Secretariat

The Durable Solutions II Secretariat facilitates communication and coordination between the government at central and district levels and other actors engaged in supporting relocation and reconstructions works. Durable Solutions II uses the Secretariat as a common sharing platform with NRA for the development and implementation of durable solution activities through mutually agreed decisions that inform the strategic direction of the program.

The Durable Solutions II Secretariat also discusses field level issues and other challenges associated with the resettlement of Geo-hazard displaced and landless households and works towards resolving the issues either by directly addressing the needs of people or by advocating for their support at the government level.

The Secretariat consists of three core units:

Policy Support Unit

This unit plays significant role in reviewing existing government policies and/or formulating new policies by focusing on the best practice surrounding and implementation of durable solutions. The Policy Support Unit also supports NRA on the dissemination of the existence/updated polices and guidelines by conducting orientations at the district level targeting the local government and ensuring the durable solutions option is smoothly implemented. This unit also takes charge in advocating for the land rights related issues encountered at the local level and recommending possible amendments to the government.

Geo hazard Unit

Durable Solutions II supports NRA in the identification of geo-hazard prone areas and recommends possible mitigation measures to minimize the level of risk and ensures the reconstruction in a safe manner during the process of resettlement. The geo-hazard technical support is provided through seconding 2 geologists based in the NRA office. The geological team carries out assessments across 32 districts as requested by the NRA and assists in orienting NRA engineers within Gaupalika or Nagarpalika on how to identify and verify the safety of land selected for purchase by eligible beneficiaries. 

Implementation Unit

Durable Solution’s Implementation Unit oversees the implementation of activities to support the eligible household under the resettlement program by facilitating in the grant acquisition process. This unit regularly communicates with NRA and supports the identification of eligible beneficiaries through data collection and assessments. Durable Solutions II ensures the eligible household receives government resettlement grant (land grant) and housing grant on described timeframe by its facilitation support during the grant acquisition process. Similarly, DS-II organizes orientation programs on relevant policies and other key information at the local level to ensure the eligible household understand the subject.

The Implementation Unit consist of 3 main sub-units:

• Technical Assistance and Site plan support

Durable Solutions II provides site planning support and technical assistance to relocated communities with minimum access to the government technical services and through the severity scoring which identifies the most vulnerable people. This sub-unit provides orientation and training on safe shelter reconstruction and ensures the households understand and receive technical support through Durable Solutions II or other possible stakeholders. The technical team coordinates with NRA and Central Level Project Implementation Unit (CLPIU) for the implementation and development of integrated settlements through its seconded planner based in NRA. This unit also ensures the government’s Integrated Settlements provision is properly informed to the local and district authorities and encourages beneficiaries to participate.

• Information Management

The IM unit is the focal point for Durable Solutions II to share the data and other key data set with NRA. DS-II’s Information Management team communicates closely with NRA and provides consistent flow of information to the government and other stakeholders. The sub unit manages the beneficiary’s data collected from the districts and disseminates to the NRA. The IM team, in close coordination with NRA, works on refining beneficiary data and identifies discrepancies to the concerned agencies.

• Protection Support

In order to mitigate the potential long-term damages from protracted displacement or relocation upon the most vulnerable, the consortium provides protection training and grants to communities particularly susceptible to protection risks, and engages women in addressing the needs of most vulnerable with their communities.