STRENGTHENING DEMOCRATIC LOCAL ... - USAID

STRENGTHENING DEMOCRATIC LOCAL GOVERNANCE (SDLG) PROGRAM IN BANGLADESH WORK PLAN 2012

NOVEMBER 2011 This publication was produced for the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Tetra Tech ARD.

This report has been prepared for the United States Agency for International Development, under USAID Contract Number EPP-I-00-04-00035-00, Order Number AID-388-TO-11-00001. Tetra Tech ARD Primary Contacts:

Zyck Baggett, Project Manager Dr. Jesse Biddle, Senior Technical Advisor/Manager 159 Bank Street, Suite 300 Burlington, VT 05401 Tel: (802) 658-3890 Email: [email protected]; [email protected]

COVER PHOTO: People participate in a USAID/ARD Local Governance Initiative activity. Photo courtesy of USAID/Bangladesh LGI.

STRENGTHENING DEMOCRATIC LOCAL GOVERNANCE (SDLG) PROGRAM IN BANGLADESH WORK PLAN 2012

NOVEMBER 2011 DISCLAIMER The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.

SDLG IN BANGLADESH: WORK PLAN 2012 i

CONTENTS

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................... II 1.0 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 1

1.1 LOCAL GOVERNANCE CONTEXT ................................................................... 1 2.0 COMPONENTS AND TASK AREAS ............................................................... 3

2.1 COMPONENT 1: ROLES AND AUTHORITIES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ............. 3

2.1.1 Task A: Research and Information Dissemination ......................... 3

2.1.2 Task B: Policy Dialogue ................................................................. 4 2.1.3 Task C: Innovative Practices .......................................................... 5

2.1.4 Task D: Partnership Building .......................................................... 7

2.2 COMPONENT 2: ADVOCACY AND CAPACITY BUILDING OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATIONS ....................................................................... 8

2.2.1 Task A: Training and Technical Assistance .................................. 8

2.2.1 Task b: operational support services ........................................... 10 2.3 COMPONENT 3: TRANSPARENT AND EFFECTIVE SERVICE DELIVERY BY

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS .............................................................................. 10

2.3.1 Task A: Training and Technical Assistance ................................. 11

2.4 COMPONENT 4: CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL DECISION-MAKING ...... 13

2.4.1 Task A: Developing Citizens in governance (CIG) Forums .......... 13 2.4.2 Task B: Participatory Strategic Planning ...................................... 14

2.5 WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY ....................................................................... 15 3.0 CROSS-CUTTING THEMES AND APPROACHES ...................................... 16

4.1 GEOGRAPHIC CONCENTRATION ................................................................. 16

4.2 COORDINATION AND PARTNER LINKAGES ................................................... 16

4.3 GENDER AND EXCLUDED GROUPS ............................................................. 17 4.4 COMMUNICATIONS, AND OUTREACH ........................................................... 19

APPENDIX A. PROJECT YEAR 2 TASK AND TIMELINE ................................... 21

ii SDLG IN BANGLADESH: WORK PLAN 2012

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS AL Awami League

BUPF Bangladesh Union Parishad Forum

BCDJC Bangladesh Center for Development, Journalism and Communication

CF Citizen Forum

COTR Chief Officer’s Technical Representative

CPF Citizen Participation Forum

CTG Caretaker Government

DLGP Democratic Local Governance Program

HDI Howard Delafield International

IGS Institute of Government Studies

ILLG Improving Local Governance and Creating Citizens’ Awareness Program

JATRI Journalism Training and Research Initiative (of BRAC University)

LG Local Governance

LGA Local Government Association

LGI Local Governance Initiative

LGSP Local Government Strengthening Program

LGU Local Government Unit

LOE Level of Effort

MAB Municipal Association of Bangladesh

MCI Municipal Capacity Index

M&E Monitoring and Evaluation

MP Members of Parliament

NGO Nongovernmental Organization

NILG National Institute of Local Governance

ODP Organizational Development Plans

PSP Participatory Strategic Planning

SDLG IN BANGLADESH: WORK PLAN 2012 iii

RDA Rural Development Academy

SDLG Strengthening Democratic Local Governance Program

SOW Scope of Work

QSIP Quality Service Improvement Plans

UP Union Parishads

USAID United States Agency for International Development

SDLG IN BANGLADESH: WORK PLAN 2012 1

1.0 INTRODUCTION The Strengthening Democratic Local Governance in Bangladesh (SDLG) Project is a 39-month activity (December 2010–March 2014) funded by the United State Agency for International Development’s Bangladesh Mission (USAID/Bangladesh). Building on more than a decade’s worth of local government strengthening programs in Bangladesh, the SDLG Project combines a focus on research and policy advocacy, capacity development for local government associations, and training and technical assistance for local government units at union parishad, upazila parishad, and pourashava levels. Tetra Tech ARD is the implementing partner for the SDLG Project.

Key elements of the SDLG Project strategy for achieving results include:

• Building on USAID/Bangladesh’s more than 10-year history of significant local governance support programs.

• Tapping into and enhancing the political will of national and local government elected officials as well as citizen groups and NGOs to reform local governance.

• Linking with and supporting USAID/Bangladesh’s (and other donor’s) programs, including Presidential Initiatives in the areas of health, agriculture and climate change.

• Identifying and disseminating to local governments innovative practices to achieve performance standards.

• Integrating gender and youth concerns across the SDLG program, while supporting women’s participation in local government leadership.

• Acquiring and disseminating through multiple media outlets information on local governments in Bangladesh and the role of the USAID-funded SDLG Project.

This strategic approach will help ensure the project achieves core objectives within the 39-month timeframe, given the resources available, and taking into consideration constraints and opportunities posed by the legal and policy framework for local governments.

1.1 LOCAL GOVERNANCE CONTEXT The timing is particularly good for USAID/Bangladesh to mount a substantial local government strengthening program. This reflects that major changes in the legislative framework for local governance occurred in 2009 following reforms begun under the Caretaker Government (CTG), which were revised and ratified by the Awami League (AL) government when it came into office. This includes reforms to the several levels of local government as codified in new laws: the Upazila Parishad (repeal, reenactment, and amendment) Act 2009, Local Government (Union Parishad) Act 2009, Local Government (Pourashava) Act 2009, and Local Government (City Corporation) Act 2009.

USAID’s local government strengthening programs have been supportive of many of these reforms. In particular, under the Local Governance Initiative Program (2002-05), USAID helped build a domestic constituency to advocate for policy reform through support for membership-based local government associations (LGAs) -- the Bangladesh Union Parishad Forum (BUPF) and Municipal Association of Bangladesh (MAB). Many of the recent legislated changes to core local government laws and regulations reflected MAB and BUPF policy positions.

2 SDLG IN BANGLADESH: WORK PLAN 2012

While the changes to the legislative framework are significant, they are yet in the process of unfolding, with previously existing practices often yet in place and ambiguity and controversy surrounding the full implementation of the new laws. Much work needs to be done to clarify and implement provisions in the new legislations, many of which in principle provide enhanced authorities for local government units. At the same time, there are political and bureaucratic forces working for and against decentralization and local government strengthening and thus there is much need for evidence-based research and focused advocacy on key policy issues.

A key complication recognized by the SDLG Project team is that the new legislations pose different developmental challenges for various levels of local government. In both pourashavas and union parishads (UPs), the legislative changes expand and clarify authorities in manners that are not, to date, highly controversial. So, at these local government levels, the SDLG Project will focus primarily on performance-improving capacity building for the local governments. Particularly important is that with enhanced authorities under recent legislation, as well as the availability of direct block grant funds for UPs under the World Bank-supported Local Government Strengthening Program (LGSP), the timing is good for expansion and improvement in UP service delivery.

