Education

Peace

Development

TERM PAPER
ON
Challenging the Frontiers of Poverty Reduction (CFPR)
Of
BRAC BANK

Under the Supervision of

Md. Jahangir Alam
Lecturer
Department of Accounting.
Moqbular Rahman Govt. College, Panchagarh

Prepared By
Sadequr Rahman
Roll- 9586064
Reg. 1573600
Session: 2009-2010
BBA Hons 2nd Year
Department of Accounting
Moqbular Rahman Govt. College, Panchagarh

Date: 24 April, 2013

Letter of Transmittal
April 24, 2013

Md. Jahangir Alam

Lecturer
Department of Accounting
Moqbular Rahman Govt. College, Panchagarh
Re: Submission of Term Paper.
Dear Sir,
I am pleased to inform you that I have completed the term paper on Challenging the
Frontiers of Poverty Reduction (CFPR) a way of Poverty Alleviation. I am in high
spirits that now I can present it. Though due to shortage of time I face some difficulties
to complete this report properly but I have tried my level best.
I, therefore, hope and pray that my report will leave up to your satisfaction.

Sincerely,
Sadequr Rahman
Roll- 9586064
Reg. 1573600
Session: 2009-2010
BBA Hons 2nd Year
Department of Accounting
Moqbular Rahman Govt. College, Panchagarh

Students Declaration
I hereby declare that the report of term paper namely Challenging the Frontiers of
Poverty Reduction (CFPR) a way of Poverty Alleviation. By me after the completing of
three months of internship with BRAC and a comprehensive study of Challenging the
Frontiers of Poverty Reduction (CFPR) a way of Poverty Alleviation.

I also declare that this paper is my original work and prepared for academic purpose
which is a part of BBA and the paper may not be used in actual market scenario.

Supervisors Declaration
I hereby declare that the concerned report entitled Challenging the Frontiers of
Poverty Reduction (CFPR) a way of Poverty Alleviation is an original work by,
Sadequr Rahman, BBA Hons 2nd Year, Department of Accounting, Moqbular Rahman
Govt. College, Panchagarh. has completed his term paper under my supervision and
submitted for the partial fulfillment of the requirement of the degree of Bachelor of
Business Administration (BBA) at Moqbular Rahman Govt. College, Panchagarh.

Md. Jahangir Alam

Lecturer
Department of Accounting
Moqbular Rahman Govt. College, Panchagarh

Table of Contents
Chapter- 01: Introduction
1.1 Background of BRAC
1.2 Objective
1.3 Methodology

Chapter- 02: Conceptual Issues Of BRAC

2.1 Introduction
2.2 Programme Management
2.3 Financial Management
2.4 Human Resource Management
2.5 Staff Training & Capacity Building
2.6 Development in Human Resource Management
2.7 CFPR Programme Management
2.8 Rural Management
2.9 Urban Development
2.10 Education
2.11 Health Population & Nutrition
2.12 Support Services
2.14 Background of CFPR
2.15 Theoretical Approaches and the CFPR

Chapter- 03: Modality of BRAC CFPR Programme

3.1 Targeting & Coverage
3.2 CFPR-Phase-I
3.3 CFPR-Phase-II
3.4 CFPR-Programme Components
3.4.1 Special Investment Programme
3.4.2 Enterprise Development Training

Chapter- 04: Findings & Analysis

Chapter- 05: Conclusion
5.1 Recommendation
5.2 Conclusion
1

Introduction
1.1 Background of BRAC:
BRAC is registered in Bangladesh under the Societies Registration Act of 1860.
All of BRACc projects and activities operate this umbrella. This includes of surplusgenerating enterprises such as Aarons (a chain of retail handicraft shops) and BRACs
Dairy and Food Project, which serve the dual purposes of linking rural producers with

profitable markets, while also supporting BRACs core development programmes.

