Local Government Institutions are crucial implementing agencies. Union Parishad (UP) is the main gateway and implementing authority of social safety net programme at grassroots level. The capacity building and training of UPs and their representatives is very important to ensure quality to implement and strengthen the management system, including those of finance and monitoring.

In order to implement a successful capacity building and training programme, the SSPS programme assessed organisational training needs of UPs. The objectives of the training needs assessment (TNA) were to: (a) map the capacity gaps of elected UP representatives, officials pertaining to social security programme and suggest social security capacity enhancement programme; and (b) assess training needs to enhance the UPs representatives and officials capacity to support the implementation of the NSSS.

A draft TNA was shared with stakeholders and study participants, and based on their comments and inputs, the TNA was finalized and put to work for designing training programmes for the local level government institutions across the country.  Policymakers, experts and resource persons selected from relevant ministries/divisions/local government institutions, academic/research institutions, CSOs and study participants— UP Chairmen, Secretaries, and Members took part in the workshop.