The picture of legislative reform with upazila parishads is different. The policy debate has focused on whether elected upazila governments should assume responsibility for rural development and sector programs (e.g., health and education), currently operated by central government ministries. The CTG and AL government addressed this issue, with one result being that there are now three directly elected officials in each upazila. That is, there are elected upazila governments. However, the April 2009 Upazila Act created ambiguities about roles and responsibilities, as well as political controversy between the elected upazila officials of both major political parties and the Members of Parliament (MPs), local civil servants and ministry officials. SDLG Project work with the elected upazila governments will deal with ambiguities and conflicts about who manages budgets, what decisions elected versus bureaucratic officials can make and which government services and staff are responsible to the newly-elected officials.

Cross-cutting these complicated dynamics at the three levels of local government are struggles women face due to continuing historical patterns and cultural attitudes (of men and women) that limit women’s ability to have their voices heard and limit their ability to rise to positions of influence in government. For example, while Bangladesh set aside three designated seats for women in Union Councils in the mid-1990s, many if not most UPs still do not take these women seriously or simply regard them as stand-ins for male relatives. At the upazila level, the position of newly elected women vice-chairs is particularly problematic as the Upazila Act essentially stripped this position of meaningful responsibilities. The SDLG Project will work with and support women to better participate in and have their voices heard in local governance in multiple ways during the course of project implementation.


2.0 COMPONENTS AND TASK AREAS

2.1 COMPONENT 1: ROLES AND AUTHORITIES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

The USAID/Bangladesh SDLG Project is being implemented during a period of substantial reform of local government laws and regulations in Bangladesh. In this context, the new laws are only beginning to be implemented, roles and responsibilities for local government units (LGUs) are not well defined and it is unclear what constitute best practices for local governments. Given this, it is not surprising that Bangladesh’s citizens struggle to understand how to voice concerns to local governments, or even know who to hold accountable for misuse of public resources or poor delivery of services.

The SDLG Project under the Component 1 is addressing such complicated issues in multiple fashions. This includes organizing targeted and substantial research and sharing the findings broadly with respect to local government laws and emerging best practices for local governance at union, upazilla and pourashava levels. The project is also supporting diverse local government officials and stakeholders, including women, to develop their own policy views and effectively advocate these to national-level elected and bureaucratic officials. And the project is working directly and in non-partisan manners with influential officials, including at the national-level, to encourage them to find areas of consensus on desirable local government policy reforms, and to act on them.

2.1.1 TASK A: RESEARCH AND INFORMATION DISSEMINATION

The SDLG Project-sponsored research program will focus on three key subject matter areas of interest for legal and policy reform (areas which will also be emphasized in SDLG Project training and technical assistance activities for LGAs and LGUs). These subject areas are: 1) financial management and revenue generation; 2) participatory planning and budgeting; and 3) service delivery and monitoring. The research program will identify the key local governance reform issues associated with each of these areas in the light of provisions in the existing law governing elected councils at the three tiers of local government.

Early in Project Year 1 when organizing the research program, the SDLG Project team determined that the BRAC University’s Institute of Governance Studies, which was originally envisioned as a key research partner, exhibited strong research capacity but lacked established connections with key stakeholder groups that could influence and advance local government policy reform. After a competitive selection process, two research organizations (ROs) were selected instead to be SDLG Project partners. These were the Center for Urban Studies (CUS) and Unnayan Shammanoy (US), both of which enjoy established research programs and links to diverse stakeholders in the areas of urban and rural governance. In September 2011, USAID approved grants to these ROs, which immediately initiated literature reviews and key informant research activities designed to feed into a National Conference to be held in December, 2012.

The design of the program of research and research-related advocacy to be undertaken by US and CUS in partnership with the SDLG Project integrates public, national and regional research conferences and roundtable dialogues, with a parallel series of private, closed door policy dialogues for reform among key


policy makers and influencers. The regional roundtables to be conducted by the two ROs will also help develop regional capacity as local universities will host these events on key reform issues.

TASK A, ACTIVITY 1: LOCAL GOVERNANCE POLICY RESEARCH PROGRAM

Approach: The two partner ROs, Unnayan Shamannay and Centre for Urban Studies, are conducting research on issues of decentralized local governance in Bangladesh. A National Conference is organized for December, 2011 in order to disseminate findings, particularly regarding inconsistencies in local governance law and policy. The conference will involve national stakeholders such as policy makers, political party leaders, academia, national LGA leaders, civil society and the media. Subsequently, the ROs will continue with field research and hold two Regional Conferences in Project Year 2 in order to inform local governance stakeholders on the research findings regarding key legal issues and their practical implications on local governance. The Regional Conference locations will be identified by the ROs in consultation with SDLG Project staff.

Timing: The National Conference will be in December 2011 and the two Regional Conferences in April and August, 2012.

TASK A, ACTIVITY 2: SUPPORT REGIONAL UNIVERSITIES TO DEVELOP LOCAL GOVERNANCE RESEARCH

Approach: The SDLG Project will engage two regional Universities, Rajshahi University in the northwest and Kushtia in mid north of the country, to develop research and advocacy capacities through local governance research. A faculty member of the Department of Public Administration, Rajshahi University has been contracted to study the financial, service delivery, and planning and budget systems of upazila parishads. The research objectives, methodology and key findings will be shared among social science faculty and the Institute of Development Studies in Rajshahi University as well as invited faculty members from Kushtia University in February, 2012. As part of the assignment a training curriculum for UPs will be prepared for use in Component 3. Kushtia University will be engaged in similar research from February, and is expected to deliver the report by August, 2012.

Timing: The report of Rajshahi university research will be completed by January, 2012 and used for the upazila training modules. A dissemination and discussion meeting of this study will be held in February. Kushtia University will start research in February and disseminate findings in Kushtia in August, 2012.

2.1.2 TASK B: POLICY DIALOGUE

The SDLG Project policy dialogue activities will incorporate findings from the research activities discussed above, and will be delivered by the same research organizations, CUS and US. This will help ensure the successive repetition of research findings on key obstacles to local government function in both academic conference format as well as via media-friendly policy roundtables regionally and nationally. The SDLG Project will also support an ongoing series of consensus-building, closed-door policy dialogues (CDPDs). These will target a select group of policy makers and influencers potentially capable of shifting the prevailing political consensus towards stronger local governance institutions. The public and private advocacy dialogues are designed to interact, building awareness of issues and potential solutions among private discussants and then allowing the public airing of emerging consensus points.

The set of activities under this task area presented below reflect a combination of previously separate activities which have been reorganized for greater impact. As described under Task A above, it became clear that the best partner ROs were those that combined research skill with an existing network of contacts positioned to be participants in the planned conferences, roundtables and particularly the closed-door dialogues. As a result, the need for a separate activity to map stakeholders was determined to be repetitive. Likewise, the baseline survey instrument administered in May, 2011 incorporated numerous questions on public opinion on local government policy, practice and performance as does SDLG’s


annual Local Government Capacity Index (LGCI) evaluation exercise. Given this, an additional opinion poll originally set for January, 2012 is no longer scheduled.

TASK B, ACTIVITY 1: LOCAL GOVERNANCE POLICY REFORM ROUNDTABLES

Approach: Based on the emerging key issues from their ongoing research and the national conference deliberations, and in consultation with SDLG staff, the partner ROs, US and CUS, will hold two national and three regional roundtable (RT) discussions. All of the RTs are to be public events with strong media involvement, intended to draw public notice to the key policy issues and to initiate open debates and discussions. The National RTs will involve MPs and key officials of relevant ministries, civil society groups including media groups active in local governance reform advocacy, and research experts. For the Regional RTs, planned participants are local political leaders (UP, upazila, pourashava male and female representatives), LGA members and officials and LGA Women’s Committee leaders, MPs and field officials of key government departments.

Timing: The National RTs are planned for March and July, 2012. The Regional RTs are scheduled for January, April and June, 2012.

