To ensure the effective rollout of the Local Governance Performance Assessment System (LGPAS), PLGSP–Madhesh Province has completed the LGPAS orientation programs for Information Technology Officers (ITOs) from local governments in the province. The orientation clearly enhanced participants’ understanding of the objectives, processes, and indicators of LGPAS, while also strengthening their practical skills in data entry, verification, and the use of assessment results to improve local government performance. The orientations were conducted at four clusters and 119 IT Officers, bringing together participants from two districts in each group to promote shared learning and experience exchange.

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA) has introduced LGPAS as a comprehensive and integrated framework by bringing together the previously used Local Government Institutional Self-Assessment (LISA), Fiduciary Risk Assessment (FRA), and Local Economic Development (LED) tools. LGPAS provides a clear mechanism for the objective assessment of local governments’ institutional capacity, planning and budgeting systems, financial management, service delivery, good governance, social inclusion, and results-oriented performance.

Discussions during the orientation highlighted that the successful implementation of LGPAS depends on strong internal coordination within local governments, systematic evidence generation and management, timely and accurate data entry, and continuous collaboration with District Coordination Committees and provincial-level institutions to ensure the consistency and credibility of the assessment process.

Overall, this initiative represents an important step toward strengthening accountability, promoting inclusion, and fostering performance-driven local governance in Madhesh Province, while reinforcing the foundations of federalism through improved systems and institutional capacity.

Participants also shared that local government performance should be directly linked to grants provided by provincial and federal governments to encourage regular self-assessment under LGPAS. As a recognized tool for documenting performance and showcasing good practices, LGPAS can motivate local governments to assess and present their initiatives, while bringing all local governments onto a common platform for integrating and comparing performance status.