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Kerala State Nirmithi KendraDecember 2010Governance Knowledge CentrePromoted by Department of Administrative Reformsand Public GrievancesMinistry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions,Government of Indiahttp://indiagovernance.gov.in/Researched and Documented byOneWorld Foundation Indiawww.oneworld.net.inowsa@oneworld.net

Governance Knowledge CentrePromoted by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public GrievancesMinistry of Personnel, Public Grievances and PensionsGovernment of IndiaCase StudyPublic AdministrationState Nirmithi Kendra (KESNIK)December 2010Kerala StateTransparency and AccountabilityBACKGROUNDTHE KERALA STATE NIRMITHI KENDRA (KESNIK): GENESISIn 1985, the district of Kollam in Kerala was affected by floods. As a response to this situation,the Collector of Kollam promoted an initiative in which the affected families were themselvesinvolved in the process of designing and building their shelters and homes. This initiative wasnamed the Nirmithi Kendra. The success of this initiative led to the promotion of variousDistrict Nirmithi Kendra’s across the state. Subsequently, in order to provide technical supportto these District level Nirmithi Kendra’s, a body called the Kerala State Nirmithi Kendra orKESNIK was set up. Ever since its establishment, KESNIK has taken up a wide variety ofactivities for the promotion of CEEF technologies which include:1. Manufacturing and sale of CEEF materials.2. Promotion of small enterprises in the CEEF material sector.3. Awareness generation among public through various measures.4. Setting up information and guidance centers and conducting exhibitions.5. Construction of demonstration units.6. Training of both existing artisans and unskilled persons in CEEF technologies.7. Orientation of Panchayati Raj representatives and officials.The success of the initial approach to popularizing CEEF housing is best demonstrated in thecase of Karinkunnam Gram Panchayat (GP) in Idukki district. The district, located along thehilly eastern region of Kerala, is among the more backward areas in the State. The GP wasselected for implementation of Building Material’s projects, supported by the Swiss Agency forDevelopment Cooperation (SDC), in view of a complete absence of CEEF awareness among thepeople. Based on the findings of a survey done by KESNIK staff, a multipronged strategy wasdevised to increase the acceptance of CEEF materialsin the area. The activities undertakeninclude:1. Intensive interactions with elected representatives and staff of the GP.2. Distribution of information booklets.3. Nirmithi Vahini exhibitions in the wards of the GP.4. Discussions with the public following the Vahini exhibitions.The panchayat committee identified 138 families in need of support. Prior to the selection,intensive parleys were held, by KESNIK and Kudumbashree 1 functionaries with the members1Kudumbashree, launched in 1998, is today one of the largest women-empowering empowering projects in the country. Theprogramme has 37 lakh members and covers more than 50% of the households in Kerala. It is built around threecritical components, micro credit, entrepreneurship and empowerment. The Kudumbashree initiative has todaysucceeded in addressing the basic needs of the less privileged women, thus providing them a more dignified life and a3Researched and documented byOneWorld Foundation India

Governance Knowledge CentrePromoted by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public GrievancesMinistry of Personnel, Public Grievances and PensionsGovernment of IndiaCase StudyPublic AdministrationState Nirmithi Kendra (KESNIK)December 2010Kerala StateTransparency and Accountabilityof the panchayat committee. Certain specific criteria were developed to identify families thatrequire support. The Kudumbashree unit then collaborated with a local bank to provide loansupport to the families. All the selected beneficiaries were members of the Kudumbashreesponsored neighbourhood groups. Repayment of the loans is linked to their group activity.KESNIK’s local production centres provided CEEF materials for construction. The familieswere e trained by KESNIK as part of its activities in the panchayat. Its technical staff alsoprovided the necessary guidance.OBJECTIVE· The Kerala State Nirmithi Kendra (KESNIK):· To act as a seminal agency to generate innovative ideas in the construction sector.· To co-ordinate, ordinate, monitor and regulate the activities of the District Nirmithi Kendra’s· To interact with the Research Institutions, government, semi government and NGOs and toensure field level application of Research in housing sector.· To provide advice and guidance to the government on emerging housing concepts andpolicies.· To serve as a clearing house of information and data bank on housing.· To select appropriate technology for dissemination.· To formulate and update syllabi of the training programmes undertaken.· To undertake extension work among the public on the up gradation of the traditional housingtechnologies.· To set up Production Centers.· To undertake HRD programme in the field of housing.· To formulate projects and to take up consultancy services in housing and its allied fields.· To undertake R&D activities in housing and allied fields· To construct buildings especially public buildings using CEEF technology.· To dovetail the self employment schemes of Govt. and other agencies to generate employmentand income for youth.WORKING DESIGNThe Nirmithi concept soon spread across the state with Nirmithi Kendra’s being set up in alldistricts of Kerala. Government of India recognised it by including it in the Union Budget andthe National Housing Policy saw the growth of the movement at the national level through thesetting up of building centres in all districts in the country. It also received the Special Habitatbetter future. Literal meaning of Kudumbashree is prosperity (shree) of family (Kudumbam).4Researched and documented byOneWorld Foundation India

