Impact of the Local Government (Union Parishad) Act, 2009 on the Local Governance in Bangladesh: A Focus on People’s Participation and Accountability

1. Impact of the Local Government (Union Parishad) Act,
2009 on the Local Governance in Bangladesh: A Focus on
People’s Participation and Accountability
Seminar on PhD Dissertation on
Room No.373, Rabindra Bhaban
16 March 2014, 11:00AM
Supervisor
Dr. Pranab Kumar Panday
Professor
Department of Public Administration
University of Rajshahi
Presenter
Mst. Shuvra Chowdhury
PhD Fellow (Session 2011-12)
Department of Public Administration
University of Rajshahi

2. Union
Parishad
(UP)
Upazila
Parishad
(UZP)
Zila
Parishad
(ZP)
 The central Government alone cannot meet the
needs of its citizens. So, decentralized LGIs with
democratic practice is essential for overall
development of any country
 There are three tiers of local government in
Bangladesh.
 INTRODUCTION

3. Statement of the Problems
Lack of ownership of assets and inadequate access to
institutional finance.
 People remained outsider in the traditional planning and
budgeting process.
 Corruption such as nepotism, bribery and biasness of UP
functionaries.
Ineffective Justice System and Improper Audit
Perspective plan
Sector wise
Top Down
Approach

4. Accountability Mechanisms

5. Public Accountability Mechanism

6. Social Accountability Mechanism
 The social accountability measures enable direct
engagement of citizens with government.
 UNDP(2010) defined it as “a form of accountability
that emerges through actions by citizens and civil
society organization(CSOs) aimed at holding the state
to account, as well as efforts by government and other
actors(media, private sector, donors) to support these
actions”.

7. Social Accountability Tools
Participatory Public Policy Making
Participatory Budgeting
Public Expenditure Tracking
Citizen Monitoring and Evaluation of Public
Service Delivery

8.  Following Provisions in the UP Act, 2009 have been
considered as social Accountability mechanisms:
Ward Shava
Open Budget Meeting (OBM)
Citizen Charter
Right To Information

9. Clause 4 and 5 of the UP Act of 2009 states that a ward
shava (ward meeting) should be constituted in each
ward consisted of all the voters enlisted in the voter lists.
Elected member of the ward would act as the chair of
the ward shava while the elected women member would
act as the adviser.
Ward Shava

10. Open Budget Meeting (OBM)
Clause 57 of the UP Act of 2009 provides for
finalization of the UP’s yearly budget in an open
meeting which is commonly referred to as open
budget. .

11. Section 49(4) of the UP act, 2009 states that in circulating
Citizen Charter it must include the following:
Correct and clear description of each service;
Cost of service;
Terms and procedure for claiming and receiving
services;
Specific time for providing services;
Responsibilities for citizens regarding services;
Assurance for service delivery;
Procedure for grievance resolution regarding service
delivery;
Consequences for refusing the undertaking of charter of
service.
Citizen Charter

12. The UP Act, 2009 with its section 78, 79 and 80 assure
that anyone can seek required information from UP and
the information providing authority is liable to provide
specific information and explanation for not providing
information (if any) covered under the law.
Right To Information

13. Core Objective: To explore the impact of the Act of 2009 on the
governance of UPs with particular focus on the people’s participation and
accountability.
1.To review the existing legal framework of UP that offers the scope for direct
engagement of citizens and holding the UP functionary’s accountability for their
actions i.e. Social Accountability.
2.To observe participation of people in the Ward Shava and Open Budget
session and to explore whether participation is spontaneous or induced.
3.To explore the extent of success of Citizen Charter and Right to
Information as social accountability mechanisms for ensuring
accountability of people’s representatives for their actions in WS and
OBM.
4.To observe responsiveness of the UP functionaries to the needs of the
citizens and to explore the effectiveness of social accountability mechanisms
through civic engagement.
5.To identify factors affecting people’s participation and accountability in the
UPs and to suggest remedial actions to overcome those.
Specific Objectives

14. 1.What is the process of involving people in the Ward Shava and Open Budget
Meeting?
2. To what extent Ward Shava and Open Budget Meeting have enhanced
participation of people in the planning process of UP?
3. How people are holding their representatives accountable for their
action through CC and RTI?
4. To what extent Ward Shava and Open Budget have enhanced
responsiveness of UP functionaries and to what extent CC and RTI have
managed to hold people’s representatives accountable for their actions?
5. What initiatives are necessary to overcome exiting problems of people’s
participation and accountability in the functioning of UPs?
Research Question

15. • The study will add some new dimensions in the experiment of
social accountability mechanisms in the context of Bangladeshi
LGIs .
•For the very first time, efforts have been made to combine both
people’s participation and accountability in a single research within
the country context after enactment of the Act of 2009.
• impact of CC and RTI would add some interesting findings
regarding answerability and responsiveness of the UP functionaries.
 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
• Finally, it would come up with some suggestions.
• This research will provide new insights to academics and
researchers.

16. Theoretical Understanding: Policy Impact
Study
Types of policy Evaluation Study:
Process evaluation
Impact evaluation

17. Policy Impact Study: Comprehensive
Evaluation
•To determine whether the process of a definite policy
has been implemented by the predetermined guidelines
or not.
•Whether the changes have been occurring with its
predetermined outcomes or not.

