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CHAPTER V

AREAS OF CONCERN AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The quick evaluation of the TRYSEM programme has highlighted the key issues at the national and the state level based on the status of key programme indicators. It has also brought forth several issues that affect and have impact on the programme performance. The following sections outline the areas of concern and recommendations to strengthen the programme. Although, TRYSEM has been discontinued as a programme, the evaluation feedbacks would be pertinent to other programmes of a similar nature, such as the training component of the Swarna Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana.

5.1 AREAS OF CONCERN

5.1.1 The analysis of secondary information over a period of seven reference years (1992-93 to 1998-1999) show that most of the states have not been able to achieve their physical targets in terms of the number of youth to be trained. Contrary to this, many of such defaulting states were found to have over-spent the funds allocated as against the physical targets in a financial year. The inability in meeting the target of identifying the requisite number of beneficiaries point at several causal problems like the procedures adopted for selection of beneficiaries, the quality and relevance of the training, the proportion of the trained persons starting self-employment ventures, and the sustainability of these occupations. A separate enquiry into these and related factors would give valuable insights for restructuring the programme and its linkages. A continuous monitoring of the programme would have helped in undertaking mid-course interventions. The secondary database does not seem to have been utilised as no significant changes in state-wise trends were evident during the reference years.

The macro analysis of the scheme reflects that although the states have tried, to a great extent to safeguard the rights of SC/ ST communities (38% against the norms of 50%), and women (54% against the norms of 40%) by providing them chances for getting trained under TRYSEM, the targets for physically handicapped have not been achieved by a single state/ UT. This attracts a rethinking either for making a realistic guideline for such reservations or by ensuring a better mechanism of identifying and imparting training to the desired target segments.

The effectiveness of the TRYSEM training depends a great deal on the time devoted to this activity and the extent of practical/on-job training provided. The present survey has found that the training duration varied from 2 to 6 months. Also, different stakeholders were involved in the training delivery. The DRDA was reported to be the most common source of training, followed by private institutions, master craftsmen and NGOs. This suggests that the organisation and delivery of the training differed, affecting also the quality. It would be feasible to organize Training of Trainers (TOT) on training methodology, approach, concurrent monitoring of factors like effectiveness of the training, pace of learning and restructuring to provide an enabling environment for channelisation into employment, etc.

A need for identifying demand-based skills was evident across all the states. An analysis of the reasons why trained persons did not take up occupations linked to the TRYSEM training was cited reasons such as the doubt whether the selected occupation would substantially increase income, the inadequacy of the training itself and in some cases that the skill was unrelated to the main occupation of the households which was considered more stable. These findings necessitates a reflection on the importance to ensure viability of selection of the trades/skills under TRYSEM besides planning and executing an effective training programme.

Since the TRYSEM training was designed as an enabling process in promoting self or even wage employment, an acceptable indicator to assess the effectiveness of the programme is the proportion of employed persons engaged in occupation related to their TRYSEM training. A stock of all trained persons within the reference period has shown that about 55 percent were currently unemployed. Those employed relevant to their TRYSEM training only accounted for 20 percent of the respondents. Of these 20 percent respondents, one-fourth were engaged in wage employment and three-fourth in self-employment ventures. The low level of success highlights the need to look inwards. This would, again, include a review of not only the selection of the trades / skills for training and the actual conduct of the training, but also the backward and forward linkages developed by the organizers to initiate and promote entrepreneurship among the trainees, most of whom are poor.

With the training in place, the availability of capital investment and necessary tools have the next focus. An analysis of the capital investment by those (14.65 % respondents) who have initiated self-employment activities have shown that the private money lender is still the main source (25.2 %) of capital investment. In a very limited way IRDP (7.6 %), Bank (0.1 %) and the Panchayat (11.7 %) have played their roles of horizontal linkages. TRYSEM functionaries have been able to help only 10 percent of the trainees.

Although only a tenth of the trainees could secure the support of the programme implementers in furthering employment possibilities, an analysis of the type of help provided is important to assess the potential of further developing each of these avenues to benefit a wider coverage of trainees. It was found that each of 28 percent respondents had got help to procure capital investment and improved toolkits respectively. About 22 percent each were assisted with links for marketing of products and subsidy amount, respectively. About 6 percent of the respondents reported to have been helped by TRYSEM functionaries have also received other minor help. While all the above efforts are necessary to promote self-employment ventures, it is interesting to note that the provision of assistance only in the area perceived as a bottleneck by the trainees have resulted into entrepreneurship. A strategy needs to be developed based on valid research, about what type of activity requires what kind of assistance as a post-training input, in order to promote entrepreneurship/employment. This planning would ensure an effective and economic utilisation of an additional investment in the TRYSEM programme in planning the utilisation of the training.

It has been reported during the survey that despite receiving training, many beneficiaries still remained below the poverty line. This is an obvious reflection of the quality and effectiveness of the training and the macro planning considerations in place.

5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS

The various stakeholders in training delivery should attend a ToT to ensure a uniform and streamlined conduct of training. The training itself should be structured in a manner that adequate time is devoted to each component of training in order to provide accepted levels of proficiency in the trainee's ability to produce quality products at sustainable levels of production. An on-job training or apprenticeship should be viewed as part of the training module.

Identification of activities should be viable and be based on a market survey. Since at the initial levels, there would essentially be a lack of organized production / work, the market survey should focus on identifying the locally produced (unbranded) goods and services which have high demand, and the price of such goods/services. The activities shortlisted based on the above criteria should be segregated into main and subsidiary occupations based on the seasonality of a trade/service. The main occupations thus identified should normally be taken to design the TRYSEM trainings, to ensure year round incomes.

For all selected activities, a cost benefit analysis should be undertaken to work out at least 2 working models of investment and production, and IRR should be worked out for each to ensure a feasible economic activity. The trainee should be sensitised on the fact that minimum production per unit time would ensure sustainable incomes, provided that the storage and marketing aspects have been worked out.

At a macro level, some threshold values of the minimum number of producers to make any activity viable over an area has to be worked out in consultation with the market demand for a product/service at that level. This could result in some quota system for the number of trainees for any particular training course.

Selection of beneficiaries should have due consideration of poverty and follow reservation norms for certain specified categories. The selected potential trainees should also be nominally organised in self-help groups before the start of the training programme. The training course itself should promote group-based working, group accounting procedures, group based marketing strategies, etc. other than promoting individual control of accounts and production. The self-help groups should comprise old and new TRYSEM beneficiaries. Based on homogeneity of activity, there could be more than one such SHG in a location over time.

A basic strategy should be worked out among the major institutions providing credit. The criteria for being provided with credit should be based on minimum standards of production quality and apprenticeship performance reports. The total target persons to be provided with credit facilities should be allocated to the participating credit institutions based on an agreed quota. The credit should be routed to the beneficiary via the Panchayat and the SHG, which would also be accountable for repayment.

The aspect of marketing, the various strategies that could be adopted and the support required to develop and sustain market linkages should be clearly worked out. There should thus be a counselling and facilitating group attached to the training location, which would bear the responsibility of post training facilitation and follow-up. The follow-up should also focus on potential linkages with other income generation programmes. At the village level, the programme should be monitored by the Pradhan and feedback should be provided on a quarterly basis to the training institute on the progress of the TRYSEM trainees. Strategies for arranging for the residual employment could be phased and based on this feedback mechanism.