The World Bank yesterday launched a third-party monitoring system in Bangladesh as part of its move to give citizens a greater voice in ensuring the best use of public resources and holding local governments accountable for results.

Initially, the Washington based lender will pilot the monitoring system in four of its projects in the country to ensure feedback on progress from project beneficiaries, including vulnerable and disadvantaged people, said Ellen Goldstein, country director, World Bank Bangladesh.

“Project beneficiaries are the best judges of development results. Increasingly, we will be turning to grassroots in villages to help us track progress and provide real time advice to improve implementation,” she said.

"From initial piloting, we expect to expand the initiative and bring more than 25 projects under the radar of citizens' monitoring,” said Goldstein.

"The purpose is to improve quality of the local government projects and identify areas which are working and which are not."

The WB is currently implementing 34 development projects in Bangladesh involving US$5.9 billion.
The WB country chief spoke at the launch of the pilot project at Ruposhi Bangla Hotel in Dhaka.

The bank, in partnership with Manusher Jonno Foundation and the Affiliated Network for Social Accountability (ANSA), South Asia, organised the launching workshop of "Third Party Monitoring of the World Bank's Country Assistance Strategy for Bangladesh (2011 -2014)".

The WB has asked the Manusher Jonno Foundation to conduct an independent assessment of progress in achieving the results identified in the country assistance strategy.

Syed Ashraful Islam, local government, rural development and cooperatives minister, said transparency is a key to good governance.

“Through the initiative, our citizens will have a greater voice in ensuring the best use of public resources, and will hold local governments accountable for results," he said.

The minister admitted that corruption is widespread in the country and has become a disease. "We have become so used to it. We cannot stop trying otherwise change will not come."

The system will provide first-hand information to achieve better development results. Citizens will monitor the delivery and quality of services, and look for any anomalies in service provision.

Shaheen Anam, executive director of MJF, said she hopes the pioneering effort will contribute to strengthening government accountability towards citizens and improving the efficiency and sustainability of the projects.

"Citizen's effective participation in matters relating to public expenditure or in public service delivery has become a major determinant for improving governance. Demand for good governance calls for improved accountability and transparency mechanisms for public spending and resources," she said.

Anam said this is for the first time the WB in cooperation with the government is opening up a number of specific projects for public scrutiny.

She said the WB pilot projects include the Rural Transport Improvement Project, Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Development Project, Emergency Cyclone Recovery and Restoration Project, Local Governance Support Project, Bangladesh Water Supply and Sanitation Project, National Agriculture Technology Project and Public Procurement Reform Project.

"Using various social accountability tools such as community card report, public hearing and social mapping, the community people will monitor the progress and share their findings at meetings with appropriate local authority."

Dr Ainun Nishat, vice chancellor of BRAC University, said monitoring should not be limited to the end of the project. "It should be continuous. However, it should not deter the progress of the project."

Muhammad Zamir, chief information commissioner, and Swapan Kumar Sarkar, national project director of Local Government Support Project, also spoke.

The Daily Star/Bangladesh/ 9th Feb 2012