Preparation of a holistic Gram Panchayat Development Plan is a pre-requisite for utilizing the FFC Grant. Involvement of every segment of the community through PRA exercises, household survey, institutional survey, focused group discussions is important for preparing a holistic plan. During the process of preparing the plan, huge number of activities will have to be undertaken from district to Gram Panchayat level. To institutionalize the planning process for rolling out the preparation of Gram Panchayat Development Plan, the SIRD has takenup a few Gram Panchayats wherein the preparation of holistic Gram Panchayat Development Plans have been taken up on an action research mode.

Objectives of the study: The study has been conducted primarily with two objectives:
Micro level objectives:
• To observe the views and opinion of people on implementation of GPDP.
• To assess the technical and organizational aspects of GPDP.
• Understanding the modalities of programme implementation (action planning) at the panchayat level.
• To analyse the scope of integrating GPDP with other activities of the panchayats.
• Making suggestions so as to develop a model GPDP based on overall performance.

Macro level objectives:
• To discuss the process of decentralization and micro level planning as being generally practiced in the country. • Role of panchayat in development planning. • Scope and content of panchayat planning. Summary of the study: • An epic effort has been observed as the SIPRD despite its limited resource have unrolled the GPDP process in Assam.
• The biggest success of the 2016 – 17 exercises has been the resonance it has created in the length and breadth of the state. Couple of years more determined push, the whole rural scenario is going to change with the successful implementation of GPDP.
• It is a mammoth task to reach out to the 2200 panchayats of Assam and the SIPRD in fact reached to the ground to oversee, handhold and further the awareness programme of the GPDP.
• Initiated by the SIPRD to motivate the ordinary villagers of Assam to get involved and prepare their own development plan, almost the entire strength of the SIPRD including Faculties and technical staff, have fanned out to every nook and corner of the state to unroll the GPDP process.
• There have been major challenges as lot of moss have gathered under the decades of inertia at the panchayat level as the prevailing system prefer to maintain the status quo.
• To reach the desired goal and full participation of the villagers in the GPDP, at least two more year of sustained campaign shall be needed and for that there can be special programme for the SIPRD in the next two coming years.
• The SIPRD have gone far beyond their resources, both interms of manpower and logistics to reach out to the panchayats. As they have to spread thin, manier times the awareness level of the villagers have not reached the desired level.
• The SIPRD has far outstripped its strength in trying to mobilize the panchayats of Assam. As the panchayats are in their last league of elected term, the fatigue factor has been noticed in a section of the panchayat leadership. The fresh election expected in 2017 is expected to through up new energetic and enthusiastic leadership.