Main Findings - HTML PDF - 2.3MB
	Evaluation of Netherlands-funded NGOs in Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Policy and Operations Evaluation Department (IOB)
	Contents
	List of figures and tables	xi
	Glossary	xii
	Abbreviations	xiii
	Map: General topography of Bangladesh	xvi
	Main Findings	1
	Summary	9
	1 Objectives, scope and methods of the study	37
	...1 Introduction	37
	...2 Evaluation of NGO activities	38
	...3 Objective and key questions of the evaluation	38
	...4 Outline of the design and implementation of the study	39
	...5 Scope and limitations of the study	40
	2 Poverty, rural and urban development in Bangladesh	43
	...1 Geography and history	43
	...2 Poverty indicators in Bangladesh	44
	...3 Gender and poverty	45
	...4 The structure of rural poverty	47
	...5 Urban poverty	48
	...6 The Government and poverty	49
	...7 Reasons for inadequate performance of government programmes to reach the poor	50
	...8 Assessment by NGOs of the situation of the poor	50
	3 NGOs in Bangladesh	53
	...1 History and role of NGOs in Bangladesh	53
	...2 Major sectors of NGO operation	54
	......1 Poverty alleviation	55
	......2 Education	56
	......3 Health and family planning	57
	......4 Environmental activities	57
	......5 Focus on women	57
	...3 NGO funding	58
	......1 International funding	58
	......2 Donors and NGOs	58
	...4 Some perceived weaknesses of NGOs	59
	...5 Government views of NGOs	59
	...6 Support organisations	61
	...7 Apex organisations and networks	61
	...8 Government and NGOs	63
	......1 Policies and legal requirements	63
	......2 The NGO Affairs Bureau	63
	......3 Collaboration between Government and NGOs	64
	4 The role of the CFAs in Netherlands overseas development assistance	67
	...1 The early years of co-financing	67
	...2 Evaluations of the programme financing model	68
	......1 Evaluation 1980-83 by Commission de Gaay Fortman	68
	......2 Evaluation 1984-88 by Commission Rutten	69
	......3 Evaluation 1989-92 by Commission Jonkman	69
	...3 Individual programme evaluations	70
	...4 The Co-Financing Programme Impact Study	71
	...5 Responses to the Impact Study	72
	...6 Distribution of the co-financing budget	73
	5 The Netherlands - Bangladesh development cooperation programme	75
	...1 Introduction	75
	...2 Policy priorities of Netherlands development cooperation	75
	......1 Economic self-reliance	76
	......2 Poverty alleviation	76
	......3 Environment	76
	......4 Women in development	77
	...3 The Netherlands - Bangladesh development cooperation programme 1972-95	78
	......1 Introduction	78
	......2 Evolution of the programme	78
	......3 Sectoral focus of Netherlands development assistance	79
	......4 The role of NGOs	79
	......5 The growing importance of special programmes	81
	......6 Donor coordination	81
	...4 The Netherlands CFAs and Dutch policy agreements with Bangladesh	82
	6 History and partnerships of Netherlands CFAs and the RNE with NGOs in Bangladesh	83
	...1 Programmes of the CFAs and the RNE	83
	......1 Cebemo (now Bilance)	83
	......2 Novib	84
	......3 ICCO	86
	......4 The Royal Netherlands Embassy	87
	...2 Policies guiding relations with Bangladesh partners	88
	......1 Policies of the CFAs	88
	......2 Policies of the RNE	90
	...3 Financing of NGO programmes	91
	......1 Aid categories	91
	......2 Funding through CFAs	91
	...4 Overview of Netherlands´ funding of NGOs	96
	...5 Selection of NGOs for participation in fieldwork	97
	7 Case studies o fNGO partners of Cebemo (Bilance)	99
	...1 Association for social advancement (ASA)	99
	......1 Background	99
	......2 The savings and credit programme	102
	......3 Findings of the IOB evaluation case study	104
	......4 Findings of other studies of ASA	111
	......5 Key findings for evaluation of poverty alleviation through NGOs	114
	...2 The Baitul Aman Trust	115
	......1 Background	115
	......2 Project	115
	......3 Findings of the IOB evaluation case study	115
	......4 Findings of other studies of Baitul Aman	120
	......5 Key findings for evaluation of poverty alleviation through NGOs	120
	...3 Caritas Bangladesh	121
	......1 Background	122
	......2 Programmes	123
	......3 Findings of the IOB evaluation case study	123
	......4 Results of other studies of the DEEDS programme	137
	......5 Key findings for evaluation of poverty alleviation through NGOs	140
	...4 Shaw Unnayan	141
	......1 Background	141
	......2 Programmes	141
	......3 Findings of the IOB evaluation case study	143
	......4 Findings of other studies of SU	148
	......5 Key findings for evaluation of poverty alleviation through NGOs	148
	...5 The Society for Social Service	149
	......1 Background	149
	......2 Programmes	150
	......3 Findings of the IOB evaluation case study	150