Related institutions and activities which are legally separate entities include BRAC
Bank and BRAC University.
1.2 Objective:
The major objectives of the study are to gain a more extensive understanding of the
components and modality of BRAC CFPR Program in Bangladesh and the way it is
being replicated in identifying ultra poor ,transferring assets, tanning, essential health
care and social support. While analyzing the implementation of BRAC CFPR Program
at rural level, the focus of the study is the assessment of opportunity for development
and execution of BRAC CFPR Program in ultra poor arena and how the model is finetuned to meet the demand and supply of the local conditions.
1.3 Methodology:
As the whole report focuses on BRAC CFPR Program
# Field trips to Taragonj, Rangpur and Ullapara, Sirajgonj were made, to observe the
local scenario of the BRAC CFPR Program and learn the mechanism behind it.
# Discussion with the Mid-Level Managers in different Area offices to understand how
the program implementation was done.
# In addition, to conduct the study, secondary data and secondary literature were used
from BRAC Development Program (BDP) and BRAC Research & Evaluation Division
(RED).
# This report is divided into two sections. Section I consists of the modality of BRAC
CFPR Program. Section II consists of the Logical Framework Analysis of CFPR.

2
Conceptual Issues of BRAC
2.1 Introduction:
Over BRACs more than 35-year history, it has faced numerous challenges as it sought
to enter new programme areas and to scale up its activities. In recent years, BRAC has
recognized that there are new challenges for its personnel and organizational

arrangements, including as a result of its expansion into other developing countries.

This has led BRAC to explore and consider its future, with particular reference to how
it manages its human resources and its organizational culture.
Part of the aim of this rethinking within BRACs management in to develop future
leaders who are capable of managing a 21 st century BRAC, to introduce performance
oriented and values-based management principles and practices, and to create a more
participatory and just organizational culture. A key management initiative was the
creation of the Committee on Organizational Culture Transformation. The objective of
the Committee was to intensify transparency, equity and justice within the
organizational culture in order to increase job satisfaction and motivation among staff.
The Committee reported in September 2006, and made recommendations to do with
senior management; communications strategies across staff within BRAC; team
building; entitlements relating to transfers, posting, leave, salary and benefits etc; staff
capacity-building; and gender justice and organizational culture. At present, plants for
operational sing these recommendations are in process.

2.2 Programme Management:

BRAC has 4 core programmes:
#

Economic Development programme

Education programme

Health programme

Social Development. Human Rights and Legal Services programme

And 10 support programmes:

#

Training Division

Research and Evaluation Division

Human Rights and Advocacy Unit

Public Affairs and Communication Department

Publications and Audiovisual Department

Administration and Special Projects

Finance and Accounts Department

Internal Audit Department

Monitoring Department

Human Resources Department.

The Overall management of BRAC is the responsibility of the Chief Executive Officer,
who is also the Chairperson of the Governing Board, with the support of the Executive
Director. There are three Deputy Executive Directors with supervisory responsibilities
for different core and support programmes.13 Directors damage the four core and 10
support programmes. Some individual programmes, including the CFPR Programme,
also have their own Programme Heads, who report to Deputy Executive Directors, or in
some cases, to Directors. Programme Heads are directly responsible for a headquarterbased team, who are directly responsible for field operations and overall programme
management.
BRACs management policies clearly define the authority of each level of staff. The
appropriate staffs are empowered to take decisions at Area. Regional and Head Office
levels. Procedural manuals and policy documents are made available to staff, these
detail organizational policies and procedures. Day-to-Day decisions are taken by Area
managers, Regional coordinators and Programme Heads as appropriate, while larger
policy decisions involve Programme Heads, Directors and Deputy Executive Directors,
and even, in particular cases, the Executive Director and Chairperson. A recent decision
has been establish and Executive Management Team at Head Office level to meet every
four weeks to discuss different policies and agendas of BRAC including managementand human resource-related issues.
2.3 Financial Management:
All matters relating to finance and accounts from Area Offices to Head Office are
supervised and controlled by the Finance and Accounts Department. The Area Offices
prepare project wise monthly cash requisitions, which are sent to the Regional Office.
The Regional Office checks and monitors the accuracy of the requisition and then sends
it to Head Office. After checking, the Head Office disburses funds as per the requisition.
After receiving funds, the Area Office send monthly Expenditure Statements to the
Head Office Finance and Accounts Department. Head Office also presents various
financial statements and reports to the BRAC management and donors, as required. A
comprehensive Accounting Manual guides accounts personnel in preparing financial
statements and reports following accounting standards, and in running other financial
activities in a systematic and efficient way.
2.4 Human Resource Management:

