| Overview : Nepal was hit by two devastating earthquakes on 25 April 2015 with a magnitude of 7.8 Richter scale and on 12 May 2015 with a magnitude of 7.3 Richter scale. As of 10 September 2017, a total of 996,162 households were surveyed in 31 districts and 765,618 households were identified eligible for private housing grant. NRA signed contract with 637,240 households. The earthquakes destroyed 2,656 government buildings and 19,000 school class rooms. Large portions of the affected population are still living in very basic temporary shelters with limited access to safe water supply and sanitation facilities. Damaged offices interrupted many frontline government services like health, education and agricultural extension services and the livelihoods of more than 10 millions of people have been affected. Nepal prepared a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment in June 2015 and it estimated that the total value of damages and losses caused by the earthquakes was NPR 706 billion (US$7 billion). Government of Nepal formed an autonomous "National Reconstruction Authority" (NRA), chaired by the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister as an apex body to oversee post-quake reconstruction work across the country in December 2015. It is a legal entity governed by the Reconstruction Act of Nepal. It is mandated to manage fund flow to sectoral ministries/implementing agencies, adapt implementation requirements, and oversight of accounting and spending for activities explicitly recognized as post-earthquake reconstruction. It is also NRA role to ensure effective coordination and facilitation with the implementing agencies, donors and earthquake affected communities following the post-earthquake disaster in 2015. NRA developed a Five-Year Road Map for Recovery and Reconstruction – Post Disaster Recovery Framework (PDRF). One of the main assigned roles of NRA is monitoring and evaluation of all reconstruction works of private house, public building, heritage building and monument, archaeological site and infrastructure implemented by line ministries of the government through CLPIUs and DLPIUs. For this function, NRA has a Policy Monitoring, Coordination and Social Development Division and a Policy, Monitoring and Evaluation Section under this Division. However, the Division and Section could not move the M&E functions of NRA as a result of skill gap. Therefore, deputation of an M&E Expert in NRA Policy Monitoring, Coordination and Social Development Division has been necessary to develop/strengthen its M&E systems and practices. |
