Chief Secretary J Alam calls project outcome ‘encouraging’; Line departments take charge for sustainability and upscaling
Marking the official closure of the six-year-long Fostering Climate Resilient Upland Farming System in the Northeast (FOCUS) – Nagaland project, the handover of project assets and signing of Memorandum of Agreements (MoAs) with line departments was held today at the Chief Secretary’s Conference Hall, Nagaland Civil Secretariat.
The event was chaired by Chief Secretary and Chairman of the Project Steering Committee (PSC), Dr. J. Alam, IAS, and marked the formal transition of responsibilities to key departments for continued implementation, maintenance, and scaling up of FOCUS interventions.
Delivering his remarks, APC and MD of FOCUS-Nagaland, Wezope Kenye, IAS, called the day “very significant,” stating that the official closure of the project “marks the end of a six-year journey” and emphasized that the asset handover to line departments is a step forward in ensuring sustainability.
“The foundation has been laid, and taking the projects forward will now depend on the concerned departments,” Kenye said, appealing to the departments to continue “fostering the needs of the farming community in Nagaland.”
Chief Secretary Dr J Alam, in his concluding remarks, noted that “through independent third-party assessment and comments from senior officials, FOCUS projects bring an encouraging picture compared to many other projects implemented in Nagaland.” He stressed the importance of mobilizing, maintaining, upscaling, and expanding the projects using available resources.
Highlighting the value of human and knowledge resources created during the project, Alam urged departments to identify and leverage them for similar future initiatives. “The resource persons and knowledge partners are the biggest takeaways,” he said.
Dr Alam also acknowledged potential challenges: “There are concerns over the maintenance of created assets which the line department may face while continuing the projects,” he noted, while expressing gratitude to all partner departments for their role in the successful implementation of FOCUS-Nagaland.
Earlier during the program, the formal handover of assets and signing of MoAs was conducted with the following departments: Department of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources, Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services, Department of Cooperation and Department of Agriculture.
With the signing of these agreements, the respective departments accept full responsibility for the project assets, including upscaling, maintenance, and future utilization. The MoAs came into immediate effect from June 30, 2025, upon execution by the authorized representatives.
A presentation on the expected roles of line departments post-project exit was given by Hraveine David, Manager of Gender & Community Inclusion (C.I), through a detailed PowerPoint session.
The FOCUS project, funded by IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development), has been recognized for its multi-sectoral and inclusive approach to building climate resilience and livelihood sustainability among upland farmers across Nagaland.