Governance Knowledge CentrePromoted by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public GrievancesMinistry of Personnel, Public Grievances and PensionsGovernment of IndiaCase StudyPublic AdministrationState Nirmithi Kendra (KESNIK)December 2010Kerala StateTransparency and AccountabilityAward to the progenitor of the movement and the Kollam lam Centre gave further impetus to thespread of the Movement.International recognition was accorded to Nirmithi when the United Nations Commission forHuman Settlements at its 14 th session in Nairobi in May 1993 adopted a resolutionrecommending governments ents to set up institutions modeled on the Building Centres at thenational, provincial and grass root levels. As the prime mover behind Nirmithi, the directorwas awarded the Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship for his contributions to the field of HabitatManagement.Through new lines of action effecting attitudinal changes Nirmithi has become synonymouswith cost effective environment friendly building technology. Public has accepted Nirmithistyle of construction which has neither compromised on quality nor aesthetics. To ensurequality criteria, Nirmithi have collaborated with the Bureau of Indian Standards, havecompiled standards and specifications for cost effective building materials and techniques.Seminars, workshops, conferences and demonstrations were organised to spread the messageof effective housing in rural areas.TRAININGNirmithi's foray into the field of building construction witnessed a severe shortage of skilledlabour in this particular style of construction. Various skills up gradation programmes wereorganised in masonry, carpentry, plumbing, landscaping and such other skills related tohousing and habitat.SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND UP GRADATIONEmployment oriented training programmes of the Government such as NRY (Nehru RozgarYojna) being implemented through Nirmithi has imparted training in skill up gradation tohundreds of youth and women. An amount of Rs.4, 608,000 for the period 1990-1995, wasutilised for the training of youth in various skill up gradation programmes. These programmes,having a wide reach, are being conducted through the district, regional and rural centres ofNirmithi.GROUPSSpecial training programmes for women and the weaker sections have been conducted with aview to giving them a meaningful role in habitat development. The following are the groupsfor the focused programmes:a) WomenAbout 2000 women have been trained in skills such as masonry, terracotta art, prefabrication,landscaping and in higher level training for application of computer software. Such5Researched and documented byOneWorld Foundation India

Governance Knowledge CentrePromoted by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public GrievancesMinistry of Personnel, Public Grievances and PensionsGovernment of IndiaCase StudyPublic AdministrationState Nirmithi Kendra (KESNIK)December 2010Kerala StateTransparency and Accountabilityprogrammes have helped reduce gender bias and increase women participation in theotherwise male dominated construction sector.b) Scheduled Castes and Scheduled TribesSpecial programmes for the backward sections of society such as the scheduled castes andscheduled tribes have been designed keeping in view their limits and constraints. Training hasbeen imparted to about 775 people belonging to these classes.c) Mentally HandicappedNirmithi has helped open up employment opportunities and thereby meaningfully integratedabout 200 mentally handicapped youth and is tied up with two institutions working for thementally handicapped.THE APPROACHThe Nirmithi Kendra at Quilon in Kerala is supplemented with the efforts of organizations suchas COSTFORD (Centre of Science and Technology for Rural Development), a non-profitvoluntary organization that trains masons, artisans, carpenters, architects and engineers inlowcost constructions practices and transfers them to the field through its housing projects.Their projects provide simple layouts, economical house designs, use of locally availablematerial resources and indigenous construction techniques which reduce material costs and arelabour intensive.STRATEGIES USEDTwo housing colonies developed in Trichur at Laloor and Nallankara are good examples of thestrategies proposed by COSTFORD and the Nirmithi Kendra towards solving the housing crisisin Kerala. Baker 2 construction systems are propagated through the Nirmithi Kendras. Examplesof numerous jali (brick lattice) designs are to be seen at the Nirmithi Kendra in Trichur whichshow that a verandah jali may sometimes suffice to lend individuality to a house. It alsodemonstrates the versatility in designs of brick compound walls with reinforced cementconcrete (RCC) coping and various kinds of gate posts. Innovations such as patch-pointing 3 ,brick jali 4 , cow dung and fly-ash flooring 5 , brick corbelling 6 , etc have been incorporated in the2Named after the famous architect Laurie Baker who pioneered sustainable ecofriendlyarchitecture withbrick and mud; and other local materials.3 Technique used for repairing through brickwork and masonry.4 Brick lattice5 Cowdung flooring refers to flooring with the use of cow excreta. Flyash is defined in Cement and ConcreteTerminology as the finely divided residue resulting from the combustion of ground or powdered coal, which istransported from the firebox through the boiler by flue gases. Flyash is a byproduct of coalfired electric generatingplants.6Researched and documented byOneWorld Foundation India