The Human Resources Department (HRD) is chiefly responsible for recruitment,

deployment, staff appraisal, and all aspects of Human Resource Management (HRM)
from Head Office. Once of the central roles of the HRD is to establish and disseminate a
clear-cut policy regarding the authority of each level of staff, in the form of the Human
Resources Policies and Procedure (HRPP). The HRPP also contains all policies relating
to staff salary, benefits. Recruitment and promotion procedures; payments, etc. Every
staff member receives orientation on HRPP.
2.5 Staff Training and capacity-building:
BRAC places high priority on the training and capacity building of staff. Starting in
1978, BRAC has established its first Training and Resource Centre (TARC) in Savar. To
date, there are 14 TARCs across the country each with the capacity for between 100
and 200 residential course participants at any time.
Immediately after recruitments and before deployment, new staffs are sent for five-day
pre-service training by the Training Division, in which they are introduced to the entire
BRAC programme, its objectives and mission. After this, they are deployed in the
respective programme areas in the field. According to the needs of the different
programmes, staffs are then given programme-specific training. Most programmes also
have separate training units within the programme unit, for more specialized training.
For example, in the SIP programmed, for training on livestock and poultry, skilled
graduates in the relevant subject are requited to provide expert training. BRAC also
sends staff on short and longer-term international training courses.
2.6 Developments in Human Resource Management:
In line with its commitment to investing in its staff, BRAC is continually seeking to
improve its human resource management practices, in order to deliver better services to
the poor, in particular women. Recent initiatives include:
#

Strengthening communication systems within and beyond the organization, in

part
to improve learning mechanisms within BRAC
#

Efforts to address gender relations, justice and culture within the organization

One-off recruitment of all-women management trainees

Changes to the systems of transfers and leave, to make these friendlier to staff
needs

introducing performance appraisal

A new mentoring programmed to support junior staff in their personal and

professional development.

2.7 CFPR Programme Management:

As mentioned above, BRACs four main development programmes education,
social ,health and economic development all contain sub-programmes and component
activities in addition to their main programme activities. Organizationally, the CFPR
falls within BRACs overall economic development programme. The mainstream
development programmes under BRACs economic development can be divided into
programmes for moderate poor (the regular microfinance programme) and the CFPR
programme, which is aimed at the ultra poor. While they are organizationally separate,
there is considerable communication and learning between these two mainstream
programmes, through regular meetings and briefing sessions.
Figure 6. depicts the management arrangements for the CFPR programme.
Colored boxes depict the core CFPR management group, while dotted lines indicate
formal coordination arrangements in the absence of direct line management
relationships. As outlined above, programme management is structured, but directed by
a need to be adaptive and reflective to improve programme effectiveness.
#

The CFPR programme is composed of four major components

namely, Special Investment Programme (SIP) Enterprise Development Training (EDT),

Social Development, Human Rights and Legal Services (SD & HRLS) And Essential
Health Care (EHC). The deputy Executive Director of Operations is responsible for the
decisions making of the overall policy and strategy applying to the programme. There is
responsible programme Heads for the four main components of the programme; the
programme Coordinator for the Ultra Poor programme (specifically SIP, and EDT for
STUP and OTUP), the programme coordinator for different programme Heads for

effective operation. The programme Heads for respective components report directly to
the Deputy and Chairperson are also involved in the decision making process.
# Programme Heads oversee the entire programme management,
including field operations are directly supervised by Field Operation Units based at the
Head Office. Which are managed by Senior Regional Managers who in turn report
directly to programme Heads. Senior Regional Managers provide direct supervision of
the district-level Regional Managers/Coordinators. Day-to-day field operations at the
Area Office level, including the work of the Programme Organizers in the field, are
managed

by

the Area

Managers/Supervisors, who report to the Regional

Managers/Coordinators
#

As noted above with respect to BRAC staff in general, CFPR

Porgramme staff are fully equipped and empowered to act as effective managers and
implementers of the programme activities. BRAC policies regarding the authority and
power at each level of staff are clearly set out in BRACs Human Resources Policies and
Procedures (HRPP) document.
#A donor liaison office called DLO is set us for CFPR phase I for assisting
the donors in maintaining liaison .It is separate from BRAC management and is funded
and coordinated by the donor consortium.
2.8 Rural development:
The Rural Development Programme (RDP) established in 1986 is the largest
programme of BRAC RDP has organized over 3.3 million poor landless people (97 %
women) into over 89.00 village organizations (VO).The VOs are the nucleus of all RDP
activities and key institutions for service delivery and development interventions. The
RDP activities are implemented through 431 area offices of which 265 are self financing.
Poverty is a complex issue that needs a holistic approach and innovative interventions
for its reduction. The RDP interventions in 1999 include programmes on credit and
savings, poultry and livestock, fisheries sericulture, social forestry, income generation
for vulnerable group development, rural enterprise, micro enterprise leading and
assistance human rights and legal support, and essential health care.

