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The Last Mile explores the gaps and dichotomy between drafted policies and their implementation, and the last mile challenges which often make public services inaccessible to the poorest and most vulnerable sections of society. It provides an in-depth overview of the dynamics between communities, research and consultation and the implementation of policies for development.
Rich in empirical data and case studies from different government programmes and reports, this book examines the implementation of government service programmes for poverty reduction, women's empowerment, and income generation for the poor, among others, from a people's perspective. It highlights the need for policies and institutions to align their methods to community needs. Offering guidelines for redesigning as well as solutions to counter challenges related to lack of trust and effective communication, human resource management, capacity development, redressal mechanisms, and facilitating the last mile connection, the author delineates effective ways for integrating new technologies in policy implementation. The book also addresses legacy issues in institutions and re-orienting policy for better governance, transparency, and building trust.
Part of the Innovations, Practice and the Future of Public Policy in India series, this book, by a senior practitioner, will be an essential resource for students and researchers of development studies, sociology, public policy and governance, economics, and South Asian studies.
This book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.
List of contents
Introduction
1 A Poverty-Free India: Building Systems for Outcomes
2 The Historical Legacy
3 The Diversity of Geographies
4 High Growth, Ease of Doing Business, and Well-Being
5 Improving Ease of Living of the Poor
6 Why Incomes Matter
7 Women’s Well-Being and Livelihoods
8 Women, Work, and Well-Being
9 Vulnerable Social Groups, Inclusive Policies and Programmes
10 Policy and Programme Formulation in Basic Education
11 Revisiting Skills for Full Employment
12 Higher Education: Meeting the Challenge
13 Policy and Programme Formulation in Health
14 Making Quality Health for All a Reality
15 Poshan, People, and Panchayats
16 Improving Governance of Programmes
17 Community Connect, GPDPs, and Rankings
18 Human Resource Reforms
19 Poverty-Free Gram Panchayats
20 Improving Well-Being of Urban Poor
21 Why We Need the PM’s Human Development Council
22 Global Warming: Local Churning
23 A Poverty-Free India: Concluding Remarks
24 An India for All
About the author
Amarjeet Sinha is currently a member of the Public Enterprises Selection Board, India. He was earlier posted as advisor to the prime minister of India till 31 July 2021. A retired Indian administrative service officer, he has over 40 years of experience working in government, largely in the rural and social sectors. He has had the unique distinction of having played a major role in designing the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (India’s main programme for Universal Elementary Education), the National Rural Health Mission, and in bringing about governance reforms in programmes for rural areas covering livelihoods, employment, housing, social security, skills, rurban development, and road construction. He is also the author of An India for Everyone – A Path to Inclusive Development (2013).
Summary
The Last Mile explores the gaps and dichotomy between drafted policies and their implementation and the last mile challenges which often make public services inaccessible to the poorest and most vulnerable sections of society.
