The question is, can the principal risks be reasonably managed and why?. The following are answers and explanations of the six principal risks
- Yes: project partners have already received four days of training on relevant issues, the project management team will provide them with regular follow-up, and they will be linked to research institutions at state level. All these are to enhance their capacity on WTO issues. Furthermore, project partners will be provided with exposure to attend meetings on relevant issues at national and international level
- Yes: via recruitment of female staff and capacity building of female staff to enable them to obtain senior management positions within CUTS and in partner organisations.
- Yes: through provision of information to those NGOs who are insufficiently knowledgeable on WTO issues.
- Yes: the government has come to power recently on the basis of a commitment to adopt and implement pro-poor policies. Therefore, the government now has to deliver if it wants to maintain its constituency. CUTS will continuously remind the government of this, also utilising the fact that in 2006 state elections are planned in at least three important Indian states. The project will be implemented in two out of these three states.
- Yes: CUTS will adjust its research schedule and it has reduced the research area to two states so that the study document will be available in time for advocacy purposes at the WTO Ministerial conference in Hong Kong.
- Yes: CUTS and its partners will conduct formal and informal advocacy for the establishment of STPCs. Some key persons (influential in generating political will for such an institutional arrangement) will be involved in the project as members of State Reference Groups and will be used as conduits for advocacy. Furthermore, CUTS and partners will conduct advocacy for the formation of STPC by writing in media (English as well as local language)