BRACs social development initiatives aim to increase its members

awareness of their rights and responsibilities to reduce social discrimination. small
enterprises rum and owned by VO members include as of November 1999,7,696 small
grocery shops, 2,740 laundry shops, 642 tailoring shops, 1,881 restaurants, and 12 model
restaurants.
2.9 Urban development:
BRAC initiated urban development programme for urban poor in 1992 with 10 urban
schools, BRAC has organized 91,490 urban poor (99% women) through 3,101 UPO
(urban poors organization) in Dhaka. Chittagong, Khulna, and Rajshahi, Until
November 1999 Tk, 27 crore (US $ 5.4 million) was disbursed as loan with 99%
recovery rate. Urban development activities include small trade such as manufacturing
of candles. Handicrafts, furniture, food supply, repair shops, garbage and polyphonic
collection, and health check up for garment workers most of whom are women.
2.10 Education:
BRAC initiated Non-formal Primary Education Programme (NFPE) in 1985 with 22
experimental schools in Manikganj to provide basic education to poor children . The
feature of BRAC schools is one teacher teaches on group of students (30-33) in one
rented thatched classroom for four years. The syllabus of the national 5 year primary
education is covered in a 4 year span in NFPE schools. School timing is flexible. Until
1998 it was a 3 year cycle this programme is expanded to over 34000 no formal schools
providing education to 1.1 million students, 66% being girls. The teachers (33,747) are
mostly females (97%) The NFPE model is for children aged 8-10 years and the BEOC
(Basic education for older children) modern is for adolescents aged 11-14 years . BRAC
also runs 1,084 schools for urban poor and working children BRACs education costs
US$ per child per year.
BRAC has set up 7,260 adult literacy centers, 450 community-based
union libraries with a total membership or nearly 418,000 and 7,169 reading centers
with 229,408 membership. A locally requited part time librarian preferably woman,
operates a union library, BRAC provides 1,000 books to each of these libraries.

2.11 Health, population and nutrition:

BRACs health interventions include four major health programmes. These are
Reproductive Health an Disease Control (RHDC), The Health and Family Planning
Facilitation Programme (H&FP-PP) under the Rural Service Delivery Partnership
(RSDP) of National Integrated Population and Health Programme (NIPHP), The
Nutrition Facilitation Programme (NFP) through Bangladesh Integrated Nutrition
Project (BINP). The programmes are implemented and managed by the Health and
Population Division (HPD). The fourth programme is the Essential Health Care (EHC)
Managed by RDP with technical support from HPD. DPD works 92

thanas of28

districts covering a population of 20.4 million in 19,394 villages. HPD operates 4,114.
The NIPHP, a 7 year programme is a partnership between the
government, USAID, and NGOs like BRAC It aims to enhance the quality of life of poor
and under-privileged segment of the society by helping to reduce fertility and improve
family health. Once of its seven components is RSDP where BRAC is involved as a
partner. It has been implementing essential service package through RSDP and H&FPFP in 33 thanas of 8 districts. BRAC also works with the government as a partner in the
implementation of BINP to reduce malnutrition in Bangladesh especially in under 5
children, women of reproductive age, and adolescent girls.

2.12 Support Services:

The support programmes and services played a vital role in BRACs steady growth and
successful interventions. The major support activities include training, research and
evaluation, monitoring, computerised MIS services, audio-visual facilities, publications,
communications and public relations.

Commercial projects: Among serves as a marketing outlet for the rural

artisans and for BRAC products 20 shops in Bangladesh and abroad. A modern offset
printing press, a cold storage, a dairy and food project poultry farms, and poultry feed
mills are supporting the programmes.
Training: Training is an integral part of BRACs programme
implementation. The Training Division operates 20 residential training centers to
conduct round-the-year training of its staff and programme participants. In 1999 the
Training Division offered training to nearly 58000 participants, 97.8 % of whom were
BRAC staff and its programme participants. More than 68 % of the participants were
female.

The Global Partnership offers Post graduate Diploma in NGO leadership

and Management and a masters Programme in Bangladesh and the USA. It is a joint
initiative of BRAC, Organizations of Rural Associations for Progress (ORAP) of
Zimbabwe, and the school for International Training (SIT) of the USA.
Research: Extensive and continuous research is needed to design effective
programmes and properly measure their achievements. The Research and Evaluation
Division (RED) provides research support to BRAC programmes; It conducts
multidisciplinary studies with a multidimensional team of skilled researchers. RED also
undertakes collaborative studies with national and international organizations.

Monitoring: The Monitoring Department of BRAC regularly keeps

BRAC staff and management informed of the programme performance. It provides
many pivotal information to BRAC management facilitating the decision making
process and successful programme implementation.
Publications:

The Publications Section produces low-cost reading

materials for programme participants, BRAC staff and for the community at large. A
large proportion of its publication of its publications is for children, for whom there is a
dearth of affordable reading materials. Under this programme, BRAC has so far

published 120 titles. BRAC regularly participates in book fairs throughout the country
to promote reading habit. Gonokendra an illustrated monthly magazine is published
mainly for rural readership including students of BRAC schools. A bi monthly
newsletter shetu is published in Bangla for BRAC staff.
Computer: The Computer Centre provides extensive support to maintain
art efficient management information system (MIS) for BRAC management.
Library: The Ayesha abed Library at BRAC head office is an open stack
easy access library that contains over 10,000 books, periodicals, and documents on
subjects related to development issues. It has been growing as a resource centre for
development practitioners. The library is currently being computerised. Small libraries,
maintained at all TARCs and BCDMs provide reference services to all levels of
trainees.

2.13 Management and funding:

Decentralized and participatory management is a salient feature of BRAC management.
Teamwork and sharing of responsibilities are two important values in BRAC. BRAC
promotes women in all its activities with a commitment to gender equality having nearly
28% female staff.
BRAC is headed by its founder executive director who works under the
overall guidance of a governing body. An advisor, three deputy executive directors, and
nice directors assist the executive director.
In 1999 BRAC spent US $ 131 million, 39% being received from various
donors worldwide including the government of Bangladesh. The rest of the money came
from revenues earned through service charge and various income generating projects.
2.14 Background of Challenging the Frontiers of Poverty Reduction (CFPR):
Despite progress on poverty reduction and human development, half of Bangladeshs
140 million populations were classified as poor and one third as extremely poor as

recently as 2000. This vast problem received heightened priority since Bangladeshs
2005 PRSP highlighted the general failure to address extreme poverty, pointing to the
urgent need or more effective social safety nets and programmes targeted at the poorest.
The CFPR programme fits squarely within this national agenda.
The CFPR programme emerged out of three decades of learning from
BRACs rural poverty alleviation programmes. A crucial lesson was that the moderate
poor benefited from the widely available microfinance programmes; the poorest did not
in most of the cases, however, either because hey lacked access, or because they were too
poor or vulnerable to make productive use of such services. This signaled the need for
new approaches to tackling the specific livelihood constraints of the ultra poor. The twopronged CFPR model was developed to respond to this need by going further and
deeper than conventional poverty reduction strategies. It is designed to push down with
instruments specially designed to help the ultra poor build their livelihoods and develop
their human capabilities, while pushing out to remove the wider socio-political
constraints on their development, and raise the profile and priority of ultra poverty
within the wider society.
External and in house evidence of the impact of CFPR during phase I
testify to the effectiveness of the model in enabling a permanent move but of extreme
poverty. Specific positive impacts on ultra poor participants include:
#

Economic: Dramatic improvements in ownership of productive

Assets and land, investment in enterprises, savings and income
Levels beyond the cycle of the programme; notable reduction in
Vulnerable and food insecurity.

Personal and Social: Marked achievements in terms of improved

Awareness of rights, capacity to plan self-confidence, social
Inclusion and community participation.

Socio-political institutions and voice: institutions for giving voice

To the ultra poor were created and strengthened; networks of
Influential champions were identified and engaged to support
To support the ultra poor and raise voice on their behalf.