TASK B, ACTIVITY 2: CONSENSUS-BUILDING, CLOSED-DOOR POLICY DIALOGUES (CDPD)

Approach: While the conferences and the national and regional RTs will be public events, the CDPDs are planned to be more private, threadbare discussions of the key issues relating to local governance policy reform, with the intent to build areas of consensus among the policy actors. The ROs in consultation with SDLG Project staff will select for each of the CDPD discussions a group (about 12-15) of politically important persons, policy makers and political party high-ups (including high government officials) who can influence policy outcomes. The ROs and the SDLG DCOP/Component 1 leader will identify and seek to get on board five to six supporters and champions of decentralized local governance to constitute a ‘core’ group to continue in all the CDPDs. Though ambitious, the objective of the CDPDs is to help develop a larger group of politically influential people to privately and publicly speak and work for stronger policy in favor of decentralized local governance.

Timing: The ROs in consultation with SDLG Project staff will plan and hold eight consensus-building, closed door policy dialogues in Dhaka, one each month starting from January to August, 2012.

2.1.3 TASK C: INNOVATIVE PRACTICES

The Task C under Component 1 groups research activities directly relevant to field training in Components 3 and 4 with life-of-project leadership building activities for women elected members of the LG associations supported in Component 2, and with domestic and international study tours for select LG association leaders and council members from the 600 LGUs identified to receive training.

One important focus has been SDLG Project research into experiences and practices of forming “citizens groups” that seek to hold locally-elected representatives or appointed bureaucrats to account for service delivery. Project consultations with NGOs and donors active in local governance strengthening revealed a number of examples of such groups formed. However, the anecdotal evidence suggests that few of these groups were highly effective or became sustainable forums that continued to serve a watchdog function after project completion. To better understand why this has been the case, SDLG sponsored additional research to complement the best practices inventory being undertaken in Project Year 1.

Other Task C activities represent innovations on established practice. Leadership building work for local government women representatives will build on the May 15, 2011 launch of an advocacy campaign by elected women leaders. Building on this, work in Year 2 will emphasize the importance of women members becoming broadly recognized as community assets who contribute to the overall functioning


and strengthening of their local government councils and, importantly, their respective LGAs as opposed to only championing issues of benefit to women elected officials.

The SDLG is also supporting study tours for LGU leaders. To support peer-to-peer learning, in November, 2011 SDLG organized two tours of 10 UP Chairmen and members each to high performing unions parishads in Sirajganj and Sathkhira districts. In Project Year 2, additional in-country tours are planned. As regards international tours, in December 2011 the SDLG Project is supporting select women leaders to travel to Kerala, India to study the decentralized and participatory panchayat system of local governance. Other international tours in Project Year 2 will continue with a focus on South Asian and other regional destinations with structural and cultural similarities to Bangladesh.

TASK C, ACTIVITY 1: INVENTORY LOCAL GOVERNMENT BEST PRACTICES AND SURVEY CITIZEN GROUPS

Approach: The SDLG Project has commissioned two research products, namely an Inventory of Local Government Best Practices and the preparation of a Best Practice Toolkit and Survey of Citizen’s Forums in Bangladesh. The findings of the two research projects will be fed into a number of activities in Components 2, 3, 4, in trainings for LGA leaders, in training modules on the three critical functions of local governments, and in the Citizens in Governance Forums training modules.

Timing: The reports will be ready for use in January, 2012 and February, 2012.

TASK C, ACTIVITY 2: ACTIVATE AND SUPPORT WOMEN’S COMMITTEES IN LG ASSOCIATIONS

Approach: The SDLG Project will assist in the formation of three elected Women’s Committees at the central level of BUPF, MAB and UPAB. The women leaders of the elected Divisional and Regional Committees of the associations will elect their representatives in national committees. MAB and UPAB are expected to form their Executive Committees in December, 2011 and BUPF in early 2012, and the Women’s Committees will be formed at the same time. After the Women’s Committees are in place, the SDLG Project strategy is to conduct events, such as women leadership training and advocacy for women’s rights in local government, jointly with the three committees in the second half of Project Year 2. The experience of learning and working together on women’s issues in local governance in these joint trainings and actions can assist these women to form a National Caucus of LG Women Leaders early in Project Year 3.

Timing: The BUPF Women’s Committee will be formed in January, 2012. The UPAB and MAB Women’s Committees will be in place in December, 2011. Joint training of women leaders on leadership and policy advocacy will be held in March, 2012 and advocacy and other trainings started by July, 2012.

TASK C, ACTIVITY 3: IN-COUNTRY LEARNING TOURS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

Approach: In-country learning tours provide practical learning opportunities to local government representatives. Building on the tours conducted in Project Year 1, the SDLG Project plans to have three such tours in Year 2, one each for MAB, UPAB and BUPF leaders. The strategy will involve identifying three high performing LGUs in each of the local government levels on the basis of information generated during the SDLG-sponsored research programs and work with the LGAs. For UP tours, SDLG coordinates with the World Bank’s Horizontal Learning Program (HLP) now housed at the Government of Bangladesh’s National Institute of Local Governance (NILG). SDLG will assess the potential and preparations needed for BUPF to assume ownership of HLP for the benefit of its members.

Timing: Four-day tours of groups of 10-12 local government representatives from MAB, UPAB and BUPF will be organized in May, June and August, September 2012.


TASK C, ACTIVITY 4: INTERNATIONAL STUDY TOURS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND LG ASSOCIATION WOMEN’S COMMITTEES

Approach: Two international study tours focusing on the role of LGAs in supporting policy reform towards decentralized, service oriented, and active local governments are planned for Year 2. The SDLG Project will select on the basis of a set of criteria prepared in consultation with the three associations a number of 18-20 leaders, with at least one third women for each batch. As the Tetra Tech ARD home office has USAID local government project experience in proposed tour countries, such as the Philippines and Sri Lanka, this will facilitate collaboration with the appropriate institutions abroad.

Timing: The first study tour is planned for January and the second in October, 2012.

2.1.4 TASK D: PARTNERSHIP BUILDING

As discussed in the SDLG semi-annual report for the period ending August 30, the originally proposed building of horizontal partnerships for service delivery between neighboring unions or pourashavas faces a number of challenges and will not be pursued by the SDLG team. At the same time, trainings to help establish proposed vertical partnerships between UPs and line ministry services at the UP level are being developed by the SDLG Project under Components 3 and 4 as discussed below. An additional promising partnership building approach the SDLG Project will support in Project Year 2 is to foster public-private partnerships (PPPs) between LGUs, the private sector and local communities. The goal will be for PPPs to support quality service delivery, including modest infrastructure investments.

TASK D, ACTIVITY 1: PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITIES BETWEEN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND PRIVATE SECTOR

Approach: Public Private Partnership (PPP) as an alternative model for quality service delivery is becoming a development model worldwide. In Bangladesh, PPP has been adopted by the present government at the national level as a policy means of improving infrastructure, electricity, water supplies and sea port management, among others. In Year 2, the SDLG Project will pilot the development of PPPs for improved service delivery at the local level, and seek to identify replicable models for partnerships between LGUs, private sector and local communities. Given USAID/Bangladesh support for Presidential Initiatives in health, agriculture and climate change, the SDLG-supported PPPs could focus on relevant service areas, such as water supply and health facilities.

To implement this activity, SDLG will hold a grants competition to select a most-qualified NGO partner. SDLG will help develop the capacity of the NGO so that in turn it can capacitate LGUs to foster PPPs in their communities. Training and technical assistance for LGUs will focus on:

• The benefits, risks and challenges of PPP as a form of quality service delivery, • Broad guidelines as to when public-private partnership should be considered. • Relevant legislative authorities of LGUs for involvement in PPPs, • Ways local government can prepare for PPPs, including adopting PPP policies and customizing

management to support PPPs, • Guidelines to help LGUs evaluate the types of projects and aspects of service delivery that lend

themselves to public private partnerships.

The SDLG approach will be to initially focus the technical assistance on a limited number (6 to 8) of LGUs, most likely at the UP level, to explore the feasibility of PPP and to derive initial lessons learned from the pilot case experiences. Subsequently, and with USAID approval for use of Windows of Opportunity funding,, SDLG could expand and scale up this activity to support a larger set of LGUs interested in establishing PPPs.


