Local Government Division, MoLGRD&C

SWAPNO

Annual Progress Report 2018

 List of Acronyms

DPP Development Project Proposal

ECNEC Executive Committee on National Economic Council

FDRWCW Family Dispute Resolution, Women and Children Welfare

LGD Local Government Division

LPL Lower Poverty Line

MoLGRD&C Ministry of Local Government Rural Development and Cooperatives

MPI Multidimensional Poverty Index

PNGO Partner Non-Government Organization

ROSCA Rotating Savings and Credit Association

SC Standing Committee

SWAPNO Strengthening Women’s Ability for Productive New Opportunities

UP Union Parishad

UPL Upper Poverty Line

 Table Of Contents

Executive Summary 01
Section I: Context and Approach 04
Section II: Activities 06
1. Employment in public asset maintenance work 06
2. Rotating Savings and Credit Associations (ROSCAs) 06
3. Income Generating Activities 06
4. Public assets maintenance 07
5. Life skills training 07
6. Livelihood skills training 09
7. Financial literacy curriculum development and training 11
8. Digital financial inclusion campaign and e-finance pilot 12
9. Job placement in formal sector 12
10. Private Sector Partnerships 13
Marico 13
BSRM 13
ECOFAB and Fakir Apparels 13
bKash, Rocket and Bank Asia 14
Breaking the Silence- Save the Children 14
11. Accountability and transparency initiatives 14
Hotline numbers and beneficiary mobile phone directory 14
Internal Control Framework (ICF) 15
Systemic book keeping 15
Regular Spot-checks 15
Section III: Results 16
1. Economic growth is achieved in a more inclusive manner, with 16
economic opportunities reaching the rural and urban poor and the
protection of vulnerable groups against shocks
2. Beneficiary households are able to protect their food security 16
and livelihoods post- project
Section IV: Lessons Learnt 19
Section V: Financial Cost Statement 21
 Annual Progress Report 2018

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
SWAPNO (Strengthening Women’s Ability for Productive New Opportunities) is a public works
and social transfer-based graduation model project targeting ultra-poor rural women who are
widows, divorced, abandoned or left with a disabled husband. The overall objective of the
project is “Economic growth is achieved in a more inclusive manner, with economic opportunities
reaching rural poor women, and vulnerable groups are protected against shocks”. SWAPNO
is being implemented by the Local Government Division (LGD) of MoLGRD&C under the
auspices of National Social Security Strategy (NSSS) of the Government of Bangladesh.

Four major interventions of the project include:

i) Fixed wage contract for 18 months under public works component
ii) Encourage responsible attitude and behavior as related to saving and spending
by facilitating formal and informal savings
iii) Need-based life skills and livelihoods trainings and formal apprenticeship training
iv) Formal financial inclusion

The first intervention generates employment for ultra-poor and vulnerable women in
community identified public assets, part of Social Security Programs (SSP) for a fixed tenure
of 18 months and facilitates their wage transfer digitally through bKash, Rocket and Bank
Asia.

The second intervention attempts to encourage responsible saving and spending behavior
by facilitating formal savings and participation in informal saving groups known as ROSCA
(Rotating Savings and Credit Association).

In order to ensure livelihood sustainability post project intervention, the third intervention
involves training on need-based life skills and livelihoods; and establishing linkages with
private sector to facilitate formal sector employment through formal apprenticeship training.
The fourth is the most recent component, which encompasses financial literacy training and
developing micro-merchants as Digital Financial Service agents (DFS).

The third and fourth interventions are part of a market system development approach that
facilitates access to markets by linking community initiatives to private sector and financial
institutions.

Following were the progress made in each component for the second 2nd phase of the
project that started from 12 November 2017 with an additional 4464 beneficiaries in Kurigram
and Satkhira.

1
Annual Progress Report 2018

First Component
The 4464 beneficiaries were employed for a tenure of 18 months under public works
component. During the employment tenure, each beneficiary received Tk. 46,350 as wage
and Tk. 15,450 as mandatory savings. 6000 public works schemes were maintained under
this component. These schemes were identified through community meetings conducted in
1116 wards of the 124 participating Union Parishads (UPs)

Second Component
In terms of behaviour change as related to savings and investments, a total of 268 Rotating
Savings and Credit Associations (ROSCAs) were formed in Kurigram and Satkhira among
8928 beneficiaries. In total BDT 7.6 crore savings were accumulated as of December 2018
and each woman received at least BDT 7200 from the accumulated savings. Utilizing ROSCA
and other savings, all women beneficiaries started different Income Generating Activities
(IGAs). The most frequently operated IGAs are livestock rearing (60%) and small business
(21%). The average capital per beneficiary woman is BDT 8731.
The IGA follow-up data of 1st cycle beneficiaries show that average capital investment has
increased over the period. The average IGA capital of 1st cycle beneficiaries were Tk. 19.7
thousand after the end of project cycle in June 2017 and in November 2018 the average
capital size stands at Tk. 23.9 thousand.

