A link to the full visual brief is here. A link to the full systems dynamics map is here.

Over the past two decades, the Government of India’s flagship rural development programs, the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), have focused on rural income generation and women’s participation. NRLM helps organize women into Self-Help Groups (SHGs) for economic and social advancement, while MGNREGA provides up to 100 days of rural employment annually at a set wage. To reap synergies, the government has promoted the “Convergence” between these and other programs, often linking with village level democratically elected institutions for self-government, or Panchayati Raj institutions (PRIs).

From 2021 to 2024, Imago Global Grassroots’ conducted an adaptive evaluation to seek insights and lessons from a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) project to support convergence in Madhya Pradesh (MP) and Bihar, led by Transform Rural India Foundation (TRIF) and Project Concern International (PCI)-India, respectively. This visual brief summarizes key results of our work.