Training of Trainers on Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB)

About the Event

The lower Koshi river basin is home to almost 7 million people and is regarded as a highly vulnerable river basin in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region due to its susceptibility to several hazards and the effects of climate change. The region faces the dual challenge of “too much, too little” (TMTL) water, often leading to destructive water-induced hazards like floods, as well as shortages. The escalating impacts of climate change, environmental degradation, and socio-economic disparities disproportionately affect women, people with disabilities, and vulnerable communities. The high degree of dependence on agriculture in increasingly risk-prone areas further compounds the challenges faced by marginalized communities, intensifying their vulnerability.

To address these issues, ICIMOD initiated the “Building Capabilities for Green, Climate-Resilient, and Inclusive Development (HI-GRID)” project. The HI-GRID project is committed to implementing Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI)-inclusive Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB) in ten municipalities by the end of its tenure in 2026. These ten municipalities were chosen from an initial selection of twenty-eight.

Since its inception in 2023, the HI-GRID project has provided local government leaders, including mayors, deputy mayors, and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) focal points in these twenty-eight municipalities, with foundational knowledge on mainstreaming GEDSI through GRB training. Additionally, the project has conducted targeted training on GESI assessment for deputy mayors, vice-chairs, chiefs, social development section coordinators, social development committee members, and GESI focal persons from the shortlisted eleven municipalities, enhancing their understanding of GEDSI’s significance and implementation within governance frameworks. To support municipal officials, including finance section staff, in effectively applying this knowledge within financial management systems, hands-on training on SuTRA (Sub-National Treasury Regulatory Application), Nepal’s government-mandated software for planning, budgeting, and accounting, was also provided.

As a next step to further enhance GRB understanding at the ward level, a Training of Trainers (ToT) for partners and local government officials will equip them with the knowledge and skills required to conduct training sessions in their respective wards. The overall goal of the training is to ensure that all wards within targeted local municipalities integrate GRB principles into their planning processes and enhance their capacity to develop GEDSI-responsive plans.

Participants

The training will equip municipal-level government officials (GESI focal persons and DRR focal persons) from eleven municipalities and project coordinators and managers from our four local partners with the capacity to deliver ward-level training on integrating GRB principles into planning processes and developing responsive plans.

Objectives

• Develop a pool of trainers within municipalities and local partner NGOs who can independently conduct training and orientation sessions on GRB for their wards.
• Enhance the skills and knowledge of participants to enable them to build expertise in GRB principles and processes.

Expected Outcomes

• GRB principles are understood and practiced at the lowest administrative level (ward level) in HI-GRID target municipalities.
• Improved ability to design, deliver, and evaluate effective training sessions for ward members.
• Creation of a pool of qualified trainers within local governments.