Third Component
Livelihood training has been provided to 3028 women beneficiaries in 6 different livelihood
training- small business management and development, livestock rearing, poultry, duck
and pigeon rearing, vegetable cultivation, fish and crab culture, tailoring and dress making.
Another 1436 are scheduled to be receiving the trainings in the first quarter of 2019. With
regards to formal apprenticeship training, SWAPNO has made progress in the RMG sector
with Ecofab and Fakir Apparels. Under the agreement with Ecofab, 20 SWAPNO beneficiaries
have received a two-month long skill training on RMG sewing machine operation and were
subsequently employed. Another 180 beneficiaries are scheduled to receive training. The
partnership with Fakir Apparels Limited is underway to facilitate the training and employment
of 300 women during 2018-19.

Fourth Component
The fourth component features digital financial services including wage disbursement adopting
digital platform through bKash, Rocket, Bank Asia and alsopartnership with Bank Asia on a
financial inclusion pilot project implemented in Satkhira based on three major initiatives.

2
 Annual Progress Report 2018

4032 beneficiaries received social safety-net (SSN) transfers through individual digital
financial accounts with bKash,Rocket, Bank Asia to digitize the Government-to-Person
(G2P) system. Each beneficiary received USD 552 (BDT 46,350) as cash wage and USD
184 (BDT 15,450) as mandatory savings in 2018.

Outreach and awareness campaign on Digital Financial Services: To increase receptivity

and comfort with digital financial systems and formally bank at least 3000 new customers.
Since 25th January until end of the three digital fairs in 27th June, a total of 1811 Bank Asia
accounts have been opened.

Financial Literacy training for 1000 extreme poor and vulnerable women: To ensure regular
use of banking services and products and encourage responsible saving and spending
behavior. The training has been delivered to all 1000 beneficiaries and 55 trainers.

Localized e-finance delivery system: To ensure an accessible and affordable e-finance

delivery system for the large, underserved credit market in rural Bangladesh, the project
piloted an additional innovation to Bank Asia’s existing Agent banking model. 23 Micro-
merchantsin three Unions, have been empowered as digital financial service providers of
Bank Asia at the village level, increasing accessibility and use of Bank Asia services and
products and social safety net payments.

Progress of beneficiaries
Internal monitoring of 1st cycle beneficiaries indicates that the monthly income has
sustainedover one and half-yearsafter graduating from the project. Follow-up data indicates
upward trend in household income. Average monthly income increased from BDT. 2059 in
baseline (Aug 2015) to BDT. 5631 after one year (June 2017) and it further sustained to BDT
5,902 in November 2018.

Furthermore, the IGA follow-up data of 1st cycle beneficiaries show that average IGA capital
investment increased from Tk. 19.7 thousand in June 2017 to Tk. 23.9 thousand in November
2018. Indicating sustainability and improved productive asset base post project.

3
Annual Progress Report 2018

Section I: Context and Approach

Bangladesh has exhibited strong economic growth and poverty reduction trends over past
decades. It became a lower-middle income country in 2015 (as per World Bank classification)
by riding on achievements. In 2018, Bangladesh also qualified for the prospect of graduation
from United Nations’ Least Developed Country (LDC) status by 2024. However, factors like
vulnerable employment, declining agriculture growth and interlinked climate and disaster risks
are undermining Bangladesh’s progress.

The multi-dimensional aspect of poverty implies

deprivations in many ways, including economic hardship,
social exclusion, poor health, disempowerment, lack of
opportunities and aspirations, all of which is addressed
by SWAPNO. The project not only aims at lifting poor
women out of poverty during the project period, but also
helps them sustain with a higher income level after the
end of project support. SWAPNO[1] is being implemented
by the Local Government Division (LGD) of MoLGRD&C
under the auspices of National Social Security Strategy
(NSSS) of the Government of Bangladesh.

SWAPNO envisages a delivery mechanism that combines government ownership (as

government cost is above 54%), transparency,accountability and development impact (about
70% women beneficiaries graduate from extreme poverty). The idea is that the set of skills
learnt from training will help beneficiaries invest their savings for productive purposes, which
would yield a stream of income in years to come. In addition to self-employment, SWAPNO
gives emphasis on future employability by enhanced human capital and job placement in local
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and companies in the formal and informal sectors.
Backed by strong evidence of development impact, the SWAPNO approach as illustrated
offers sustainable graduation opportunities through the following means:

Helps extreme poor women to enter the labour market and become economically empowered
SWAPNO engages women who have never been part of the labour force. Using public works
an entry point, it emphasizes on the women’s future employability and eases access into the
private sector labour market.

1 SWAPNO ensures correct targeting through community engagement, led by local government institutions in coordination with local administration,
under the auspices Local Government Division of Ministry of LGRD&C. It uses specific eligibility criteria and follows a transparent and participatory
lottery process to select eligible women in the intervention areas. Each selected beneficiary is visited directly at their home to verify their socio-economic
status, and any who do not meet the criteria will be removed from selection and an additional beneficiary will be drawn by lottery as a replacement.

4
 Annual Progress Report 2018

In addition to self-employment, SWAPNO helps place women in jobs in local Small and
Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and in companies in the formal sector. Linkages are created
with local SMEs for vocational apprenticeship training and subsequent job placement.

