HLP Thematic Workshop
Ensuring services for all: Women and Child Friendly Budgeting
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
Organized by
National Institute of Local Government (NILG)
Institutionalization of HLP in Bangladesh Project
With Support From
Local Government Division (LGD)
Switzerland Embassy
Breaking The Silence
Marie Stopes Bangladesh and Shushilan
Padma Conference Hall-Pan Pacific SONARGAON Dhaka
7 September 2022
WHAT IS HORIZONTAL LEARNING PROGRAM (HLP)?
 An outcome-based peer-to-peer learning platform.
 LGI led.
 Facilitated by the NILG under the guidance of LGD,
and supported by development partners (DP) and
national programs, such as, LGSP-3/UPDA.
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HLP OBJECTIVES
The main objective of the horizontal learning is to: Enhance the capacities of the LGIs.
 Scale up of good practices.
 Create a platform of LGIs for networking
 Provide Practice to Policy support
HLP: KEY PRINCIPLES
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BASIC PHILOSOPHY OF HLP
HLP: PRACTICE TO POLICY
Institutionalizing Best Practices Through HLP Policy
Identify Good Practices within and beyond HLP area
Horizontal Learning Program
Non-HLP
experiences
NILG
-> LGD
Policy
> 50 times
> 50
times
- Captured lessons learned
from HLP
- Prepared Learning Notes
- Integrated good practices
- within NILG’s regular
training courses.
Replicate
Integrate
within BBG
UP self-selects
for replication
Good Practices
Good Practices
Good Practices
Good Practices
UPs identify, share, and
prioritize to learn and
replicate.
Good Practices
Good Practices
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CHILD FRIENDLY BUDGET
Ward Shava, Agardari Union, Satkhira Sadar Upazila, Satkhira
CHILD FRIENDLY BUDGET
Identification of what’s the issue? (Carried out by children.)
The Eighth Five Year Plan clearly emphasized on focusing and
prioritizing child friendly activities at all levels. However, in reality…
 There was no awareness among the communities to address any
issues related to children.
 There was no committee and/or ‘appropriate platform’ within
Union Parishad to share and/or address the existing problems and
constraints related to children.
 There was no scope for children to participate in UP annual
planning and budget meetings of Ward Shavas, and UP Open
Budget Meeting.
 There was no awareness and/or concern regarding Child Friendly
Budget among UP functionaries.
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CHILD FRIENDLY BUDGETING
Description (by Chairman)
 Children are the future of the nation.
 But we did not have proper awareness and mechanism to address their needs
and aspirations. This is not mentioned in our existing Operational Manual.
 The Child Friendly Budget helps to sensitize all UP functionaries, and
community to think about children, and give them space to address their own
needs and reflect their aspirations.
 We learned this good practice from 78 UPs, and then started replicating in our
own Unions.
 Children are now joining Ward Shava and UP Open Budget meetings, share
their own ideas, review final annual plan and budget, including scheme
implementation and supervision team to review schemes that are dedicated to
them.
 Children are now responsible and are showing their interest in the
development of their own Union.
CHILD FRIENDLY BUDGETING
Achievement (by Elected Women Representatives)
 In the last 05 years (2018-2022), a total of 78 Unions introduced Child
Friendly Budgets at Union level in Satkhira district in Bangladesh.
 Total 98,281,850/- BDT (1,051,518 USD) has been allocated by 78
Unions in 05 years to replicate 1,173 Child Friendly Schemes.
 Total 1,44,923 children have directly benefited from improvement of
services under Child Friendly Budget.
 Total 77,824 girl and 67,099 boy students were benefited.
 628 Child marriages were stopped.
 66 potential sexual harassment were addressed.
 782 dropout students were readmitted into schools.
 Total 990 child volunteers emerged as potential leaders.