Health and nutrition: targets were exceeded on key health

Indicator including fertility, safe water, latrine use, immunization,
Vitamin A supplementation and post natal care; improvements
Were also achieved in childrens nutritional status in targeted
Households.

A key finding of external assessments was that the CFPR is highly cost effective and
represents an extremely productive use of development funds. This is vital to the success
of a model which is comparatively resource intensive. Programme management was also
identified as a major contributing factor to the achievements of CFPR, with the strong
emphasis on staff capacity building, monitoring and feedback from the field singled out
for attention.
2.15 Thoretical Approaches and the CFPR:
Bangladesh has enjoyed modest success in reducing poverty since Independence; the
national headcount poverty rate declined from over 70 percent in 1973-74 to 59 percent
in 1991-92, and then again to 50 percent in 2000 range of health and education
indicators have also shown considerable improvements, particularly over the 1990s.
While this trend is heartening, the absolute number of poor people living below the
poverty line has remained virtually unchanged at 63 million between 1991-92 and 2000.
The number of rural people below the lower more severe poverty line declined between
1991-92 and 2000 from 45 million, but only to roughly 37 million. Evidence now shows
that this group is poor not only in income consumption terms, it has also advances little
compared in terms of social indicators compared to the rest of the population,
experiencing worse health status, lower nutritional levels, and a limited likelihood of
gaining an adequate education. The size of the population needing support to rise above
this poverty line remains daunting, and poses a critical challenge. Analysis of
programmatic interventions targeted at the poor undertaken for the first phase of
CFPR suggested that there were two major areas where new instruments were needed.
First, it was clear that interventions were needed to push down to where conventional
poverty reduction had not reached. The major targeted poverty reduction activity,
microfinance, it became clear, was inadequate for addressing the needs of the very
poorest Through Government programmes, NGOs and the Grameen Bank,

microfinance now reaches more than 80 percent of villages and has more than 16
million loanees, mainly women. However, evidence has shown that it is principally the
moderately poor, with incomes just below the poverty line and vulnerable households
just above the poverty line who are able to make effective use of microfinance.
Compared to poorer households the moderate poor are considerably more likely to join
NGOs take loans and to develop profitable micro enterprises.
The second part of the challenge emerged in response to greater appreciation of the
multiple dimensions of rural poverty. This was in part due to participatory poverty
assessments. Moving beyond conventional indicators of income and human poverty,
poor people themselves have provided accounts of their poverty that highlight gender
inequality, powerlessness and injustice. Related to these forms of deprivation a defining
characteristic of the ultra poor is that they usually lack social capital the social networks
and relationships that are so necessary for coping and surviving in rural Bangladesh.
This is signaled by their general inability to acquire patrons who may provide security,
even though this often comes at the cost of dependency obligations which may endure
over generations and be demeaning or arduous. Addressing these dimensions in a
poverty reduction strategy requires different interventions to those focused primarily on
material poverty.
In phase II as in Phase I the core rationale underlying CFPR programme design is to
use new instruments of intervention to address these two areas simultaneously; pushing
down and pushing out the frontiers of the poverty reduction agenda.
A Sustainable Livelihoods framework, or an assets and Vulnerability framework as it is
sometimes called provides a useful diagrammatic description of the issues underlying
these two needs. The diagram presented here is adapted from a DFID one, but it shares
similar perspectives with several agencies. BRAC has in fact been operating to service
the poor in most areas identified through the diagram, but has not itself previously
developed such a framework for its won activities, even though these fit well within it.
The approach provides a checklist of issues to address, and points to the need to focus
on governance issues as they relate to poverty reduction.

The ultra poor are constrained in all three areas. The first is the vulnerability context.
The seasonality of vulnerability is well documented in Bangladesh, with the October
November period being a time of vulnerability, especially for those households
dependent on wage labor, moreover many of the ultra poor live in areas exposed to risk
of flooding or river erosion. The geographic targeting of the CFPR enables BRAC to
focus on areas of vulnerability in this way. The risk of asset loss as a result of natural
disaster will be accommodated through a clearly defined and articulated risk
management strategy. The programme is specifically designed to strengthen the
livelihoods asset base of ultra poor rural households through asset transfer, training,
special health services.
The Social developing component seeks to address the socio political constraints of the
ultra poor and in so doing will directly support the essential health care programme
which is designed to operate through a rights based framework, by increasing the access
of the ultra poor to Government health services. It is well established that poor health is
the most common cause of household crisis and of income erosion in rural Bangladesh.
By active participation in support of the governments essential health services
programme by addressing new disease and recurrence of old once threatening the poor
and the ultra poor, BRACs programme seeks to reduce this threat in sustainable ways.

