Government to Deploy Educated Youth as Service Facilitators

Biratnagar. The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration has started preparations to deploy a large number of educated youth to make service delivery in government offices and local levels across the country more efficient and citizen-friendly.

If the draft of the 'Service Delivery Facilitator Deployment Procedure, 2083' published by the ministry on Friday is passed, the way will be opened for the recruitment of hundreds of facilitators in local levels, provinces, and federal offices across the country.

This new policy appears to provide an opportunity for hundreds of youth who have completed higher education and are seeking practical learning to join government service with attractive remuneration and service facilities. The ministry has currently sought suggestions from stakeholders and the general public on this procedure.

Once this procedure is implemented, there will be a demand for youth facilitators in hundreds of municipalities, ward offices, and federal and provincial bodies across the country. According to sub-section (1) of section 3 of the procedure, these facilitators will be deployed in government offices with a high volume of service recipients, development construction projects, ministries, departments, government-owned corporations, and especially in ward offices of metropolitan cities, municipalities, and rural municipalities.

According to section 10, various thematic ministries, provincial governments, and local levels can request facilitators according to their needs, and according to sub-section (2) of section 3, a maximum of 2 facilitators can be deployed per body, which will provide employment opportunities to hundreds of youth simultaneously in hundreds of government offices across the country. The procedure also includes provisions for facilitators to reach hundreds of wards in local levels.

For the facilitators participating in this program, the government will provide 50 percent of the initial salary scale of Gazetted Third Class (Officer Level) or Assistant Fifth Level as monthly incentive remuneration. This remuneration system is arranged to be directly deposited into the individual's bank account at the end of the month based on the attendance recorded.

In addition, upon satisfactory completion of the work, facilitators will also be provided with a certificate of experience in government service, which the government believes will contribute to the career development of youth. To be selected as a facilitator, one must be a Nepali citizen, have passed the postgraduate level examination or be pursuing research from a recognized university, and be under 30 years of age.

According to the selection method mentioned in section 9, a merit list will be prepared based on educational qualifications and age, and special priority and bonus marks will be given to women, Dalits, Janajatis, and members of conflict-affected families. The selected facilitators will assist service recipients in applying online, filling out forms, verifying necessary documents, and expediting the processing of work by employees.

To manage this extensive plan, the ministry will develop an online system. This system will automate the entire process from collecting facilitator requests to application, evaluation, attendance, and release from responsibility through the online medium.

This procedure is being introduced with the objective of directly involving the educated youth in the country's governance system, development construction, and service delivery processes. According to the preamble of the draft, the goal is to provide practical learning opportunities to youth, develop a sense of service towards citizens and the nation, and enhance citizen satisfaction by bringing ease and speed to the services provided by government agencies.

Facilitators will provide necessary support to responsible employees for expediting service delivery, assist in policy, plan, or program or project development, assist in the study, evaluation, or reporting of any subject, assist in technical drawing, design, monitoring and supervision, quality testing, and reporting, and support the implementation of various awareness and campaign programs conducted by the government.

When employing facilitators, responsible employees must pay proper attention to the information to be protected and the confidentiality to be maintained, and facilitators must strictly adhere to those instructions, as stated in the procedure. The procedure clarifies that it is the duty of the facilitator to adhere to the prescribed code of conduct, similar to civil servants, while on duty.

A high-level steering committee chaired by the Minister of Federal Affairs will be in place for policy guidance. The ministry has requested stakeholders to send their opinions and suggestions within 7 days from the date of publication of the notice for further improvement of this draft procedure.