Timing: The grants competition will be initiated in March, 2012, NGO partner selection to occur approximately in May – June, with technical assistance and training on PPPs to be delivered to select LGUs from June, 2012 onwards.

2.2 COMPONENT 2: ADVOCACY AND CAPACITY BUILDING OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATIONS

Tetra Tech ARD and the core professional staff of the SDLG Project are uniquely positioned to deliver results for the Component 2 due to previous work under the USAID-funded Local Governance Initiative Project, which involved forming the BUPF and strengthening MAB. As a result, project staff members are familiar with these local government associations, have existing relationships with leaders and members, and enjoy their good will.

Under this component, SDLG is mounting activities and trainings to help LGAs better deliver services to members while more effectively advocating policy preferences to central government. The project is also working with the associations to develop more sustainable operations and increased self-financing. The implementation approach involves developing strategic organizational development plans with LGA leaderships, and subsequently supporting and monitoring the implementation of the plans. SDLG is also helping to form a new unified upazila parishad association and, by encouraging collaboration among the LGAs, seeks to form a federation of local government associations in Bangladesh in Project Year 3.

2.2.1 TASK A: TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

In Project Year 1, the SDLG Project supported internal elections for LGAs at all three tiers – the existing associations BUPF and MAB for unions and pourashavas respectively, and a new association at the upazila level tentatively named UPAB (Upazila Parishad Association of Bangladesh). The SDLG Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party and Component 2 Team Leader participated in the 11 regional election meetings for MAB and the 7 association formation meetings for UPAB. They not only represented the project but emphasized USAID’s desire to see politically neutral and democratic associations with active members providing financial support. MAB meetings integrated also appreciative inquiry learning session, and both MAB and UPAB meetings featured instructional presentations on organizational principles and governance practices of successful associations. For BUPF, SDLG provided more modest support for elections of its 64 district committees. The Project Year 2 will see sequenced trainings to develop multi-year strategic plans and build the leadership, organizational and financial management capacity of the newly-elected association leaders.

TASK A, ACTIVITY 1: HOLD STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKSHOPS WITH MAB, BUPF AND UPAB AND FORMALIZE WOMEN’S COMMITTEES

Approach: The SDLG Project will provide necessary technical and financial support to MAB, BUPF and the newly constituted UPAB to support them to develop strategic plans (for at least the next three years) that incorporates needs of their constituent members. The Executive Committee (EC) members of MAB, BUPF and UPAB will participate in a three day strategic planning workshops, where they will learn about: strategic planning, environment scanning, SWOT analysis, priority setting, implementation strategy and self-evaluation. The workshops will also support women elected local government representatives from MAB, BUPF and UPAB to form respective Women’s Committees. These workshops will be facilitated by international consultants, and the workshop agendas will be developed in close collaboration with the SDLG Team Leader for Component 2. For MAB, inclusion of German International Cooperation (GiZ) and DANIDA will be explored.

Timing: January – February, 2012.


TASK A, ACTIVITY 2: LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT TRAINING FOR MAB, BUPF AND UPAB

Approach: The success and sustainability of an organization largely rests with leaders, and strong leadership at every level of an organization is essential to its organizational effectiveness and success. Too often local government leaders in Bangladesh do not fully understand and practice democratic leadership or encourage and create opportunities for their members to learn leadership traits.

The Leadership Development Training course, which will be offered multiple times, will be for two days and include a maximum of 30 participants (per course) selected from the EC and divisional or regional committees of MAB, BUPF and UPAB. The training course will include a number of important aspects of leadership development such as leadership traits and behavior, leadership and communication, leadership and team building, and leadership and value formation.

Timing: April – October, 2012. Several training sessions (from three to five depending on association size) will be offered to each LG association over this period.

TASK A, ACTIVITY 3: BOARD MANAGEMENT TRAINING FOR MAB, BUPF AND UPAB

Approach: The ECs of MAB and BUPF represent the organizations at various levels. But most of their activities are restricted to executive committee meetings, participating in dialogues with government and NGOs, and attending study visits at home and abroad. Overall, the ECs have not been able to understand the broader roles and responsibilities expected of a LGA Board. This two-day residential training course, which will be offered multiple times with no more than 30 participants per course, will be provided for EC members (and select members of Division Committees) to ensure they understand key issues related to organizational sustainability and accountability such as:

• Interchange of ideas, • Process and indicators of organizational success and failure, • Ensuring accountability for success and failure, • Egalitarian management in decision making, • Potential resource organizations to network with, tap resources for capacity building of their

constituent LGUs.

Timing: July, 2012 – January, 2013. Several training sessions (from three to five depending on association size) will be offered to each LG association over this period.

TASK A, ACTIVITY 4: ASSOCIATION BUILDING TRAINING FOR MAB, BUPF AND UPAB

Approach: This training will assist LGA members and leaders to understand the functions of LGAs, principles of formation, roles and responsibilities of association building, and how associations can be used for policy advocacy, capacity development of members, communication with members, and establishing transparency and accountability at LGU and LGA levels. This two-day residential course (to be offered multiple times to a maximum of 30 participants) will target recently-elected representatives, specifically ones from the ECs and Divisional Committees, of MAB and BUPF (90% are newly elected) and members of the newly-formed UPAB. The training will feature successes and best practices of LGAs, particularly in the Asia –Pacific region.

Timing: November, 2012 - April, 2013. Several training sessions (from three to five depending on association size) will be offered to each LG association over this period.

TASK A, ACTIVITY 5: REVENUE GENERATION AND FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY TRAINING FOR MAB, BUPF AND UPAB

Approach: The SDLG Project has determined that most of the activities of both MAB and BUPF are donor driven. As a result, these associations devote little time to collect membership fees or to develop


other revenue sources. This hinders their long-term, sustainable development. This two-day residential training will assist MAB and BUPF EC leaders and Divisional Committee members better understand the importance of membership building, how to collect membership fees on a regular basis, support their capacity to identify and develop services they can deliver to members for fees.

Timing: August, 2012 – February, 2013. Several training sessions (from three to five depending on association size) will be offered to each LG association over this period.

2.2.1 TASK B: OPERATIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES

In Project Year 1, SDLG made important progress on defining the parameters of core financial support to the LGAs and setting an expectation for MAB, BUPF and UPAB to achieve sufficient self-generated revenues annually to pay office rental, staffing and basic operational costs. A shared understanding has been developed among SDLG, GiZ and DANIDA, all of which plan support to MAB, on the need for such self-sufficiency in basic association operations. The SDLG Project will continue coordination with these donors in planning for a joint strategic planning workshop for MAB at the beginning of Project Year 2 and, generally, to align ongoing technical assistance to build LGA capacity and support LGA policy reform advocacy. As the associations and their leaderships mature, SDLG will begin the process of exploring joint advocacy positions and activities by all three LGAs, with a related aim being the establishment of a federation of associations in Project Year 3.

TASK B, ACTIVITY 1: DEFINE AND SUPPORT CORE OPERATIONS OF MAB, BUPF AND UPAB

Approach: The SDLG Project reviewed the history and current provision of core operational support required to functionalize MAB and BUPF through at-length discussions with leaderships of the LGAs. A working mechanism was agreed upon and SDLG is providing MAB and BUPF core support (e.g., office, staffing, overhead) accordingly. Moreover, SDLG supported district committee reformation of BUPF on a 20% cost-sharing basis and regional committee reformation for MAB. Following the adoption of organizational development plans (to be developed in January, 2012) and, later in Project Year 2, of financial sustainability plans, the SDLG Project will review the extent of core support required as part of an incentive structure for the LGAs to achieve greater financial independence and sustainability.

Since UPAB is newly formed and just getting on its feet, the SDLG Project will also provide it core operational support.

Timing: Ongoing in 2012.

