Dear all, Global Action Week for Education is started from 20-26 April 2009, but what is happing in Bangladesh education sector specially in NGOs run NFE and others and what would be soultion. I enclosed a open letter to honorable Prime Minister of Bangladesh. If you agree with the points please send it to info@pmo.gov.bd or feeedback@pmo.gov.bd for action. =========================================================================================
Open Letter to Honorable Prime Minister of the People Republic of Bangladesh to Reconstitute Implementing NGO (INGO) Selection Criteria for UNICEF Supported Basic Education for hard to Reach Urban Working Children(BEHTRUWC).
Honorable Ma'am Prime Minister, As we are making your kind notice that Ministry of Primary and Mass Education has been implementing BEHTRUWC project at various city corporations of the country and accordingly BNFE invites EOI from NGOs through newspapers on last February 24, 2009 at Daily Star. We have clear concern about the TOR for selecting the NGOs which is mentioned below for your consideration and action please;
ADAB raised the issues to ADB, World Bank and MoPME and appeal to reconstitutes this clause and NGOs must be selected through open biding process and capacity, skill and have past working experience with the community & have set up in the working locations will be given preference. Local initiatives must gives priority and more then 15-20 NGOs should have opportunity to work with in 01 City corporation and local NGOs must included in the package.
The MoPME claimed as sometime desired by the donor and some times Project Proposal (PP) approved by the ECNEC. It was well reputed the 1st phase of BEHTRUWC 1st phase has lots of mismanagement and irregularities to recruits NGOs. All the NGOs selected in 1st phase from Dhaka for all over Bangladesh due to easy for transecting unfair money.
If 3-5 NGO will be selected in per city corporation other NGOs will deprived & few NGOs will influence the whole project activities, making unfair business, there will be no checks and balance for quality of works, none will be created movement for eradication of illiteracy and these were happened in last 6 years in NGO sector, NGO monopoly business groups was holding maximum fund and maintained unfair business and a few ill-motivated Government officials benefited from the process and NGOs are treated as business and some times blaming for corruption. If non local NGOs will select, they will not quit their set up after end of the project and there will big question for sustainability and follow up of the project activities. If any NGO invest money for getting contract or providing bank guarantee, band draft etc, they have must be trying to gain profit. But through the clause the Government trying to NGOs becomes commercial firms, which is unexpected.
ADAB has also demanding the present NGO procurement procedure is not suitable for NGOs and have opportunity to misuses of power, corruption involvement and monopoly by few business NGOs holding maximum funds. Same public procurement regulation act 2008 not be applicable for NGOs and at the same time to business people, and it demanded to develop separate procurement policy for NGOs and social sector.
The present NGO selection process can easily maintain unfair business for selecting NGOs, involved a-large amount of money handling for NGO selection. If they select more NGOs it is difficult to continue unfair business, so rather size number is a few is good to do so.
As you may aware, last 4-party resume ADB, World Band and other donors were suspended fund for ex-DNFE project for corruption in NGO selection and DNFE become down BNFE but they are still following bad practices of last Government.
Due to absence of ADAB as NGO apex body was blocked & restrained to act as coordinating body for NGOs by the last 4-party alliance government resume and its allies big business NGOs, they can easily continue their monopoly business smoothly.
You have seen in other projects i.e NNP project of MoHFW, they have invited EOI and showing NGOs selection procedure maintaining transparent and credibility. After end of the selection process, we have seen the existing NGOs who were selected in last 4-party ruling government resume are selected. The VGD programme under MoWCA, CDMP under MoFDM, and PLCHED project under MoPME supported by ADB and World Bank, GFATAM Malaria Control Programme under WHO and health ministry etc maintained same system to select as NGOs.
There are so many potentials NGOs have capacity and past working experience to carryout the said project activities. They are not awarded due to not afford the unfair business. NGO selection now maintaining Public Procurement Act 2008, which is treated NGOs as business party and NGOs will select through analyzing asset, fund and liaison basis. As a result many local and small NGOs become helpless, not able to support local community. If any project implement by the local NGOs and through local people, the result will sustain and cost will minimize and they have social responsibility & obligation to the local people.
At present what we have to seen to selecting NGOs for Government projects in Bangladesh; § NGOs based in Dhaka or have set up Dhaka § NGOs have large amount of micro credit fund § NGO have multistoried building, asset, modern equipment & communication facilities § NGOs have good contact & liaison with ruling government parties § NGOs have capacity to handling cash money or have partnership with PKSF, banks etc § NGOs have liaison with government officials, who making unfair business. § NGO have to willingness to provide large amount of Bank draft/DD/bank guarantee which is create barrier to small NGOs § A few big NGOs making syndicates and control whole NGO oriented GoB projects. § Same NGOs are selecting in many projects at a time in many places and it maintaining a chain that is easy to transecting money & continue unfair business. § No real NGO representative in project selection committees, § Corporate NGOs awarded & promoted, instead of humanitarian or right based and progressive NGOs
So this is our appeal to save our NGO sector and please give direction to; - reconstitute the NGO selection criteria under BEHTRUWC under BNFE - develop separate procurement policy for NGO, stop NGO selection by PPR-2008 - activate ADAB as NGO coordinating body who protect rights of local NGOs
Otherwise all local humanitarian initiatives & philanthropy will fall down and there will be big social uncertainty, unrest will hamper the whole social and human progress of the nation.
Yours sincerely,
S M Nazer Hossain Chairperson, ADAB Chittagong Chapter & EC Member, ADAB Central Executive Committee
Association of Development Agencies in Bangladesh(ADAB) Chittagong Chapter House # 339, Road # 14, Block-B Chandgaon R/A, Chittagong-4212 Tel: 880-31-670302, 01713-110054 (chair) E-mail: adab.chittagong@yahoo.com |
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