Focuses on correct beneficiary targeting

96% of SWAPNO’s women are correctly targeted. This is in stark contrast to practices across
the majority of Bangladesh’ social safety-net projects where a sizeable number of non-poor
households continue to receive safety net benefits; 20% of the non-poor are covered by some
safety net programs.

Supports developing better skills that women from disadvantaged backgrounds need
Through SWAPNO, women can fill in the skills gap between those that the market demands
and what women possess. As skills training does not automatically lead to jobs, SWAPNO
links women to emerging economic opportunities.

Fosters savings habit among SWAPNO’s women

Rotating Saving and Credit Associations (ROSCA) help women build the discipline they need
for saving and provide them with savings facilities. This helps women to access amounts
that can be directly invested for productive purposes. By the end of the project employment
tenure, all women operate either single or multiple income generating activities with ROSCA
and other savings.

Strictly adheres to its Internal Control Framework (ICF)

The Framework includes strong prevention, detection and deterrence instruments. Preventive
controls protect against risks before they happen. Detective controls identify risk incidences
soon after they occur. Deterrence controls prevents risks of non-compliance and misconduct.
The ICF is executed by a UNDP financial monitoring team.

Provides opportunities for applying innovative delivery approaches

The project field-tested and apply innovative delivery approaches including electronic payment
platforms for social cash transfers, micro-insurance delivery, climate-adaptive measures and
building employment skills via PPP arrangements like apprenticeship.

5
Annual Progress Report 2018

Section II: Activities

1. Employment in public asset maintenance work
The women employed in the public works maintenance schemes are selected on the basis of
their socio-economic vulnerability for an 18 months employment cycle. During the 2ndcycle
of the project which is ongoing since 12th November 2017, total1,401,696(314*4464) work
days of employment have been provided to 4464 beneficiaries of 124 UPs of Kurigram and
Satkhira district. During this cycle, BDT 27.59 crore was provided as wages, of which 25%
was reserved as mandatory savings. At the end of 2018, each beneficiary received BDT
46.35 thousand as cash wage and BDT 15.45thousand as mandatory savings.

2. Rotating Savings and Credit Associations (ROSCAs)

As part of the initiative to encourage responsible saving and investing behaviour, SWAPNO
drawing on REOPAs experience, introduced ROSCAs (Rotating Savings and Credit
Associations) among its beneficiaries. These informal saving groups builds on the initial
mandatory savings of the beneficiaries and creates group social capital. ROSCAs is a viable
option for collective savings generation and investment in livelihoods asset development.

In terms of behaviour change as related to savings and investments, a total of 640Rotating

Savings and Credit Associations (ROSCAs) were formed in Kurigram and Satkhira among
8928 beneficiaries. In total BDT 7.6 crore savings were accumulated as of December 2018
and each woman received at least BDT 7200 from the accumulated savings. Utilizing ROSCA
and other savings, all women beneficiaries started different Income Generating Activities
(IGAs).

3. Income Generating Activities Fig 1: Top 10 IGAs

Utilizing ROSCA and other savings, almost
all beneficiaries started different Income
Generating Activities (IGAs) along with
their regular employment in public assets
maintenance work. Most of the women,
around 90%, operate a single IGA and around
10% operate multiple IGAs. All women started
earnings from their IGAs.The most frequently
operated IGAs are livestock rearing (60%)
and small business (21%). The average capital per beneficiary woman is BDT 8731.

The IGA follow-up data of 1st cycle beneficiaries show that average capital investment has

6
 Annual Progress Report 2018

increased over the period. The average IGA capital of 1st cycle beneficiaries grew from Tk.
19.7 thousand in June 2017 to Tk. 23.9 thousand by November 2018.

The data shows that most frequently operated IGAs in Kurigramis livestock rearing (88%)and
Small Business in Satkhira. In Satkhira, the average investment per beneficiary is Tk. 10,275
as against Tk. 7,628 in Kurigram.

4. Public assets maintenance

The peoples’ representatives to Union Parishads including UP Chairman, Secretary, SC
Members and other UP General Members of 124 Union Parishads of Kurigram and Satkhira
districts identified 5,495 schemes for public assets maintenance work under SWAPNO in 2nd
cycle. The process involved community meetings in 1,116 wards of 124 Union Parishads. The
table below summarises the public assets maintenance schemes and their respective volume
of work completed.

Table 1.1 Public Assets Maintenance Work

Scheme # of schemes Work volume
Earthen Roads 3,286 195.8 million sft
Field Raising 1,367 49.1 million cft
Pucca or Semi Pucca Roads 598 33.2 million sft
Disaster Risk Reduction 244 17.3 million cft
Total 5,495

At the end of 2018, 195.8 million sft earthen roads, 33.2 million sft pucca and semi-pucca
roads were maintained by the SWAPNO beneficiaries. About 17.3 million cft of earth work
was accomplished under disaster risk reduction schemes. These maintained public assets
are contributing to the rural economy as well as benefiting community members socially
by providing smooth road communication to education institutions, health facility centres,
religious places, and service providing agencies.

