COVID-19 &Nepali Civil Society
Organizations:
Impact, Responses &Opportunities

NGO Federation of Nepal

August, 2021

Buddhanagar, Kathmandu, Nepal
P.O.Box: 7768
Phone: +977 1 4792908, +977 1 4791368
Fax: +977 1 4780559
Email: info@ngofederation.org
Website: www.ngofederation.org

NGO Federation of Nepal
A National Federation of NGOs in Nepal

COVID-19 &Nepali Civil Society
Organizations:
Impact, Responses &Opportunities
August, 2021

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

ACOVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact,
Responses, and Opportunities
Published By

NGO Federation of Nepal

Research TeamMr. Dipendra KC, Ph.D., Research Lead, Thammasat University, School of Global Studies
Mr. Bijay Bhandari, Research Associate
NGO Federation of Nepal’s Secretariat Team

Design & Layout

Saurav Thapa Shrestha, Everything Creatives Pvt. Ltd.

This report is made possible by the support of the American People through the UnitedStates Agency for International Development (USAID.) The contents of this report are thesole responsibility of FHI 360 and its Civil Society: Mutual Accountability Project partner
NGO Federation of Nepal and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the UnitedStates Government.

B

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

Foreword
COVID-19 pandemic has multifarious impacts globally. It
started at the end of 2019 and has since been spreading
through multiple waves; impacting health, economy, humanwellbeing and security, mobility, and human rights.
In this context, assessment of the actual impact of thepandemic to different sectors and accordingly the recovery
strategy or plans have been important. NGO Federation of
Nepal (NFN), an umbrella organization of more than 6000
NGOs in Nepal, has observed the impact especially on the
CSOs/NGOs. Therefore, to assess the magnitude of this
impact, to understand the response activities and coping
mechanisms of CSOs, to understand CSOs' perception of
the government’s response to COVID-19 and to find out
CSOs' perception on the state of freedom of expression
and freedom of association during COVID-19 in Nepal, NFN
commissioned this ‘Impact Study of COVID-19 in CSOs in
Nepal’.
The report shows that most of the CSOs reported a reductionin their ability to deliver programs and services; organizations
with advocacy-based programs were more impacted. The
report also illustrates significant decrease in the registrationof new CSOs. Funding sources, availability of fund forregular programs and the availability of funds for response
to COVID-19 were all low. The report further demonstrates
that the CSOs were not much satisfied with the efforts of

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and OpportunitiesAfederal and province level governments; but relatively moresatisfied with the efforts of local governments. Regarding
the freedom of expression and freedom of association, CSOs
working in urban areas felt better freedom of expression
compared to the organizations working in rural Nepal. The
detailed read of the report shows more interesting data,facts, analyses, explanations and illustrations of the findings.
Therefore, I would suggest all the CSOs and CSO leaders to
use this report for designing programs, reference, advocacy
and responses to COVID-19 in Nepal.
We hope this report will be valuable to all the CSOs andstakeholders in Nepal and beyond. We hope this report isaccessible to the stakeholders and anyone interested inthis area and it provides an opportunity to reflect on andrecover from the impacts of COVID-19 on CSOs. Moreover,
we expect an increased role of CSOs during this pandemic,
reaching out to the rural areas and most affected sectionsof the society. NFN will also seriously consider the findings
and take necessary measures in response to and recoverfrom COVID-19.
My sincere gratitude goes to Mr. Dipendra KC, his team and
NFN Secretariat for their relentless work to bring this reportto this excellent form. I would heartily like to thank all the
CSOs that managed their time to participate in this study.
I would like to appreciate the support provided by Deputy
Chief of Party, Mr. Prem Ojha and Senior Law Policy and
Human Rights Advisor, Mr. Tanka Aryal from CS:MAP (Civil
Society: Mutual Accountability Project), FHI 360 to conduct
this study. Finally, I would like to thank FHI 360 and USAID
for supporting us to conduct this study through the CS:MAP
project.
Jit Ram Lama
President
NGO Federation of Nepal

B

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

Table of figures
Figure 1 COVID-19 stringency index and government interventions affecting
civil society
Figure 2 Daily COVID-19 cases and timeline of policies impacting CSOs
Figure 3 Annual CSO affiliation, renewal, and project approval numbers
Figure 4 Monthly NGO renewal with SWC 2018-2021
Figure 5 Ability to meet registration/renewal requirement (n=265)
Figure 6 Normal program/service delivery of CSO
Figure 7 Normal program/service delivery of CSO by the major function of theorganization
Figure 8 Concern of CSOs over restriction in movement
Figure 9 Normal program/service delivery of CSO by the gender of theorganization’s president
Figure 10 Organization size and normal program delivery
Figure 11 Impact on program delivery by province
Figure 12 Program delivery by urban/rural
Figure 13 Operating concerns of CSOs
Figure 14 CSOs’ concerns on their ability to meet community needs
Figure 15 CSO’s funding concerns
Figure 15 Total approved project amountFigure 17 Funding differences between advocacy and service deliveryorganization
Figure 18 Donor relationships and communications
Figure 19 Disbursement by donor group
Figure 20 Percentage of organizations involved in COVID-19 response activities
Figure 21 CSO response beneficiaries
Figure 22 Excluded and vulnerable community concern scale
Figure 23 CSOs’ satisfaction with the government response
Figure 24 Level of satisfaction on the performance of the government incontaining COVID-19
Figure 25 Emerging opportunities for CSOs

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

CTable of tables
Table 1 Scales and their reliability scores
Table 2 Measures of Nepalese freedom of expression, association, and humanrights by different international organizations during COVID-19
Table 3 CSO perceived freedom of expression
Table 4 Total approved projects
Table 5 Source of funding for CSOs during the last fiscal year and COVID-19
Table 6 COVID-19 related funding by province (in USD)
Table 7 Types of assistance
Table 8 CSOs’ contribution in numbers during the first wave of COVID-19
Table 9 Sample characteristics
Table 10 Province wise descriptive statistics of involved human resources
Table 11 Descriptive statistics of distributed relief materials and coverage

Table of boxes
Box 1 Enough is Enough!
Box 2 Action Nepal
Box 3 Covid Connect Nepal

D

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

Acryonms
AGM		

Annual General Meeting

AIN		

Association of International NGOs in Nepal

CCMC

COVID-19 Crisis Management Center

CS:MAP

Civil Society: Mutual Accountability Project

DAO		

District Administration Office

DHS		

Department of Health Services

DRR		

Disaster Risk Reduction

FHI 360

Family Health International

GA		

General Agreement

GESI		

Gender Equity and Social Inclusion

ICU		Intensive Care Unit

INGO		

International Non Governmental Organization

KII		Key Informant Interview

MoF		

Ministry of Finance

MoHP		

Ministry of Health and Population

MOWCSC

Ministry of Women Children and Senior Citizens

NFN		

NGO Federation of NepalNGO		

Non Governmental Organization

PA		

Program Agreement

PCA		

Principal Component Analysis

PPE		

Personal Protective Equipment

RT-PCR

Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction

SOP		

Standard Operating Procedure

SWC		Social Welfare Council

ToR		

Terms of Reference

USAID		

United States Agency for International Development

WHO		

World Health Organization

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

ETable of Contents
Executive Summary

H

Introduction

1

Background
Objectives Of The Study
Limitations Of The Study
Structure Of The Report3

Study Methodology
Primary Data
Population And Sample
Sampling Technique
Response Rate
Data Collection Instrument
Statistical Analyses
Scale Constructions
Key Informant Interviews
Secondary Data
Impact of COVID-19 On Freedom of Expression And
Association During COVID-19

7

Freedom of expression and association under
threat
CSO leaders’ perception on the state of
freedom of expression and association
COVID-19 related government policies andimpact on CSOs
Impact Of COVID-19 On CSOs

15

Registration And Renewal
Program/Service Delivery
Spatial Differences In The Impact
CSO Concerns
Operating Concerns
Concerns Over Meeting The Needs Of The 		
Communities

F

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

Funding Concerns
Impact on Funding For COVID-19 Response And 		
RecoveryFunding For CSOs
Communication And Relationship With Donors
Multilateral And Bilateral Aid For COVID-19
CSOs’ Response To COVID-19

31

Response Activities
Serving The Excluded And Vulnerable
Advocacy Functions
Watchdog
Collaboration With Government
Emerging Opportunities to CSOs due to COVID-19
Conclusion And Looking Forward

40

CSOs face Formidable Challenges and Need Support
Financial and Technical Support For CSOs is Inadequate
and Scattered
CSOs have Contributed Significantly during The
Pandemic
CSOs are Cynical on The State Of Freedom And
Expression
CSOs are not Satisfied with Governments’ Covid
Containment Measures
Appendix

43

References

47

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

GExecutive summary
Impact on CSOs
1.

Eighty-seven percent of CSOs reported a reduction in their ability to deliver programs and services. As the situation of pandemics
improved, organizations also reported a slight improvement in theirability to provide services. While there was a slight improvement in
the capacity of CSOs, 58 percent of CSOs still reported a decline intheir ability to deliver regular programming.

2.

Fourteen percent of the organizations reported their program/services came to a complete halt. This is an alarming finding. This indicates that approximately 1400 CSOs could not continue with theirprogram and services for nearly a year.

3.

Advocacy-oriented organizations reported a slightly greater impact
on their ability to deliver regular programs and services.

4.

COVID-19 has affected the registration of new CSOs. There wasan 89 percent decline in new CSO registration in 2076-2077 than
2075-2076. Similarly, there was an 8 percent decline in new projectapprovals.

Concerns

H

1.

Six out of ten CSOs expressed were worried they would not meetthe registration/renewal deadlines.

2.

Four out of ten CSOs were either moderately or very concerned theymight have to lay off their employees over a long period. Similarly,
half of the organizations are concerned they will not be able to pay
their operating expenses.

3.

Half of the CSOs are concerned that they will not be able to manage
the increased demand for their services. Similarly, more than half of
the CSOs are also worried that they will not be able to meet face-toface with the community they serve.

4.

Most CSOs have switched to special AGM or online AGMs due torestrictions probed by COVID-19.

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

Funding
1.

Only four out of ten CSOs received some form of funding to carry out
covid response activities.

2.

Ten percent of the SWC approved projects were for COVID-19 response and recovery in FY 2076-2077. The approved projects accounted for 1.3 percent (USD 2.02 million) of the total approved budget of USD 151.85 Million.

3.

Despite the growth in number of projects, the funding percentage
approved for COVID-19 is relatively lower than other projects. Only
5.1 percentage of the total approved amount was for COVID-19.
The relatively larger number of projects and a smaller share inamount indicate relatively smaller-sized and fragmented projects for
COVID-19.

4.

Sixty-eight percent of the funded organizations received funding
from INGOs, followed by 33 percent from the government and 24.7
percent from the membership fees.

5.

The share of funding from the INGOs increased by 14 percent compared to the organization’s budget last year. On the other hand, thepercentage of funding from the government declined by 17 percent.

6.

Funding from private organizations increased by 5 percent during
COVID-19. However, in totality, the contribution of the private sector
for CSOs remains relatively low.

7.

There is a bias towards service delivery organizations when it comesto funding. For example, 71 percent of service delivering organizations received grants from INGOs compared to 56 percent of advocacy organizations.

