As we are getting ready to start constructing schools damaged by the earthquake in Gorkha district, we thought it’d be helpful to share the official process that we went through to secure all the approvals and paperwork. This might come handy to other organizations looking to build school buildings.

1. Site survey, community meetings

📍 Location: Schools

  • Survey the location, take stock of the situation, meet with school management, teachers, parents, and community members.
  • Check the number of students, and if the total number is low, ask if they are planning to merge with a nearby school.

✅ What to get:

  • School, student, community information
  • Community expectations

2. Preliminary school design & cost estimation

📍 Location: Office

  • Prepare a preliminary design that is in agreement with the government’s recommended school design and meets community expectations.
  • Cost estimation that includes the cost of raw materials, transport, skilled and unskilled labor, regular monitoring, and supervision.

✅ What to get:

  • Preliminary building design
  • Tentative cost of school construction

3. Meeting with community

📍 Location: Schools

  • Discuss with the school community regarding the number of rooms needed, locally available construction materials, nearest place where other construction items can be procured, availability of skilled masons, and other construction resources.

✅ What to get:

  • Information to prepare a detailed construction plan and accurate cost estimation

4. Secure funds

📍 Location: —

  • Secure funding required to construct the school(s), if it has not been done already.

✅ What to get:

  • Funding

5. Recommendation from District Education Office (DEO)

📍 Location: District Headquarter

  • Once you are ready to build the school, submit a letter of interest to the DEO with the name and location of the school(s).
  • The DEO will check to make sure that the school(s) has not received funds or commitment from other sources to construct the buildings and also to make sure the school is not in the process of being merged.
  • In such cases, the DEO will recommend other schools, or you can identify alternate schools yourself.

✅ What to get:

  • Recommendation letter from DEO with names and locations of the schools.

6. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Department of Education (DoE)

📍 Location: Kathmandu

  • Submit the following:
    • Recommendation letter from DEO
    • Organization’s registration documents
    • Funding source details with signed agreement
    • Proposed school design
  • They will review all the documents and sign an MoU with your organization.

✅ What to get:

  • MoU with DoE to build the schools
  • Letter to DEO requesting coordination with your organization for the construction of the schools

7. Letter from DEO to District Development Committee (DDC)

📍 Location: District Headquarter

  • Submit DoE’s letter and a copy of the MoU and request a letter to the DDC to provide necessary approvals to construct the school(s).

✅ What to get:

  • Letter to DDC

8. Recommendation for extension of work area

📍 Location: District Headquarter

  • If the district is not in your organization’s work area, you will need to get an extension of work area in the district from the District Administration Office (DAO).

✅ What to get:

  • Letter from DDC to the DAO to extend work area in the district

9. Extension of work area

📍 Location: District Headquarter

  • Apply for work area extension at DAO with the following:
    • Request letter
    • Organization’s registration and bylaws
    • DDC’s recommendation letter

✅ What to get:

  • Letter from DAO to DDC recommending the extension of work area

10. DDC’s recommendation to Social Welfare Council (SWC)

📍 Location: District Headquarter

  • Submit documents to DDC:
    • Letter from DEO
    • MoU with DoE
    • Organization’s registration and bylaws
    • Detailed work plan
    • Request letter for recommendation to Social Welfare Council (SWC)

✅ What to get:

  • Recommendation letter from DDC to SWC for the project

11. Approval from SWC

📍 Location: Kathmandu

  • Apply for approval from SWC with the following documents:
    • Detailed work plan
    • MoU with DoE
    • Organization’s registration and bylaws
    • DDC’s recommendation letter
    • School building design
    • Funding source detail with signed agreement
    • Cost estimation certified by an engineering firm

✅ What to get:

  • Approval from SWC for the project

12. Finalize school design

📍 Location: School locations and office

  • Prepare the following:
    • Detailed site survey and measurement
    • Detailed engineering design
    • List and quantity of building materials

✅ What to get:

  • Final design with budget

13. DoE approval of final school design

📍 Location: Kathmandu

  • Get approval of building design from DoE as per school building structural design criteria.

✅ What to get:

  • Signed MoU with SMC

14. MoU with School Management Committee (SMC)

📍 Location: Schools

  • Sign an agreement with SMC outlining the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders.

✅ What to get:

  • (No specific document mentioned)

Abbreviations

📌 DoE: Department of Education
📌 DEO: District Education Office
📌 DDC: District Development Committee
📌 DAO: District Administration Office
📌 SWC: Social Welfare Council
📌 SMC: School Management Committee

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