Upazila Governance Project Baseline Survey Report on Upazila Governance in Bangladesh ReportBaseline Survey Governance on Upazila Baseline Survey Report on Upazila Governance in Bangladesh Local Government Division Ministry of Local Government Rural Development & Cooperatives Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Baseline Survey Report on Upazila Governance in Bangladesh Upazila Governance Project Local Government Division Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development & Cooperatives Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Upazila Governance Project is being implemented by Local Government Division, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, supported by UNDP Bangladesh, European Union (EU), SDC and UNCDF which strives in strengthening the local governance system through Upazila Governance Project in Bangladesh. Baseline Survey Report on Upazila Governance in Bangladesh June 2013 Copyright@UZGP, 2013 Research Team Dr. Monzur Hossain, Team Leader, BIDS Dr. Badiul Alam Majumder, Consultant, BIDS Coordination Md. Habebur Rahman, Research Officer Upazila Governance Project, UNDP Prepared by Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) E-17, Agargaon, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Dhaka-1207 Published by Upazila Governance Project Local Government Division Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh ISBN: 978-984-33-7598-8 Disclaimer This publication has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union (EU), Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), UNCDF and UNDP. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of Government of Bangladesh and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the donors. Message Minister Ministry of Local Government Rural Development and Co-operatives Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh I am delighted to know that the Upazila Governance Project (UZGP) of the Local Government Division under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives is going to publish the Baseline Survey Report on Upazila Governance in Bangladesh. The aim of the UZGP is to provide performance-linked fiscal facilities, which is expected to contribute to making upazilas an important local government unit in promoting local democracy and ensuring efficient delivery of basic pro-poor social services. This Baseline Survey Report prepared by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) would create a bench mark for the project endeavor in making the Upazila Parishads functional; particularly in 14 upazilas in the intervention area, as well as the indicators will be used to provide basic interventions in other upazilas in phases. The report identified the areas where specific attention should be given in order to make Upazila Parishad functional and a strong democratic local government unit. Particularly, an effective Upazila Parishad can contribute substantially to make local administration accountable to democratically elected institutions and enhance rural development. I hope that the report would be beneficial to the policy makers, researchers, planners and development practitioners apart from the use of the report in the overall project activities. I thank authors and other related persons who are associated in preparing and publishing the repoort. I also appreciate UNDP Bangladesh, UNCDF, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and European Union for Providing technical and financial assistance to the project. Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu. Bangladesh Chirazibi Hoke. (Syed Ashraful Islam, MP) Message Advocate Jahangir Kabir Nanak, MP State Minister Ministry of Local Government Rural Development and Co-operatives Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh It’s my pleasure to say a few words on the occasion of publication of the Report on the Baseline survey on Upazila Governance in Bangladesh. The Local Government Division under the Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives has undertaken the project with the financial and technical assistance of the European Union, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and UNDP Bangladesh to strengthen local government system at the upazila level. It intends to improve governance at Upazila Parishad in order to make it a vibrant local government unit in providing public service delivery efficiently and effectively, which will ultimately foster rural development of Bangladesh. The present government with the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Jononetri, Deshratna Sheikh Hasina has taken initiatives to revive the upazila system and accordingly election in Upazila Parishad was held in 2009. By this time, the government has taken many initiatives to make the upazila system functional and effective. Already 17 line departments have been transferred to Upazila Parishad so that public service delivery mechanism can be improved under a democratically elected Upazila Parishad. Various initiatives have been taken to improve e-governance at the Upazila Parishad in line with the vision of establishing “Digital Bangladesh”. The baseline survey report, prepared by Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) with support from UNDP, Bangladesh would play a very vital role in achieving the overall objectives of the project as it has created some bench marks of the overall situation prevailing at the upazila level. I hope such report would be very helpful for the researchers, academicians, development partners as well as the project itself. I must thank the EU, SDC, UNDP and UNCDF for extending their financial and technical assistance to this pilot project. Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu. Bangladesh Chirazibi Hoke. (Advocate Jahangir Kabir Nanak, MP) Message Secretary Local Govt. Division Ministry of Local Government Rural Development and Co-operatives Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh I am pleased to know that the Baseline Study Report of Upazila Governance Project (UZGP) is going to be published soon which would remain as a milestone in Upazila Parishad Governance in Bangladesh. Local Government Division of Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development & Cooperatives has been implementing 5-year long (2011-2016) Upazila Parishad Governance Project, with technical and financial supports from European Union, SDC, UNCDF and UNDP Bangladesh. The overall objective of the project is to strengthen governance system in Upazila Parishad and creating an efficient mechanism for public service delivery at the Upazila level. The Baseline survey covered 42 Upazilas of 21 districts from all divisions. Multiple methods were used to collect data during the baseline study, which increased the validity of the information. 42 Upazila Modules/Checklists, 21 Focus Group Discussion, 294 Key Informant Interview and 1670 Citizens were interviewed to grip the prevailing situation of Upazila Parishad. Upazila Parishad Chairmen, Vice Charimen, Ward Members, Upazila Nirbahi Officers, line department officials working in Upazila level, community people, other stakeholders and official documents were the main source of information. The baseline survey accumulates benchmark information of different aspects of Upazila Parishad Governance Project. Apart from using by the project and measuring pertinent indicators, I believe this report would have several other important benefits. I congratulate the researchers and other people who were involved in the preparation of the report. I express my heartfelt thanks to UNDP, UNCDF, SDC and European Union for providing technical and fiancial assistance to Upazila Governance Project. I strongly believe that all the findings of the report will contribute to successful management of the Project. (Abu Alam Md. Shahid Khan) Secretary Message Md. Shah Kamal Additional Sectary Local Govt. Division Ministry of Local Government Rural Development and Co-operatives Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh And National Project Director Upazila Governance Project This is an immense pleasure for the Upazila Governance Project to publish the Baseline Survey Report on Upazila Governance in Bangladesh. Baseline information is very crucial for evey development intervention to learn the actual status prevailing in the project area as well as the country perspective. This survey on Upazila governance would be the land mark for the policy makers, researchers, think tanks, civil society, NGOs and other relevant stakeholders to use the baseline information for further study and design activity related to local government and local level development. The report particularly will be enormously beneficial for this project to undertake activities, fixing the targets and indicators to be achieved and measuring the subsequent impact. The Upazila Governance Project (UZGP) has been implementing in 7 districts of 7 divisions on a pilot basis in order to make the Upazila Parishad (UZP) an active and vibrant Local Government (LG) unit bringing all service providers at Upazila level through creating a mechanism of participatory, democratic and accountable body corporate as envisioned in the Local Government (UZP) ACT 1998, which was amended in 2009 and 2011. The UZGP will run for five years from 2011 to 2016 during which the pilot fiscal facility will be extended to at least 14 UZPs for 4 fiscal years (with 7 UZPs targeted the first year) and the main program will be expanded to the whole country. The project is being implemented by the Ministry of Local