18. Theoretical Understanding: Policy Impact Study
Impact Study
Process
Change

19. Input Process Output
System Theory
FEEDBACK
ENVIRONMENT

20. Input Process Output
Peoples' Participation
& UP Functionaries'
Accountability
•Participatory Planning
•Participatory Budgeting
•Dissemination of CC
•Seek RTI
WS
OBM
CC
RTI
Feedback
L-O-C-A-L G-O-V-E-R-N-M-E-N-T E-N-V-I-R-O-N-M-E-N-T
Systemic View of Participatory Planning and Budgeting

21. Participatory Planning at WS
Formation of Ward
Committee
UP member/ Female
reserve seat women
member as Convener (2)
School Teacher
Social Worker
Freedom Fighter
General Public
WS
All voters of
concerned Ward will
place their demand
Thirteen SC
(Formation)
the UP
functionaries,
UP women
functionaries
co-opt members,
experts
 general peoples
UDCC(Formation)
The UP members
All UPZ officers
UP officers
Representatives from social
workers
NGO officials
school teachers

22. UNO for
approval
WS
WC
SC
UP
Planning
Committe
e
OBM
UDCC
Participatory Budgeting at OBM

23. Charter of Services
Development program and infrastructural programs
Finalize beneficiary list of various government
programs
Public welfare activities such as street light, safe
water , public health etc
Social activities such as campaign against dowry,
early marriage, polygamy and drug addition
Self employment programs, local peoples interaction
in cultural and sports activities, interaction with
school and guardians

24. Right to Information
WS and OBM Meeting
Time & Place
Various Allocation
from Go & NGO
Right to Ask/demand
Prioritized demands of
WS
Final Budget
Information

25. Other LGIs
within which
UPs Work
Factors that
directly affect
UP Planning
and Budgeting
Planning and
Budgeting
Process against
UP act 2009
itself
Local
Government
Environment

26. Feedback
Deviation of
ProcessInput
Feedback

27. People’s Participation and
Accountability
People’s Participation and
Accountability
Dependent VariableDependent Variable
Participatory Mechanisms at WS and OBM
•Access to Participation
Mechanisms
•Ability to Participate
•Access To Information
•Participation at Agenda
making
CC and RTI as Accountability Mechanisms
•Managerial Ability and
Administrative Skill
•Leadership Ability
•Responsiveness and
Answerability
•Transparency and
Openness
Independent VariableIndependent Variable

28. Research
Method
Case Study
Types of Data Qualitative Quantitative
Sources of Data Primary Secondary
Focused Group
Discussion
Documentation
Review
Study Area
6 UP from three
different district
 METHODOLOGY...
Questionnaire
Survey
Direct
Observation

29. District Upazilla Union
Parishad
No of Wards Sample frame
for WS
Sirajgonj
Raigonj Ghurka 9 3 (1,4, and 7
No)
Ullapara Hatikumrul 9 3
Rajshahi
Paba Hariyan 9 3
Godagari Gogram 9 3
Lalmonirhat
Aditmari Vadai 9 3
Kaligonj Kakina 9 3
 METHODOLOGY
Study Area Selection

30.  METHODOLOGY...
Unit of Analysis
Participation at WS and OBM)
Gender (male/female)
UP functionaries (both elected and
government) responsible to render
services
WC, WS, OBM, SC, UDCC
Individuals Institutions

31. Documentation Review
WS Resolution
Estimated Budget
Real Income Expenditure Statement
Various GO/NGO Allocation
Service Recipient List
Data Collection Tools

32. Direct Observation
WS
OBM

33. Category of Respondents Total No of Respondents
in each ward (No 1, 4, 7)
No. of
Respondent to
be Selected
Respondent per
UP
Total
UP chairman
N/A
1 (100%) 6
Ward member 1 1 3 (33%) 18 (6x3)
Reserved seat for Female
member
1 (from each three
wards)
1 3(100%) 18 (6x3)
General people
participated at WS and
OBM
The member will be
collected through WS
resolution and OBM
participant list
4 (2 male and 2
Female from
each ward)
4x3=12 72 (12x6)
PIO One from each Upazilla 6
Others (Subject to their
availability)
Ward Committee members, UDCC
members, ex-chairmen and members of
UPs, Chairmen and Vice-chairmen of Upazila
Parishad, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO),
Local Political Leaders, DDLG, DF of LGSP-II
and others.
5 30(5x6)
Total 150
Questionnaire Interview

34.  METHODOLOGY
Category of
Respondents
No. of FGD
per Ward
Number of
people per FGD
and (total
respondent in
ward)
Respondent
per UP
Total
General people did
not participate at
WS and OBM
2 6-8 (12-16) 36-48 216-288
Focused Group Discussion

35.  Chapter One: Introductory Discussion
 Chapter Two: Conceptual Framework
 Chapter Three: Methodology of the study
 Chapter Four: Local Government Reforms in Bangladesh:
past and present initiatives
 Chapter Five : State of People’s Participation at the local
level: Role of WS and OBM
 Chapter Six: State of the accountability at WS and OBM:
Role of CC and RTI
 Chapter Seven: Conclusion and Recommendations
 CHAPTER OUTLINE

36.  Planning and Budgeting are two important elements for
smooth running of any institution.
 Participatory planning and Budgeting can play very
important role through CC and RTI in local development
process.
 CONCLUSION
 Hence, the impact of the proposed study would add
some interesting feedback for further study of
participatory planning and budgeting i.e social
accountability mechanisms of LGIs.

37. Thank you