Date: 8 December 2021

Location: Policy Research Institute Meeting Hall, Sanogaucharan, Kathmandu

Programme Objectives

• To identify issues and areas of coordination and collaboration with government ministries and other bodies and explore ways to realise such collaboration with them
• To discuss the expectations of ministries of PRI

Opening and Moderation

PRI Executive Chairperson Dr. Bishnu Raj Upreti welcomed the participants and opened the interaction with a brief presentation on PRI covering issues such as strategies, objectives and major achievements over the years. He then passed the floor to the participating dignitaries to share their views and suggestions.

Participants’ Views

Mr. Gopal Prasad Rimal from the Office of the Attorney General appreciated the development of a national roster of experts and asked PRI to include the expertise available at the Office in the roster of PRI. Mr. Prem Prasad Poudel from the Public Service Commission (PSC) expected PRI to support PSC in formulating its strategic plan, which is aimed at its reform. Recalling the research and policy recommendation of PRI on Election Commission-related issues, Mr. Shaligram Sharma Poudel requested PRI to conduct a study on legal and policy issues related to the voting rights of Nepali citizens staying abroad as per the order of the Supreme Court.  

The representative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development suggested that the policies and procedures we have are more than necessary and the need of the day is to revise and integrate them. Around 51 per cent of the ministry’s budget, he added, goes for subsidies the impact and worth of which should be researched. Mr. Sankar Nepal from the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministries suggested that PRI should focus on the study of major policies to ensure, as per its founding objectives, that national policies cohere, reinforce one another and do not clash. To ensure policy uniformity, he added, PRI should coordinate with various ministries and government bodies as much as possible while setting its research priorities and budgets. Ms. Rita Dhital from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanked PRI for the research that it has conducted on different subject matters related to the Ministry.

Responding to the issues and ideas suggested in the discussion, PRI’s Executive Chairperson Dr. Bishnu Raj Upreti underlined the importance of collaboration in research to avoid repetition and ensure value addition. To this end, he added, PRI researchers will bring thematic expertise and methodological rigour. He then thanked all the participants for their time, ideas and willingness to collaborate with PRI and committed to working for policy formulation and innovation in close cooperation with the ministries and concerned government bodies.

Main Points/Achievements of the Interaction

• Information was received on policies being made in different sectors and areas, and those about to be reviewed. It was revealed that some sectors still lack policies and are in need of one.
• The need of an empirical study on the failure of public policies to deliver was underlined. PRI was also suggested to study what should be done to firm up compatibility and integration of policies with the constitution and laws.
• PRI was also asked to offer evidence-based suggestions against forming certain policies that harm the interest of the people. The bureaucracy, society and the public at large should be aware of such harmful policies.
• Offer of collaboration by the participating organizations and suggestion to PRI that it should maximize its efforts to mobilize cooperation and collaboration from all the concerned
• Agreement on firming up coordination and collaboration between PRI researchers and ministry officials.

Participants

S.N.	Name	Representation of ministries/other bodies
1	Bikash Poudel	Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development
2	Nawaraj Pyakurel	Ministry of Urban Development
3	Kabita Niraula Dhungel	Ministry of Defense
4	Shaligram Sharma Poudel	Election Commission
5	Yogendra Chitrakar	Ministry of Water Supply
6	Parashwor Dhungana	Nepal Law Commission
7	Prem Prasad Poudel	Public Service Commission
8	Gopal Prasad Rijal	Office of the Attorney General
9	Bhuwanhari Aryal	National Inclusion Commission
10	Rita Dhital	Ministry of Foreign Affairs
11	Pradhyuman Raj Pandey	Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development
12	Krishna Bahadur Bohara	National Natural Resources and Fiscal Commission
13	Janak Raj Joshi	Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation
14	Bishnu Raj Dhakal	Ministry of Youth and Sports
15	Narayan Prasad Aryal	Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration
16	Uttar Kumar Khatri	Ministry of Communication and Information Technology
17	Krishna Adhikari	Social Security Fund
18	Mohanchandra Biswokarma	Ministry of Forests and Environment
19	Sankar Nepal	Office of the Prime Minister and Council of ministers
20	Lekhnath Wagle	Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation
21	Prakash Pudashaini	Office of the Auditor General
22	Ramesh Thapaliya	Federal Secretariat Construction and Management
23	Madhuprasad Aryal	———–
24	Sureshkumar Wagle	Ministry of Urban Development
	PRI Team and Staffs