Bangladesh Mahila Parishad - Norad

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101 BackgroundThis mid-term review of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP) has been commissionedby Norad, and the review has been schedule in fulfillment of the contract betweenthe Norwegian Embassy in Dhaka and BMP. Norway has supported BMP since1994 and for the current contract period, 2010-2014, Norwegian support has beenset at a maximum of NOK 35 million.The overall objectives of the review, as stated in the terms of reference are asfollows:1) To ’ Review the programme efficiency and effectiveness with consideration of theproject operational aspects, progress and expected results compared to its originalplan. The primary purpose is, therefore, to measure the overall performance,achievements and impact in line with its objectives.’2) To carry out an ‘Assessment of the appropriateness of fund utilization includingproject procurement, and also assess the implementation status of recommendationsraised in previous review(s), audit and management reports. This will include anassessment of the effectiveness of BMP’s Finance Unit and its internal controlprocedure.’In addition to the above, the ToR asks the reviewers to address the effectiveness ofBMP’s implementation strategies, BMP’s strategies for reaching its target groups,how the intervention facilitates BMP’s advocacy role and its visibility in performingthis role, management of risk factors, sustainability and the potential for lastingpositive impact, and finally, how Norwegian and Danish support is aligned to avoidduplication and overlaps.The goals and purpose of Norwegian support are set out in the programmedocument (BMP 2009). The project goal is ‘To reduce gender inequality throughwomen’s increased participation and uphold women’s dignity in the broader political,administrative and social context’ and its purpose is to ‘Strengthen and intensifyWomen’s Human Rights movement and consolidate the social movement to empowerwomen and initiate programme intervention to resist any form of violence against women’(author’s emphasis).The project expects to find outcomes in five areas:1. Social movement is accelerated resisting VAW. Measures will include strengtheningof communities’ own capacities to address VAW incidents, initiatives toformulate a uniform family law, enhanced advocacy for law against domesticviolence, special focus on women who suffer from disabilities, sexualharassment and trafficking, and finally, lobbying and protests against fatwa.
2. Political empowerment of women is strengthened. Measures include advocacy for theadoption of direct elections of women to one third of the seats in Parliament,initiatives to increase the number of women in political party bodies to onethird, promotion of women’s constitutional rights, advocacy for andmonitoring of gender sensitive budgeting, advocacy for reintroducingNational Women Development Policy 1997, and advocacy for the effectiverole of women in local government.3. Women’s human rights movement is further intensified through networking. Measuresinclude increased networking at all levels, expansion of the numbers ofmembers involved in the Social Action Committee (SAC), and sensitizationof media. Promotion of women’s maternal, reproductive and sexual healthrights, including those of young girls.4. BMP is effectively functioning as a lobby and advocacy agent. Measures includemobilization of civil society to work for women’s rights, continued advocacyfor the implementation of CEDAW, end engagement with the media.5. BMP is further strengthened and developed through capacity building towardssustainability and institutionalization. The professional capacity of the BMPorganisers and leaders should be strengthened, new leadership should beincluded, and the staff should have increased capacity. Transparency andaccountability in financial management should be achieved through training,updating of software, monitoring and reviews by external experts.In the programme document BMP states that its main strengths are its organizersand workers, and capacity-building of its workers is the main objective of its capacitystrengthening. Moreover, according to the project document, the budget for theperiod 2010-14 places specific emphasis on support to branches, staff capacityenhancement, organisational development, IT use and development, staff capacitydevelopment in the areas of research, monitoring, evaluation, and report writing, andfinally, strengthening of the financial system. A number of specific measures werelisted in the project document.The project document suggests three measures to strengthen institution-building atthe national level: modest salary increases, recruitment of new staff, and training andskills development for the core volunteer members. At the sub-national level theproject document proposes increased support to branches to carry out legal activism.The project document also stresses the development of monitoring and reportingsystems, and refers to the introduction of data collection forms as a specific measure.This document also refers to the formulation of progress indicators for use at thebranch level to monitor progress towards strengthening the capacity of branches, andwomen’s changing conditions at the local level.The report is divided into three sections. First we assess the project activities, results,and impact. Secondly, we describe and assess the work of BMP as an organization,and the measures taken during the period 2010-12 to strengthen the capacity of theorganization. Finally, we assess financial management and procurement procedures.11
Page 1: Norad Report 4/2013 DiscussionMid-t
Page 4 and 5: 2Table of ContentsAbbreviations ...
Page 6 and 7: 4AbbreviationsBMP:SAC:ToT:UFC:UN CE
Page 9 and 10: as VAW, health, and education. Its
Page 11: 8) BMP should assess if the need fo
Page 15 and 16: society space to advance women’s
Page 18 and 19: 16committee members are also member
Page 21 and 22: 3 Assessment of project activities
Page 23 and 24: BMP also offers services to victims
Page 25 and 26: to six months, and has also been ac
Page 27 and 28: 25Prime Minister. There were four s
Page 29 and 30: Awareness had been raised regarding
Page 31 and 32: 4 Capacity building and organizatio
Page 33 and 34: f. There is an annual staff evaluat
Page 35 and 36: 33Moreover, young district organize
Page 37 and 38: 354.6 Assessment of capacity- and i
Page 39 and 40: 1) Strengthen monitoring: Monitorin
Page 41 and 42: 39Figure 5.1 BMP’s theory of chan
Page 43 and 44: less visible to the grass roots. In
Page 45 and 46: 3) BMP should carry out a study on
Page 47 and 48: 45general terms, control environmen
Page 49 and 50: 476.1.2 Accounting SystemThe accoun
Page 51 and 52: egularly audited by a “Category A
Page 53 and 54: 516.2 Efficiency and Cost Effective
Page 55 and 56: These women should be encouraged to
Page 57 and 58: Appendix 1 Executive committee work
Page 59 and 60: 57Branch Programme Executives may b
Page 61 and 62: 59Appendix 3Statement of budget var
Page 63:
NoradNorwegian Agency for Developme
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