EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Rural Enterprise and Economic Development (REED) project aims to enhance the ecosystem for rural entrepreneurship and to strengthen the market linkages of rural entrepreneurs, including smallholder farmers and producers. This Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) for the REED project has been prepared to establish a functioning platform for effective interaction and meaningful consultations
with potentially affected parties and persons, who have interests in the implementation, and outcomes of the REED project. With the conviction that an effective stakeholder engagement is a prerequisite for the smooth implementation of the project by building sustainable trust with project stakeholders, the REED project is committed to also engaging with local communities in project-related activities, importantly, with rural entrepreneurs, and to soliciting their feedback on project design and implementation while simultaneously managing expectations of beneficiaries and interested parties about project outcomes. The SEP reviewed existing domestic law and policy as well as Environmental and Social Standard (ESS) 10 on Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure, of the World Bank’s Environmental
and Social Framework (ESF) and found that Nepal’s requirement for stakeholder engagement is notstringent enough to meet the requirements of the ESF1, therefore activities have been proposed to help the project meet ESF requirements. Unlike stakeholder engagement throughout the project life cycle that the SEF demands, Nepal’s law requires only one stakeholder engagement and consultation during the project preparation phase. Except during land acquisition, there is no legal provision of a grievance redress mechanism in the project. There are also no clear provisions for information disclosure. So, the SEP proposes various activities to help the project meet ESF requirements. Unlike stakeholder The SEP has outlined previous stakeholder engagement activities and has also categorized the identified stakeholders into various groups based on their interests and influence on the project. In addition, the
SEP also identified and analyzed various stakeholders, including government agencies, elected local levels, local Argo enterprises and traders, and farmers. Further, the SEP also incorporated key characteristics of vulnerable groups, including female entrepreneurs and indigenous communities. The plan for stakeholder engagement takes into considerations requirements around purpose, timing and
methods of stakeholder engagement and the strategy for information disclosure to vulnerable groups and indigenous communities.
ENVIRONMENTAL and SOCIAL COMMITMENT PLAN (ESCP) July
Agriculture