Participatory Rural Development Project

In 2005, IC Net was commissioned to carry out the Participatory Rural Development Project in Bangladesh with aims to establish the “Link Model.”  The Link Model is a framework for incorporating the needs of the rural population into the development process by strengthening coordination and cohesion among rural development administrative services and linking them to village communities more closely.  It was expected to ensure transparency, accountability, and participation at all levels in the process of rural development planning, implementation and monitoring.

While the preceding phase of this project verified the effectiveness of the model at the Union level, this phase aimed to apply the model to all Unions within Tangail District and to systematize it within the institutions concerned such as the Bangladesh Rural Development Board (BRDB), Union Coordination Committees (UCC), and Village Committees (VC).

IC Net provided assistance in systematizing operations for establishing and managing Link Model-related activities, where the team proposed a mechanism for planning, implementation, and monitoring of activities by UCCs and VCs; designed a system within the BRDB for the monitoring and evaluation  of UCC and VC activities; developed tools and procedures for M&E activities by the BRDB; supported the BRDB in periodic progress monitoring; conducted a baseline survey on capacity building; designed a system for M&E of training programs for BRDB staff and UCC and VC members; and conducted the M&E of training programs.

IC Net recruited and supported the initiation of UCC and VC activities; provided training to UCC and VC members on planning, implementation, and monitoring of committee activities; supported the development of a operation system of the Link Model within the BRDB, and developed an operational manual; developed a capacity building action plan, recruited trainers, and prepared curricula and training materials; and conducted capacity building on the management of the Link Model Training Center.