Governance Knowledge CentrePromoted by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public GrievancesMinistry of Personnel, Public Grievances and PensionsGovernment of IndiaCase StudyPublic AdministrationState Nirmithi Kendra (KESNIK)December 2010Kerala StateTransparency and Accountabilityhousing projects. Sometimes, these centres develop products such as the hollow concrete block,funicular shells, etc.Figure 1:BRICK LATTICEFigure 2:BRICK CORBELLINGDESIGN AND EXECUTIONThe process of design and that of execution onsite overlap to a great degree. No elaboratedrawings exist for either of these projects. Most of the construction is based on sketches (andnot on pre-determined, elaborate designs) made by Laurie Baker who prefers to also allow forinnovations onesite by the labourers. The staff members of Nirmithi Kendra and COSTFORDsupervise the onsite development and improvise as and when necessary.Some of the architects who worked here had earlier participated in Laurie Baker's other projectsand hence were themselves skilled artisans in brickwork. Some of the labourers who helpedbuild these two colonies had received training at the Nirmithi Kendra in Quilon.ACTIVITIES OF KESNIKA wide range of projects which are being by Nirmithi is a proof to the increasing acceptance ofCEEF technology which includes projects that span from tribal shelters to the Science SeminarComplexes, Temples, Churches, University buildings, Public Sector office structures etc.1. Consultancy servicesNirmithi offers consultancy services in the following thrust areas and undertakes total projectmanagement in:· Residential Houses for Low Income Group (LIG), Middle Income Group (MIG), High IncomeGroup (HIG).· Residential villas & Farm Houses· Universities and Other Institutions· Seminar and Exhibition Complexes6 Brick corbelling is brickwork carried out from the face of a wall in projecting courses for the purpose of supportinga load such as that brought by a wallplate or the end of a beam.7Researched and documented byOneWorld Foundation India

Governance Knowledge CentrePromoted by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public GrievancesMinistry of Personnel, Public Grievances and PensionsGovernment of IndiaCase StudyPublic AdministrationState Nirmithi Kendra (KESNIK)December 2010Kerala StateTransparency and Accountability· Earthquake resistant houses & rehabilitation colonies· Housing Colonies· Mass Housing scheme for SC beneficiaries· Mass Housing project Under Swiss Development Project· Organizing ng Training for Artisans & Other Institutions· Production Centers of CEEF· Material Testing Laboratories2. Housing Guidance CentreThe Technical/Consultancy wing of KESNIK has a Housing Guidance Centre attached to everyNirmithi Kendra which provides information on the cost effective and environment friendly(CEEF) construction options to the prospective house builder. The various technology options,the advantages and the cost comparison are explained to the client before the final decisions aretaken by the client. All information regarding to construction of houses can be got from thiscentre.3. Regional/Rural Nirmithi KendrasWith the increasing demand for cost effective construction, it has become necessary todecentralise the activities of Kerala State Nirmithi Kendra to enable it to meet rural housingdemands as well as for the up gradation of rural technologies and locally available materials.With this objective, Kerala State Nirmithi Kendra has set up Regional/Rural Kendras in almostall districts icts of Kerala. These centres fulfil the construction demands of the respective regionsbesides providing services such as production cum training. The Rural Kendras focus on thetraining of artisans and unemployed youth in new and emerging cost effective buildingtechnologies and awareness generation on alternate building materials.4. Information and Extension DivisionThe information and extension division has been set up for the dissemination of CEEFtechnology through publications including brochures, newsletters, books and literature onCEEF technology, conduct of camps, workshops, seminars, conference etc to reach out to alllevels of people, Mobile units equipped with audio visual aids - Nirmithi Vahini to take thismessage to remote rural areas etc.5. Production CentresProduction centres, spread all over the state, owned by Nirmithi Kendra produce authenticCEEF building materials on a large scale – Hollow Concrete Blocks, Concrete door, windowframes, Ferro cement, water tanks and so on.Building construction trend in Kerala is ever increasing and so is the cost escalation ofconstruction components. The people below poverty line find it very difficult in fulfilling theirdream home. KESNIK was in the lookout for the promotion indigenous and local technologyfor withholding the construction cost escalation to certain extent.8Researched and documented byOneWorld Foundation India