TASK B, ACTIVITY 2: SUPPORT KEY ADVOCACY ACTIVITIES OF MAB, BUPF AND UPAB

Approach: This support will be provided to MAB, BUPF and UPAB to deal with policy advocacy issues which could not be resolved through any other option and may require legal challenges. On a case-by-case basis, the SDLG Project will provide technical and financial support to enable the associations to mount legal challenge. Other policy advocacy support, such as for media campaigns and policy dialogues, are discussed under the Component 1 and the cross-cutting media component theme.

Timing: As needed in 2012.

2.3 COMPONENT 3: TRANSPARENT AND EFFECTIVE SERVICE DELIVERY BY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

The SDLG Project approach to strengthening local government units under this component is closely linked to the project approach for working with Citizens in Governance (CIG) Forums under Component 4: Citizen Participation in Local Decision-Making.


Following the identification early in Year 1 of the 600 LGUs slated to receive training and technical assistance, the SDLG team focused on several interrelated tasks. On the one hand, the team developed innovative training modules to support Components 3 and 4. The modules focus on key LGU functions -- participatory planning and budgeting, financial management and revenue generation, and service delivery and monitoring – and are tailored for each of the three levels of LGUs. On the other hand, the project team organized a major grants competition to identify core partner NGOs (PNGOs). The PNGOs, which will operate in distinct districts from each other, will deliver the bulk of the trainings for LGUs during Project Year 2, with oversight by the SDLG Dhaka office and field offices in Khulna, Rajshahi and Rangpur. The 9 PNGOs selected are SKS Foundation, Manob Mukti Shangstha (MMS), RDRS, Wave Foundation, Democracy Watch, Shushilan, SDS, POPI and BITA. Project Year 2 will see the roll-out of the training modules to the 600 LGUs along with the CiG Forums discussed under Component 4.

2.3.1 TASK A: TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Early in Project Year 1, all 600 LGU sites for field training were identified to allow for two full training cycles built around key target dates noted in local government law and the Bangladeshi fiscal year. The early selection of LGU sites supported a random selection of treatment sites for purposes of the baseline survey work (completed in May, 2011) within the 15 treatment clusters, while within the 10 control clusters the baseline survey identified specific control sites at random.

The more time-consuming and important activity under Component 3 in Year 1 was the development and refinement of training module materials and methods to optimize the fit of content and delivery to key LGU needs and LGU trainee learning capacity. The full SDLG Project team participated in developing the training modules through review of existing NGO training materials, consultations with other donors, alignment of proposed content with guidance in local government legislation and ministry policy directives, team reviews of draft module text, and pre-tests of draft modules in the field. Given the unique political situation faced by upazila elected representatives, the curriculum was designed to meet the challenge of teaching representatives how to leverage existing law to expand their influence over decision making now dominated by central government bureaucrats assigned to the upazila. The completion of training materials for unions and pourashavas in Project Year 1 sets the stage for the administration of the Local Government Capacity Index (LGCI), planning meetings, and training of trainers early in Year 2 on the way to a full roll-out of field training to 600 LGUs.

TASK A, ACTIVITY 1: LOCAL GOVERNMENT CAPACITY INDEX (LGCI)

Approach: The LGCI is a tool the SDLG Project is employing to determine the baseline capacity and competency of UPs, purashavas and upazilas, and to measure and assess changes in the capacity and competency of these LGUs as a result of SDLG assistance. The LGCI also contributes to data collection for PMP indicators. Administering the LGCI for an LGU is a three day activity that involves 8 to 10 LGU staff. It is comprised of two major activities:

• Qualitative data collection through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) on the three key functional areas the SDLG Project has identified for improvement -- i.e. participatory planning and budgeting, financial management and revenue generation, and service delivery and monitoring. Additionally, female LGU staff will be asked to participate in a separate FGD centered on understanding how the three functional areas are influenced and affected as a result of gender and diversity. Mayors/ Chairmen will not be part of the FGDs, but will be interviewed separately.

• Quantitative data collection through survey and physical verification of all relevant documents. Here a ranking tool will be used that is comprised of the above functional areas with indicators and a scoring system.

The selection of LGUs where the LGCI will be administered will be based on SDLG Project geographical locations, and not through a national sampling method. For the selection of the control group, however,


an initial list of LGUs from the project’s baseline study will be called upon. The SDLG Project anticipates administering the LGCI in Project Year 2 to about 41.5% of the LGUs in targeted clusters. This results in about 249 LGUs (treatment 150 and control 99). To accomplish this, a resource pool of 60 persons from our 9 partner NGOs will be trained on LGCI process. Next, 20 LGCI teams (3 people in each group) will initiate administration of the LGCI sequentially at targeted LGUs.

Timing: Implementation of LGCI for a subset of 50 treatment LGUs by a small team of SDLG regional office staff began November 2011. Implementation of LGCI for the remaining treatment and control LGUs by partner NGO staff will begin in January 2012.

TASK A, ACTIVITY 2: PLANNING AND COORDINATION MEETINGS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Approach: Planning and coordination meetings will be held with all 600 LGUs to establish a linkage band communication between the partner NGOs and LGU officials. The meetings will generate plans of action for the project period for each LGU. The meeting agenda will cover; • Overview of SDLG project; • Training plan and activity calendar; • CIG formation plan, process of CIG formation; • Follow-up/ mentoring strategies; • Roles of key actors.

Timing: December, 2012 –January, 2013.

TASK A, ACTIVITY 3: TRAINING-OF-TRAINERS WITH NGO PARTNERS INCLUDING MAB, BUPF PEER TRAINERS

Approach: Using the training modules developed during Project Year 1, SDLG master trainers will initiate training of trainers (ToT) to generate a core training team of key staff members of PNGOs and peer trainers from MAB and BUPF. In two ToT iterations, a total of 46 core trainers will be trained. The involvement of the peer trainers from the LGAs will help retain the knowledge and training practices related to the three functional training areas identified by the SDLG Project, and thereby enhance the capacity of MAB and BUPF to provide services over time in these areas.

Timing: January and February, 2012.

TASK A, ACTIVITY 4: TRAININGS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Approach: As discussed, the SDLG Project team developed innovative training modules during Project Year 1. Following the planning and coordination meetings and training of trainers activities noted above, and in partnership with partner NGOs, the project will roll out a sequenced series of integrated training packages in Year 2 for union parishads and pourashavas. These trainings will be tailored to be most relevant for the different levels of LGUs. In addition, our PNGOs, with the support of our satellite field offices, will organize follow-on support and mentoring for LGU leaders. SDLG anticipates that under this activity there will be multiple opportunities to liaise with and seek linkages to other USAID-funded projects active within our selected LGU cluster sites. The topics and sequence for trainings are:

• Financial Management and Revenue Generation – two-day residential training with follow-on mentoring;

• Quality Service Improvement/Service Monitoring – one-day training with follow-on mentoring; and • Participatory Planning and Budgeting – two-day residential training with follow-on mentoring.


As regards upazila parishads, SDLG is still exploring research findings and examining emerging case studies that can best inform upazila-level trainings for elected officials. As a result, the roll-out of trainings for upazilas, as compared to UPs and pourashavas, is sequenced for later in Year 2.

Timing: For unions and pourashavas, Participatory Planning and Budgeting in February with follow-up and mentoring in August, Financial Management and Revenue Generation in March with follow-up and mentoring in September, Quality Service Improvement/Service Monitoring in August with follow-up and mentoring in February, 2013. For upazilas: Financial Management and Revenue Generation in April with follow-up in October, Participatory Planning and Budgeting in May with follow-up in November, Quality Service Improvement/Service Monitoring in August with follow-up in February, 2013.

2.4 COMPONENT 4: CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL DECISION-MAKING

The SDLG Project approach to this component is tightly integrated with our approach to the Component 3: Transparent and Effective Service Delivery by Local Governments. Thus, the site selection methodology for the 600 target LGUs identified also the local communities to receive training and technical assistance for citizen participation. Equally, as under Component 3, the 9 partner NGOs selected in Year 1 through a grants competition will be directly involved in establishing the Citizens in Governance Forums (CiGs), providing them training based on the modules developed by the SDLG team and supporting their strategic planning efforts with LGU officials. An innovative strategy adopted by the SDLG Project will be to train the CiG Forums to understand and participate in local government via channels that are created through local government legislations. Oversight of the performance of the PNGOs and CiGs will be provided by the SDLG Dhaka and field offices.