8.

Six out of ten donors organizations’ encouraged them to speak freely on the issues and challenges their organization and communities
were facing and sought areas they could help.

9.

Only one out of ten organizations felt that their donor demonstrated
any commitment to invest in strengthening the organization’s digital
capacity and infrastructure.

CSO Response
1.

Nepalese CSOs contributed approximately USD 30 million during
the first wave of covid outbreaks.

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

I2.

Over 40,000 volunteers contributed voluntarily during the pandemic.
Similarly, approximately 50,000 paid staff were involved in response
and recovery during the first wave of COVID-19.

3.

The CSOs provided approximately 15,700 sets of PPE and other sanitation kits during the first wave of the pandemic.

4.

The top three response activities include: distribution of sanitation
kits, generating awareness, and sensitizing communities.

5.

Eight out of ten CSOs reported serving people from the Dalit community. Similarly, six out of ten CSOs provided support to indigenous
people.

Perception on the response from the government
1.

CSO leaders, in general, are not very satisfied with the governmenton their COVID-19 containment measures. On a scale of 1 to 5, themean satisfaction score was 2.74, indicating a relatively lower levelof satisfaction.

2.

CSOs in Province 2 reported the lowest level of satisfaction. On theother hand, CSOs from Karnali province expressed a better level ofsatisfaction.

3.

CSOs expressed they were relatively more satisfied with the local
governments’ effort than the efforts of provincial and federal governments.

Perception on freedom of expression and associationJ

1.

Respondents from Provinces 1, 2, Bagmati, and Karnali, perceived
better freedom of expression compared to Lumbini, Gandaki, andSudurpaschim Province.

2.

Urban CSO leaders felt better freedom of expression compared totheir rural counterparts.

3.

Smaller (< 25) and medium-sized organizations (25 - 50) leaders
felt better freedom of expression compared to the leaders of larger
organizations (> 50).

4.

Organizations working in advocacy were more critical of the state of
freedom of expression compared to service delivery organizations.
Similar differences were observed between female-led organizations and male-led organizations, where females were more criticalthan men.

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

Emerging opportunities
1.

Six out of ten organizations networked with fellow CSOs and conducted several online meetings and charted the course for their response.

2.

Some organizations have created loose networks among the organizations to offer innovative solutions during the pandemic.

3.

More than half of the organizations also prepared a post-pandemic
operational strategy for their organization.

4.

One in three organizations also accelerated the adoption of digitaltechnologies for their work.

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

KWhile CSOs are often understood asservice delivery agents, it is equallyimportant to acknowledge andunderstand the critical advocacy andwatchdog role these organizations
play against the state’s power and themarket. This report also aims to delve
deeper into the state of freedom of
expression and association in Nepal
and how CSOs perceive it.

L

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

Introduction
Backgroundrelief, organizations were involved in dis-

COVID-19, the disease caused by a newcoronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has become a
global crisis. As of May 25, 2021 over 166
million COVID-19 cases were confirmed,
resulting in more than 3.4 million deaths
worldwide (WHO, 2021) . Nepal alone hasover five hundred thirty thousand PCR

tributing relief material and sanitation kits,
generatingawarenessandsensitizing

communities, managing health screening
camps and isolation facilities hand-in-handwith the government. They were also active
in supporting stranded migrants and rehabilitating village communities(CSIP, 2020).

tested positive cases and over six thou-

Although Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)

sand seven hundred deaths (MoHP, 2021).

are in the frontline of crisis response, they

Although the government of Nepal con-often do not get recognition for the vitaltinues to grapple with the public healthwork they do. Like any other organization,and socio-economic challenges posed by

CSOs are not exempt from the effect of thethe pandemic, civil society engagement ispandemic. Their mobility was stifled, andessential in pro-their operations were significantly reduced

vidingserviceswith the onset of the virus and subsequent

duringextrememovement restrictions imposed by the gov-

In addition to relief,
organizations wereinvolved in distributing
relief material andsanitation kits, generatingawareness and sensitizing
communities, managing
health screening camps
and isolation facilities
hand-in-hand with thegovernment.

events.

ernment. During the first wave of the pan-

Studies

outlinecivil

society’s

crucialrole

fighting

againstinthis proliferating
infectious

dis-ease, either byreinforcing

gov-

ernment-led efforts or filling institutional
voids left by the government in many countries. For example, civil society in Japan
responded by service provisioning, infor-

demic, nine out of ten Nepali CSOs reported
either a halt in the services they provided ora significant reduction in the services they
offered in the first month of the nationwide
lockdown (K C, Bhandari, & Mahat, 2020).
There is a dearth of studies that document the vital contribution these organizations have and the adversities they face indoing so. Most of the existing studies arecross-sectional and often do not capture
a longitudinal effect of the pandemic on
CSOs. Hence, this study aims to document

mation dissemination, and advocacy. Sim-the long-term impact of COVID-19 on CSOs

ilarly, South Korean civil society responded

and their response activities.

by providing charitable donations, service
provisioning, and advocacy (Cai, Okada,Jeong, & Kim, 2021). Similar evidence wasobserved in neighboring India, where over
two-thirds of Not for Profit Organizations(NPOs) were engaged in relief work during

NGO Federation of Nepal initiated this study
to document the impact of the COVID-19
on CSOs, response activities carried out by
the organizations, and to explore emerging
opportunities for CSOs.

the first wave of COVID-19. In addition to

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

1The study has the following key objectives:

Objectives of the study
1.
2.
3.
4.

To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on CSOs.
To understand the response activities carried and coping mechanisms adopted by CSOs.
To understand CSOs’ perception of the government’s response to
COVID-19 during the pandemic.
To illustrate CSOs’ perception of the state of freedom of expression
and freedom of association during COVID-19

While this study aims to be comprehensive in documenting the role ofcivil society in extreme events like the pandemic, it has certain limitations.

Limitations of the study
1.

2.

3.

The study fundamentally covers the registered CSOs and not for
profit companies. Other civil society actors like universities, press,
trade unions, labor unions are not covered in this study.
Relatively smaller sample size and lack of coverage of other civil society actors pose the challenge to generalize the findings to broader
civil society strongly. Despite the limitation, this study provides valuable exploratory information.
The data collection process for this study concluded at the onsetof the second wave of COVID-19 outbreak. Hence, the study will
not cover the efforts of civil society during the second wave of thepandemic extensively.

Structure of the report
The report is divided into eight major parts. The first section of the report presents the background and objectives of the study, followed by
the study methodology. The third section of the study covers the legal and policy context for CSOs . In the subsequent section, the reportpresents the impact pandemic had on CSOs registration and renewal,
program delivery, funding, as well as explores how organizations pivoted
and responded. The fourth section of the report presents the important
contribution Nepali CSOs made during the pandemic. It is then followed
by a critical assessment of the state of freedom and expression and
CSO’s perception during the pandemic. The second last section of thereport explores CSOs’ perception of the government’s ability to handle
the pandemic. The study ends with a conclusion and set of recommendations for CSOs, donors, and the governments.

2

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

Study Methodology
This study used a mixed-methods approachin understanding the impact of COVID-19
on CSOs, response by these organizations,and to document emerging opportunities
for CSOs. The unit of analysis was registered NGOs, profit not distributing companies, and associations and federation. This
study included organizations registered as
non-governmental organizations, associations and federations, and profit not distributing companies in the study.

Primary Data
Population and sample
This study used the NGO affiliation registration database from the Social Welfare
Council, the database of members of the
NGO federation, and the registration information of profit not distributing companies from the company registrar’s office.
All three databases were merged, which
resulted in 57,967 organizations, 96.9 percent of the population were registered as
NGOs, and the rest 3.1 percent were registered as profit not distributing companies.

Sampling technique
A simple random sampling technique wasused in identifying the organizations toparticipate in the survey. The following formulae was used the following formula todetermine the sample size:

The margin of error (e) was +/- 5%., whichis also often known as the confidence interval. A confidence level of 95% was used;
this value indicates that our mean would
fall within our confidence interval of +/-5%.
The corresponding z -score of 95% confidence level is 1.96. The study used a 0.5
standard of deviation (p) in calculating thesample size.

The formulae resulted in a sample size of
384 organizations.

Response rate
KoBoToolbox was used to deploy a web survey. The organization’s board members andexecutive directors were invited through anemail to participate in the survey between
December 1, 2020, to April 15, 2021. Participants of the study received a reminder
email and phone call. A total of 800 organizations were invited to participate in the
study, out of which 301 organizations participated. The total response rate of thesurvey was 37.63%. Twenty-seven entries
with incomplete information were dropped,
only 274 valid samples were considered
for the study. The response rate is slightly
lower than the 38.9% response rate of web
surveys suggested by the literature (Baruch& Holtom, 2008). However, the response
rate of the survey was lesser than the earlier round of a similar survey. It might bebecause the first round of the survey was
conducted during the lockdown period,
while the second-round study was conducted when such a restriction in mobility
was not enforced.

Data collection instrument
This study adapted the survey instrument developed by K C, Bhandari, andMahat (2020b). It further added questions
to understand the nature of the effect on
CSOs, response activities carried out, donor
relationship, organization change and pivot
as well the perception of CSOs on the freedom of expression and overall satisfaction
with the handling of the crisis by the government. The survey was translated into
the Nepali language, and the respondents
were given a bilingual survey. Two independent researchers checked the accuracyof the translation. Two organizations wereasked to participate and provide feedback
before deploying it to other participants.

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

3

The survey instrument is presented in the
appendix.

Statistical analyses
The study used SPSS to perform a statistical analysis of the data. It mainly reliedon descriptive statistics to analyze thedata. The study reports Mean and Standard Deviations of continuous variables,
while frequency count and percentage arereported for the categorical variables.

Scale constructions
In addition, several scales are constructedduring the data analysis. The study performed a principal component analysis(PCA) of 23 questionnaire items to identify key constructs. The PCA resulted infive key constructs with an Eigenvalue
greater than 1. However, after careful consideration of factor loadings of each itemon each construct, the study derived four
key constructs. The constructs were thennamed the CSO vulnerability scale, government response satisfaction scale, freedomof expression scale, and marginalized community concern scale. The internal reliability of the scales ranged from 0.78 to 0.89,
indicating good internal reliability (see tablebelow).
The CSO vulnerability index measures thevulnerability of CSOs to shocks and theirability to cope with sudden changes intheir organizational environment. The scale
is measured on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 indicating the highest level of vulnerability and 5
indicating the least level of vulnerability.
The construct is calculated using the items
mentioned below. Each item was measured
on a five-point Likert scale:4

1.

Loss of funding

2.

Having to layoff employees

3.

Delayed grant processing for a program/general operating support

4.

Inability to pay rent/operating expenses

5.

Decline in donations

6.

Inability to meet registration/renewal
requirements

7.

Increased demand for service

8.

Restricted movement of staff

9.

Reducedface-to-faceinteractions

community

The Cronbach’s alpha of the scale was 0.88,
indicating good internal reliability among
the items measuring the construct.
The government response satisfaction
scale measures the satisfaction of CSOs
with the relief and response activities carried out by different levels of the government. The scale measures the satisfaction
on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 meaning least levelof satisfaction and 5 indicating the highest
level of satisfaction with the government
actions. The scale was constructed using
six items measured on a Likert scale of 1 to5. The items are:1.