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CHILD FRIENDLY BUDGETING
Validation of ‘Child Friendly Good Practice’ (by DDLG)
Upazila representatives, especially UNOs are also visiting the good
practice sites of HLP. This specific good practice on Child Friendly
Budget was validated by UNOs, and reviewed by the respective
DDLGs.
Lessons Learned (by BTS)
If children get the opportunity, then they can demonstrate their full
potentiality to address their own issues, and to even guide Unions to
improve services like, improving infrastructure (roads, culverts
connecting schools); playgrounds; school classrooms; gender
friendly
latrines;
and(by
so UP
on. Chair & UNO)
Suggestions
for cycle
policysheds;
reform
CHILD FRIENDLY BUDGETING
Suggestions for policy reform (by UP Chair & UNO)
1. Issue LGD official circular to all Unions to consider and include
‘Child Friendly Budget’ in annual Budget and Plan of Unions.
2. Include/mention ‘Children’ as one of the target groups within UP
Operational Manual, as well as UPDA Guidelines, and engage
them in annual planning, budgeting, implementation, and
monitoring of child related activities.
3. Include the ‘Child Friendly Budget’ in NILG’s regular course
curriculum, and share it in NILG’s regular UP Orientation
Courses.
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WOMEN FRIENDLY BUDGETING
WOMEN FRIENDLY BUDGETING
The SDG 3 has set a universal target, which
means Bangladesh has to reduce maternal
mortality to less than 70 per 100,00 live births
by 2030 and it is recognized that access to
reproductive health including FP service in key to
reduce maternal death.
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WOMEN FRIENDLY BUDGETING
Context
 Limited access to a full range of maternal health and family
planning services.
 High unmet need for family planning, which is higher in rural
areas compared to urban areas
 FWCs non-functional due to lack of adequate infrastructure,
equipment, and human and financial resources. In addition, local
government oversight of FWCs varies widely.
 Service providers have few incentives to work in remote regions
challenged by crumbling infrastructure of rural areas and poorly
maintained health facilities with inadequate equipment and
supplies.
 People representatives are not well informed
 Less involvement of local government
WOMEN FRIENDLY BUDGETING
Achievements (by Elected Women Representative)
 Local Government has allocated a total budget of BDT
16,44,14,227 from FY 2017-18 to FY 2021-22 under
323 unions of 37 Upazilas.
 Effective utilization of the allocated budget by
engaging the community people.
 Formalization of community-based working groups.
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WOMEN FRIENDLY BUDGETING
Impact (by beneficiary)
 More than BDT 600,00,000 spent on
infrastructural development of Union Health
and Family Welfare Center.
 Union councils increased their expenditure for
family planning by 672%. Union councils used
these funds for road construction, purchase
ambulance, furniture for FWCs, relevant
accessories like, OT tables, BP Machine,
weighing machine etc.
 2.5 million women and girls of reproductive
aged girls benefit from the women friendly
budget
WOMEN FRIENDLY BUDGETING
Validation (by DDLG)
PMU unit valeted the initiative on 1st July of 2022 at
Dhamalia Union of Dumuria Upazila Khulna and based on
the evidence and validation of HLP PMU unit has issues a
circular the initiative as a best practice.
Lessons Learned (by MSB)
 Engaging local community is crucial to identify
opportunities, challenges and accountability
 Engaging local government builds local ownership to
strengthen health system.
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WOMEN FRIENDLY BUDGETING
Suggestions for policy reform (by UP Chair & UNO)
 Issue a circular to operationalize the
exiting act to improve women’s access to
SRH services
 Issued a circular to adopt the community
engagement model for strengthening the
health service for women
 Include the ‘ women friendly budgeting’ in
NILG’s regular course curricula and share
this in NILG’s regular UP Orientation
Courses
NEXT STEPS
Based on guidance and advice from this HLP
Thematic Workshop, NILG will prepare (like
earlier) a draft circular, and submit to LGD for
review, and finalization to issue a circular for
LGIs.
THANK YOU
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