The GNHC Secretariat (GNHCS) in collaboration with the Centre for Bhutan Studies (CBS) conducted a Workshop on GNH Indicators and its application in the government planning and policies on 1st July, 2010 at Royal Institute of Management, Thimphu. About one hundred civil servants across government agencies attended the workshop. Dasho Karma Ura, president of the CBS presented the GNH indicators and its importance and advantages as an alternative measure of development. The secretary of GNHCS presented the application of indicators in formulation of government plans and policies.
Read More »

The Joint Support Programme for  mainstreaming Environment, Climate Change and Poverty Concerns  which involves ,the Poverty Environment  Initiative Project phase II of the UNDP/UNEP and the component II of the Sustainable  Environment Support Programme (SESP) of the DANIDA. The harmonized programme  support is geared towards developing capacity of national and local government  functionaries, private sector and civil society organizations in addressing  poverty and environment challenges in an integrated manner, which is intended  to achieve the following outcomes:
Outcome  1: ECP mainstreamed in national policies, plans and programmes.
Outcome  2: ECP mainstreamed in all development plans and programmes at the local level.

GNH Commission prepared for the application  exercise of the Poverty Environment Mainstreaming Guidelines ( PEMG ) into the  sector programmes.  The PEMG workshops  were undertaken with 11 central government agencies, 1 Dzongkhag, 2 CSO/NGOs,  and 19 Dzongkhag Planning Officers.
The  workshops were carried out in the period of May 11th to June 11th,  2010 and each of them were conducted separately. The overall objective of the  consulting assignment was to apply the Poverty-Environment Mainstreaming  Guidelines (PEM Guidelines) to the development plans, policies, and programs, of all sectors/ministries at  the central level, as well as to one trial Dzongkhag.
It was  expected that the application of the PEM Guidelines during this assignment  would lead to an assessment of the environment and climate mainstreaming  related capacity development needs within sectors at different levels of  government, and also provide the basis for identifying detailed studies and  assessments that need to be conducted for sector agencies to revise relevant  policies and plans and develop specific programmes and projects that address  environment and climate mainstreaming.

Read More »

In collaboration with JICA Bhutan Office, GNHC organized the 6th ODA/JICA Seminar in Thimphu on 12th May 2010. The ODA/JICA Seminar is conducted annually with the following objectives:

1. Promote greater understanding of Japanese ODA Schemes and JICA country programs among officials of the Royal Government
2. Present current status of JICA activities in Bhutan
3. Explain how to create project proposals in line with JICA procedures

Read More »

The Gross National Happiness Commission (GNHC) in collaboration with the Royal Institute of Management (RIM) is conducting a three days training workshop on “Strategic Visioning and Development Planning Framework” for all the Dzongkhag Sector Heads. The main objective of training workshop is mainly to assist and facilitate the formulation of vision, mission, strategies and action plans for the Dzongkhag. The formulated vision, mission, strategies and action plans should be able to guide the Dzongkhag in preparation of the annual plans and budgets, review of annual plans, mid-term review of 10th Plan and formulation of future plans. The training workshop is also aimed at developing the capacity of Dzongkhag Sectors Heads to review and revise the vision, mission, strategies and action plans of Dzongkhags if necessary. The vision, mission, strategies and action plans developed during the three day training workshop shall be presented to the forthcoming respective Dzongkhag Tshogdu session for endorsement and approval.
Read More »

Local Development Division, GNHC in collaboration with the Geog Administrative Officers and Dzongkhag Planning Officers conducted GT members’ training on “Planning and Prioritization” in all 205 Geogs w.e.f Feb. 2010 with support from LGDP Phase II (JICA), LGSP, TCDP & SLGP Project. The training is aimed at building the capacity of the local functionaries to plan, prioritized and develop more strategic annual plans.
Read More »

Ten trainers from the College of Natural Resources and four consultancy firms carried out a nationwide training on planning and prioritization for the Gewog Administrative Officers (GAOs) from1st December 2009 to 7th January 2010.
Read More »

[ 16 October 2009 ]GNH Commission organized training workshops on Planning and Monitoring System (PlaMS) in Paro. The first workshop was conducted from 5th to 9th October, 2009 for focal officers from the central agencies and the second workshop was conducted from 12th to 16th October, 2009 for the Dzongkhag Planning Officers. More than thirty participants attended in each workshop.
Read More »

[23 Sep 2009 ] The Resource Allocation Formula (RAF) was developed in keeping with article 22 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan, which entitles the Local Governments(LGs) to adequate financial resources from the Royal Government in the form of Annual Grants (AG). The RAF is applied to allocation of the capital budget (Annual Grants) to LGs, Dzongkhags and Gewogs and the resources can be used for any eligible capital expenditure activities prioritized by local governments, subject to the Annual Grants ceiling.
Read More »

[14 Sep 2009 ] A five day Training of Trainers (TOT) in Basic Facilitation funded through the LGDP Phase II was held at the Royal Institute of Management from 7th to 11th September 2009. With RIM lecturers as the master trainers, eighteen potential trainers from the College of Natural Resources, Lobesa, Rural Development Training Center, Zhemgang and five private consulting firms participated in the week long TOT.
Read More »

[9 Sep 2009 ] The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is contributing CHF 1, 000,000 (Nu. 45.5 million) towards “Support to the Local Governance Support Programme (LGSP). The contribution is a budgetary support for the capital grant mechanism to 205 gewogs in support of implementing their 10th five year development plans. The releases will be made in installments as per the agreement signed with RGoB. The LGSP programme is for five years starting from July 2008 to June 2013.

The agreement is signed between Dr. Edita Vokral, representing Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Government of Switzerland, and Mr. Karma Tshiteem, Secretary, GNHC, representing RGOB.