How transparent and accountable do
you think your local government is inproviding relief materials?

2.

How effectively do you think your local
government is managing the healthcare facilities (quarantine/isolation andother health facilities)?

3.

Overall, how satisfied are you with thelevel of coordination by the local government with the CSOs?

4.

Overall, how satisfied are you with theperformance of the local government incontaining COVID-19?

5.

Overall, how satisfied are you with theperformance of the provincial government in containing COVID-19?

6.

Overall, how satisfied are you with theperformance of the federal government
in containing COVID-19?

The Cronbach’s alpha of the scale was 0.88,
indicating good internal reliability among
the items measuring the construct.
The freedom of expression scale was constructed to measure CSOs’ perception of
the state of freedom of expression. The
scale also measures the perception of
CSOs’ on the state of openness of civic

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

space. The scale measures the state of
freedom of expression on a scale of 1 to 5. 1
would indicate closed civic space, and fivewould mean an open civic space. The scale
was constructed using five items measured
on a Likert scale of 1 to 5. The items are:1.

The government’s COVID-19 measures
are making it harder for civil society to
aid those impacted by the crisis.

2.

Government has restricted access to
information, obscuring the nature of
the crisis and undercutting civil society’s ability to respond effectively.

3.

4.

5.

The government has excluded civilsociety from decision-making in its
COVID-19 response, omitting vital
voices.
The government is chilling free expression, shielding itself from criticism while
penalizing dissent.

The excluded and vulnerable community
concern scale was constructed to measure
the level of concern of CSOs for marginalized communities. The scale measures ona scale of 1 to 5. 1 would indicate the leastlevel of concern, and a score of 5 would
indicate a greater level of concern. The
scale was constructed using three items
measured on a five-point Likert scale. The
items are:1.

To what extent are you concerned
about equal and fair access to relief
and recovery by the public?

2.

To what extent do the most vulnerable and marginalized populations haveaccess to relief and recovery measures?

3.

To what extent is there sufficient attention to the specific needs of vulnerable
and marginalized populations?

Lockdown is stifling peaceful andsocially distant protests.

The Cronbach’s alpha of the scale was 0.78,
indicating a good internal reliability among
TABLE 1the items measuring the construct.

The Cronbach’s alpha of the scale was
0.81, indicating excellent internal reliability
among the items measuring the construct.

Scales and their reliability scores

2021

2020

Scale
Cronbach's
alpha

Numberof items

N

Cronbach's
alpha

Numberof itemsN

CSO Vulnerability Scale - 5 items

0.89

5

259

0.86

5

204

CSO Vulnerability Scale - 9 items

0.88

9

252

Government Response Satisfaction
Scale

0.88

6

254

Freedom of Expression Scale

0.78

5

251

Excluded and vulnerable community
concern scale

0.81

3

260

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

5Key informant interviews
In addition to collecting the survey data, the researchers also conducted ten semi-structured
interviews with the representatives of CSOs, umbrella organizations of CSOs, and independent civil society actors who are engaged in response and relief activities. The study alsocollected the data from the association of the representatives of the local government.
The interviews were conducted after the preliminary analysis of survey data. Each interview
lasted between 35-50 minutes. The principal investigator conducted the interviews, and a
research assistant helped in taking notes. The researchers then used the qualitative interview data to triangulate the validity of information collected through the survey, add richer
details to the findings, and develop short case studies.

Secondary data
In addition to the primary data collection, the study also relied extensively on secondary
data. The researcher used secondary data from Social Welfare Council, IECCD of the Ministry of Finance to understand the nature of foreign aid received for coronavirus response.
Similarly, the study analyzed several newspaper articles and studies from various agencies
to illustrate the state of freedom of expression and association in the country. The study also
reviewed relevant existing laws and policies.

6

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

Impact of COVID-19 on Freedom of
expression and association during
COVID-19
There is no doubt coronavirus is one of
the major public health crises human civilization has recently faced. However, in thename of containing the spread of the virus,
governments worldwide have responded
in such a way that would have significant
implications for fundamental freedoms andcivic space. While it is crucial to mitigate
the threats of the virus, these governmental
efforts are stronger, legitimate, and more
effective when they respect human rights.
Governments around the world have
imposed emergency laws in response to thepandemic. One hundred forty-one countries have measures that affect assembly. Similarly, 56 countries have measuresthat affect expression, and 59 countries
affecting privacy (ICNL, 2021). These numbers are unprecedented and need serious
TABLE 2attention from civil society. States often
use emergency powers because they offer
shortcuts, and such power often tends tostay longer and can be hard to revert. Civil
society has a very crucial role to play inensuring that the state respects fundamental freedoms during such time. Civil society
has to be vigilant and keep its eyes open.
In Asia and the Pacific alone, 23 countries have either fully or partially prohibited
gatherings, and over 18 countries, including Nepal, have taken legislative action toaddress the coronavirus (ICNL, 2021). It isespecially dangerous in the Nepalese context because the government has introduced several new ordinances bypassing
the discussions and scrutiny in the parliament.

Measures of Nepalese freedom of expression, association, and human rights bydifferent international organizations during COVID-19
Measuring organization

Index/Scale

Score

Scale

Oxford Coronavirus Government
Response Tracker

COVID-19: Stringency
index (2021)

91.67

1 – 100 (Strictest)

International IDEA Global monitor
of COVID-19’s impact on democracy and human rights (2021)

Freedom of expression,
gender equality

Concerning
developments

Freedom of association
and assembly, freedom of
movement

Developments
to watch

Concerning developments, Developments
to watch

Reporters without borders

Press Freedom Index(2021)

106

CIVICUSCIVICUS Monitor (2021)

Obstructed

Closed, Repressed,
Obstructed, Narrowed,
Open

Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem)Freedom of expression
index (2020)

0.79

0 (low freedom of
expression) -1 (Highfreedom of expression)

Source: (Hale et al., 2021; International IDEA, 2021; RSF, 2020); author generated table

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

7

Freedom of expression andassociation under threat
The constitution guarantees considerable
freedom and rights to its citizens also safeguards political rights such as the right toassociation, expression, and exchange ofideas, participation in the state system, etc.
The third part of the constitution has set
an enabling environment for civil society byensuring freedom of expression and opinion, the right to assemble peacefully withoutarms, form unions, and associations. Furthermore, articles 17, 25, 29,33, and 34 stipulate the citizens’ economic freedoms, while
articles 31, 35, 38, 39 guarantee the rightto education, health, the rights of children,
women, and the article 40 guarantees therights of Dalits.
Despite these constitutional guarantees,
a number of these rights were curtailed
during the COVID-19 pandemic to containthe spread of the virus. Several incidents
have been reported where reporters havereceived threats for covering the news or forbeing critical to the government’s response.
Similarly, the press council shut down several online portals for spreading misinformation and creating panic among the public.
Furthermore, there have also been cases of
threats and arrests of journalists, along withcyberbullying of those writing about government mismanagement and corruption (RSF,
2020).
Attempts to undermine freedom of expression do not stop there. Critics of the government have been targeted. For example,
a former government secretary was arrested
from his home for writing critical comments
against the Prime Minister on his social
media. He faced cybercrime charges under
the Electronic Transaction Act (The Kathmandu Post, 2020).
In addition to freedom of expression, freedom of association and assembly was also
severely curtailed. The graph below shows
the COVID-19 stringency index for Nepal,
which measures the variation in governments’
responses. This composite measure is based

8

on nine response indicators, including school
closures, workplace closures, and travelbans, rescaled to a value from 0 to 100 (100= strictest)(Hale et al., 2021). From 24 March
to 30 July, most gatherings were severely
limited. Many commercial activities wereclosed,includingrestaurants,
Critics of the government
travel, and trekhave been targeted.
king. On 30 July,
For example, a former
restrictions weregovernment
secretarylifted. Restrictions
was arrested from his
were re-imposed
home
for writing criticalin some regionscomments against theof the country,
Prime Minister on his
including the Kathmandu Valley, fromsocial media. He faced
19 August to 16 cybercrime charges under
September.
the Electronic Transaction

Act (The Kathmandu Post, 2020)
The global monitor of COVID-19’s
impact on democracy and human rights
has flagged the developments in freedomof expression as ‘concerning developments’
from a democracy and human rights perspective. Several domestic incidents corroborate the concerns expressed by international watchdog institutions.
Despite the government’s restrictions, independent activists continued to stage protests condemning how the government handled the crisis. The box below presents one
case study of how an independent group ofyoung people took to the street demanding
accountability towards its citizens.

CSO leaders’ perception
on the state of freedom of
expression and association
The study also documented the perceptionof the leaders of formal civil society organizations on the state of freedom of expression and freedom of association by asking aseries of questions. The freedom of expression scale was constructed to understandthe CSO leaders’ perception. A score of one
would indicate the least perceived freedomof expression, and a score of five means thehighest freedom of expression.

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

The national average was 3.2, and there were minor differences across provinces. Respondents from provinces one, two, Bagmati, and Karnali, perceived better freedom of expression
compared to Lumbini, Gandaki, and Sudurpaschim province. Similarly, Urban CSO leaders
felt better freedom of expression compared to their rural counterparts. Furthermore, smaller(< 25) and medium-sized organizations (25 - 50) leaders felt better freedom of expression
compared to the leaders of larger organizations (> 50). As expected, organizations working
in advocacy were more critical to the state of freedom of expression compared to service
delivery organizations. Similar differences were observed between female-led organizations
and male-led organizations, where females were more vital than men.
TABLE 3

CSO perceived freedom of expression
Mean

SD

Minimum

Maximum

3.2

0.8

1

5

1

3.4

0.7

1.8

5

2

3.3

0.9

1.6

5

Bagmati

3.3

0.7

1

5

Gandaki

3.0

0.6

2

4.2

Karnali

3.3

0.8

1

4.2

Lumbini

3.2

0.9

1.4

4.4

Sudurpaschim

3.0

0.8

1

4

Rural

3.0

0.8

1

4

Urban

3.3

0.8

1

5

< 25

3.3

0.8

1

5

25 - 50

3.3

0.5

2

4

> 50

3.0

0.8

1.6

4.2

Service Delivery

3.3

0.8

1

5

Advocacy

3.1

0.8

1

4.8

Female

3.2

0.8

1

5

Male

3.3

0.8

1

5

Other

3.3

1.0

2.6

4

Nepal
Province

Urban/Rural

Organization Size

Advocacy/Service Delivery

Gender

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

9

FIGURE 1

COVID-19 stringency index and government interventions affecting civil society

Author genereated chart, source: (Hale et al., 2021; Social Welfare Council, 2020a, 2020b, 2020c, 2020d, 2020e,
2020f, 2021a, 2021b, 2021c, 2021d, 2021e, 2021f, 2021g, 2021h, 2021i)

COVID-19 related government policies and impact on CSOs
The social welfare council released a series of guidelines and announcements for I/NGOsin response to COVID-19 (Social Welfare Council, 2020a, 2020b). These announcements
encouraged I/NGOs to raise funds, and SWC would speed up approval of COVID-19 related
projects within a week. Similarly, I/NGOs were requested to allocate 20% of their SWC
approved budget towards COVID-19 response for a period of two months. SWC to approve
the amendments within three days. The appropriated funds to be used towards procuring
health equipment and relief to be provided in coordination with the local government following the standards issued by the Ministry of Finance. In response to the guidelines, sometwenty-two INGOs and two dozen NGOs proposed approximately one Billion Nepali Rupees
towards the pandemic (Bhatta, 2020).