2.4.1 TASK A: DEVELOPING CITIZENS IN GOVERNANCE (CIG) FORUMS

Strengthening Democratic Local Governance depends on meaningful and lasting citizen participation. While Bangladesh’s local government legislation formally provides for channels for citizen input in the form of ward committees, standing committees and open budgeting meetings at each tier, in the vast majority of local government councils these channels and their citizen members exist only on paper. Recognizing that elected representatives and appointed officials are reluctant to adopt participatory practices of good governance, donors have supported projects to organize informal citizen participation and pressure groups to strategize with local officials and hold them accountable. However, the SDLG Project’s research on this issue found little evidence that there has been measureable effectiveness or sustainability of donor-funded citizen ‘watchdog’ and advocacy groups that operate informally (that is, outside of existing legislative frameworks).

Thus, rather than follow past and questionable project practices of establishing citizen advocacy groups that hold local governments to account but do not participate in local government itself, the SDLG Project strategy is to develop Citizen in Governance Forums that are designed to activate citizen involvement in participatory institutions established by law which, though, now lie dormant. In Project Year 1, the CiG training module materials and approach were developed in parallel with Component 3 materials, and will guide the formation of CiG Forums and their role beginning early in Year 2.

TASK A, ACTIVITY 1: ESTABLISH AND SUPPORT CITIZENS IN GOVERNANCE (CIG) FORUMS

Approach: The CiG Forums sponsored by the SDLG Project will empower citizens to participate more fully in the democratic processes with the objective of ensuring quality public service delivery. SDLG will form CIG forums in all 500 unions and pourashava project sites. The CIG forums for unions and pourashavas will receive similar training as the controlling legislations for both of these levels of local government specify an identical set of participatory channels. These, primarily, are ward and standing


committees, and planning and budget meetings (some differences reflect the additional few services offered in urban settings). No additional CIG forums will be formed at upazila project sites. Rather, select CIG members, who are also citizens of the broader upazila, will be encouraged to contribute via upazila-level standing committees once activated.

The approach to CIG Forum formation will involve concerned ward committee members, including female members (preserved seat), preparing a list of potential participants (with at least 40% women participants) from the local community. They will share the objectives of the CIG Forum at public meetings before finalizing the list of probable CiG members. The selected citizens will be invited by the Chairman or local Mayor to attend a meeting at the LGU so as to elicit their full cooperation as well as to elect 27 participants to form an Executive Committee for the forum.

The SDLG Project PNGOs will organize 2-day residential trainings for CiG Forum Executive Committees on the Role of the CIG and Prioritization of Community Concerns. The trained PNGOs staff will facilitate the sessions and draw on the training modules developed by the SDLG Project. The trainings will help CiG Executive Committees to develop action plans, including proposed meetings with concerned LGU officials for joint activities and preparing a budget identifying any funding and distributing responsibility among participants. The PNGO staff will facilitate the meetings to ensure activity plans emerge that are appropriate for each CIG Forum and LGU based on local demand.

Timing: January – March, 2012.

2.4.2 TASK B: PARTICIPATORY STRATEGIC PLANNING

In addition to being CiG Forum members, selected Executive Committee members chosen by their peers will participate in the three training sessions for LGU officials described under Component 3 on the key local governance functions. CiG Forums will be activated in communities prior to introducing the Component 3 trainings for LGU officials. The joint participatory strategic planning (PSP) training sessions with teach local governments and citizens how to conduct the PSP process as described in legislation including the target dates for completion of each step that are timed to the annual budget cycle. Following the formal training in February, the PSP process steps will be facilitated lightly to foster ownership by citizens and officials while still meeting dates specified in law.

TASK B, ACTIVITY 1: FACILITATE PARTICIPATORY PLANNING AND BUDGETING

Approach: Following the February training, partner NGO project officers will assist in facilitating the four major steps of the PSP process in each union and pourashava LGU. First, members of the CiG Forums will be guided in assisting LGUs to organize ward-level meetings for citizens, with the aim to involve at least 20% of the voters in each of the nine or more wards in the LGU. These meetings will focus on exploring the needs of the community and assisting with prioritization of needs within the ward. Next, the prioritized development needs of each ward will be reviewed by the Development Committee of each LGU parishad in order to create a consolidated development plan that considers the priorities of citizens and budget availability for the year. The consolidated development spending plan will be presented in an open budget meeting where citizens will have the opportunity to object to changes to their priorities if these are found and are thought to be against the public interest. Finally, the resulting consolidated budget will be formally approved by the full parishad and submitted to central government administrators at the upazila level.

Timing: February- April, 2011.


2.5 WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY The SDLG Project recognizes that the Windows of Opportunity funds exist to provide flexibility to USAID/Bangladesh and the project team to undertake additional activities which were not specifically anticipated at the time of contract award, and so are distinct from the rest of the project scope of work. The SDLG Project will be responsive to USAID/Bangladesh priorities as well as proactive with USAID in offering suggestions for options under this Component 5. We will also develop a rapid-response capacity to implement activities once these have been identified and approved by USAID/Bangladesh.

It is possible that effective implementation of Windows of Opportunities activities will require unanticipated additional level of effort (LOE) from professional staff and consultants for the SDLG Project. In this instance, the Tetra Tech ARD Senior Technical Advisor/Manager will bring this matter to the attention of the project COTR and CO, to consider the adequacy of SDLG contract LOE ceilings for professional labor and determine if contract or budget modifications are required.

COMPONENT 5, ACTIVITY 1: RAPID RESPONSE GRANTS CAPACITY

Approach: In order to effectively implement Windows of Opportunity activities, the SDLG Project will develop a rapid and flexible capacity for reviewing and issuing small grants. To this end, and with guidance from the Tetra Tech ARD home office, the SDLG COP will liaise with the SDLG COTR to agree on processes and protocols for implementing this rapid response grants capacity. These processes and protocols will be fully consistent with all USAID and U.S. Government rules and regulations for issuing grants under contract.

Timing: (To be determined following consultations with SDLG COTR)

COMPONENT 5, ACTIVITY 2: PERFORMANCE AWARDS BASED ON LGCI MONITORING

Approach: Towards the end of Project Year 2, the SDLG Project will review the results of the second LGCI assessment exercise to identify high-scoring LGUs that have shown clear improvement in areas such as revenue generation, service delivery or monitoring and participatory planning or budgeting. Performance awards for these LGUs will include public recognition amongst their peer LGUs through the relevant LG associations and through the general media, as well as funds for infrastructure or service projects that meet specific criteria and can be paid directly to vendors of goods or services, or through SDLG grantees and NGO partners.

The SDLG Project approach will be to initiate this activity with a limited number of awards, most likely 3 for UPs and 3 for pourashavas, to recognize improved performance on each of the three SDLG-targeted local governance functions at these two local government levels. Subsequently, and with USAID approval for use of Windows of Opportunity funding, SDLG could expand and scale up this activity to a larger number of LGUs.

Timing: To be determined following consultations with SDLG COTR.


3.0 CROSS-CUTTING THEMES AND APPROACHES

Through the design of the Work Plan and proposed activities under the several Component and Tasks areas, the SDLG Project integrated cross-cutting themes–geographic focus of concern to USAID/Bangladesh, coordination and partner linkages, gender and excluded groups and media and outreach. In addition, we propose some activities specifically to enhance one or another cross-cutting theme while simultaneously weaving these themes into other activities primarily oriented to address other SDLG Project Components and Tasks.

