Minutes, after having been recorded on the same day as the meeting should be read out to all, understood by all, and signed by all members. 
11. LEADERSHIP
a) Use of Designations

b) Rotation of Representatives

  
Please see 3 a.

Representatives, including cheque signatories, should be changed atleast once a year, but preferably twice a year.
12. LINKAGES
a) With other Sanghas		  Staff should take special interest to see that sanghas build up as much contact with each other as possible.
b) With other agencies & institutions  Staff will special efforts to build links between sanghas and government and bank staff based inthe area. They will also be encouraged to participate in gramasabha and mandal meetings. 

Sanghas should be in a position to correspond independently with local agencies.
13. LOCAL RESOURCE MOBILISATION

a) Awareness of programmes and policies

 Information on new programmes and policies of the government and banks must be shared at sangha meetings. 

Members must also have a clear understanding of the procedures of access to these programmes in case they are eligible and interested. 
b) Resource mobilisation  Every sangha must make a minimum of one attempt per year to mobilize resources from other agencies such as the government and banks.
c) Utilisation of Resources Sanghas must ensure the proper utilization of resources, wherein ‘proper’ means for the purpose which is specified. Sanghas should also try to obtain management rights over common resources (tanks, grazing lands, etc.) and see that they are used judiciously and in the interests of the poor.
14. GROUP ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES

 

 Staff should build sanghas in such a way that there is an on-going income-generating programme (running profitably) at any point of time or, alternatively, a minimum of one such programme per sangha per year.
15. COMMON FUNDS This is a must with all sanghas, built up through savings, donations, and income earned through interest on loans, and other programmes. 

The fund should not be kept idle, but rotated to help the members and at the same time earn more income for the Sangha.
16. PLANNING MONITORING AND EVALUATION

 

 Sangha work should be regularly reviewed by all members.

In any programme, there should be some anticipatory planning to meet contingencies and risks. 

There should be a thorough analysis of all  failed programmes, and the results of this analysis must be understood by all members. Sanghas must be encouraged to develop their own clear goals and objectives, and should even formulate their ownmission statements.  
17. COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAMMES Every sangha must take up atleast one community action programme every year, in which all members participate to their maximum ability. 

Sangha members should attempt to mobilize the participation of non-members also. 

The programme taken up should be such that it is of definite use to the community.  
18. NUMERACY AND LITERACY, NON-FORMAL EDUCATION AND BUILDING OF SKILLS

 

 Every Sangha must conduct numeracy and literacy classes for its members. 

Candidates for promoters’/ animators’ training must always be identified through the sanghas. 

Sanghas should ensure training of its members in relevant technical skills, making use of the training resources available with the Government, MYRADA and other institutions.
19. SOCIAL INTEGRATION AND OTHER SOCIAL ISSUES
a) Caste related action programmes		  In a mixed caste group, there should not be segregation or bias amongst members based on caste.

 Sanghas  must organize and participate in atleast one inter caste social or cultural event every year.
b) Gender related issues Special attention must be given to women members in mixed groups, to ensure their participation and growth.

The involvement of women must be sought and encouraged in all programmes. Initiatives coming from women must be supported to the maximum extent possible.
c) Habits All Sanghas should make efforts to see that members do not drink, smoke, disrupt meetings by coming late, chatting and walking in and out. (See point 7 too)
Sanghas must also try to motivate members to practice some form of birth control and reduce expenditures connected with social and religious ceremonies.
20. OTHER TYPES OF ESSENTIAL SERVICES The project staff and the sanghas are coming up with various services which they think  re important and wish to support. A few examples are: 
  • Sanghas must take up programmes to ensure minimum required nutrition for expectant  and nursing mothers an young children in the village.
  • Sanghas should mobilize support for the education of poor children in the village.
  • Sanghas should provide recreational opportunities for members and their families.
21. ANY OTHER SUBJECT Here again, a few examples are : Sanghas should steer clear of party politics.

Sanghas must prevent any of their own members from becoming a victim of exploitation.

Sanghas must be helped to develop an active concern for the environment, and the conservation and judicious use of natural resources.

Sanghas should be open to new ideas that canbenefit the poor, as well as conserve the environment.

TAMIL NADU WOMEN'S DEVELOPMENT PROJECT, P.I.U. DHARMAPURI

IFAD WORKSHOP HELD ON 23.01.1991, AT HOTEL VICTORY SHINE, HOSUR

The process facilitated by MYRADA to build up strong groups :

First Stage :

  • The group must be identifiable. This means that it must have a name, a bank account, and a definite membership. It is not a place where people can walk in and out at will.
  • The group must have a certain discipline. Meetings take place at regular intervals, there is an instance that all members attend and participate, and all transactions are supported with documentation such as Attendance Register, Minutes Books and Books of Accounts.
  • All members are engaged in savings. This not only inculcates the value and discipline of thrift but also creates a pool of funds that the group can make use of for the benefit of its members.

 Second Stage :

  • Credit Management : From their own savings that are commonly held, members begin borrowing and repaying loans taken to meet small and immediate needs. Since the money is not enough to meet all needs all at once, members learn to prioritize loan requests (based on urgency of requirement as well as other considerations such as the members history of attendance and participation at group meetings, etc.), and meet them few at a time.
  • Building up the Common Fund through their own efforts. Using money efficiently so that it generates interest, mobilizing donations from the community, fining members for breaking rules set by the group, (e.g. missing meetings or coming late).
  • Taking up common action programmes that may differ from place to place but help to focus the energies of the group on village development needs and issues.

Third Stage :

Project's contribution to the Common Fund : This is a crucial step in the group process. Whether to make a contribution or not depends on the degree of responsibility shown by the group in the earlier stages. The amount of capital should be based on savings and money already mobilized into the common fund. The group will have equal right over their savings and the capital development fund to use the amount for lending to its members.

When MYRADA contributes to the Group's Fund, MYRADA's contribution is invariable ‘untied’ i.e., it is not given for any pre-designated purpose.

Why is it given at all?

  1. It is an incentive to the group to continue to function responsibly.
  2. It increases the capital available with the group, thus making it possible to meet more of its needs.
  3. It continues to train group members in decision making. If funds are given for programmes that have already been decided upon, the group is only engaged in credit monitoring, not in credit management. To that extent it reduces their responsibility towards the programme. Once the group is trained in decision-making and credit management, credit monitoring can also be taken on and performed; but if the group first gets oriented to credit monitoring, to make the switch to credit management is a far more difficult task.

 Groups which are functioning properly aiming to become good groups are provided capital. Attached is the criteria for labelling the Sangha `Good'.

Fourth Stage :

  • Establishing links with other institutions, mobilizing Government and Bank supported anti-poverty programmes in favour of members. Groups find it difficult to meet all their needs with their own funds. Besides, their funds do not also permit them to advance large sums of money to a few members in the form of medium and long term loans. On the other hand, having passed through the three earlier stages, they will have developed the responsibility and the competence to take on the task of credit monitoring in case such funds can be mobilized from other sources. Their own common funds will permit them to continue to meet such needs of members (and of the group itself) that other institutions cannot support.

    It is important that this comes after and not before the credit management stage.

NOTE:

  1. Training is a crucial part of all stages .
  2. The group has to be homogenous in order to emerge strong, i.e., its members must share similar concerns (though not necessarily similar occupations, caste, etc.)

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