10

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

Following the directive of the Ministryof Women, Children and Senior Citizens(MoWCSC), Social Welfare Council (SWC)
issued an urgent notice for all I/NGOs in
Nepal in consultation with the representatives of the Association of InternationalNGOs in Nepal (AIN) and NGO Federation of
Nepal (NFN) on March 27, 2020. The noticegave the following instructions to I/NGOs:
1.

2.

Senior citizens, women, children, andpeople with disabilities were identified
as the most vulnerable groups of COVID19 infection. Hence, the council directed
respective organizations to launch an
information campaign targeting the vulnerable population.
All I/NGOs launching preparedness andinformation campaigns with the approval
from SWC are requested to prioritize
senior citizens, people with disabilities,
children, pregnant women, and lactating
mothers while distributing masks, handsanitizers, and medicines. In addition,
old age homes, children’s homes, disability protection centers, and women’s
rehabilitation centers to be prioritizedwhen delivering services.

3.

All training, seminars, meetings, andforums organized by I/NGOs to be canceled until April 14, 2020 (End of Chaitra
2077)

4.

All I/NGOs to sanitize their building andcompounds.

5.

Identify a focal person from I/NGO for
coordination and inform MoWCSC.

6.

All I/NGOs should provide medical supplies and equipment to health facilities
designated by the Ministry of Health andPopulation (MoHP).

7.

All I/INGOs to take approval from SWC
before handing over medical supplies
and coordinate with concerned local/
provincial governments.

8.

One door fund mobilization work procedure to be introduced to manage fundreceived for prevention and containmentof COVID-19.

On April 1, 2020, SWC issued a policy framework for I/NGOs to carry out preparedness
and response activities related to COVID19. The policy included the following:
1.

INGOs are highly encouraged to raiseinternational funds for new projects –both short- and long-term preparedness
and response to COVID-19. The SWC
would fast-track the approval process
and complete it within a week.

2.

INGOs are requested to immediately repurpose twenty percent of theapproved budget mentioned in the existing project agreements to preparedness
and response to COVID-19. The amendment proposals should be submitted
within one week from the issuance of thepolicy for two months. SWC to approve
such amendment requests within threedays. INGOs to submit progress reports
after the completion of the works.

3. The amendment proposal should
include the following activities in priority order:

4.

•

Provide health equipment/materials
to government health facilities, government bodies, government andcommunity-based hospitals, quarantine, isolation, and shelter facilities receiving a prior consent of the
MoHP. The quality standard of theequipment and materials should follow Department of Health Services(DHS) standards.

•

Provide relief materials/food or cash
support to the needy population incoordination with the local government as per the standard issued by
the Ministry of Finance (MoF)•

From the date of issuance of thepolicy, new expenses on awarenesscampaigns should be made in consultation with SWC

Project activities carried out by INGOs
should be in line with the standards prescribed by the MoHP. Distribute reliefmaterials in line with Relief Distribution

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

11Standard, 2076 issued by MoF. Distribute relief material in coordination withlocal bodies. Priority for relief materials
distribution should be given to the beneficiaries as specified in the standard.
5.

6.

SWC may recommend INGOs in selecting relief distribution locations as per theneed
SWC to recommend the MoWCSC thefollowing:•

Upon notification of the order,
SWC immediately recommends tax
exemption and duty-free healthequipment and materials to the concerned ministries.

•

Extension for General Agreement(G.A.) and Program Agreement (P.A.)
for the next six months if it is ending
during the crisis period.

Furthermore, a meeting of the cabinet members on April 6, 2020, instructed the minister for women, children, and senior citizens
to take Leadership in mobilizing the I/NGOsin responding to the pandemic. The meeting
also asked the minister to prepare a detailed
action plan for protecting senior citizens andchildren during the crisis (Pandey, 2020).
Clause 5.1 (H) was introduced on December 6, 2020, in the NGO affiliation guideline,
which provides NGOs a grace period of six
months during natural disasters and national
emergencies to renew their affiliation withSWC.
The fresh wave of infections beginning ofMay 2021 prompted SWC to issue a newcircular for I/NGOs on May 2. The circular emphasized that I/NGOs work in thepriorities set by the MoHP, SWC, and the
local governments (Social Welfare Council,
2021f). It highlighted the following points:
1.

12

I/NGOs were given the flexibility to deviate a certain percent of their approved
budget in coronavirus response. I/NGOs,
however, needed to submit the work planin advance on how the deviated funding
would be used.

Approved budget

Alloweddeviation %Up to 5,00,00,000

20

Up to 10,00,00,000

15

Up to 25,00,00,000

10

Up to 50,00,00,000

7Greater than 50,00,00,000

5This applies only to the projects that SWC
has already approved. However, new coronavirus-related projects or existing projects
with an additional budget have to go throughthe approval process as per the existing policy.
2.

The deviated budget should be used on
assisting with COVID-19 related care:providing oxygen, cylinders, liquid oxygen, oxygen concentrator, ventilator, ICU
related equipment, infrared thermometer, pulse oximeter, PPE and other protective gears, face masks, face shields,
gloves, sanitizers, PCR tests, antigen
test reagents as well as managing quarantine and isolation facilities.

3.

Conduct the above-stated activities forthree months and submit a weekly progress report and one final report one week
after the completion of three months.

4.

While distributing food and other reliefmaterials to daily wage workers, coordinate with local government and submit areport to the local government and social
welfare council with evidence.

5.

Prioritize daily wage workers, returnee
migrants, women, children, people withdisabilities, and senior citizens in conducting response activities.

In addition, SWC also conducted several
focused discussions with the representatives of I/NGOs at the national and provincial level regularly at the onset of the second
wave of the pandemic. These efforts weremore proactive and targeted compared to
the first wave of the pandemic. For instance,
SWC formulated a provincial rapid responseof seven board members and devised a ToR

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

to guide their activities (Social Welfare Council, 2021d).
While the proactive efforts of SWC created a conducive environment for CSOs to conduct
their response activities more smoothly and rapidly. SWC is also created a cumbersome
reporting requirement for CSOs. While it is important to maintain records and data of theirintervention, the need of weekly reports to SWC might create unnecessary reporting burden for CSOs. These reporting mechanisms would help SWC to produce weekly intervention
reports, however, it would be better to have a consolidated impact report when CSOs complete their intervention. This requirement demonstrates the need of SWC to showcase its
work. For example, it even issued a notice for CSOs to use a designated banner with SWC
logo in response programs (Social Welfare Council, 2021a).

FIGURE 2

Daily COVID-19 cases and timeline of policies impacting CSOs

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

13

BOX 1

Enough is Enough!
After being frustrated with the news of people being stranded on the borderof India, the plight of the workers returning to their villages from Kathmandu
and other parts during the lockdown, and the cases of mismanagement andchaos in the test, quarantine, and isolation procedures, a group of independent citizens started a petition on Change.org demanding the government toexpand and expedite the PCR tests. The group handed the petition signed byover 12,000 people to the MOHP. However, the government gave a deaf ear totheir petition and did not expand the range of PCR tests.
The independent group of young activists used social media to express theirfrustrations on the government’s efforts to contain the spread of the virus.
However, after several failed online pressurizing attempts, despite the government-imposed lockdown, one activist called for the people to take the streetson June 6, 2020.
The first day of the protest on June 9
attracted a few hundred youths whostaged a peaceful protest following social distancing protocols and respecting the public health safety measuresnear the Prime Minister’s residence.
However, the peaceful protestors
were confronted by security personnel
armed with water cannons and batons.
The peaceful protest ended in chaos
inviting a much larger demonstration
on June 11. The protest in Kathmandu
had inspired similar protests in several
other parts of the country.
Despite these sporadic youth-led protests, the response from the government did not come easily. One of the campaigners, Iih, staged a hunger strike
initially for 12 days in June and then again for 23 days in July, when he had tobe taken to a hospital because his health deteriorated. The strike was called
off after reaching an agreement with the MoHP. The agreement included:

14

1.

Increasing Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction Test (RT-PCR) as well as
testing for antigens.

2.

Expand testing by increasing qualified health personnel and equipment.

3.

Decision makers to consult with public health experts in decision-making
process.

4.

Establishing hotlines for essential and health workers to request protective
hears.

5.

Ensure dignified funerals of the people who have died of COVID-19

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

Impact of COVID-19 on CSOs
Registration and renewal
Most of the CSOs in Nepal are registered and renewed at the district administration office. However, there is no centralized database to understand the exact
number of annual registrations and renewals. Hence, the data from SWC can beconsidered a proxy to assess the level of impact on organization registration andrenewal. Affiliation data can be used as a proxy of annual new registration.
COVID-19 had a significant impact on the affiliation of new organizations in thefiscal year 2067-2077. The annual affiliation number for the prior two years was
2134 and 2113, respectively. However, during the last fiscal year, the number
plumbed by 89 percent to 1120 only. Similarly, there was an 8 percent decline
in the number of new project approval. However, the last fiscal year saw a 47
percent growth in the number of renewals. The increase in number might bebecause of the efforts from SWC to get the CSOs renewed.
FIGURE 3

Annual CSO affiliation, renewal, and project approval numbers

Affiliation
RenewalProject Approval

Source: Social Welfare Council (2021d); Author generated chart.

The number of renewals started plumping down starting April of 2020. The nationwide
lockdown posed a significant challenge for the organizations to continue with the renewalof their organization. From April to July of 2019, a total of 186 organizations were renewed.
However, the number declined by 2.26 times during the same time frame in 2020. The
government stringency index of Nepal was 96.3 in April and 92.59 during May. The highscore indicates the strictest measures in place. Only two organizations renewed in April
and only one organization in May 2020.

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

15

Monthly NGO renewal with SWC 2018-2021

FIGURE 4

300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

2018

Jul

2019

Aug

2020

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

2021

Source: Social Welfare Council (2021d); Author generated chart.

The effect of government stringency and restrictions in mobility was reflected by the perception of the CSO leaders to meet registration/renewal requirements. Six out of ten CSOs
were concerned they would be unable to meet the requirements. Seventy-five percent of therural CSOs were affected compared to fifty-seven urban CSOs.
Ability to meet registration/renewal requirement (n=265)

FIGURE 5

100

50

80
Percentage

40
30
20

60
40
20

10

0

0
Not at allconcerned

Slightly
concerned

Somewhatconcerned

Moderately
concerned

Veryconcerned

Rural

Urban

Not at all concerned

Moderately concerned

Slightly concerned

Very concerned

Somewhat concerned

The restriction in assembly and movement affected organizations in myriad aspects. One
noticeable impact was on the Annual General Meetings (AGMs) of the CSOs. Several respondents indicated that they conducted their AGMs online due to the pandemic. The online
AGMs created some organizational and renewal challenges for some organizations.

