Detailed CV - National Institute of Urban Affairs

Project Title: Financial Institutions Reform and Expansion (FIRE-D)Project Phase I, II and III.Client: USAID and Government of IndiaMain Features: The Indo-USAID programme on Financial Institutions Reform andExpansion (FIRE-D) for developing a long-term debt market for viable urbaninfrastructure projects was launched in 1994. The project has provided cutting-edgetechnical assistance and capacity building support to national, state, and localgovernments towards identification of alternative financial mechanisms for urbaninfrastructure and creation of an enabling environment for state and local governmentsto plan, implement, and manage urban infrastructure projects towards improveddelivery of water and sanitation services with an emphasis on increasing access to thepoor.Location:All IndiaMonth/Year: 1994-January 2011 Time Spent::average 8-months/ year.Position Held: Project Coordinator/ Municipal Governance andFinance ExpertDuties: Key duties included (i) responsible for supervision, coordination andmonitoring the progress of the project; (ii) supervised a series of researchstudies on Finances of Municipalities and Management of Urban Services;and (iii) was involved in training and capacity building of municipal bodies andservice delivery agencies on the issues concerning financial resourcemobilization, management of urban infrastructure and services, financingurban infrastructure and project developmentAssigned Tasks:The National Institute of Urban Affairs was assigned byGovernment of India, the nodal role and responsibility topromote, analyse and disseminate the policy changeagenda and also to coordinate and conduct capacitybuilding training workshops in the demonstrationstates/cities.As a Coordinator of the project, I am responsible forpursuing activities in the areas of (i) Policy promotion,(ii) Training and capacity building, (iii) Impact analysis ofthe programmes and the projects, and (iv) Informationdissemination. With an objective of pursuing policyadvocacy for implementing the FIRE agenda, policypromotion is being carried out through policy promotionmeetings with state governments, policy seminars,research studies and case studies and documentationof best practices in municipal management. Capacitiesbuilding training workshops are being conductedthrough a potentially sustainable network of urbanmanagement training institutions spread across thecountry. Under dissemination, the NIUA work planfocuses on dissemination of information for advocatingthe FIRE policy objectives and the lessons learned. Thisis being accomplished through developing a website,sustaining the publication of the Urban FinanceNewsletter, bringing out publications of FIRE projectactivities and participation in national and internationalseminars and conferences for dissemination of FIRE (D)outputs.Project Title: State Finance Commission Recommendations and FollowupActions Thereon.Client: Ministry of Urban Development, Government of IndiaMain Features : The purpose of this study is to review the functioning of state financecommissions (SFCs), constituted as per the provisions of the Constitution ( 74 th )Amendment Act of 1992 ( CAA) in different states and union territories of India. Thisincludes compilation and review of the recommendations for municipalities/urban areas,put forward by the finance commissions of various states and union territories in Indiaand to assess the actions taken by the State Governments/UTs on the SFCrecommendations.Location:All IndiaMonth/Year: 2005 Time Spent: 4 months6 Of 11