Bhubaneswar: In another step towards result-based management of developmental interventions, Location Specific Researches were brought to focus by Odisha Government with launching of the 1st Volume of the Compendium on Location Specific Research Works by Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra from Lokseba Bhawan conference hall today in the presence of Director General of Gopabandhu Academy of Administration ( GAA) Smt Ranjana Chopra and State Head of Unicef Dr Monika Nielsen.
While appreciating efforts of the research team Mahapatra asked the CoE to take up more number of such community centric studies in different areas of the State for assessing felt-need of the people and bridging the critical gaps at field level. Mahapatra also asked GAA to “hold discussion sessions on findings of the studies with respective departments”. Further, Sri Mahapatra advised to document the successful development models emerging from such studies. Such models would be useful guide books for the trainee officers and could replicated with local customization for achieving targeted developmental outcomes.
Speaking on the occasion Smt Chopra said that the Centre of Excellence (CoE) was made operational from 2021 at GAA in collaboration with UNICEF along the line of the State Training Policy. She said, “CoE operated with technical support of Unicef”. The studies undertaken by CoE were need and demand based. CoE could add value to developmental administration through such community based studies.
Dr. Nielsen said that the type and functioning of the CoE at GAA with location specific approach was one of its kinds in the entire country. She also expressed UNICEF’s willingness to continue its collaboration with CoE.
The Director, CoE, Dr. Shashank Grahacharjya appraised that the compendium contained around 19 community and people based impact studies on many important issues including functioning of Adarsha Vidyalaya, impact of covid on women handloom weavers, early detection and care of sickle cell, fishermen communities in coastal belt, children with special intellectual needs, operation of Swadhar Gruha, care for anemia among adolescent girls, paddy procurement, reduction of malnutrition, control of wild life hunting, social utility of cyclone shelters, socio-economic and livelihood interventions in tribal communities etc. The Research Team also collected and compiled the voices of and visuals from the communities regarding their participation in the development process.
The volume consisted of the original community Team based field studies conducted by Dr. Shashank Grahacharjya, Ms Padmaja Pati, Mr Soumya Banarjee, Ms. Rashimta Behera and Mr Amartya Krishna Roy. The Compendium was published under the joint aegis of GAA and Unicef. For these studies, the CoE developed a unique approach of ‘participatory research in development administration’.