16

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

One CSO leader indicated that they reduced the scale of the AGM. They conducted the AGM
just to meet the compliance requirement.
“We conducted the AGM just for the sake of AGM. Several policies that needed tobe passed from AGMs are on hold. This year’s AGM was more like a special AGM
to meet the compliance (registration/renewal) requirements. Hence, we did nothave the participation of the majority of members needed to pass those policies.” –Male, Executive Director, NGO working in DRR, Dhading
While most KII respondents agreed there was no major challenge in the registration andrenewal of organizations. This was partly because of the relatively lower number of COVID19 cases during the change in the fiscal year. There were isolated incidents where some
CSOs faced some hassles in renewal at the DAO.
“When I first went for the renewal of the organization at DAO, they said they would
not renew the organization because we did not have the letter from other districts
where we had conducted the program. On top of that, we conducted the AGM
online. They (DAO officers) asked how we collected the physical signature of themembers. They first were hesitant to process the renewal document. However,after citing the difficulties of COVID-19, travel restrictions and with a promise tosubmit the letter next year, they finally processed the renewal.” – Female, President, Organization working with young people, Kathmandu
Apart from renewal, CSO leaders also cited the importance of AGMs as networking eventsand the long-term impact they may have in inter-organizational relationships and coordination.
“This year, we conducted the AGM online. It was the need of the time. However, I
feel we lost the opportunity to network with other organizations. In the past (without COVID), we took the AGM as an opportunity to introduce new leaders to therepresentatives of other organizations. This time we were introduced via emails
and received congratulatory messages in email.” – Female, President, Organization
working with young people

Program/Service Delivery
COVID-19 had a severe impact on the ability of CSOs to deliver their regular programs andservices. During the first wave of the pandemic, 87 percent of CSOs reported a reduction in
their ability to provide programs and services. As the situation of pandemics improved, organizations also reported a slight improvement in their ability to provide services. While there
was a slight improvement in the capacity of CSOs, 58 percent of CSOs still reported a decline
in their ability to deliver regular program.
Fourteen percent of the organizations reported their program/services came to a complete
halt. This is an alarming finding. This indicates that approximately 1400 CSOs have not beenable to provide their program and services for nearly a year. A long-term inability of CSOs
to deliver their program and services indicate that these CSOs are at the risk of being shut
down. In addition, the findings hint that the effect of the pandemic on CSOs can have longterm impacts on their operation.

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

17

FIGURE 6

Normal program/service delivery of CSO

2020
2021

Not at all

In a severely
reduced capacity

In a moderately
reduced capacity

Same as wealways do

To a greater
extent than usual

While no statistically significant difference was observed between advocacy-oriented organizations (n=76) and service delivery organizations (n=198), advocacy-oriented organizations still reported a slightly greater impact on their ability to deliver regular programs andservices. Fifty-two percent of the advocacy organization reported either a moderate orsevere reduction in their ability to provide their programs/services compared to 42 percent
of service delivering organizations. Similarly, 44 percent of service delivery organizations
reported a normal or greater ability to provide services than 37 percent of advocacy organizations.
FIGURE 7

Normal program/service delivery of CSO by the major function of the organization

Service Delivery
Advocacy

Not at all

18

In a severely
reduced capacity

In a moderately
reduced capacity

Same as wealways do

To a greater
extent than usual

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

In general, the restriction of mobility imposed by the government was one of the biggest
concerns expressed by CSOs. CSO representatives expressed their dissatisfaction with notrecognizing the importance of freedom of mobility for CSO staff despite being one of theearly responders after healthcare professionals, security personnel, and government officials. As shown in the chart below, more than two-third CSOs expressed their concern about
the restricted mobility of their staff. There was a slight difference among respondents fromadvocacy-oriented organizations and service delivery organizations. Eight out of ten advocacy oriented CSOs expressed their concern compared to seven service providing organizations.
FIGURE 8

Concern of CSOs over restriction in movement

Service Delivery
Advocacy

Not at all

In a severely
reduced capacity

In a moderately
reduced capacity

Same as wealways do

To a greater
extent than usual

The consequence of such a restriction of movement affected organizations significantly intheir service delivery and advocacy.
“Our advocacy work requires in-person bilateral meetings, discussions in groups.
We need in-person meetings for lobbying. The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly
affected our efforts. We were making child participation guidelines in all local
levels as well as provincial governments’ planning process to ensure the participation of children in the government planning process. Our work has been stuck at
the level of the cabinet of ministers in Karnali and Lumbini province….. Our work is
stuck because we need in-person meetings to meet for conceptual clarity as wellas convince the local politicians…we are trying to organize these meetings virtually, but we have not been successful” – Male, President, an umbrella network ofchild rights organizations
There was a slight difference in response between female and male-led CSOs. Sixty-three
percent (n=90) of CSOs led by females responded that their ability to provide services islimited compared to 54 percent (n=181) male. The most alarming finding was for CSOs led
by gender minorities. All gender minority-led CSOs reported either a complete halt in theirservice delivery or a severe reduction.

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

19

FIGURE 9

Normal program/service delivery of CSO by the gender of the organization’spresident

To a greater extent than usualSame as we always do
In a moderately reduced capacity
In a severely reduced capacity
Not at all

Smaller organizations expressed a greater impact on their programming compared to larger
organizations. Fourteen percent of the organizations with less than 25 employees were notdelivering their programs at all. The percentage declined as the size of the organization grew.
This is an indication that larger organizations are better positioned to manage during extreme
events.
FIGURE 10

Organization size and normal program delivery

To a greater extent than usualSame as we always do
In a moderately reduced capacity
In a severely reduced capacity
Not at all

Spatial differences in the impact
There are spatial differences in the impact on normal program delivery. Twenty-one percentof the Province 1 CSOs reported they were not delivering their program at all. Similarly, 17
percent of CSOs from Gandaki also reported a halt in their service delivery. CSOs reported
the least impact from Karnali, where 9 percent reported they did not deliver any services.

20

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

FIGURE 11

Impact on program delivery by province

To a greater extent than usualSame as we always do
In a moderately reduced capacity
In a severely reduced capacity
Not at all

Furthermore, CSOs in urban areas reported a greater impact compared to rural areas. Halfof the rural CSOs offered their program and services regularly or in a greater than usualcompared to 41 percent of urban CSOs. Similarly, CSOs were more active in delivering theirprograms outside Kathmandu valley than those in the valley.
FIGURE 112

Program delivery by urban/rural

To a greater extent than usualSame as we always do
In a moderately reduced capacity
In a severely reduced capacity
Not at all

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

21

BOX
BOX 21

Action Nepal
Action Nepal in Dhading district provided technical support to Seven
Palikas (Gajuri, Galchhi, Benighat Rorang, Ganga Jamuna, Thakre, andJwalamukhi) to draft Rural Municipalities Quarantine Management Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) and Code of Conduct to prevent gender-based exploitations and violence. All seven Palikas drafted and endorsed both these policies. These policies played a vital role for the local
governments in setting a vision to improve their efficiency and adequately manage their quarantine/isolation centers targeting the most vulnerable ones.
The organization also provided demand-based psycho-social counselingand motivating orientations through trained facilitators, which was highly effective. More than 418 peoples were supported with psycho-social
counseling through direct contact/phone contacts within a project period.
In addition, 1075 standard hygiene kits were distributed to
the Palika Health Unit to support
personal hygiene management ofpeople, especially women, children, elderly and pregnant women staying at quarantine/isolation
centers. Seventeen semi-permanent toilets, 26-bathroom spaces,and 27 pedal touch handwashingstations (along with cleaning material) were installed at 12 quarantine centers, ensuring the proper
sanitation of people during their
quarantine stay. Virus preventive
materials like masks, sanitizer,
face shields, and gloves were provided to the front-line health works,
security personnel, and members of the quarantine management committee (Action Nepal, 2020). The interventions of the project contributed
to the hygiene and sanitation behavior of the community people. Also,
they sensitized them to take more care of their hygiene as a first step tomitigate the spread of the COVID -19 Pandemic.
The organization also provided demand-based recreational materials
such as the internet, television sets, sports materials, Yoga Mat, Musicalsets, and books at quarantine centers.

22

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

CSO concerns
Operating concerns
In addition to the impact on delivering regular programs and services, organizations also
expressed several other concerns. One of their concern was their own ability to meet keep
their operations going. Four out of ten CSOs were either moderately or very concerned theymight have to lay off their employees over a long period. Similarly, half of the organizations
are concerned they will not be able to pay their operating expenses.
“We should have completed a number of projects. However, we have not been able
to complete some projects, especially those that required physical presence. Some
organizations have faced a situation where the projects are likely to be canceled.
This poses a significant challenge to manage the employees who were working
on those projects. Similarly, how to complete the project activities successfully
remains a big concern.” President, National Federation of the Disabled
FIGURE 13

Operating concerns of CSOs

Not at all concerned

Slightly concerned

Somewhat concerned

Having to layoff employees

Moderately concerned

Very concerned

Inability to pay operating expenses

Concerns over meeting the needs of the communities
CSOs are faced with the dual challenge of maintaining their operation and having to deliver
programs and service during the extreme event with several constraints around them. The
demand for services from CSOs has increased exponentially during the crisis. While, CSOs
are working under limited means. Hence, it is evident that nearly half of the CSOs are concerned that they will not manage the increased demand for their services. Similarly, morethan half of the CSOs are also worried that they will not be able to meet face-to-face withthe community they serve.

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

23

“People with disability have not been able to get the medicine; particularly there
is a deficiency of medicine that needs to be imported. Similarly, the distributionof these medicines requires in-person activities…which we have not been able toprovide. Furthermore, people with disabilities have not been able to repair some of
their supporting devices. Hence, we are concerned about not being able to meet
our constituencies in-person” - President, National Federation of the Disabled
FIGURE 14

CSOs’ concerns on their ability to meet community needs

Not at all concerned

Slightly concerned

Somewhat concerned

face-to-face community interactions

Moderately concerned

Very concerned

Increased demand for service

Funding concerns
Funding was one of the major concerns expressed by CSOs. More than half of the CSOs
expressed their grave concerns on several issues related to funding. There were concernsthat their organizations will lose existing funding to possible anxiety over the decline in
donations. Similarly, CSOs also expressed their concerns about potential delays that may
occur in processing their grants. These issues may stem from the fact that several projects
need an extension in the deadline to complete their ongoing activities. Several organizations
expressed concerns about not being able to complete designated activities due to restrictions on mobility. CSOs consistently requested more flexibility from donors on implementing
existing projects.

24

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

FIGURE 15

CSO’s funding concerns

Not at all concerned

Slightly concerned

Decline in Donations

Somewhat concerned

Moderately concerned

Loss of Funding

Very concerned

Delayed Grant Processing

Impact on funding for COVID-19 response
and recovery
Funding for CSOsof amount approved for COVID-19 is relatively lower compared to other projects.
Only 5.1 percentage of the total approved
amount was for COVID-19. The relatively larger number of projects and a smaller
share in amount is an indication of relatively smaller sized and fragmented projects
for COVID-19. Such projects are important for immediate response. However, thelonger-term recovery would require bigger
budgeted projects.