4.1 GEOGRAPHIC CONCENTRATION Understanding the geographic history of USAID/Bangladesh’s support for local government strengthening, and in consultation with USAID, the SDLG Project selected LGUs to receive training and technical assistance primarily from the north-west and south-west of Bangladesh, including particularly LGUs from the Rajshahi Division. Our site selection methodology identified contiguous clusters of LGUs associated with single or side-by-side Districts within these areas of geographic concentration. Earlier in Project Year 1, we provided USAID with full GIS mapping of our LGU site selections. As discussed below, the SDLG team is aware of the importance of SDLG Project site selection with respect to opportunities to coordinate with ongoing or forthcoming USAID and other donor programs focused on or interested in local governance.

4.2 COORDINATION AND PARTNER LINKAGES In Project Year 1, SDLG leadership conducted active outreach and coordination with the several other donor programs working on local government. Most significantly, this included the World Bank-funded LGSP (Local Governance Support Project) covering almost all of the country’s 4500 unions as well as the smaller Swiss-funded SHARIQE Project working with unions in two limited areas over a long period. Other donor programs such as the UNDP’s upazila strengthening project and JICA’s recently closed demonstration project were also consulted to assist in geographic and content coordination. SDLG has joined HLP (Horizontal Learning Program) supported by WB and housed at the GoB’s NILG (National Institute of Local Government). This will allow LGU officials in the 450 unions supported by SDLG to participate in domestic study and observation visits arranged through HLP’s extended partner network. To ensure coordination of donor support to the LG association MAB, SDLG met periodically during Project Year 1 with the German development agency GiZ and its Danish counterpart DANIDA.

SDLG Project leadership also met with teams from USAID D&G projects for parliamentary strengthening (PRODIP), anti-corruption (PROGATI), community-based policing (CBP) and political party development (DPR) to discuss coordination strategies as the SDLG Project field training activities are launched in the 600 LGUs in Project Year 2. The list of 600 project sites has been shared widely with other USAID sectoral offices. In late 2011, SDLG staff members also participated in an off-site D&G partners workshop which


included site visits to several sectoral programs, and promoted a clearer understanding of the potential roles for local government institutions in each. The SDLG Project understands that as a result of the working relationships we will develop with LGUs, LGAs and local government stakeholders nation-wide, it is in a strategic position to support other USAID programs in the pursuit of their own goals, be these related to health, agriculture, economic growth or others. In Year 2, coordination on all levels will continue.

The SDLG Project will:

Continue communication with USAID sectoral offices and implementing partners: As field training activities begin in Year Two and other USAID sectoral program activities are planned or launched, SDLG will seek opportunities for potential sharing of knowledge and joint activities in the field. In addition to coordination at the Mission level, this will involve meetings at the national and field levels with USAID partners where we are able to identify concrete opportunities.

Coordinate with USAID D&G implementing partners on strategic issues and activities: This includes plans to leverage PRODIP’s knowledge of parliamentary process and specific MPs to enhance the impact of closed door policy dialogues planned under SDLG Component 1; to coordinate with PRODIP and DPR on LGU representative involvement in their field activities; and connect CBP with LG association UP leaders in its working areas of Rajshahi and Ranpur.

Collaborate with GiZ and DANIDA on support to MAB: With both donors committed to providing funds to MAB, it is increasingly important for SDLG to ensure no duplication of funding for similar activities, transparency in sponsorships of international study programs, and a shared commitment to MAB’s financial self-sufficiency in funding core operations.

Work with WB LGSP and HLP on shared objectives: In Year 1, SDLG facilitated the distribution of HLP-produced ‘best practice’ reference sheets to UPs through its close ties to BUPF and participated in a workshop review organized by LGSP and NILG to solicit input into a master UP operations manual for official use. In Year 2, SDLG will explore greater BUPF involvement in the HLP domestic study program, and sharing of its own training techniques and experiences with LGSP and NILG. These two opportunities contribute to LG association strengthening through new BUPF services to members and allow the best approaches from USAID-sponsored training to be incorporated into a larger program potentially reaching all 4500 unions in Bangladesh.

4.3 GENDER AND EXCLUDED GROUPS Throughout implementation of all activities, the SDLG Project is reinforcing the capacities of women – elected officials, government officers and citizens actively participating in their communities -- to better accomplish their mandates, serve as role models and ensure their contributions to strengthening local governments are taken into account. The project’s strategy is to mainstream gender as a cross-cutting theme throughout the distinct project components by increasing the participation of women at all levels of local government as well as in Citizens in Governance Forums. The project understands gender in a holistic manner as referring to social roles of men as well as women and thus project activities are designed to be gender sensitive even when they are not focused specifically on women.

Specific ways SDLG promotes gender sensitivity and equity across project components include:

Citizen in Governance Forums: The SDLG Project’s approach to developing CiG Forums ensures that women represent no less than 40% of the participants, including on the CiG Forum Executive Committees. The project further is working with partner NGOs involved in implementing the CiG Forums to ensure they target local community organizations in their work which broadly reflect the gender, economic, social, ethnic and political mix of the local community.


Local Government Units: In the design of the SDLG Project our training modules for LGUs and the associated planning for module pre-tests and the training of trainers for partner NGOs, SDLG Project staff members ensured that these fully incorporated the needs of women and addressed ways to encourage women’s effective participation in local governance. Furthermore, in project activities with LGUs to occur after core trainings, SDLG and project partner NGOs will monitor that women’s participation in the LGUs meets or exceeds the percentages provided in the relevant laws and policies. SDLG also includes women and gender-related activities and success stories in study tours and related horizontal learning activities for LGUs. For example, women participants comprised 40% of the members in two in-country learning tours to best practicing UPs in Project Year 1. Three more such tours are organized for Project Year 2. And an all women regional study tour of women leaders from all three LGAs to Kerala, India is organized for December, 2011. This tour focuses on women’s effective participation in local governments, in addition to enabling participants to learn about the decentralized local government system in India.

Research and policy dialogues: In consultation with SDLG Project partners US and CUS, the SDLG Project’s research program on the three function areas of local governance performance (see discussion above under Component 1), features gender issues as an important area of inquiry. The findings highlighting problems of women’s participation and empowerment in local governance are being incorporated into the Project Year 2 policy reform advocacy events, including the consensus building closed door policy dialogues and policy roundtables. The inclusion of women as participants (presenters, facilitators, panelists), researchers and consultants as well as focusing on emerging gender issues in all dissemination activity is a mandatory requirement for the project’s two partner research organizations.

Local Government Associations: Throughout our work with LGAs we ensure women and their concerns are present in activities. For example, one basic principle of SDLG support for LGAs is mandatory inclusion of women leaders. Thus, women hold positions in all three LGAs in the elected District, Divisional and Central Committees. SDLG is also including gender-sensitivity in our leadership training curriculum for LGA leaderships. Most significantly, the project is supporting women active in LGAs to collectively organize. A Women Leadership Development Program was initiated with a selected group of female representatives from UPs, upazillas and pourashavas interested to reform existing local government laws and policies. This group initiated a policy change campaign for the national and local levels, and presented reform demands to policy makers in a SDLG-supported National Workshop. SDLG plans for this group and its activities to become part of Women’s Committees to be constituted at the central levels of UP, MAB and UPAB leading ultimately to a National Local Government Women’s Caucus. During this process, SDLG will provide members of the Women’s Committees will receive specific training on Women’s Leadership and Political Participation.

Gender-sensitive outreach campaigns: In concert with SDLG Project partners and stakeholders, the project ensures that media coverage of local government issues remains gender-sensitive, avoids negative stereotypes and presents positive images of women as leaders. The project’s media and outreach strategy specifically targets women and youth, along with men.

Monitoring and evaluation (M&E): In all aspects of the project, balance between genders will be a factor. The project’s M&E system ensures that data is collected and disaggregated by gender.

As the SDLG Project matures during Project Year 2 and thereafter, we will look for additional opportunities to support women and other traditionally excluded groups. SDLG anticipates bringing additional suggestions in these regards to USAID/Bangladesh for consideration as Component 5: Windows of Opportunity activities.


