One of P4D’s key activities is to provide Social Accountability Tool (SAT) policy training to government officials and public servants. This cornerstone of the project is intended to create a culture of accountability among all civil servants and to promote a sustainable approach of incorporating practices of anti-corruption and integrity throughout the public sector in Bangladesh.
Recently, P4D has accomplished a major milestone in this regard by successfully completing an online training programme based in the Netherlands titled: International Learning to Build the Capacity of Bangladesh Civil Servants on Citizen’s Charter and GRS. Due to recent lockdowns and travel restrictions, P4D and the Cabinet Division pivoted away from the original plan of an in-personal study tour to virtual training with our partners in the Netherlands. This was the result of dedicated collaboration and dialogue between P4D, the Cabinet Division, and P4D’s institutional partners.
The online training programme, originally meant to take place in The Hague, Netherlands, was conducted over 7 sessions by Digileren and Utrecht University between May 31 and June 14. 12 participants joined the training from various government bodies, including the Cabinet Division, Divisional Commissioners Office, Road Transport and Highways Division, Local Government Division, Health Services Division, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Department of Agricultural Extension, Dhaka Electric Supply Company Ltd. (DESCO), and the Department of Livestock Services. The virtual sessions were hosted by Utrecht University’s innovative digital platform, BARCO, and focused on accessibility, digital government, quality service delivery, and effective communications with citizens (full schedule on the right just below).
All 12 participants completed the training and received a certificate from the implementing partners. Overall, the participants were very satisfied with the training, rating the workshops an average of 7.5/10. One of the key challenges for the participants was conducting the training on a new online platform. Nevertheless, most found the workshops useful, and many outlined key takeaways they plan to implement immediately. Notably, participants found the sessions on the Citizen’s Charter inspiring, stating that they will, “[try] to identify the issues which need further improvement; develop the digital tools in the traditional service delivery process for [efficiency] and effectiveness; implement the ‘Berger Link’- 3 steps engagement model; [and] implement training knowledge, especially for our client welfare.” These action items show a strong will to improve services across government bodies, especially with the new tools and processes shared during the workshops.
Looking to the future, P4D and the Cabinet Division plan to organise follow-up activities with training participants to use their new skills and knowledge to update operational guidelines for public officials as well as to develop second-generation Citizen’s Charters.
This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Platforms for Dialogue and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
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