Governance Knowledge CentrePromoted by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public GrievancesMinistry of Personnel, Public Grievances and PensionsGovernment of IndiaCase StudyPublic AdministrationState Nirmithi Kendra (KESNIK)December 2010Kerala StateTransparency and AccountabilityAs a result various Cost Effective Environment Friendly (CEEF) building material productswere developed in association with Premier Building Research Institute, NGOs and at our ownlabs. This enabled us in setting up CEEF building material production units throughout thelength and breadth of Kerala. The commonly used CEEF products are Hollow Concrete Blocks,Pre-cast Door / Window frames, Stabilized Mud Blocks, Interlocking Mud Blocks, Rubble FillerBlocks to name a few. These products have become a part of a construction culture and havebeen widely accepted by the people in general.6. Kalavara Fair Price Market for building materialsNirmithi has set up Kalavara fair price markets of building materials at Kozhikode,Kalamasseri(Ernakulam) and Vattiyoorkavu (Thiruvananthapuram) for the sale of buildingmaterials mainly to the BPL families and other public. These markets provide quality buildingmaterials at affordable price to the BPL families. This venture is aimed to curb the price level ofbuilding materials and to make available the same to BPL families at affordable prices.THE FINANCIAL OUTLAYThere are different funding programmes at the state level for the implementation of suchhousing projects:DST program (Department of Science and Technology): This consists of ten trainingprogrammes for masons in order to create an awareness of cost-effective and innovativetechnology. Three houses are built during each training programme and stand thereafter asdemonstration houses. This scheme has been implemented in Trichur, Palghat and Allepey.Thirty houses have thus been erected for the low-income group and the beneficiaries havingbeen selected by the DST.Laloor housing programme:This programme provided 31 houses; 18 of which were financedthrough a loan scheme by the Government of Kerala State and built with the help ofCOSTFORD and Nirmithi Kendra between June 1987 and June 1988. Each of these 18 houseshas been built at an approximate cost of Rs 8000; HUDCO programme: This involves theconstruction of 250 houses in the Trichur District at the cost of Rs 12000 per house. Selection ofbeneficiaries is made by the District Collectorate in Trichur.The approach promoted direct involvement of beneficiaries, delinking of development fromgovernment rigidities, coordination of the efforts of government officials, voluntaryorganization sand technologists, and judicious channeling of available resources. Expert helpwas sought from research and development institutions to adapt cost-effective technologies tothe local requirements. To ensure quality, standards and specifications for cost-effectivebuilding materials and techniques were compiled in collaboration with the Indian Bureau ofStandards.9Researched and documented byOneWorld Foundation India

Governance Knowledge CentrePromoted by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public GrievancesMinistry of Personnel, Public Grievances and PensionsGovernment of IndiaCase StudyPublic AdministrationState Nirmithi Kendra (KESNIK)December 2010Kerala StateTransparency and AccountabilityTo combat the shortage of skilled labour familiar with cost-effective construction technologies,skill upgrading programmes were organized in masonry, carpentry, plumbing, electrification,landscaping, interior design etc. Some 30 - 40 per cent of the trainees in the programmes werewomen and as a result, the gender imbalance in the construction sector was reduced andwomen participation increased. Print and electronic media, as well as seminars, workshops,conferences and demonstration were used to spread the message. A building centre wasestablished to implement and propagate the ideas and coordinate the efforts. By 1989 Keralabecame the first state in India to have set up building centers in all districts.METHODOLOGYThe Research Team of OneWorld Foundation selected to study KESNIK on the basis of itseffective alternative housing technology in Kerala. The desk research was carried out with thehelp of online sources and a telephonic interview was conducted with the Project Engineer ofNirmithi Kendra.KEY STAKEHOLDERSThe Kerala State Nirmithi Kendra (KESNIK): Set up in 1989 KESNIK is a pioneeringorganization in the practice and propagation of Cost Effective and Environment Friendlyconstruction techniques. KESNIK conducts training programmes for engineers, architects andartisans to equip them with skill to practice cost effective and environment friendly buildingconstruction. The Kendra has a joint venture with SDC (Swiss Agency for DevelopmentCorporation) for a building material project.Started as a pioneering experiment in the district ofKollam, KESNIK now has a wide network throughout the state and its innovative programmesare well sustained by the Public as well as the Government.Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC): In early 2000 the Swiss Agency forDevelopment and Cooperation (SDC), recognizing interest and contribution of KESNIK inCEEF technology decided to take KESNIK into a partnership in a Building Materials Project(BMP). The first phase of the project was implemented successfully during July 2000 to June2002. This was a learning phase in which different models for promoting CEEF technologieswere experimented. The objective of the project was to develop strategies to increase theavailability and accessibility cessibility of building materials technologies that:• are energy efficient and environmentally sound• can augment supply of cost effective building materials• create sustainable livelihoods• improve shelter conditions10Researched and documented byOneWorld Foundation India