Out of 985 projects approved by SWC in
FY 2076-2077, 10 percent of the approved
projects were for COVID-19 response andrecovery. The approved projects accounted for a 1.3 percent (USD 2.02 million) of
the total approved budget of USD 151.85
Million. However, nearly one of the four approved projects of the first quarter of thecurrent fiscal year was for COVID-19. Despite the growth in number, the percentage
TABLE 4

Total approved projects

Year

Total approved
projects

Percent of COVID
Projects

Percent of COVID
BudgetApproved Budget
for COVID-19 (inmillion USD)

2076-2077

985

9.8

1.3

2.02

2077-2078

271

22.5

5.1

1.62

Source: Social Welfare Council (2021c), Author generated table

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

25

FIGURE 15

Total approved project amount

COVID-19
Other2076-77

2077-78

Furthermore, the survey data indicates only
four out of ten CSOs received funding dedicated specifically for COVID-19 during thelast year. Still, nearly sixty percent of organizations have not received financial support
to carry out activities related to COVID 19
during the pandemic. The growing expectation from the local governments and public on CSOs to actively partake in response
and recovery during COVID-19 and a lackof sufficient funding is likely to pressurized
CSOs. Hence, both local governments anddonors must critically think about providing
additional resources to CSOs.
Only 41.5 percent of the responding orTABLE 5

ganizations indicated they received funding during COVID-19. The traditional top
funders of CSOs continue to remain as theprimary funder of CSOs. As shown in thetable below, 67.9 percent of the funded organizations received funding from INGOs,
followed by 33.3 percent from the government and 24.7 percent from the membership fees. Private-sector funding continues
to be limited for CSOs in Nepal. The shareof funding from private organizations increased by 5 percent during COVID-19.
However, in totality, the contribution of theprivate sector toward CSOs remains relatively lower.

Source of funding for CSOs during the last fiscal year and COVID-19
Funding Sources

Last fiscal year (%)

COVID-19 (%)

INGO

54.0

67.9

Central/Provincial/Local Government

50.4

33.3

Membership Fee

47.8

24.7

Private/Individual Donation

24.5

22.2

Bilateral Donor

12.8

21.0

Multilateral Donor

8.8

19.8

Local NGO

10.9

14.8

Private Organization

7.7

12.3

Other

9.1

8.6

Source: Survey data, Author generated table.

26

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

TABLE 6

COVID-19 related funding by province (in USD)
N

Mean

SD

Minimum

Maximum

207

31783

1160280850000

1

37

1480

4165

0

22100

2

29

62504

2175570850000Bagmati

53

28389

91506

0

431687Gandaki

14

58453

1283920477275

Karnali

29

12806

43668

0

170000

Lumbini

26

14134

44382

0

218450

Sudurpaschim

19

86835

1743210725900

Rural

25

42889

1693570850000

Urban

182

30257

1072350844050Female66

32712

1185260844050

Male

139

31772

1160420850000

Other

2

1913

2705

0

3825

< 25

165

4383

17068

0

17000025 - 5024106123

1985370725900> 50

1818382925966908500000 - 10

36

1712

4602

0

21250

11 - 207833179

118291084405021 - 30

8834263

1067040725900> 30

51828533732150850000

Nepal
Province

Urban/Rural

GenderNumber of employees

Organization age

Source: Survey data, Author generated table.

Communication and relationship with donors
As mentioned earlier, when it comes to funding, four out of ten CSOs received some form offinancing during the first wave of COVID-19. Out of those who received a grant, many services delivering organizations received funding compared to their advocacy-oriented counterparts. Seventy-one percent of the service-providing organizations received funding from
INGOs compared to only 56 percent of advocacy organizations. It may look natural that more
service-delivering organizations receive funding during emergencies. However, it is equallycrucial that the advocacy-oriented organizations also received the funds. In the absenceof sufficient funding, the advocacy organizations advocating for the rights and wellbeingof minorities will not be able to do their part meaningfully. Hence, it is essential for donors,
particularly INGOs, to fund advocacy-oriented organizations as well. Donors have favored
service delivery organizations. The trend was reported multiple times by the KII participants.

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

27

FIGURE 17

Funding differences between advocacy and service delivery organization

Donors have taken proactive actions in reaching out to their local CSO partners during the
COVID-19 response. Six out of ten organizations’ donors encouraged them to speak freely
on the issues and challenges their organizations and communities were facing and sought
ideas to help.
“Some donors have reached out, asked what we were doing, and committed asmall amount of financial support on our ongoing response activities. In anotherinstance, one donor-funded the COVID-19 response project targeted for returnee
youth migrants. However, they did not provide any funds for overheads. The
funding is only for activities without any support for the organization.”- Advocacy
oriented organization, Province 3
Several KII participants expressed a positive outlook towards donors and expressed thatsome donors have adopted some flexibility in repurposing the grant for some organizations.
It has been particularly easy for service delivering organizations.
“One donor approached us asking what can we do and how can we help? We could
not do activities planned in the project. Hence, the donors agreed to repurposethe grant amount, particularly the amount allocated for training to convert isolation centers to GESI centers. We proposed converting some isolation centers to
be GESI centers to accommodate the need of pregnant women, lactating mothers,
and the donors agreed.” Service delivery-oriented organization, Province 2

28

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

FIGURE 18

Donor relationships and communications

However, some KII participants, particularly
those working in advocacy-oriented work,
were cynical about the role of donors. They
expressed that it was hard to repurpose
some of their existing grants. They asked
for flexibility in managing the funding.
“Donors are very diplomatic. They
will not say no directly, but we canunderstand easily that it is a no.
Particularly for advocacy-oriented
projects, we wanted to deviate asmall percentage of the budget
to the covid response. However,the donor would say that it [covid
response] is not the objective/valueof the project.” Advocacy orientedorganization, Province 3
While there was a more positive outlook towards donors when it came toadjustments of grants and awarding new
response-related activities. CSOs felt
donors had not demonstrated sufficientcommitment to their institutional growthand support. Only two out of ten organi-zations felt that their donors showed any
commitment to help the CSOs strengthen
their capacity to raise funds.
Furthermore, due to the restrictions in
mobility, most of the work had to be done
online. However, several organizations
struggled to transition online and are stillfacing challenges. Only half of the responding organizations had their website, andonly three out of ten organizations usedmessaging applications. These numbers
are a testament to the reality of several
CSOs and the inherent challenge they facefor digitization and to take their work online.
Only one out of ten organizations felt that
their donor demonstrated any commitment
to invest in strengthening the organization’s
digital capacity and infrastructure. This
relatively smaller number of commitments
indicates that donors are often interested
in executing their projects, but the institutional development of their partner organizations is not a major concern.

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

29

Multilateral and bilateral aid for COVID-19
In addition to the projects approved by SWC, international development partners havepledged to support Nepal during COVID-19. Different development partners have committed
USD 632 million through 111 projects and disbursed USD 539 million related to COVID-19(IECCD, 2021). Asian development bank and the World bank group accounted for 87 percent(USD 469.7 million) of the total disbursements made by the development partners. INGOs
accounted for 3 percent (USD 14 million) of the total disbursements made for COVID-19.
FIGURE 19

Disbursement by donor group

Source: IECCD (2021); Author-generated chart.

Concessional loan assistance accounted for 87 percent (USD 470 million) of the total aid,
followed by 8 percent (USD 41 million) technical assistance, and 4.8 percent (USD 26 million)
grant aid, direct implementation accounted for only 0.4 percent (USD 2 million). Eighty-nine
percent (USD 480 million) of the disbursed aid was on budget, and the remaining 11 percent(USD 58 million) was off-budget.
TABLE 730

Types of assistanceType of Assistance

Percent

Total Disbursement (USD)

Concessional Loan Assistance

87.2

470

Direct Implementation

0.4

2

Grant Aid

4.8

26

Technical Assistance

7.6

41

Grand Total

100

539

Source: IECCD (2021),
Author generated table.

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

CSOs’ response to COVID-19
Response activities
CSOs are providing essential humanitarian
support to their constituencies. Several initiatives have been spurred in response to
COVID-19 across the country. See figure 16
for a detailed percentage of organizations
involved in different activities. The top three
activities include the distribution of sanitation kits, generating awareness, and sensitizing communities. Similarly, CSOs disseminated information about relief programs
and other related programs with their beneficiaries. In addition, CSOs also provided
psychological counseling to needy people.
Some efforts used digital technologies,
while others are still offering their assistance in the field. Numerous CSOs havefollowed the guidelines issued by the government and reported working very closelywith the local government institutions. For
example, CSOs from Parasi and Sindhupalchok district reported providing psychologiFIGURE 20

cal counseling to people in need and donating cash and essential items like face masks
to the local quarantine camps and hospitals through local governments. Similarly,
a youth club in Bhaktapur installed watertanks in nine different places to encourage
handwashing behavior.
CSOs are also repurposing their resources
towards the COVID-19 response. CSOs
that were using FM radios and media channels have changed their programming to
respond to the pandemic. One CSO from
Humla changed its anti-trafficking awareness-raising program to the COVID-19
awareness program. Similarly, a CSO from
Lalitpur launched a new column in a newspaper, focusing mainly on the Pandemic.
Several other CSOs also reported instancesof changes in their existing programming.
One CSO from Kanchanpur changed thecurrent youth participation and volunteer
mobilization program to the COVID-19
awareness and support program.

Percentage of organizations involved in COVID-19 response activities

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

31

TABLE 8

CSOs’ contribution in numbers during the first wave of COVID-19
CSO Contributions

Average

Tentative contribution*

Sanitary Kits
Tentative cash/kind donations (in USD)

7187

30,184,667

PPE

37

156,710

Testing Kits

18

76,507

Masks

4393

18,450,054

Sanitizer

987

4,144,560

Hand washing station

54

227,825

Soap

5742

24,117,064

Sanitary Pads

432

1,816,139

Number of female volunteers involved from your organization

62

260,198

Number of male volunteers involved from your organization30

127,982

Number of sexual and gender minorities volunteers involved
from your organization

2

7,753

Number of female paid staffs involved from your organization

6

23,150

Number of males paid staffs involved from your organization

6

24,242

Number of sexual and gender minorities paid staffs involved
from your organization

1

2,596

Voluntary contribution

Paid Staffs* Estimates are based on 42 percent of organizations delivering their program/service as usual or better than
before of approximately 10000 active NGOs in Nepal. These estimates are calculated for the first wave of
COVID-19 response activities. For the second wave, please see the numbers from SWC below.

