Name of Project: Strengthenining Democratic Local Governance (SDLG)
02. Project Background:
There are two types of local government setting in Bangladesh, rural and urban. At the rural level the existing system provides a three-tire structure, which are Zilla Parisad (district office), Upazila Parishad and Union Parishad (UP). At the urban level the 8(eight) largest cities have City Corporation status, while the rest are known as Pourashavas or Municipalities. These Bodies are entrusted with a large number of functions and responsibilities relating to civic and community welfare as well as local development.
The Strengthening Democratic Local Governance (SDLG) project deal with UP, Upazila Parisad (UZP) and the Municipalities as well as their electoral. But present situation at this three LGUs are not similar. The UP and Municipality have been enjoying greater decision making freedom, while the UZP representatives are powerless due to undemocratic involvement of the Member of the Parliaments (MPs) in the UZP as advisors. The UP and Municipalities have been able to get direct fund allocation from central government and can make decisions almost with no intervention from any corner. The project has adopted appropriate and customized implementation strategy to achieve sustainability at all steps of the project. In SDLG working Jurisdiction Community and women participation has been ensured by activating the standing committees at the UP, UZP and Municipalities. Local resources generation in the form of holding tax, vehicle tax, fees from trade licenses etc will be emphasized.
03. Project Goal: To improve transparent and participatory public administration at the sub-national level and to enhance legal and policy reform at the national level in order to promote and expand decentralization.
04. Project Objectives: Enhancing Capacity of LGU and Community for Democratic Local Governance is to be more effective to the needs of their constituents through increase transparency of the LGUs activities and participation of the people in working area by the end of the project.
05. Donor Name: USAID
06. Project Duration:
January 15,2012 to January 14,2014
07. Project Working Area:
# of district-02:
Faridpur and B. Gopalgonj
Number of Upazila-6 :
1.Faridpur 0S) U/Z 1.Gopalgonj (S) U/Z
2.Modhukhali U/Z 2.Tungipara U/Z
3.Nagarkanda U/Z 3.Kashiani U/Z
Number of Pouroshava-04:
01.Faridpur
02.Nagarkanda
03.Gopalgonj
04.Tungipara
Number of Union- 38:
Under Faridpur (S) U/Z): Under Gopalgonj U/Z:
01.Kanaipur 01.Latifpur
02.Ombikapur 02.Karpara
03.Ishangopalpur 03.Horidashpur
04.Aliabad 04.Ulpur
05.Koijuri 05.Borashi
06.Gerda 06.Kathi
Under Modhukhali U/z: 07.Durgapur
01.Modhukhali 08.Majhigati
02.Bagat 09.Chandradigholia
03.Meghchami 10.Raghunathpur
04.Gazna
05.Kamarkhali
06.Noapara
07.Raypur
Under Nagarkanda U/Z: Under Tungipara U/Z:
01.Talma 01.Dumuria
02.Purapara 02.Borni
03.Kaichail Under Kashiani U/Z :
04.Lashkardia 01.Orakandi
05.Majhardia 02.Fukra
06.Bhawal 03.Rajpat
04.Mohmudpur
05.Shajail
06.Parulia
07.Ratoil
Total Numbers of LGU —————————————————–=48
08. Project Target Group:
-Union Parishads electcted body plus local citizen 90 per LGU
-U/Z elected body
-Municipality elected body plus local citizen-90 per Municipality area
09. Project Human Resource:
19 (Nineteen)=PC-01,APC-02,F &AO-01,PO-12,PA-01,OA,02
10.Project Activities:
a) – Conduct Base line survey in operational area (treatment Group) and non operational area(Control
Group).Objective is to assess the capacity of LGUs before SDLG activities)
– Conduct mid- term survey to assess the improvement after implementing SDLG project in our
operational area and compare between treatment and control group.
-Just before ending the project such type of survey will be conducted.
b) Planning meeting with LGUs to formation two types group by local citizen.One group formed by 90 (general group) local voters through voting system and then after an another group (executive body -27) formed by 90 general members.
c) Provide a “two days” long residential training to the executive body-27(CiG) on roles and responsibilities of them.
d) Provide a “two days long residential training to the LGU representatives on Financial Management and Revenue Generation.
e) Provide a two days long residential training to the LGU and CiG representatives on Participatory Strategic Plan.
f) Provide a day long training to the LGU representatives on Service Delivery.
g) Organize refreshers training to the above mentioned participants on the issue of Sl# c,d,e.and f.
g. Assist LGU to form Standing Committees as per Gov’t Law.
h) Assist LGU to conduct ward meeting, open budget etc.
11. Implementation Plan:
To achieve the project over all target we make quarterly and monthly plan.
12. Project Budget:
Tk.42,814,565.00
13. Expected Result:
* Capacity of 42 Local Government Units (LGU) members strengthened towards becoming more transparent and effective to the needs of their people by 14th January, 2014.
* Community leaders and grassroots poor join together in 42 Citizens in Generals (CiG) to get involvement in local level decision making process by 14th January, 2014.
* Women LGU representatives and women from the community will be empowered and capacitated to demand their position in power at various levels by 14th January 2014
14. Challenges:
1st quarter:
-Political conflict between two groups hampers the implementation activities.
-Emergency and personal important work hampers the implementation work
-General people do not believe the UP officials. They think UP officials are thieves, so, they are
less interested to do work together. As a result it is difficult to make positive them.
2nd quarter:
Staff crisis, Emergency and personal important work & sickness of LGU & CIG members, and the participants of different training demanded much money than budgeted amount. These situations hampered the implementation work. On the other hand some Program Officers positions were vacant due to unavoidable circumstances. However, it has take time to fill out the vacant positions.
3rd quarter:
-Some participants do not attend in the training session on schedule time
-Some LGU representatives is less interested to collect revenue/tax due to lose of popularity
-Some LGUs think that the CIG is a hostile party of the Union Parishad
-Some extend there is no suitable venue nearby Union Parishad to conduct SD training
-The Municipality representatives are not happy as same transportation cost for UP, CIG and
for them.
-Emergency and personal important work of LGU and CIG members
-Sickness of LGU & CIG members
-Participants demanded much money than budgeted amount.
4th quarter:
-Unavailability of participants at villages
-Govt audit at LGU level
-Judicial/Political case against LGU representatives
15. Lesson Learnt:
-Rapport building (with the respective officials and stakeholders) is the key points to success the
program.
-Fair and appropriate Ground work can make easier to implement SDLG activities.
-People participation can Success the program objectives, we have observed it in the field.
-We observed that it is very easy to implement our target when UP officials are positive,
-Union Parishad office is not an ideal venue to provide Service Delivery training to the LGU representatives
– Effective field visit can implement the project effectively.
-Effective follow up at LGU level can make a positive change to increase revenue and can ensure the service delivery to the local people.