States to discuss social service delivery models on Monday

In yet another step aimed at promoting co-operative federalism, NITI Aayog has planned a day-long national conference on Monday where states/UTs will share their notable practices in social sector service delivery.
"National Conference on Good Practices in the Social Sector Service Delivery is being organised by NITI Aayog on May 23 in the capital to provide a knowledge-sharing platform where state governments and UTs would come together and share their experiences in implementing good practices with regard to service delivery in the social sector," a senior official said.
The conference will be focusing on select case studies from education and health sectors and intends to have a cross-learning experience where non-government and government initiatives come together to provide for effective and efficient service delivery.

The states will explain improvement in their delivery systems with their experience trackrecord.
For instance, Odisha's Department of Women and Child Development has undertaken decentralisation of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) supplementary nutrition programme in the state to streamline and strengthen the programme and ensure 'universalisation with quality' in a time-bound manner.
The initiative reaches out to all beneficiaries with a standard weekly menu, meeting the protein-energy requirement norms within the allocated ration cost.

The uniqueness of the intervention is that contractors and middlemen are removed from the procurement process and women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) are engaged in accordance with the Supreme Court directive.

The project has been implemented throughout Odisha and ranks well on innovation. This is the first project in the country to decentralise procurement for ICDS to the local community, resulting in empowered SHGs and local farmers and traders.
The model is self-sustaining owing to SHG involvement, high level of political support and community demand and use of existing infrastructure. It has strengthened WSHGs, enhanced social accountability through Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), increased coverage and efficiency of ICDS service delivery.
Currently, 1,000 WSHGs are involved in this programme.
Similarly, Madhya Pradesh started a decentralised services delivery system under the 'Sampoorna Swasthya Sabke Liye' programme, which caters to the last-mile population with basic health services and provides a platform for convergence of health and nutrition services.

In order to support this programme, Gram Arogya Kendra (GAKs) are established at existing Anganwadi Centers (AWC) and are functional in about 49,000/52,000 villages in the state.
Many such projects and initiatives by state governments as well civil societies will be shared for replication in other states for effective delivery of social sector services.