	......4 Findings of other studies of the SSS	157
	......5 Key findings for evaluation of poverty alleviation through NGOs	157
	8 Case studies of NGO partners of ICCO	159
	...1 Bangladesh Development Society	159
	......1 Background	159
	......2 Programmes	160
	......3 Findings of the IOB evaluation case study	162
	......4 Findings of other studies of BDS	169
	......5 Key findings for evaluation of poverty allevition through NGOs	169
	...2 The Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh	171
	......1 Background	171
	......2 Programmes	172
	......3 Findings of the IOB evaluation case study	174
	......4 Findings of other studies on CCDB activities	188
	......5 Key findings for evaluation of poverty alleviation through NGOs	190
	...3 Nijera Kori	191
	......1 Background	191
	......2 Programmes	192
	......3 Findings of the IOB evaluation case study	193
	......4 Findings of other studies of NK	202
	......5 Key findings for evaluation of poverty alleviation through NGOs	202
	...4 Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service	203
	......1 Background	203
	......2 Programme	203
	......3 Findings of the IOB evaluation case study	204
	......4 Findings of other studies of RDRS	214
	......5 Key findings for evaluation of poverty alleviation through NGOs	215
	9 Case studies of NGO partners of Novib	217
	...1 Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee	217
	......1 Background	217
	......2 Programmes	218
	......3 Findings of the IOB evaluation case study	222
	......4 Results of other evaluations of BRAC programmes	233
	......5 Key findings for evaluation of poverty alleviation through NGOs	239
	...2 The Community Development Association (CDA)	241
	......1 Background	241
	......2 Programmes	241
	......3 Findings of the IOB evaluation case study	244
	......4 Findings of other studies of CDA	251
	......5 Key findings for the evaluation of poverty alleviation through NGOs	252
	....3 Proshika Manobik Unnayan Kendra	253
	......1 Background	253
	......2 Programme	255
	......3 Findings of the IOB evaluation case study	257
	......4 Results of Proshika Impact Assessment Survey Report	266
	......5 Key findings for the evaluation of poverty alleviation through NGOs	267
	10 Case studies of NGO partners of the Royal Netherlands Embassy	269
	...1 Shakti Foundation	269
	......1 Background	269
	......2 Programmes	269
	......3 Findings of the IOB evaluation case study	271
	......4 Findings of other studies of Shakti	275
	......5 Key findings for the evaluation of poverty alleviation through NGOs	275
	...2 Sheba	277
	......1 Background	277
	......2 Programmes	277
	......3 Findings of the IOB evaluation case study	278
	......4 Findings of other studies of Sheba	282
	......5 Key findings for the evaluation of poverty alleviation through NGOs	282
	...3 UBINIG	283
	......1 Background	283
	......2 Project	283
	......3 Findings of the IOB evaluation field study	289
	......4 Findings of other studies of Ubinig weavers project	292
	......5 Key findings for the evaluation of poverty alleviation through NGOs	293
	11 Evaluation of the programmes of Netherlands-assisted NGOs	295
	...1 Policy relevance	295
	......1 Introduction	295
	......2 Policy priorities of Netherlands´ development cooperation	295
	......3 Application of policy objectives to Bangladesh	297
	......4 Policies of the Government of Bangladesh	297
	......5 Contractual obligations of the CFA Programme	298
	......6 Overview of policy goals	298
	...2 Achievements of NGO programmes compared with policy goals	299
	......1 Structural poverty alleviation	299
	......2 Promotion of Women in Development	300
	......3 Strengthening the rights of the individual	301
	......4 Environmentally sustainable development	301
	......5 Provision of safety nets	302
	......6 Conclusion on policy relevance	303
	...3 The effectiveness of programmes of Netherlands-assisted NGOs	303
	......1 Services provided by NGOs, their utilisation and beneficiaries´ assessment of them	304
	......2 Impact of the programmes	308
	...4 Efficiency of the NGO programmes	315
	...5 Sustainability	317
	...6 Institutional dimensions of NGO programmes	320
	......1 Association of Development Agencies in Bangladesh (ADAB)	320
	......2 The NGO Affairs Bureau	321
	......3 The Co-Financing Agencies	324
	......4 NGO perceptions of CFAs	330
	...7 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs	331
	......1 The Ministry and the CFAs	331
	......2 The Royal Netherlands Embassy	332
	...8 Evaluation of the linkages between CFAs and NGOs	333
	Annex 1 The Policy and Operations Evaluation Department (IOB)	337
	Annex 2 Design and implementation of the study	339
	Annex 3 The Study Team	346
	Annex 4 Case studies of Netherlands-assisted NGOs	347
	Works cited in the report	363