Governance Knowledge CentrePromoted by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public GrievancesMinistry of Personnel, Public Grievances and PensionsGovernment of IndiaCase StudyPublic AdministrationState Nirmithi Kendra (KESNIK)December 2010Kerala StateTransparency and AccountabilityLESSONS LEARNEDIt was a challenge to educate people on the CEEF technologies as they were not aware of any ofthe technologies available in the labs. Various seminars, symposia and workshops wereconducted throughout the state to generate awareness on the strength and durability of thenew technologies. Demonstration buildings were constructed to get ideas about the costeffective technology. Training programmes were conducted at field level to artisans, engineersand Architects. The organisation has made continuous efforts to orient people with the benefitsof this housing technology. Despite such challenges, NK has managed to change the houseconstruction scenario in Kerala and throughout the country.Figure 3: School ol for the hearing impaired at NagercoilSource: http://www.nirmithi.kerala.gov.in/gall.htm)The lessons derived from this governance practice are:IMPACTa) Spread of the Nirmithi Movement from one district (Quilon, Kerala) to all districts in thecountry.b) Integration of Research and Development, education, training, production and marketing ofbuilding materials etc.c) Technical soundness of the work programmes, quality of works aesthetics etc based onfeedback from users.d) Increasing demand and geographical spread of works.e) Overall growth in clientele and volume of works.f) Increasing awareness among the public, professionals & in the media of the NirmithiMovement.11Researched and documented byOneWorld Foundation India

Governance Knowledge CentrePromoted by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public GrievancesMinistry of Personnel, Public Grievances and PensionsGovernment of IndiaCase StudyPublic AdministrationState Nirmithi Kendra (KESNIK)December 2010Kerala StateTransparency and AccountabilityFINANCIALLY SUSTAINABLEKESNIK is registered under Charitable Society Act, and is working with its own resourceswithout depending on any other financial agencies including the Government. The day to dayexpenditure is met from the profits generated from our various construction projects andtraining programmes.UNIQUE APPROACHNirmithi Kendra is the onlygovernment agency under HousingDepartment, Kerala which propagatesand CEEF. The projects are executedthrough its 14 Regional Centers andDistrict Nirmithi Kendras spreadacross the State. It caters to thehousing needs of the people all overKerala including the remote areas.There are Production Centers andTraining Centers attached to eachRegional Center where CEEFproducts like hollow concrete block,concrete door and window frames areproduced.Figure 4: One day home for social welfare department, TrivandrumTRAINING PROGRAMMESMore than 3000 labourers have been trained in cost effective building technology and specialemphasis has given to the training of women. Techniques related to masonry, carpentry,building material production are imparted to unemployed youth. Most of the Earthquakerehabilitation projects in Latur, Bhuj and Tsunami Projects were implemented by NirmithiKendra. Other rehabilitation projects of Government are executed through Nirmithi Kendra asa part of its social commitment to LIG’s (Low Income Groups). Also Nirmithi has buildingmaterial fair price units called KALAVARS throughout Kerala where building materials aresupplied to mainly BPL families at a subsidized rate.SOCIAL AND GENDER EQUALITYNKs aim at ensuring active participation of women in all aspects of habitat development. Equalopportunities are given for both men and women and 50 % of the staff is women. In all the12Researched and documented byOneWorld Foundation India

