Planning Division

Mission

            Vigorous fulfillment of planning, monitoring and project management requirements needed for more productive and efficient service provided by the Ministry for the empowerment of children and women and direct them towards comprehensive development.

Functions

1. Developing Annual Action Plan by incorporating information from all Divisions / Departments of the Ministry.
2. Formulating the National Plans relevant to the field of children and women and providing the necessary contribution.
3. Reporting on and reviewing the progress of development programmes.
4. Maintaining the District coordinating process from National level to the Divisional level.
5. Directing and evaluating development programmes on behalf of the Ministry.
6. Submitting the future annual budget estimates and new project proposals relevant to the development programmes.
7. Implementing development programmes in the special areas identified.

Key Development Programmes Implemented - 2017

Planning

1. Developing the Action Plan of the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and distributing it among the relevant stakeholder institutions.
2. Developing 25 combined District Integrated development plans including all development programmes implemented by each Division at the Ministry at District level in 2017 and distributing that among all the District Co-ordinating Staff Officers and all the District Secretariats.
3. Providing the basic guidance required by the field officers in Divisional Level Child and Women Development Units to develop 331 combined Child and Women Development Plans for all the Divisional Secretariat Divisions and doing the necessary revisions and improvements by obtaining the  Divisional Plans to the Ministry.
4. A three year National Action Plan for Widows and Women Heads of Household was drafted by the Ministry and the Planning Division contributed to that.

Progress Reporting 

For the purpose of achieving the optimum progress through the annual provisions allocated to the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, progress review discussions are held and reporting on progress is done by the Planning Division.

            In 2017:

1. Monthly and quarterly reporting on progress at the level of Divisions / Departments as per the annual Action Plan.
2. Holding 02 quarterly progress review meetings at the national level and holding 03 special interim progress review meetings.
3. Reporting on progress with relevance to the decisions of the State Economic Management Committee.
4. Annual reporting according to the Three year Strategic plan for the prevention of child abuse.
5. Co-ordinating the District progress review meetings and summarized progress reporting -  Through carrying out the progress review of the District level child and women development programmes twice a  year in all 25 Districts with the participation of the staff officers of the Ministry, achieving maximum benefits of the Ministerial provisions at the Divisional level has been ensured.

Evaluating and Directing the Development Programmes.

1. Several field evaluation programmes were implemented by the Planning Division from time to time to investigate the current situation/suitability of some projects implemented with the provisions of the Ministry in 2017 and reports have been submitted.
2. Recommendations and conclusions provided in this manner by evaluating programmes at a national level will be helpful to make the future programme more successful.
3. Observation of Day Care / Preschool premises -  Kolonnawa Salamulla “Laksanda Sevana” Housing complex.
4. Day Care Centre proposed to be constructed in Kalavanchikudi Divisional Secretarait Division in Batticaloa District.
5. Project to cultivate “Idda” flowers in Mundalama, Divisional Secretariat Division in Puttlam District.

Training and Awareness Programmes.

The Planning Division has implemented the following in 2017 to raise awareness of field officers about common subject areas / current topics.

1). Several rounds of discussions were held at national level in collaboration with the relevant stakeholder institutions and a  review was conducted about the measures and policies adopted by various institutions under the national programme for drug prevention, to coincide with the “Alokaya” programme implemented by this Ministry to save children and women from the drug menace.

At the same time, to minimize the use of drugs among adults, promote understanding, commitment and active contribution of the civil society organizations and the communities in this regard as well as to ensure a joint approach in action for prevention of drugs by government and non-government organizations, 03 one day workshops were held in the Districts of Gampaha, Kurunegala and Kalutara for raising awareness of the field officers as trainers. In addition to that, 02 programmes were held at Divisional level targeting members of the women’s action groups in Ja-ela and Niyagama Divisional Secretariat Divisions.

This programme is expected to be extended to Districts throughout the island where vulnerable groups are common.

 2).  Furthermore, arrangements have been made to hold a one day training workshop on project management for District Coordinating Officers and Child and Women Development Officers from selected Divisional Secretariat Divisions, at Colombo in November. The aim of this programme is to provide the knowledge and experience required to identify, plan, execute and follow up suitable projects for providing effective solutions for the priority requirements and issues in the field of women and children.