Chief Minister’s Good Governance Associate (CMGGA) Programme working towards the vision of ‘New Haryana’

With the vision to reach the last mile by transforming the schemes and services, the CMGGA programme, under the leadership of Hon’ble Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, it is a matter of immense pride for me to state that the CMGGA programme has been delivering fruitful results on ground since mid-2016.  

When the Hon’ble Chief Minister expressed a need for ground-level data on the challenges emerging in implementing various schemes and services, it led to the creation of the CMGGA programme in 2016. Over the years, it has emerged from a mere concept to a successful Good Governance programme in Haryana. 

Ashoka University as the strategic partner was engaged to identify passionate young professionals to work with the District Administrations for on-ground data and direct feedback from citizens, bring out-of-the-box innovations to major issues and support the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) in different mechanisms.

How does the CMGGA programme work?

Offered as a one-year experiential learning fellowship, 25 zealous youth are recruited as Associates every year and placed across the 22 districts of Haryana. The Associates work under the guidance of the Chief Minister’s Office and in close collaboration with Deputy Commissioners and the District Administration. A set of State Government’s priority programmes are converted into work modules that the Associates implement in their districts. Apart from these, the Associates also work on issues pertinent to their districts and develop innovative solutions. These are generally conducted in a pilot mode and if successful, can be scaled up as a statewide programme.

Funding for the programme

As a self-funded program, it leverages the expertise and sustainability concerns of the corporates, and we are supported by Hero Motocorp, Cisco, Pernod Ricard India Foundation, and Yokohama as our donor partners for the year 2021-22. This creates synergies between the State, Academia and the Private Sector to drive policy implementation. Through these partnerships, the programme has also been able to incorporate technology solutions for major on-ground issues as well as gain from the expertise of our donor partners in policy matters.

Field-to-Forum approach

The Chief Minister’s Good Governance Associate (CMGGA) Programme starts with an intensive 10-day Induction programme at Ashoka University. This is designed to help the Associates learn about the functioning of the government, as well as skills necessary to work with the program.

Induction of cohort at Ashoka University 

The Associates are also exposed to Theory of Change and the basics of policy advocacy. Subject matter experts join as Guest speakers and help Associates get an overview of the social sector. Expert academic guidance is provided from Ashoka to conduct Research as part of the programme. As CMGGAs are working in a fast-paced system with changing dynamics, research allows them to take a look at the big ideas and make discoveries that will enrich the outside world with promising innovations.

Adopting a Field-to-Forum approach as part of the programme, the Associates work in the districts for seven weeks and then gather at Ashoka University for a one week Forum. The Forums are designed to problem solve challenges, synthesize learnings, and ideate to work better. Forums allow the team to understand the diagnosis of the problem in work streams, enabling problem-solving and discussing workable solutions to streamline existing programmes at the State level.

Success of the CMGGA programme

The CMGGA programme is one of the most successful programmes by young professionals in the country, and the number of applications we receive each year speaks volumes about its popularity. We have provided evidence-based outcomes on the ground for the last five years, which is continued into its sixth year. Ashoka University is proud to be associated with such a collaboration where millions of lives are being impacted positively and a strong pool of youth leaders is being built. A concept like CMGGA is the future for many aspiring young leaders to try their hands in the development sector and build a better future. 

(The author is Director Chief Minister’s Good Governance Associate (CMGGA) Programme)