These maintained public assets are contributing to the rural economy as well as benefiting
community members socially by providing smooth road communication to education
institutions, health facility centres, religious places, and service providing agencies.

5. Life skill straining

SWAPNO provide slife skills training to build human capital of ultra-poor women.The primary
objectives of life skill trainingsare to empower them to take decisions in the family, community
and at work, and actively engage them in securing their rights and entitlements from the Union

7
Annual Progress Report 2018

Parishad and Upazila level government and non-government service providers. The training
also aimed at helping them develop appropriate food habits to overcome nutritional poverty.

Table 1.2 Life Skill Training Course Duration (days)

1. Leadership development 1
2. Gender and development 1
3. Rights and entitlement 1
4. Climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction 2
5. Self-learning- easy accounting 2
6. Health and nutrition 1
7. Basic principles of small business 1

The 4,464 women beneficiaries of 2nd cycle was trained on seven life skills topics as shown
in the table. The life skill trainingsprovided them with a set of knowledge and skills that
helpedthem to enhance food security and nutrition, child education and health care, prevent
early marriages, give women voice in
their households and their societal life,
and make them more climate adaptive.

The beneficiary trainings were provided

to groups of 36 women for 1 to 2 days
on each topic by respective union
workers who had received the training.
Participatory methods including visual
aids, role playsand demonstrations were
the channels of delivery.

SWAPNO beneficiaries attend life

skill training
Training Follow-up
Some advanced learners were identified from each beneficiary group and given training
on facilitation skills. Led by the advanced learners, the 12- member group regularly met
before starting work on public asset schemes and discuss the messages learnt from the
training received from SWAPNO. The Union Workers also followed-up training learnings
of beneficiaries while visiting the group once in a week.The scheduled follow-ups sessions
included recapping training lessons and encouraging the application of the lessons. The
follow-up consultations helped beneficiary women to retain information and assimilate the
knowledge into practice.

8
 Annual Progress Report 2018

6. Livelihood skill straining

SWAPNO focuses on improving women’s access to skills development opportunities as
skills are possibly the least erosive ‘assets’ a poor person can own. SWAPNO’s mandatory
savings component facilitates an accumulation of capital for asset purchase; but poor and
marginalised women often do not have the skills necessary to successfully generate income
from their assets. Therefore, with training on livelihood skills including basic financial literacy
and linkage with relevant markets, SWAPNO is giving them the tools to carve their way out
of poverty.

Amarket survey helped to identify potential

trades that could ensure sustainable
livelihoods for the beneficiaries after the
project cycle. Traders and Customer
Survey, Focus Group Discussion with
community leaders & local traders as well
as Key Informant Interview with Union
Parishads contributed to the insight on
local economic activities. The information
gathered through the survey (on trade
operation i.e. capital requirement, raw
material, market demand, marketing
SWAPNO beneficiaries attend facilities and estimated monthly income)
livelihood training
helped compile a list of 41 trades that
included tailoring, livestock & poultry rearing, handicrafts, agriculture, nursery, small business
etc. A training need assessment involving all of SWAPNO beneficiaries enabled to identify
demand-driven livelihood skills training. Livelihood skills training is provided based on the need
and initial skill level of the beneficiaries in the respective trades. The training is given with an
objective to enhance livelihoods by building human capacity and ensure future employability.

After an initial needs’ assessment, six major livelihood skills were identified upon which the
curriculum development was based. The training manuals were used for facilitating livelihoods
training to the beneficiary women.These were:
a. Small business management and development
b. Livestock rearing
c. Poultry, duck and pigeon rearing
d. Vegetable cultivation
e. Fish and crab culture
f. Tailoring and dress making.

9
Annual Progress Report 2018
The key contents of each respective modules are as follows:
Table 1.3 Key contents of training modules
Livelihood Course Key Content
Strategies of small business management;
Competencies & characteristics of
Small Business Management and
entrepreneurs; Techniques of marketing; Loss
Development
and profit calculation; Costing of product;
Preparation of business plan
Introduction of different types of livestock and
poultry; Food and housing management and
Livestock rearing store; Disease identification and management;
Loss and profit calculation; Selling techniques;
Business plan preparation
Food and housing management and store;
Diseases identification and management;
Poultry, duck and pigeon rearing
Loss and profit calculation; Selling technics;
Business plan preparation
Importance of fish culture; Identification of
profitable fish for culture; Opportunity of
fish culture; Fish storage and management
techniques; Techniques of mixed fish culture;
Fish culture and crab fattening Financial importance of crab culture; Sources
of crab for culture &water body preparation for
culture; Grading methods of crab; Marketing
and loss and profit calculation techniques;
Packaging & marketing
Selections of vegetable considering the
nutrition value, Considering factors of
homestead gardening; Seedbed preparation,
Vegetable cultivation
Land and bed preparation, Soil, Fertilizer
use,Marketing; Price calculation, Business plan
preparation
General idea on sewing machines, Preparation
for sewing; Maintenance of sewing machine;
Trouble shootings of sewing machine;
Tailoring and dress making
Cutting stitching and sewing; How to take
measurement; Sewing of petticoat, vest, baby
frock, salwar and kamiz

As referenced in table 1.4, livelihoods skills training was provided to 3,028 beneficiary women
on six trades. Majority of the beneficiaries received training on small business management and
development (1,932), followed by livestock and poultry management (447).

10
 Annual Progress Report 2018

Table 1.4 Livelihoods Skill Development Training

Participants
Course Duration
Kurigram Satkhira Total
Small Business Management and Development 5 days 1295 637 1932
Livestock and Poultry Management 5 days 221 226 447
Fish Culture and Crab Fattening 5 days 42 152 194
Vegetable Cultivation 5 days 32 47 79
Tailoring and Dress Making 2 months 40 0 40
Apprenticeship (Tailoring and dress making) 3 months 87 229 316
RMG Sewing Machine Operation Training 2 months 0 20 20
TOTAL 1717 1311 3028

Remaining 1,436 beneficiaries will receive livelihood training in the first quarter of 2019.
In Kurigram, 875beneficiaries will be trained in Livestock and Poultry Management and
Ready-Made Garments while in Satkhira, 561beneficiaries will be trained in Small Business
Management and Development, Livestock and Poultry Management, Vegetable Cultivation,
Fish Culture and Crab Fattening and RMG Sewing Machine Operation.

7. Financial literacy curriculum development and training

The Financial Literacy Training for
extreme poor and vulnerable women
developed in conjunction with Aflatoun,
Bank Asia and UNDP in response to the
overwhelming need of knowledge that
empowers women financially as agents
of change in their own lives,facilitate
trust and use of e-payment
mechanisms, encourage responsible
saving and spending behavior, shift to
e-transactions and inspire the take up
financial products.

Beneficiaries receive financial literacy

The curriculum was delivered through education in groups of 12.
a network of existing field facilitators
of SWAPNO in 28 unions of Satkhira where Social Safety Net (SSN) beneficiaries receive
payment through Bank Asia.

11
Annual Progress Report 2018

8. Digital financial inclusion campaign and e-finance pilot

A three-month long campaign was concluded
with three digital fairs in three Unions,
Burigoalini, Essworipur and Shyamnogor in
Satkhira to create awareness on the availability
of digital financial services.The campaign
involved distribution of posters and leaflets
incorporating new services and products by
Bank Asia, Rocket and bKash.The general
population were reached through all Union
Digital Centers of Satkhira and SWAPNO Union
Workers and Bank Asia field facilitators. Since
Theater group, SWAPNO and Bank Asia the beginning of theawareness campaigns
Field staff pose for a photo
from beginning of March with the conclusion
of the three digital fairs in 27 June, 1811 new bank accounts with Bank Asia have been opened.

Besides, in order to ensure a more self-sustaining, accessible and affordable e-finance delivery
system for the large, underserved credit market, in rural Bangladesh, SWAPNO piloted‘e-
finance’ through Bank Asia’s Agent Banking model. This was piloted in three Unions in Satkhira-
Burigoalini, Esswaripur and Shyamnogor and reached at least 3000 social safety net (SSN)
beneficiaries through 33 “Human ATMs”.

9. Job placement in formal sector

Under the agreement with Ecofab, 55 SWAPNO beneficiaries received a two-month long skill
training on RMG sewing machine operation and were subsequently employed in 2017. Under a
new MOU with Ecofab in 2018, skill training
and job placement of another 200 SWAPNO
beneficiary is underway. As of December
2018, a batch of 20 beneficiaries were
enrolled for two months long RMG Sewing
Machine Operation training and subsequent
job placement in Ecofab. SWAPNO’s
professional and personal guidance helped
the women with the process of moving from
their own village to where the factories 1st December 2018,first batch of women
to receive ECOFAB training
were located. Relocation fees, orientation
workshop and accommodation costs were a part of this support. SWAPNO further helped the
women to acquire basic literacy so that they could sign their names and pass the required skill
tests to qualify for job placement. SWAPNO covered beneficiaries’ costs during the first months
of basic training, while Ecofab paid wages after the two-month on the job training.

12
 Annual Progress Report 2018

SWAPNO maintained regular follow-up

with the beneficiaries to ensure safe- work
environment and entitlements,and made
them adhere to rulesand regulations of the
factory. SWAPNO officials regularly visited
Ecofab and discussed with management
and SWAPNO women regarding safety,
security and workplace environment. Ecofab
management is highly pleased with the
SWAPNO women and they are now more
ECOFAB and SWAPNO staff jointly pose for a
photo before orientation of beneficiaries
confident and skilled.

The partnership with Fakir Apparels Limited is underway to facilitate the training and employment
of 300 women during 2018-19. Simultaneously, new partnerships will be established with the
leather and packaging sectors. More sectors will be identified through a market opportunity
survey. Targeted 800 out of 6,192 SWAPNO’s women are expected to get employment in the
formal sector.

10. Private Sector Partnerships

Marico
Guided by the spirit of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17- to build on public-private
partnership for resource mobilization, SWAPNO and Marico Bangladesh Limited agreed to
collaborate to provide livelihood and apprenticeship skill training to 4464 extreme poor women
of Satkhira and Kurigram. Under the partnership, Marico committed to provide BDT 2,65,32,204
over the period of July 2018 and June 2019.

BSRM
SWAPNO has also been partnering with Bangladesh Steel Rerolling Mill (BSRM) Group, the
largest steel production company in the country since April 2016.

ECOFAB and Fakir Apparels

SWAPNO has made progress in the RMG sector with Ecofab and Fakir Apparels. Under the
agreement with Ecofab, 55 SWAPNO beneficiaries received a two-month long skill training on
RMG sewing machine operation and were subsequently employed. The partnership with Fakir
Apparels Limited is underway to facilitate the training and employment of 300 women during
2018-19.

13
Annual Progress Report 2018

Simultaneously, new partnerships will be established with the leather and packaging sectors.
More sectors will be identified through a market opportunity survey. Targeted 800 out of 6,192
SWAPNO’s women are expected to get employment in the formal sector.

bKash, Rocket and Bank Asia

SWAPNO works in collaboration with multiple digital financial service (DFS) providers such as
bKash, Rocket and Bank Asia. In the next phase SWAPNO plans to facilitate the development
of an inter-operable Government-to-Person (G2P) DFS platform through which government will
directly disburse payment to all its SSN beneficiaries.

Breaking the Silence- Save the Children

As part of innovative approach to
promote a child friendly approach
in SWAPNO’s programmatic work
and to scale up Child Friendly Local
Government Project (CFLG) in
Kurigram. A partnership framework
was agreed upon by SWAPNO
project of Local Government Division
and Breaking the Silence on 14
November 2018. The initiative is to
ensurechild participation in Local
Government Institution’s decision-
making processes. MOU signing ceremony between Breaking the
Silence and SWAPNO

11. Accountability and transparency initiatives

Hotline numbers and beneficiary mobile phone directory

Two hotline numbers were established at the district level and shared with women beneficiaries,
UP representatives and community leaders with 24-hour accessibility. The beneficiaries notified
12 issues in two districts which were resolved immediately with support from the district and
Upazila administration. Besides, these numbers were used by the beneficiaries and UPs for
getting information on a regular basis. A beneficiary mobile phone directory has been prepared for
remote monitoring of programme delivery, wage payment status and counselling of beneficiaries.
Using the mobile phone directory senior project management members from LGD and staff
members from Dhaka project office regularly talk with beneficiaries about their status. Moreover,
the directory has been distributed to key project stakeholders including District and Upazila
administrations so that they can directly talk and check with beneficiaries on any issues related
to the programme.

14
 Annual Progress Report 2018

Internal Control Framework (ICF)

SWAPNO adopted Internal Control Framework (ICF) for effective, efficient and transparent
project fund disbursement and expenditures. SWAPNO’s ICF has been developed in line with
UNDP’s corporate Internal Control Framework for preventing misappropriation and pilferage and
the National Implementation Modality (NIM) modalities (i.e.Government of Bangladesh’s rules
and procedures) of 2017. The mechanisms of ICF have also been incorporated into SWAPNO’s
Operational Manual.

Systemic book keeping

SWAPNO adheres to a systematic bookkeeping and reporting system to prevent financial
irregularities, particularly for crew wage disbursement and use of block grants. Responsible
officers (from field to headquarter levels) monitor financial transactions at regular intervals at
different tiers. UNDP auditors (both internal and external) spot check randomly selected UPs
during the annual UNDP-Bangladesh audit. When risks or irregularities are identified, concerned
authorities are immediately notified for taking corrective measures to ensure integrity of the
financial system.

Regular Spot-checks
To take stock of accounting practices in the field, staff members from UNDP Country Office and
authorized project staff such as National Project Manager (NPM), Finance and Administrative
Officer, Subject Matter Specialists and responsible government officers from Project Management
Unit (PMU), carry out spot checks of project accounts in randomly selected Union Parishads
(UPs).

15
Annual Progress Report 2018

Section III: Results

1. Economic growth is achieved in a more inclusive manner, with economic
opportunities reaching the rural and urban poor and the protection of vulnerable
groups against shocks

At baseline, 96% of beneficiary households were below the lower poverty line. After
intervention,about 72% of SWAPNO beneficiaries elevated from lower poverty line as against
19% in control group. Follow-up data indicates upward trend in household income.Average
monthly income increased from BDT. 2059 in baseline (Aug 2015) to BDT. 5631 after one year
(June 2017) and it further sustained to BDT 5,902 after one and half year (November 2018).

Fig 2: Monthly Household Income of 1st Cycle Women

2. Beneficiary households are able to protect their food security and livelihoods
post- project

The 8,928 beneficiary women of SWAPNO had no or very little scope of employment to earn a
living for their family. They used to work as maids in peoples’ home or day labourer irregularly
and earn minimal wage. Around five months of the year, during agricultural lean season, they
remained unemployed.

From the outset of SWAPNO, beneficiaries started Rotating Savings and Credit Association
(ROSCA) within theirrespective groups. Totally 640 Rotating Savings and Credit Associations
(ROSCA) were formed in Kurigram and Satkhira among 8,928 women beneficiaries. In total

16
 Annual Progress Report 2018

BDT 7.6 crore savings were accumulated as of 2018 and each beneficiary women received
at least BDT 7,200 each from the accumulated savings. Utilizing ROSCA and other savings,
all beneficiaries started different Income Generating Activities (IGAs) along with their regular
employment in public assets maintenance work. Most of the beneficiaries of 2nd cycle, around
90%, operate a single IGA and around 10% operate multiple IGAs. The average capital size
of per beneficiary is Tk. 8,731. The most frequently operated IGAs of 2nd cycle women are
Goat Rearing, Small Business, Cow Rearing, Fish Culture, Poultry Rearing, Tailoring, Rice
business and Grocery. Livestock rearing, including cow, goat,poultry, represents 60% and
small business represents 21% of the IGAs operated by SWAPNO beneficiaries.

The IGA follow-up data of 1st cycle beneficiaries show that average capital investment has
increased. The average capital per beneficiary woman is reported BDT 23,897. Most of the
beneficiaries, around 53%, operate a single IGA and around 47% operate multiple IGAs. As
shown in the graph, average IGA capital investment increased from Tk. 19.7 in June 2017 to
Tk. 23.9 thousand in November 2018. Indicating sustainability and improved productive asset
base post project.

Success of a SWAPNO beneficiary: Aleya moves from Snack Stall to Restaurant Owner
Aleya Begum, Owner of a Restaurant, Matikata More
Union-Thana Hat, Upazila- Chilmari, Kurigram

The socio-cultural structures remain highly limiting to women’s economic empowerment in

Bangladesh especially for the rural poor. Take for example Aleya, when her husband divorced
and abandoned her with a six-month-old infant, she had to take shelter in her parent’s house.
In a tiny dark room in mud and tin shelter, she lived with her son and her two aging parents.
She had no education, nor capital and thus to support her son she started working as a maid.
However, since she had to take care of her son and carry out her duties simultaneously,
people were reluctant to employ her.

She was passing her days in abject hardship, barely surviving, with no guarantee for the future
of her son or herself. However, there was light at
the end of tunnel. As she was working away on a
certain afternoon, she heard a man going around
announcing that the Union Parishad through
SWAPNO were going to employ poor women
for public works. She decided to go to the Union
Parishad along with several hundredwomen just
like her. Mother luck smiled upon her and she
was admitted into the SWAPNO project as a
beneficiary through an open lottery.
Aleya with her son in her restaurant

17
Annual Progress Report 2018

Her life gradually began transforming, she started earning a regular wage through employment
in public works. She further received life skill training that strengthened her resilience, self-
esteem, independence and gave her a voice in her life. She also received training on small
business management. She became part of a group of 12 women who were also beneficiaries
of SWAPNO, and they all began saving together in associations knows as Rotating Savings
and Credit Association (ROSCA). Taking advantage of the skills development training, her
group and personal savings, Aleya opened a snacks stall with an initial capital investment of
BDT 10,000. The community loved her tasty snacks, and her business capital jumped to BDT
40,000. She worked in SWAPNO facilitated public works in the morning and run her snack stall
in the evening. As her employment tenure came to an end after 18 months, her compulsory
savings of employment accumulated to BDT 22,500. She invested this amount along with
credit from Micro Finance Institution and relatives into her small business.

Today, Aleya runs a restaurant employing seven people which serves delicious and affordable
meals cooked under her supervision. For one and half-years now, her business has been
thriving. Her capital investment of BDT 10, 000 has now increased to BDT 400,000. Seeing
her success, her husband wanted to re-unite and if not, take custody of their son, however,
reflecting on her self-empowerment journey with SWAPNO, she stood her ground and said no.
Not only has her self-esteem improved but also her standard of living. She proudly said, “I can
now afford to live in a permanent shelter, my son is attending school, I know how to access
basic services and I am able to provide for my and my family’s needs.”

18
 Annual Progress Report 2018

Section IV: Lessons Learnt

1. Graduation from safety-net employment to market driven self and formal employment is
fundamental for sustainable livelihoods. Small women entrepreneurs (micro merchants)
needorganizational support to integrate in to themarket system. To establish them as market
players, their collective bargaining power needs to be enhanced. Association of small
entrepreneurs should be formed to support institutionalization.

2. There is very often a mismatch of skills; between the skills demanded by the market and
skills possessed by the poor. The critical issue is to link skills training with jobs. Skills training
does not automatically lead to a job. A dynamic economy always leaves old skills behinds
and demands new skills. There are signs that the labour market for women in Bangladesh is
undergoing a major transition. The proportion of women in paid employment has doubled in last
five years. This expansion is largely explained by an increase in jobs requiring a higher level of
skills than the low-paid employment poor women have traditionally been engaged in. SWAPNO
has attempted to contribute to develop the higher level of skills required for disadvantaged
women to be able to grasp the new economic opportunities emerging, and to earn a higher rate
of return on their productive labour.

3. It is then important to first survey the economic opportunities, thereafter plan training based
on market demand and aptitude of individual beneficiaries. Through Market Opportunity Survey,
SWAPNO identified 41 feasible trades including livestock and poultry rearing, agriculture,
small business, nursery, tailoring. SWAPNO trained all 4464 beneficiaries on livelihoods skill.
Some of them received multiple skill training based on their demand. Almost every beneficiary
started Income Generating Activities (IGA) after receiving training. One of the lessons learned
in conducting Market Opportunity Survey is to look beyond the local market bounded by the
Union border.

4. Poor people want to save but they lack savings facilities and savings self-discipline. Rotating
Saving and Credit Associations (ROSCAs) gave them both. When income seeps in drop by
drop, it is likely everything will be consumed, and nothing invested in productive asset. ROSCA
provided them access to lump sums that can be directly invested for productive purposes.
SWAPNO helped beneficiaries to form 640 ROSCAs. By the end of the project employment
tenure all beneficiaries operated either single or multiple IGAs investing ROSCA and other
savings.

5. The foremost challenge for formal sector employmentis that transitioning into a foreign urban
environment places economic and social risks for the women. Economic risks have to do with
living expenses for the first three months of training before taking up employment. Social risks

19
Annual Progress Report 2018

have to do with being away from their community and having to adjust to a completely different
context and people. SWAPNO has attempted to mitigate these challenges by providing regular
monitoring, consultations and stipend. Future initiatives should be designed keeping in mind the
budgetary implications for this sort of support and making this support an integral part of formal
sector employment.

6. Furthermore, formal sector employment for women is not a viable long term solution. Often
when women become economically self-sufficient, their social value back in their village homes
increases and often they remarry or resettle with additional income invested in locally based
IGAs. The age limit has also been set for wage labor employment for private sector. Hence as
a secondary alternative livelihood, all SWAPNO beneficiaries are provided livestock rearing
training as it is the most common and viable livelihood.

7. Most of the poor women operate multiple business -poor should have detail business plan
and analysis of their business to make it viable for their livelihoods.For, IGAs already in place, it
can be easily observed that the scope for their scaling up is severely limited due a combination
of factors. Firstly, there is an oversaturation of the types of IGAs they are running, or their
IGAs are not integrated into the local economy value chains. It has also been noted in some
cases of SWAPNO beneficiaries, that when their IGAs grows, a male member of the extended
family manipulatively takes over and the woman plays a subsidiary role. SWAPNO project is
now designing a market integration initiative which not only maps out the supply value chains
in which the women run IGAs could be integrated but will actively pursue linking up IGAs to
potential industries.

8. SWAPNO’s beneficiaries are women who are widows, divorcees, and abandoned destitute
women. Their status makes them socially vulnerable in their communities. In addition, many
of them are between the age group of 18-28, vulnerable to violence and abuse. Furthermore,
in some cases their involvement in construction work through the project exposes them to
community shaming. SWAPNO is now strengthening its social component to address these and
various other social dimensions of being an abandoned and destitute woman by introducing
psycho-social counseling.

20
 Annual Progress Report 2018

Section V: Financial Cost Statement

Table 1.1 Project Aid through UNDP
Expenditure as
Outputs Budget (USD)
of 31 Dec 2018
Output 1: Core beneficiary households are able to protect 310,858 295,131
their food security and livelihoods post-project
Output 2: Core beneficiaries and their dependents have 34,305 33,815
improved their human capital in terms of nutrition, health,
education and voice
Output 4:Public assets promoting local economic 1,350 87
regeneration, improving social conditions and enhancing
environmental conditions are maintained and developed
for the benefit of the poor of the participating rural
communities
Output 6:Local government has capacity to implement 147,433 140,011
social transfer projects with accountability, transparency,
gender sensitivity and pro-poor approach
Output 7: Human Resources and Administration 336,781 344,251
Total 830,727 813,299

A total of US$ 830,727 project aid was budgeted for 2018 under UNDP which includes
all programme and human resource cost excluding beneficiary wages for public assets
maintenance. About 98% of the budget was spent for activities completed in 2018. Under
output 1, annual audit fee was not required for NGO and less cost incurred for NGO staff salary
which resulted in less expenditure for NGO service. Also, there was budget of 200 women
for job placement but only a batch of 20 women could be mobilized for Job placement. Under
output 4, an amount of US$ 1,350 budgeted for bank charge but only US$87 spent as in most
of the operational Union Parishads wages were paid through e-payments.

Table 1.2 Government Fund through LGD

Description BDT USD
Fund released 286,800,000 3,423,954
Expenditure for beneficiary wage payment (-)283,374,000 (-)3,383,053
Refund (-)26,000 (-)310
Balance as of 31 Dec 2018 3400,000 40,591

A total of US$3,423,954 GoB fund was released in 2018. Out of the released fund US$ 3,383,053
was spent for beneficiary wages and US$310 was refunded. At the end of 2018 a balance of
US$40,591 remained for expenditure in rest of 2018-19 FY.

The total project delivery cost including both Project Aid and GoB fund in 2018 was US$
4,196,352 where GoB cost share was 80.6%.

21
 SWAPNO

Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) Bhaban