OUR
PARTNERS
Platforms for Dialogue works in close partnership with the Cabinet Division of the Government of Bangladesh, Civil Society Organisations, and National Institutions. Our goal is to bring these groups together to engage citizens and civil society in decision-making and accountability mechanisms.
PARTNERS.
Implementing Partners
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Funded by the
European Union
P4D worked in partnership with the Cabinet Division and the European Union to enhance transparency and accountability in public governance in Bangladesh.
The project corresponded to the EU-Bangladesh ‘Strengthening Democratic Governance’ framework from the EU Multi-Annual Indicative Programme for 2014-2020.
P4D activities involved the engagement of government officials from all tiers and depended on crucial coordination efforts with the Cabinet Division. P4D was conceived on the premise that the Government of Bangladesh’s policy commitments be more accountable and responsive to citizen rights and preferences in decision-making and service delivery.
The specific stress P4D laid upon civil society organisations as a key apparatus to strengthen democratic ownership is also aligned with a range of legislations, plans, and functions of various executive, representative, and statutory bodies.
P4D was implemented and managed by the British Council.
Community Level Partners
Criteria of MAP Members
Representatives From All Wards Under Selected Union
Representative of Ethnic Minority and Socio-Economically Excluded Group
Have Literacy and Numeracy Skills
Youth (Aged 20-35)
Representatives of CSO and Local Government (UP, UZP)
Interested in Volunteer Work for Community Development
No Criminal Record
Local Residents
To foster democratic ownership at the local level and increase access to resources on social accountability tools and public services, P4D has worked to establish Community Resource Centres (CRCs) and Multi-Actor Partnerships (MAPs).
CRCs serve as a hub for community engagement in each of our 21 project districts. Each CRC was tailored to optimise community outreach and promote a participatory climate for all local stakeholders: citizens, interest groups, local authorities, and elected officials.
Management of these CRCs transitioned to community organisations in early 2020, however, local communities can still access these politically neutral spaces to hold meetings and workshops or promote initiatives on local issues. Through a simple registration process, anyone can access the internet for free, make inquiries on policy instruments, and receive assistance filling out an application for information under the RTI Act or registering an official complaint on the Grievance Redress System online. At the close of P4D, 17 of 21 CRCs were still in operation.
One of the key undertakings of Community Resource Centres was to foster Multi Actor Partnerships (MAPs) – a coalition of CSOs, citizens, and other stakeholders, around local policy issues to devise solutions. Each centre, with at least one staff facilitator, has the capacity to support three MAPs. In total, there are 63 MAPs.
MAPs are localised collectives of proactive community members joining from different parts of the civil society spectrum who are politically unbiased.
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A MAP has representatives from civil society, local government, community leaders, entrepreneurs, the media, activists, minority groups, and the youth.
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MAPs aim to create an environment for transparency and accountability in local entities serving the community including educational institutions, local government departments, public health facilities, clubs, volunteer organisations, and NGOs.
Institutional Partners
Our work was also conducted in close partnership with several national institutions to enhance our work at the policy level. These organisations, including NILG, BPATC, NIMC, and BCSAA are working on research, policy design, and capacity building for both government officials and civil society leaders.
P4D signed an MoU with the National Institute of Local Government, Ministry of Information, Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre, and Bangladesh Civil Service Administration Academy with the objective of building the capacity of civil servants.