CSOs’ contribution in Sanitary Kits
Cash/Kind Donations

Sanitizer

PPE

Handwashing Stations

Testing Kits

Soap

Masks

Sanitary Pads

30,184,667
156,710

227,825

24,117,064

76,50718,450,054

32

4,144,560

1,816,139

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

33

Serving the excluded and vulnerable
Nepali CSOs have prioritized the excluded and vulnerable communities in their response
activities. Eight out of ten CSOs reported serving people from the Dalit community. Similarly,
six out of ten CSOs provided support to indigenous people. Figure 17 depicts the percentageof responding organizations serving the members of excluded and vulnerable communities.
FIGURE 21

CSO response beneficiaries

Furthermore, CSOs expressed concerns that some excluded and vulnerable communities
might be excluded in government response. Such concern was highest among CSOs in province 2, followed by Province 1, Bagmati, and Lumbini. CSOs from Gandaki and Sudurpaschim
expressed relatively lower concern than other provinces.
FIGURE22

34

Excluded and vulnerable community concern scale

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

Advocacy functions
NGO Federation of Nepal participated andhosted several meetings with different
government agencies since the pandemic
unfolded. On April 7, a dozen CSO leaders organized a meeting with the ministerof women, children, and senior citizens,
where they committed to helping the state
respond to the crisis. On the same day,some sixty-nine CSO representatives met
the national planning commission (NPC)
member to explore ways to respond to thesituation. On April 9, 2020, CSO leadersparticipated in another meeting with thevice-chair of the NPC to foster a partnership between CSOs and the government(NGO Federation of Nepal, 2020). Similar
meetings were organized regularly in May
2021 during the second wave of the pandemic.
On April 9, nineteen civil society
More than one hundred
umbrella
netfourteen citizens,
works and fedincluding writers, social
erations issued aactivists, researchers, and press statement
professionals, condemned appealing for the
management of
the government for its
quarantine andlack of seriousness in
isolation
cenresponding to the crisis
ters, provisioning(SajhaPost, 2020)
essential healthsupplies including PPE and other relief packages for pregnant and women in their maternity, seniorcitizens, children, needy, landless, wage
laborers, control of the spread of false
information, and respecting the fundamental rights of the citizens.
In addition to these activities, numerous
CSOs reported individual initiatives in representing the voice of the underserved communities. Several organizations resumed
hotline telephone numbers to report gender-based violence, violation of child rights,

or even to provide free legal aid for marginalized communities.

Watchdog
Civil society groups are going beyond relief
provision to spearhead efforts to hold governments accountable for ineffective orundemocratic crisis responses. NGOs andother civil society groups voiced their concerns. More than one hundred fourteen
citizens, including writers, social activists,
researchers, and professionals, condemned
the government for its lack of seriousness in
responding to the crisis (SajhaPost, 2020).
Similarly, a group of independent activists
took their criticism from social media to thestreet (see box 3).
In a separate instance, an organization
working to promote child rights in Kathmandu initiated mechanisms to track andmonitor the activities of local governments
to ensure their services reach children in
the communities. Similarly, a profit-not distributing company working in the accountability sector initiated an online communication campaign to document government
response to the pandemic and made theinformation available online through an
e-newsletter.

Collaboration withgovernment
CSOs worked collaboratively with the different levels of government across thecountry. CSO leaders, in general, are notvery satisfied with the government on theircovid containment measures. On a scale of
1 to 5, the mean satisfaction score was 2.74,
indicating a relatively lower level of satisfaction. There were differences in the levelof satisfaction across provinces. For example, CSOs in province 2 reported the lowest level of satisfaction. On the other hand,
CSOs from Karnali province expressed abetter level of satisfaction.

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

35

FIGURE 23

CSOs’ satisfaction with the government response.

In addition to the spatial differences, the study also observed differences in satisfaction
with the responses of different levels of government. In general, CSOs expressed relatively
more satisfaction with the local governments than the provincial and federal governments.
This may be because of the direct engagement of CSOs with the local government and a
relatively more straightforward working relationship with the local government.
FIGURE 24

36

Level of satisfaction on the performance of the government in containing COVID-19

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

Several organizations reported working hand in hand with the local government in providing
relief materials and managing holding and isolation centers during the first wave of the pandemic. Several interview respondents mentioned their positive experience of working withlocal government. The recognition of CSOs’ efforts at the local level was high. Many local
governments have explicitly called for help from CSOs during the latest outbreak.

Emerging opportunities to CSOs due to COVID-19
The pandemic not only posed organizational challenges but brought some opportunities forthe organizations. Six out of ten organizations networked with fellow CSOs and conducted
several online meetings, and charted the course for their response. Some organizations havecreated loose networks among the organizations. At the same time, some unregistered independent civil society actors have come together to offer some innovative solutions during
the pandemic (see box 2).
“Forty-two CSOs from all over Nepal have come together to discuss our contribution. We created a platform called a network of youths against covid. In that
platform, we pitch what we want to do and seek support and collaboration foraction. We are starting mental health-related online support. We received support
from other organizations through the platform. Some members of the network
have started isolation centers. Being in the network helps us realize the urgency
and creates synergies among the organizations.” Advocacy oriented organization,
Bagmati province
In addition to creating inter-organizational networks and collaborations, more than half ofthe organizations also prepared a post-pandemic operational strategy for their organization. Similarly, the adoption of social media for information dissemination and communication
increased extensively. Eight out of ten survey participants used social media to share Coronavirus preventive measures.
FIGURE 25

Emerging opportunities for CSOs

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

37

Similarly, one in three surveyed organizations also accelerated the adoption of digital technologies for their work. Several organizations started using digital conferencing tools likezoom and began several of their activities online. Right from providing psychological counseling to conducting AGMs, CSOs used digital technologies.

BOX 3

Furthermore, there was a shift in the thought system on fundraising and sustaining the organization. One of the three responding organizations indicated that they had changed theirintervention area. Similarly, organizations also diversified their funding, incorporated social
entrepreneurial programs, and sought long-term funding mechanisms. These are someexamples of how extreme events can speed up organizational change.

Covid Connect Nepal
What started as an informal chat among a few friends on the eve of
the government-imposed lockdown in April turned out to be a crucial
platform for connecting people seeking COVID-19 support in Nepal. The
platform was launched online one day after the restriction in mobility
was imposed.
Eeda Rijal said, “We invited our friends andfriends of friends to start the platform. We felt
it was a panicking situation, and all we had wastechnology, so we sat down for seven hours
and planned what the platform would look like.”talking about the inception process. She further
adds, “it really evolved out of a problem, discussion, and the diversity of expertise of eightpeople. Our team has people from technology,
business backgrounds, design thinking, social
innovation, and the health sector. Covid connect is a result of our collective ideas.” highlighting the importance of diversity of skills.
The platform collects requests for hospital beds, oxygen, vehicle, andthe need for food through social media, website, and phone calls. All
these requests are then listed as requests on their web portal where
people can offer help.
As their about us section reads, “We are a volunteer-run platform initiated to connect assistance providers and seekers and publish credible
data and information about the COVID-19 status quo in Nepal.” Since
their inception, the loose network of eight people has expanded to over
225 volunteers working around the clock handling 800 calls every day.
Volunteers come from all different walks of life – from medical students
to doctors to people with a background in technology, business, andpublic health.

38

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

Source: COVID connect dashboard (as of May 26, 2021); author generated chart

The platform has been able to arrange beds for 78 percent of the patients with urgent requests. Similarly, they had 88 percent success in arranging emergency vehicles to carry the patients to the hospitals during
the lockdown. On the other hand, they have been able to cater to overhalf the requests for oxygens.
At first glance, it seems the work of the platform is providing the services alone. However, the platform also offers the feature for people
to send mismanagement cases observed in handling COVID-19 cases
anonymously. On top of the feature, over 120 volunteers from 18 different
districts representing all the provinces are working round the clock to
update the number of available ICU beds, ventilators, and general bedsof over 260 hospitals every three hours in the country. They maintain areal-time status of over 1283 ICU beds and 606 ventilators as well.
The team has attempted to work with the government of Nepal to assist
them in any possible ways. They had several rounds of meetings withthe minister of health and population, senior bureaucrats at the MOHP,
the prime minister’s office, and the COVID-19 Crisis Management Center(CCMC). While they are optimistic about the possibility of working closely with the government, they have not had any solid joint efforts. Talking
about the future of the platform, Rijal states, “…we are all professionals
from different backgrounds, and we have our businesses and professions to engage. We want to hand the platform over to the government
so that they can use it in the long run to manage future crises.”
Recipe of success = Need of the hour X (power of social media + word of
mouth + media coverage + diversity of team)Website: https://covidconnectnp.org

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

39

Conclusion and looking forward
This study started with a threefold objective of exploring the impact of COVID-19 on
civil society, the contribution of civil society
in response and recovery during the pandemic and understanding the opinion of
CSOs on the state of freedom of expression
and association during the pandemic. The
study selected civil society organizations
as units of analysis to meet the objectives– predominantly NGOs, associations, federations, and profit not distributing companies as units of analysis. Two surveys wereconducted among these organizations, thefirst one between April 14 – May 1, 2020,
and the second one between December 1,
2020 – April 15, 2021. The question regarding the impact of COVID-19 was repeated inboth surveys. A total of 482 CSOs participated in both surveys. This study, however,presents evidence mostly based on the 274
responses and ten semi-structured interviews that were conducted with the CSO
representatives.

CSOs face formidable
challenges and needsupportFourteen percent CSOs are at the risk of
shutting down their doors permanently
due to the pandemic. They have not beenable to deliver their programs and services
for almost a year since the beginning of
the pandemic. This fact should concern
citizens, government, and donors. Democracy and democratic ideals can only bestrengthened in the presence of a strong
and vibrant civil society. In addition, theseorganizations serve as service providers
and have presented themselves as crucial actors in containing the proliferationof infectious disease either by reinforcing
government-led efforts or by filling institutional voids left by the government.
Despite an important role they play, they
are grappling with several concerns. Sev-

40

eral CSO leaders and volunteers have contracted the virus and some of them havelost their lives in the frontline. The state of
psychological fear created by losing a colleague, the possibility of not being able tocover their operating expenses, the fearof laying off employees do not help CSOs
during these difficult times.
Not only the organizational challenges haveincreased, the demand of their services
and expectations from the members of
their community as well as the local governments is on the rise. This has kept CSOs
in a difficult position. CSO leaders are facedwith the demand of being responsive, atthe same time have to manage the organizational transitions.

Financial and technicalsupport for CSOs is
inadequate and scattered
Only four out of ten CSO received
some form of funding to carry out covid
response related activities. Out of all the

projects approved in the last fiscal year,
10 percent of the projects were targeted
for COVID-19 assistance which amounted
only 1.3 percent of the total budget. There
has been a slight improvement this fiscal
year, where 22.5 percent of the approved
projects amount 5.1 percent of the total
approved projects. The relatively larger
number of projects and a smaller share inamount is an indication of relatively smaller
sized and fragmented projects for COVID19. Such projects are important for immediate response. However, the long-term
recovery would require greater investment
and boost in the size of projects.
In terms of funding environment, fourteen
percent more CSOs reported receiving
funding from INGOs compared to their last
fiscal year. However, at the same time seventeen percent less CSOs received funding

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

from the government during the pandemic
compared to the last year’s budget. While
there was positive outlook towards donor
when it came to adjustments of grants andawarding new response related activities.
CSOs felt donor have not demonstrated
sufficient commitment to their institutional
growth and support. Only two out of tenorganizations felt that their donors demonstrated any commitment to help the CSOs
to strengthen their capacity to raise funds.
Only half of the responding organizations
had their own website and only three outof ten organizations used messaging applications. These numbers are a testamentof the reality of several CSOs and inherent challenge they face for digitalizationand to take their work online. Only one outof ten organization felt that their donor
demonstrated any commitment to invest in
strengthening organization’s digital capacity and infrastructure. A vibrant civil society
cannot be envisioned without institutional
capacity development and continuous support for organizational growth and development. Hence, donor community should
focus on digital transformation of CSOs.