Governance Knowledge CentrePromoted by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public GrievancesMinistry of Personnel, Public Grievances and PensionsGovernment of IndiaCase StudyPublic AdministrationState Nirmithi Kendra (KESNIK)December 2010Kerala StateTransparency and Accountabilitytrainings, equal priority for both men and women are provided. Trainings are conducted indifferent skills such as masonry, carpentry, terracotta art, prefabrication, landscaping and othermanagement development programmes which have reduced gender bias and increase womenparticipation in the otherwise male dominated construction sector.A NEW CONSTRUCTION CULTURENK’s contribution to the revival oftraditional architecture blending withmodern trends in architecture has beenwidely appreciated.1. Environment friendly: KESNIKpropagates CEEF which ensuresminimum damage to environment.Since most of the material used inconstruction is locally available theusage of resources like water, air,and energy can be reduced.2. Durability of building materials: TheCEEF building materials used in theconstructions are being ingeniouslyproduced and are tested in testinglabs across the State. Also steps areIN MAHARASTRAbeing initiated to start mobile testinglabs where building materials can betested on the site.3. Fire resistance: Timber usage is reduced by replacing wooden doors and windowFigure 5: EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT HOUSES AT LATHURframes with concrete doors and window frames.4. Leak proof roofing: Ferro cement roofing is being practiced.5. Thermal Comfort: Achieved by using Filler slab technology for roofing and rat trapbond and Hollow block technology for Cavity wall construction.6. Security: Only High quality materials and labour are used in construction.7. Cost reduction: Achieved by using Cost effective Technologies in construction like“Nirmithi" ceef technology (about 30% saving in cost).13Researched and documented byOneWorld Foundation India

Governance Knowledge CentrePromoted by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public GrievancesMinistry of Personnel, Public Grievances and PensionsGovernment of IndiaCase StudyPublic AdministrationState Nirmithi Kendra (KESNIK)December 2010Kerala StateTransparency and AccountabilityCONCLUSIONThe Nirmithi model has left a perceptible mark on the housing scenario. They havedisseminated popularised and promoted cost effective and environment friendly (CEEF)building technology in the country. With paucity of resources in the country, wideningdemand- supply gaps in housing and declining investment, the Nirmithi Movement wasperceived as, perhaps, the only means to provide an affordable solution to the country'shousing problem. The project's ability to perceive and plan for human resources developmentalneeds of the housing sector was another important factor contributing to project sustainability.Training programmes in different skills (masonry, carpentry), related to CEEF technology, fordifferent target groups (women, handicapped, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes etc.) andeducational programmes (Masters and Diplomas in Habitat Technology) organised as anintegral part of the project facilitated these tasks.Strategies such as delinking developmental tasks from government rigidities, networking withlikeminded organisations in the country, building awareness camp and demonstrations forbringing about attitudinal changes, establishment of housing guidance centres; and integratingconcepts of traditional architecture with the modern were other aspects of the project enablingits success and sustainability. The project is thus an effective model of a practice that can beeffectively sustained.Research was carried out by OneWorld Foundation India (OWFI), Governance Knowledge Centre (GKC) team.Documentation was created by Research Associate, Attrika HazarikaFor further information, please contact Rajiv Tikoo, Director, OWFI, at owsa@oneworld.netREFERENCEShttp://www.nirmithi.kerala.gov.in/home.htmhttp://www.keralaplanningboard.org/html/Economic%20Review%202006/Chap/Chapter13.pdfhttp://www.anangpur.org/nirmithi_kendra.asphttp://www.unhabitat.org/bestpractices/2006/mainview.asp?BPID=166814Researched and documented byOneWorld Foundation India

Governance Knowledge CentrePromoted by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public GrievancesMinistry of Personnel, Public Grievances and PensionsGovernment of IndiaCase StudyPublic AdministrationState Nirmithi Kendra (KESNIK)December 2010Kerala StateTransparency and AccountabilityAPPENDIXQuestionnaire1. In what ways are the construction programmes in Nirmithi Kendra different from otherprivate or public construction companies?2. Who is responsible for designing, planning, manpower management and resources?3. What is the financial model of Nirmithi Kendra? How are the resources mobilised? Is itfinancially sustainable?4. What are the challenges faced during its implementation?5. What is the impact on of its work on the beneficiaries?6. How has the following been achieved?· Durability of building materials· Fire resistance· Leak proof roofing· Thermal comfort· Security· Cost reduction· Ease of maintenance15Researched and documented byOneWorld Foundation India