Also available in Bangla Dhaka, 09 January 2006: The World Bank fielded a mission during December 11-18, 2005, for supporting the preparation of the Bangladesh Community-based Local Governance Support Project (LGSP). Under this project, government will provide increased ADP Block Grant directly to union parishads through the multi-year MTBF and institutionalize local government accountability to citizen through regular ward meetings, and open budgeting and performance assessment. Government of Bangladesh is now drafting a project document (Development Project Proforma), which will be shared with World Bank and other interested donors end January. World Bank is planning a pre-appraisal mission first week of February and will assist the Government of Bangladesh in the finalization of the LGSP. Proposed project objective(s) The development objective of the LGSP is to strengthen inclusive and accountable institutions of local governance, through empowering communities to make choices on their development priorities and basic local services needs, and empowering local governments to respond to community priorities. These objectives are expected to be pursued through four components: (i) provision of fiscal transfers and incentive grants to local governments; (ii) Institutionalizing local accountability; (iii) capacity building and institutional support to strengthen formal and informal local institutions; and (iv) policy evaluation. Background: Local governance is one of the strategic goals of Bangladesh PRSP. Service delivery by local government has the potential to provide greater community voice, enable and support local collective action and convergence, and facilitate the scaling up and sustainability of service provision. However, local government in Bangladesh today is weak, especially in rural areas. The lowest tier of government, the Union Parishads (UP), have limited resources, little revenue raising authority, and almost no influence on how the central government uses its resources in their areas. Given this context, the central government has started the process of strengthening local governments. The Local Government Division (LGD) of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (LGRD&C) has piloted a number of initiatives on local government reform, with active participation of citizens. In the successful Sirajganj Local Government Development (SLGD) Project, for example, grants are provided to Union Parishads to implement development plans and provide essential services such as access roads, clean drinking water, culverts, drainage, schools, health facilities, market structures and passenger sheds. These are resulting in improved access to neighboring villages, local markets, and other public facilities; decreased travel time and transport costs; improved health conditions; lower school drop out rates and enhanced security. Initial assessments from Sirajganj suggest that the local government projects save both time and money in providing basic services to the poor. Construction of SLGD infrastructure takes from two to six months. Construction costs are estimated to be 25-30% cheaper than standard construction costs for the same infrastructure through national government agencies and private contractors. These infrastructure appear frequently to be of better quality, mainly because the communities procure materials and supervise construction. The SLGD has trained UP leaders and community members in project planning, technical design, contracting for service provision, financial management, and procurement; thus, building capacity at the local level. The project is providing villagers with structured opportunities for accessing information, expressing voice and exacting accountability from local governments. As this capacity grows, local governments and villagers are also expected to take a more pro-active role in improving the delivery of other services provided by national agencies, the private sector and civil society. Encouraged by the early results of the SLGD project, and building on three decades of local experience in participatory approaches, the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has recently introduced a fiscal transfer program for UPs. Following the principles of this fiscal system, the GoB is now developing a nation-wide Local Governance Support Program (LGSP) to strengthen the capacity of local governments to manage service delivery, with active citizen engagement. To design and oversee the preparation of this program, the GOB has constituted a group in the LGD, led by the Director General, Monitoring, Evaluation and Inspection (MEI) Wing of the Local Government Division. Contacts: Rezwan Ul Alam (8802) 815-9015, Ext 4242 E-mail: Salam3@worldbank.org For more information on the World Bank in Bangladesh, please visit : www.worldbank.org.bd & www.worldbank.org |
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