4.4 COMMUNICATIONS, AND OUTREACH The SDLG Project communications and outreach efforts are designed to create awareness among citizens about local governance and services they are entitled to, and motivate them to better participate in local decision making and LGU activities. The key goals are to increase citizen awareness of the benefits of effective and transparent service delivery through local institutions, generate increased public demand for improved local governance and reform of laws and policies, and create a more conducive environment among key local and national stakeholders for reform of local governance laws and policies as well as enhanced citizen participation in local government.

To implement the communications and outreach strategy, the SDLG Project is working with international subcontractor Howard Delafield International (HDI), which is providing technical assistance in the design and monitoring of activities. The activities themselves are organized in three pillars, each being implemented by a local partner via two grants to NGOs and one subcontract to an advertising agency. SDLG’s Dhaka-based Media and Communications specialist will oversee the three partners (with technical assistance from HDI) as well as promote media coverage of events directly implemented by the SDLG Project itself. SDLG will ensure that all materials and communications are in accordance with USAID regulations on branding and marking, and will ensure that communications and outreach present a positive image of USAID and the SDLG Project.

Details on the three key pillars of the media and outreach strategy include:

Media training and capacity building: SDLG training and technical assistance will target journalists and media professionals who work for media outlets known for informing the public with fact-based journalism in a variety of formats. The curricula for training workshops will ensure media professionals become aware of SDLG activities and the key issues related to local government reform. Additional activities will include:

• Regional briefings held with reporters and editors by market, • Policy roundtables with key stakeholders in the media toward improving news and editorial coverage, • Facilitation of talk shows and timely opinion-editorials by government and NGO officials experts in

efforts to deliver SDLG core messages.

As a result of their increased awareness of key local governance issues, media professionals will better develop relevant and quality media products including but not limited to reports, special sections, talk shows, blog posts, videos, and forums. As well, SDLG is supporting career-enhancing opportunities for media professionals, such as awards for the best regional and national reporting on LG issues.

Local Government Associations and Citizen Participation: Communication and media strategies will be used as a means to create citizen demand for local governance by creating more awareness about the value of access to quality services and promoting citizen participation in decision-making. At the same time, strategies will reinforce the supply of quality services by improving the policy advocacy capacity of LGAs (MAB, BUPF and UPAB) for national policy changes. Illustrative activities will include:

• Placing inserts in regional newspapers to solicit public opinion via SMS and to motivate participation in local government activities, including LGA activities;

• Involving university faculty in publicizing local governance research findings to local media; • Training LGAs in message development and crafting strategic media outreach plans to help get their

messages out to members; • Providing media training to select groups of LG association leaders to enable them to comment on the

local impact of national policies as key spokespeople who will be pitched to talks shows, journalist and bloggers for interviews;

• Building internal capacities of LGAs to develop membership directories and update annually.


Advertising and promotion campaign: The SDLG advertising and promotion campaign will increase public awareness about the benefits of quality service delivery through local government institutions and the critical role that citizens play in generating demand for good governance. The campaign will target the public broadly, cutting across demographics and social sectors to include rural, urban and peri-urban populations and include both marginalized and middle class populations. A combination of mass media; inter-personal communication, and new and non-traditional media, where appropriate, will be used. Illustrative activities include:

• Creating an SDLG Project and local governance web site to provide resources and examples of best practices (mobile-friendly), developing web pages for the local government associations and building e-mail and SMS lists to facilitate communication,

• Producing videos on the LG associations’ history, purpose and successes to support increased membership and raise funds for core association operations,

• Produce Citizens in Governance (CiG) Forum video, and develop awards to recognize and publicize the CiG Forums in each of SDLG’s 22 districts, to highlight results and impact,

• Produce and broadcast PSAs (public service announcements) as well as a regular multi-format, interactive radio program for Bangladesh betar, community radios and FM radio channels.


APPENDIX A. PROJECT YEAR 2 TASK AND TIMELINE


Bangladesh SDLG Project: Year 2 Implementation Task and Timeline

Q1 2012 Q2 2012 Q3 2012 Q4 2012 2013

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb

Component 1: Roles and Authorities of Local Governments

Task A. Research and Information Dissemination • Establish local government policy research program

Research Report

x Regional-Level Research Conferences

x x • Support regional universities to develop local

governance research

Engage regional university faculty to support policy research x x x x

Task B. Policy Dialogue • Local governance policy reform roundtables

National and Regional Policy Roundtables

x x x x x • Consensus-building, closed-door policy dialogues on

key local governance reform issues

Consensus-building, closed-door policy dialogues x x x x x x x x

Task C. Innovative Practices • Inventory local government best practices and

conduct survey of existing citizens groups

x x

• Activate and support formation of Women’s Committees in each of three local government associations (BUPF, MAB, Upazila Association – UPAB)

Formation of three LG association women’s committees x


Q1 2012 Q2 2012 Q3 2012 Q4 2012 2013

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Establish national coordination strategy for three

women’s committees x

• In-country learning tours for LG officials x x x x • International study tours for LG officials and LG

Association Women’s Committees Joint association study tour

x x

Task D. Partnership Building • Public-Private Partnership activities between local

governments and private sector x x x x x x x x x x x x

Component 2: Advocacy and capacity building of local government associations Task A. Training and Technical Assistance • Hold strategic planning workshops with MAB, BUPF and

Upazila Association (UPAB) including formalizing women’s committees (January-February)

x x

• Conduct leadership training for MAB, BUPF and Upazila Association (UPAB) x x x x x x x

• Conduct board management training for MAB, BUPF and Upazila Association (UPAB) x x x x x x x

• Conduct association building training for MAB, BUPF and Upazila Association (UPAB) x x x x

• Conduct revenue generation and financial sustainability training for MAB, BUPF and Upazila Association (UPAB)

x x x x x x x

Task B. Operational Support Services • Define parameters and provide financial support for

core operations for BUPF, MAB and UPAB x x x x x x x x x x x x x • Support key advocacy activities by MAB, BUPF and

UPAB x x x x


Q1 2012 Q2 2012 Q3 2012 Q4 2012 2013


Component 3: Transparent and effective service delivery by local governments Task A: Training and Technical Assistance • Conduct Local Government Capacity Index (LGCI)

(December-January) x • Planning and coordination meetings for LGUs

(December-January) x • Training-of-trainers with NGO partners and BUPF, MAB

peer trainers (January) x • Trainings for LGUs (February to August)

Participatory planning/budgeting -- two day

training with follow-on mentoring (February) x x x Financial management and revenue generation --

two day training with follow-on mentoring (March) x x Quality Service Delivery/Monitoring -- one day

training with follow-on mentoring (August) x x

Component 4: Citizen Participation in local-decision making

Task A. Developing Citizens in Governance Forums (CiGs) • Establish and support Citizen In Governance (CiG)

Forums (January-February) x x Orientation of community and formation of CiGs

x Training in roles for CiGs and prioritization of

community concerns x X Activity planning for CiGs, including preparation

for joint planning with LGUs x X


Q1 2012 Q2 2012 Q3 2012 Q4 2012 2013


Task B. Participatory Strategic Planning (PSP) • Facilitate participatory planning /budgeting involving

CiGs and LGUs x x x

Component 5: Windows of opportunity • Meet with USAID to review and discuss ‘Windows of

Opportunity’ proposals x x x x

• Rapid Response Grants capacity x x x x x

• Performance Awards Based on LGCI Monitoring x x x

Reporting and Performance Monitoring

Annual Work Plans x x

Semi-Annual Program Performance Reports x x

Quarterly Financial Reports x x x x

STTA Reports and Special Reports (intermittent) x x x x x x

Key:

X = Activity Execution

US Agency for International Development/Bangladesh Madani Avenue,

Dhaka Bangladesh Phone: (880-2) 885-5500

Fax: (880-2) 882-3648 www.usaid.gov/bd/

STRENGTHENING DEMOCRATIC LOCAL ... - USAID

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