CSOs have contributed
significantly during the
pandemic
CSOs are providing essential humanitarian support to their constituencies. Several initiatives have spurred in response to
COVID-19 across the country. Top three

activities include the distribution of sanitation kits, generating awareness andsensitizing communities. Similarly, CSOs

disseminated information about relief programs and other related programs with
their beneficiaries. In addition, CSOs also
provided psychological counselling to theneedy people.
Approximately, USD 30 million worth ofcash/kind donations have been made by
CSOs during the first wave of pandemic.
Over 156,000 sets of PPEs, over 76,000
testing kits, and hygiene kits in millions

have been supported. Similarly, in addition
to these, several CSOs established andsupported in managing isolation and holding centers and provided food and othersubsistence materials to several needy
communities. In addition, approximately,over 300,000 volunteers have contributed
during the pandemic response and recovery. CSOs have prioritized the excluded andvulnerable communities in their response
activities. Eight out of ten CSOs reported
serving people from Dalit community. Similarly, six out of ten CSOs provided support
to indigenous people.

CSOs are cynical on thestate of freedom andexpression
The national freedom expression was
3.2 on a scale of 1 to 5. There were minor

differences across provinces. Respondents
from province one, two, Bagmati, and Karnali perceived better freedom of expression compared to Lumbini, Gandaki, andSudurpaschim province. Similarly, Urban
CSO leaders felt better freedom of expression compared to their rural counterparts.
Furthermore, smaller and medium sizedorganization leaders felt better freedomof expression compared to the leaders oflarger organizations. As expected, organizations working in the advocacy were morecritical to the state of freedom of expression compared to service delivering organizations.
Governments around the world have
imposed emergency laws in response to
the pandemic. While it is important to mitigate the threats of the virus, these governmental efforts are stronger, legitimate, andmore effective when they respect humanrights. 141 countries have measures that
affect assembly, similarly 56 countries havemeasures that affect expression and 59
countries affecting privacy. States often
use emergency powers because they offer
shortcuts and such power often tend tostay long and could be hard to revert.

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

41

CSOs are not satisfied
with governments’ covid
containment measures
CSO leaders expressed a lower level of satisfaction with the COVID-19 spread containment measures. On a scale of 1 to 5, themean satisfaction score at the national
level was only 2.74 indicating a relatively
lower level of satisfaction. However, there

were differences in the level of satisfaction
across provinces. For example, CSOs in
Province 2 reported the lowest level of satisfaction compared to CSOs from Karnali.
CSOs expressed relatively more satisfied
with the local governments compared toprovince and federal government. This may
be because of the direct engagement of
CSOs with the local government and a relatively easier working relationship with thelocal government.

Recommendations
Amidst the chaos, institutions supporting
CSOs should make flexible assistance a priority. The time ahead of us is probably thebest time for the aid providers to walk theirtalk. Aid making institutions have spoken
about flexible funding for local civic groups
for a long time. However, in reality, only
a tiny group of funders have held to theirpromises. The time to overcome old habitsof requiring projectized assistance, cumbersome administrative requirements, andlimited timeframes may be now. Aid providers should take on board the depth of disruption and listen to grantee partners and,
together, explore how they can best help
CSOs face the crisis, trusting they know

42

best what is needed in their own contexts.
Another critical priority is to help civic
groups connect effectively to government pandemic responses when needed
and possible—or at least not be actively
attacked and harassed by government
actors. As they negotiate new assistancepackages relating to the pandemic, funders
should push governments to incorporate
civic actors as implementing partners. Similarly, public and private sector actors should
create bridges for civil society to connect tolarger pandemic-related support packages.
CSOs should actively monitor these new
assistance packages throughout the procurement and implementation processes.
CSOs should identify the primary risks
face the organizations face due to mobility
in restrictions; their reserves, and impact
on program participants and staff frommissed work or reduced funding. The CSOs
should communicate transparently andhonestly about the expected impacts on
their stakeholders and organizations. They
should speak honestly with thier employees
about their needs during this time. They
should also create a culture of support andemphasize the need for open communication about employee needs. If cash flow
becomes a problem, they should be honestwith funders about their requirements.
Coordinate with the broader community,
including other CSOs, funders, staff, andlocal government, to understand how to
support each other through this period of
turmoil. CSOs should keep their long-term
mission at the forefront of decision making.

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

Appendix
TABLE 9Sample characteristics
Frequency

Percent

Survey Round

Percent

Association andFederation

4

1.46

Non-Governmental
Organization

264

96.35

6

2.19

Organization type

2020

208

43.15

2021

274

56.85

1

47

17.15

2

40

14.60

Profit Not Distributing Company

Bagmati76

27.74

Respondent Job title

Gandaki18

6.57

Board Member

30

10.95

Karnali35

12.77

Board President

113

41.24

Lumbini

37

13.50

62

22.63

Sudurpaschim

21

7.66

Executive Director/
Chief Executive
OfficerManagement Team
Member (e.g., Development Director,
Program Director,
Program Manager
etc.)

40

14.60

29

10.58

Province

Urban/Rural
Rural

32

11.68

Urban

242

88.32

Female

90

32.85

Other

Male

181

66.06

Highest level of president’s education

Other

3

1.09

PhD

7

2.55

Master’s Degree

92

33.58

GenderNumber of Staffs

TABLE 10Frequency

< 25

219

79.93

Bachelor’s Degree

99

36.13

25 - 50

32

11.68

Plus 2

43

15.69

> 50

23

8.39

SLC

19

6.93

Less than SLC

14

5.11

Total

274

100.00

Province wise descriptive statistics of involved human resources
Province

Mean

Std. Deviation

Minimum

Maximum

Number of female volunteers
1

39.91

218.037

0

1500

2

5.38

6.975

0

30

Bagmati

207.46

1719.53015000

Gandaki

6.94

6.539

0

22

Karnali

4.11

8.714

0

50

Lumbini

54.59

286.7120

1750

Sudurpaschim

19.19

32.5060140

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

43

Province

Mean

Std. Deviation

Minimum

Maximum

Number of male volunteers
1

79.64

509.821

0

3500

2

8.9

17.37

0

100

Bagmati

11.29

27.6170200

Gandaki

6.56

7.221

0

25

Karnali

6.49

13.874080

Lumbini

28.68

136.757

0836

Sudurpaschim

17.05

20.711070

Number of sexual and gender minorities volunteers
1

0.55

1.332

0

5

2

2.28

6.786

0

40

Bagmati

1.95

7.099

0

45

Gandaki

1.33

4.753

0

20

Karnali

0.57

1.703

0

7

Lumbini

2.62

9.722

0

58

Sudurpaschim

6.57

14.02

0

60

Number of female paid staffs
1

1.57

2.491

0

10

2

4.35

8.725

0

45

Bagmati

6.79

15.6360122

Gandaki

6.33

6.971

0

24

Karnali

4.63

9.941

0

50

Lumbini

5.86

9.235

0

35

Sudurpaschim

12.52

15.41

0

65

Number of male paid staffs
1

1.72

2.716

0

13

2

5.88

10.988054

Bagmati

6.62

15.01

0

85

Gandaki

6.11

7.169

0

25

Karnali

6.43

14.541080

Lumbini

6.16

10.526053

Sudurpaschim

12.62

12.816043

Number of sexual and gender minorities paid staffs

44

1

0.34

0.867

0

4

2

0.8

1.99

0

9

Bagmati

0.89

3.839

0

30

Gandaki

0.72

2.421

0

10

Karnali

0.34

0.725

0

3

Lumbini

0.14

0.481

0

2

Sudurpaschim

1.52

2.228

0

6

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

TABLE 11

Descriptive statistics of distributed relief materials and coverage
Province

Mean

Std. Deviation

Minimum

Maximum

1

14.15

73.79

0

500

2

15.63

40.69

0

220

Bagmati

26.51

127.258

01075

Gandaki

16.83

29.9970

100

Karnali

46.17

253.170

1500

Lumbini

24.05

61.7760300

Sudurpaschim

166.33282.905

0

1025

1

13.83

64.65

0

400

2

30

160.448

0

1000

Bagmati

1.43

6.494

0

50

Gandaki

1.17

4.26

0

18

Karnali

3.8

20.9370124

Lumbini

16.27

83.4350500

Sudurpaschim

95.24

333.506

0

1500

1

1846.813096.341

0

10000

2

1801.252554.144

0

10000

Bagmati

5760.05

16874.056

0100000Gandaki

2963.55013.964

0

20000

Karnali

2211.24384.939

020000

Lumbini

10029.62

34064.039

0200000

Sudurpaschim

11224.9

16682.004

0

61766

1

153.13398.229

0

2500

2

548.4

1256.47

0

5000

Bagmati

1207.285847.93050000

Gandaki1064.33

3985.571

0

17000

Karnali

965.033512.954

0

20000

Lumbini578.051193.50

5000

Sudurpaschim

4336

11089.474

0

50000

1

5.96

14.029

0

60

2

8.45

20.0110100

Bagmati

23.08

109.3380800

Gandaki

86.06

300.6180

1276

Karnali

7.74

29.5

0

150

Lumbini

143.59820.87

0

5000

PPE

Testing Kits

Masks

Sanitizer

Hand washing station

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

45

Province

Mean

Std. Deviation

Minimum

Maximum

Sudurpaschim

342.57661.79

0

2000

1

389.6

921.3805000

21161.432449.1270

10000

Bagmati

14192.07114655.82601000200

Gandaki284.06479.1030

1500

Karnali

930.692108.355

0

10000

Lumbini

2047.95

8271.179

0

50000

Sudurpaschim

6124.95

11494.52

0

50000

1

171.51493.511

0

2500

2

643

1809.035

0

10000

Bagmati

540.121750.953

0

10000

Gandaki

47.78

129.140500

Karnali

685.863378.962

020000

Lumbini

170.16459.3502460

Sudurpaschim

907.1

1165.144

0

3856

Soap

Sanitary Pads

Number of Municipalities covered
1

1.53

1.792

0

9

2

4.53

10.306061Bagmati

4.08

9.568

0

50

Gandaki

2.72

2.562

0

10

Karnali

2.17

4.274

0

25

Lumbini

3.3

3.901

0

20

Sudurpaschim

4.62

5.869

0

22

Rural Municipalities covered
1

1.64

2.221

0

12

2

3.1

9.626

0

61

Bagmati

4.96

14.2410100

Gandaki

3.56

3.399

0

13

Karnali

3.97

9.373

0

55

Lumbini

2.81

3.332

0

10

Sudurpaschim

6.05

8.249

0

30

1

1.11

0.89

0

5

2

1.48

1.783

0

11

Bagmati

3.95

8.163

0

44

Gandaki

3.72

3.786

0

12

Karnali

1.63

2.39

0

13

Lumbini

1.78

1.946

1

12

Sudurpaschim

1.9

2.528

1

12

Districts covered

46

COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

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COVID-19 and Nepali Civil Society Organizations: Impact, Responses, and Opportunities

COVID-19 &Nepali Civil Society
Organizations:
Impact, Responses &Opportunities

NGO Federation of Nepal

August, 2021

Buddhanagar, Kathmandu, Nepal
P.O.Box: 7768
Phone: +977 1 4792908, +977 1 4791368
Fax: +977 1 4780559
Email: info@ngofederation.org
Website: www.ngofederation.org

NGO Federation of Nepal
A National Federation of NGOs in Nepal