The 12-day Youth Federalism Fellows (YFF) Training Package, held from June 5, 2026, to June 16, 2026, concluded successfully with a closing ceremony attended by government officials, development partners, and YFF’s participants. The program was supported through the UNDP/PLGSP within Transformative Technical Assistance (TTA) activity namely Local Government Outreach Program (LGOP) in partnership with Kathmandu University - Nepal Centre for Contemporary Studies (KU-NCCS).

The closing ceremony was chaired by Mr. Laxmi Kumar BK, Provincial Programme Director (PPD) of PLGSP and Province Secretary of OCMCM, Karnali. Among the distinguished guests were Mr. Rafeeque Siddiqui, Head of the UNDP Field Office, Surkhet, Mr. Phanindra Adhikari Senior Advisor from KU-NCCS and PLGSP Karnali TA Team.

The training capacitated 24 YFF’s and equipped them with knowledge and practical skills on federalism, local governance, public service delivery, planning, and institutional development. During the closing ceremony, participants reflected on their learning experiences and prepared first three-month action plans for supporting local governments and committed aspiration for institutionalisation of federalism with view of youths.

Following the training, 20 YFF’s will be selected and will be deployed to 20 local government across Karnali Province for a period of 17 - months. The fellows will learn about federalism in ground and provide technical and operational support to local governments. Their work will be managed by KU-NCCS in close coordination with PLGSP, KPTA and provincial authorities.

The selection of local governments was done by developing indicators such as Average Scoring of LISA and NNRFC, Inclusion and Geographic Diversity, National Natural Resources and Fiscal Commission (NNRFC) Performance Assessment, Women Leadership Indicator, Ethnicity Indicator etc.

Addressing the event, the guests and chairperson shared valuable professional experiences, practical insights, and motivational messages for the fellows. They emphasized the importance of youth leadership, innovation, and inclusive governance in strengthening Nepal’s federal system and improve service delivery across the province.

The program concluded with appreciation for the commitment and enthusiasm demonstrated by the participants, who were recognized as capable, confident, and well-prepared to contribute to the development and institutional strengthening of local governments in Karnali Province.