Project Title: `Promoting Good Governance among Tribal Inhabitants in Bangladesh (PROGGATI)’.

Implementing Organization: Green Hill, Rangamati, Bangladesh.

Supported by: United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF)

Project Duration: 24 Months (01 January 2011 to 31 December 2012)

Project Summary:

This project aims to build pro-poor, gender sensitive, good governance in four sub-districts under Rangamati Hill District in Bangladesh by enhancing capacities of local government and hill district administration and tribal communities; enabling better coordination between stakeholders; promoting democratic processes to ensure pro-poor service delivery and resource allocation. The project will benefit 50,400 poor tribal people and over 350 officials in the traditional, local government and hill district administration systems.

Project Objectives:

To build pro-poor gender sensitive democratic governance in 240 villages of Rangamti Gill District in Bangladesh by enhancing capacities of local government institutions and tribal communities; enabling better coordination between stakeholders; and promoting democratic processes to ensure pro-poor service delivery and resources allocation.

Intended Outcome(s):

• Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and alternative leaders representing poor tribal/communities are empowered to participate in local governance and to hold government service providers accountable.
• Traditional Community Leaders (Headmen & Karbaris) improve their participation an advocacy at Upazila and Union parishad (UP) and Hill District Council levels.
• Increased women’s participation, influence and representation at Upazila, UP and HDC levels.
• Upazila, UPs and HDCs deliver pro-poor gender sensitive services, fair resource allocation and collectively work to reduce marginalization.
• Greater trust is built between local tribal people, Bengalis, the HDC and Upazila and Union Parishads and the CSOs.
• Media reports regularly on Rangamati Hill District issues.

Project Activities:

• Train and orient key field staff for effecting changes in governance.
• Map constraints and opportunities; identify local CSOs and media as democracy watchdogs.
• Develop 960 alternative leaders/change makers (at least 40% women) from communities to take up capacity building sessions and represent people alongside 264 Headman and Karbaris.
• Build awareness and skills of community people through courtyard sessions on good governance, which includes ways of holding service providers.
• Develop capacity of government authorities to take forward good governance through an action plan.
• Hold coordination (in addition to ensuring regular attendance in monthly LGI coordination meetings), linkage and dialogue meetings among stakeholders (i.e. the CBO representative, TCL and LGI officials) to build trust and interaction and improve coordination in pro-poor service delivery.
• Develop learning systems to facilitate sharing of best practices regionally.
• Hold advocacy workshops with national authority (central ministry level) and key project-stakeholders (i.e. the CBO representative, TCL and LGI officials as well as key civil society and media people) to discuss policies and mechanisms.
• Produce locally tailored communication materials to raise awareness on the need for good    governance, and publications in print and electronic media to showcase good practices.
• Develop and implement M&E system to ensure that outcomes are being met as intended.

Project Coverage: