PRSP PREPARATION Participatory Consultation

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PRSP PREPARATION Participatory Consultation

• Dr. Quazi Mesbahuddin Ahmed
• Member, General Economics Division
• Member-secretary, NSC

Government of the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh
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General Guidelines

• Goals and objectives of the discussion-meetings
  
• Participatory consultation is deemed to be an
  integral and important part of the process of
  preparing the full-blown PRSP
• Government will attempt to prepare the document
  fully taking into account the views of people on
  development priorities, policies, strategies and
  programs.

Government of the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh
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Goals and Objectives (contd.)

• Stakeholder Groups Included in Consultation
  Meetings
• organizations of asset-less people, human rights
  organizations, environmental organizations,
  representatives from the civil society, womens
  forum and those involved in womens development
• cooperatives, journalists, research institutes,
  professional groups, distinguished individuals,
  locally- funded NGOs, private investors, and
  government agencies

Government of the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh
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Characteristics of Consultation Meetings

• Both general and subject-specific discussions,
  with focus on the latter
• Identifying problems as well as providing
  suggestions and directions on how to address/
  solve them

Government of the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh
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Characteristics of Consultation Meetings (contd.)

• Discussion needs to be responsive to the current
  situation and as specific as possible
• Discussions on regional issues which vary from
  region to region should nonetheless be in the
  context of the state of national development

Government of the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh
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Structure of consultation meetings

• Involvement of different stakeholders from
  various regions and socio-economic groups
• Number of break-out groups to deliberate on
  separate subjects/themes
• Discussions (general and subject-specific) based
  on outlines provided by NPFP
• Free discussions
• Presentation, consolidation and finalization of
  group-based recommendations

Government of the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh
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National-Level Consultation

• Features
• Participants and their suggested numbers
• Civil society representatives 48
• Academics 20
• NGO representatives 50
• Various organization 32
• Ministries and govt. agencies 50
• Total 200

Government of the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh
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Features(contd.)

• Thematic Discussion Groups
• Thirteen thematic discussion-groups will carry
  out deliberations separately on
• Macroeconomic stability and pro-poor growth
  financial sector reform (including banking, trade
  and globalization) and mobilization of domestic
  resources
• Private sector development

Government of the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh
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Thematic Discussion Groups(Contd.)

• Infrastructure roads, rail, inland water
  transportation, information and communication
  technology (ICT) and telecommunication)
  development of power, petroleum, and energy
  sector
• Establishing good governance (civil service
  reform, judicial reform, improvement of law and
  order, and strengthening local government)

Government of the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh
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Thematic Discussion Groups(Contd.)

• Health (including population planning, nutrition
  and sanitation)
• Education (including primary and mass education,
  womens education, technical and vocational
  training)
• Developing conditions of women and children and
  establishing their rights

Government of the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh
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Thematic Discussion Groups(Contd.)

• Rural development (including food security,
  disaster management and social protection,
  micro-credit and expansion of rural non-farm
  activities, employment generation and development
  of growth centers)
• Agricultural development (including crops,
  special cash crops such as tea, rubber, etc.,
  fisheries, livestock, agricultural and
  bio-technology)

Government of the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh
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Thematic Discussion Groups(Contd.)

• Environmental protection and development
  (forestry, bio-diversity, land reforms and land
  use and supply of safe water)
• Water resources management
• Development of tribal groups and disadvantaged
  people (physically, mentally, and socially)
• Housing

Government of the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh
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Chairman/Moderator of Groups

• Chairman/Moderator of each Group will ensure
  that
• Discussion is on right track
• Everyone participates in the discussion and
  expresses free and frank views
• Opinions/recommendations are properly recorded

Government of the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh
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Group Discussion

• Rapporteur NPFP officials will act as
  rapporteurs
• Structure of group discussion
• General discussion 20 min.
• (Views of the group on the nature, severity and
  causes of poverty and suggested actions to
  address them)
• Discussion on the topic 1 hr. 20 min.
• Formulating recommendations 20 min.

Government of the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh
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Steps in Topical Discussion

• What targets could be set in various sectors for
  June 2006
• What strategies will need to be adopted to
  achieve those objectives
• What programs/measures will need to be undertaken
  in order to implement the strategies
• What should be the blueprint/plan of the above
  programs and how should they be implemented in
  order to have the maximum possible benefit for
  the poor

Government of the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh
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Directions/Dimensions of Group Discussions

• Pro-Poor Growth
• Gender Equity
• Sectoral Good Governance
• Sectoral Programs
• Urban and Rural context
• Socio-economic classes
• Balanced regional development
• Environment-friendly and sustainable development

Government of the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh
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Plenary Session

• Group Presentation
• Open Discussion
• Finalization of Recommendations

Government of the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh
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Regional-level Consultation Meetings

• Regional consultations to be organized by NPFP in
  each of the 6 Divisional towns
• NPFP and Divisional Commissioners will jointly
  arrange consultation meetings
• Participants (200) will be selected by Divisional
  Commissioners following certain specific
  guidelines catering to the needs of group
  discussions

Government of the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh
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Discussion Groups

• Communications roads, railway, inland water
  transport, ICT and telecommunications
• Power and energy sector development
• Establishment of good governance civil service
  reforms, reform of the judiciary, improvement of
  law and order and strengthening of local
  governments
• Health, population planning, nutrition and
  sanitation

Government of the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh
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Discussion Groups (contd.)

• Education primary and mass education, female
  education, technical and vocational education
• Rural Development food security, disaster
  management and social safety nets, micro-credit
  and expansion of non-farm activities, employment
  and growth centre
• Agriculture crops, special crops (tea, rubber,
  horticulture), fisheries, livestock, agriculture
  and biotechnology.

Government of the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh
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Discussion Groups (contd.)

• Environmental protection and development
• Developing conditions of women and children and
  establishing their rights
• Water resources management
• Development of tribal people and the
  disadvantaged groups
• Housing

Government of the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh
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We Hope that the Consultation process would
provide us with valuable insights for PRSP
preparation.

• Thank You All

Government of the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh