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Untitled Document
Eestablishment of a concerted poverty monitoring system in Sunamganj [2006 - 2009]
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The mandate is an initiative funded by SDC to develop a concerted system for monitoring the impact of development activities on poverty reduction at the district level. The idea is to compile and share the information collected by the different actors in the field in order to give global figures of the changes in poverty in a given region and to transmit and integrate the gathered information in national monitoring systems. This should allow both local and national decision makers to better adjust their interventions for tackling poverty. So far, the necessary organisational structure and information sharing mechanisms have been set up, stock taking studies carried out and based on those the 4 priority sectors of 'Economic Development', 'Agriculture', 'Education' and 'Health' identified and common indicators selected. Furthermore, tools and methodology for data collection have been developed and a first survey conducted. The findings were shared at regional level in November 2007 and at the national level in May 2008. The second round survey was completed in October; data processing is ongoing. Prospects are for the mandate to emerge 2009into a project covering several more districts.
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Intercooperation was selected in 2006 as a Specialised Service Provider (SSP) - among others - to provide (capacity strengthening) services to CLP's local partner NGOs in developing and implementing one year pilot initiatives in three value chains that are promising in the context of char dwellers: milk production, beef fattening and medicinal plants. The main approach consisted in the promotion of market principles, including the link of producers with market actors, the development of service providers and service market.
All 3 initiatives came to an end in 2007 and proved to be successes.
In 2008, Intercooperation was again selected as a SSP, this time to backstop a local partner NGO for the promotion of medicinal plant production, processing and marketing as sustainable income generation activity. The initiative is running in full swing and will come to end in mid 2009. Due to the particular context of Chars, a differentiated approach is necessary. The idea of this pilot initiative is to promote medicinal plants which are already available and cultivated by the Char dwellers meanwhile gradually introducing suitable new species that are easy to produce. Starting with existing species will enable to facilitate a quick involvement of households in the process of production and market linkages.
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Other mandates
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2008
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Study for Oxfam Hong Kong: A livelihood study was conducted in the northeast haor region of Bangladesh sponsored by Oxfam Hong Kong. The purpose of the study was to understand the existing livelihood patterns and at the same time identify potential livelihood strategies for the most vulnerable people living in the haor areas. Nine upazillas in Sunamganj and Kishoreganj districts were selected as sample areas. Key Informant Interviews, Focus Group Discussion, Stakeholders Interview and Household Survey were used as tools for the study. Staff of partner NGOs of Oxfam Hong Kong were trained as enumerators and conducted the household survey and focus group discussions. The report of the study was finalised through a validation workshop at national level with the participation of relevant representatives from GO, NGOs and the private sector. A seasonal calendar of IGAs was produced that will contribute to Oxfam Hong Kong's partner NGOs as well as Intercooperation for the support of poor and extreme poor in planning and implementing IGAs around the year.
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Study for International Relief and Development (IRD): Intercooperation carried out an evaluation of a preliminary assessment of the devastation trail left behind by cyclone SIDR, in order to identify key elements for a support programme of IRD. The team carried out a whirlwind tour in the area and with cooperation from local government, NGOs & CBOs and affected people prepared a report which was duly submitted to IRD.
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Backstopping mission to Afghanistan: Intercooperation was mandated by SDC in Afghanistan to review SDC's livelihood programme as a follow up to the mission in 2007. Assessment and recommendations provided the basis for the development of the next phase of the programme.
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2007
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Training on 'Market Extension': Intercooperation organised a 9 days training to the Institute for Environmental Development (IED, national NGO) on 'Market Extension' (ME). Developped by Intercooperation, this process of 6 steps aims at empowering the villagers to identify market opportunities and plan how to exploit them. ME is found to be a powerful approach, suitable for CBOs who lack marketing knowledge. The training was provided for IED staff to include it into development activities with their own clients.
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Training on experience ‘capitalisation' (validation): based on a demand by Intercooperation Pakistan for its own synergy group for ‘Market and Enterprise Development', Intercooperation (Bangladesh) organised a training including an exposure visit on how to 'capitalise' on experience. The training focused on concept, methodology and tools, the exposure visit created the opportunity for the participants to internalise and put the theory into practice. According to the participants, the training helped them to better understand what experience capitalisation is about and to identify the elements of strategies for experience capitalisation of IC Pakistan.
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Workshop on regional exchanges on livelihoods: based on an initiative of SDC to clarify the livelihoods concepts among SDC and partners in the South Asia region, Intercooperation held an information sharing workshop and provided inputs based on experience made from its own livelihoods projects. Prior to the workshop, Intercooperation organised an exposure visit for the workshop participants for them to learn more about livelihoods concepts and experiences of Intercooperation's projects. All participants agreed that sharing experience of different countries and concepts proved to be very useful as it allowed them to look beyond their own projects and integrate lessons learnt and best practices from other experiences.
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Contribution to the development of a strategy for the livelihoods programme in Pakistan: An expert from Intercooperation Bangladesh, together with an international and a Pakistani consultant, assisted SDC and partners in Pakistan in assessing existing NRM projects in order to define the strategy of SDC's future livelihoods programme.
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2006
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"Swiss Festival": Intercooperation supported the joint efforts of SDC and Swiss Embassy to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the collaboration and friendship between Switzerland and Bangladesh by giving conceptual / advisory inputs in designing the general programme, developing the projects' presentation concept and guidelines and assuming the coordination for the preparatory activities (posters, booths, special events etc.).
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Regional workshop on outcome and outcome monitoring: organised by SDC, Intercooperation was mandated to provide inputs in the workshop through presentation of its experience on monitoring as well as to organise field visits for the workshop participants coming from the South Asia region.
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Experience 'capitalisation' in Human and Institutional Development (HID): On the verge of elaborating a new country programme (2008-2013) and taking into account the new trends and changes in the socio-economic and development context, SDC decided to capitalise its experiences in the field of Human and Institutional Development (HID) in order to revise the HID strategy dating from 2000 and mandated Intercooperation to organise the process. The main findings concluded that achievements were particularly encouraging for the two sectors: ' Non Formal Education' and ' Sustainable Land Use' where HID had been defined as a core strategy. However, HID was still understood as a ”Swiss thing” and a more participatory approach will have to be chosen for the partner NGOs to take ownership.
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