3
Modality of BRAC CFPR Programme
3.1 Targeting and Coverage:
In phase II, the CFPR programme will work in 40 districts in Bangladesh, including the
20 districts with the highest concentration of extreme poverty (including 15 that were

covered in phase I), and 20 districts with the next highest concentration of poverty and
extreme poverty. The named of the districts are detailed in annexes 4.
3.2 Challenging the Frontiers of Poverty Reduction (CFPR) Phase I:
The CFPR programme went through a gestation period before being implemented as a
pilot programme in Phase I. Evidence testifying to the success of Phase I includes inhouse research, which has demonstrated significant progress in reducing extreme
poverty, including in its non-material dimensions, and a series of external evaluations
which have repeatedly been extremely positive.
Number of STUP and other ultra poor in phase I
Programmes
STUP
IGVGD
BDP Ultra

2002
5000
6740
10000

2003
5000
114425
25000

2004
10000
125576
60000

2005
30000
463557
160000

2006
50000
2643
50000

Phase I
100000
712941
605000

Poor
Total

21740

144425

195576

653557

402643

1417941

3.3 Challenging the Frontiers of Poverty Reduction (CFPR) Phase II:

The CFPR programme contains within it the fruits of three decades of learning and
innovation from BRACs work with the rural poor in Bangladesh. The model has
demonstrated to work, and therefore, phase II is an expansion of phase I activities. In
phase II, the programme will work in 40 districts in Bangladesh, including the 20
districts with the highest concentration of extreme poverty, and the 20 districts with the
next highest concentration of poverty and extreme poverty.
3.4 CFPR Programme Components:
The CFPR programme has the following components:
3.4.1 Special Investment Programme (SIP)
The SIP supports ultra poor women in building their livelihoods by providing them
with
*

Assets carefully selected as the basis of a sustainable enterprise that will suit their
personal capacities

* A small subsistence allowance duration depending on the personal circumstances

and
the speed with which the enterprise atarts to show returns
*

Flexible saving products, to help ultra poor households establish a savings habit

* A social support network, in the form of local committees of volunteer elites and
community members who support the ultra poor womens
3.4.2 Enterprise Development Training (EDT)
The core activities under the EDT involve:
*

3 to 6 days of specialized class-room based enterprise development training

* Weekly home visits, involving hands-on training

*

Monthly, quarterly and 6 monthly refresher courses

In addition to this activities, participants under the OTUP I model will be provided with
a small subsistence allowance, intensive staff supervision and support and arrangements
for soft loans or flexible micro credit product.

4
Findings and Analysis
The following Issues have been found during the study:
Narrative Summary

Objectively Verifiable

Achievements

Goal:

Indicator
Extreme poverty

From January to june 2007,

Incidence of extreme

incidences reduced in the

6,687 STUP I and 3,810

poverty in Bangladesh

targeted ultra poor

STUP II members received

halved by 2015

households

assets to develop sustainable

Reduced malnutrition I

livelihoods.
Vitamin capsule had been

children under five years

distributed to 30,520

of age.

children between the age of 1

and 5 during the last vitamin
A campaign day held on

Reduced child and

April 08, 2007.

From January to june 2007,

maternal morbidity and

1,765 STUP women received

morality

ANC and 1,794 STUP

Purpose:

Reduced malnutrition of

women received PNC.

From January to june 2007,

Helping four million

children in ultrapoor and

47,352 member of ultra poor

people lift themselves out

poor households.

participants received health

of the extreme poverty.

Proportion of ultra poor

and nutrition education.

who fail to graduate from

ultra poverty due to health
shocks falls by 50% from
1. 3000,000 STUP

baseline.
At least 80% of STUP

households supported to

graduates families enjoy at productive assets.

successfully develop

least two meals a day.

100% of STUP members use

sustainable income
generating activities.
2.Awareness and

At least of palli shamaj

At least 40% of palli shomaj

confidence of ultra poor

take action on cases

take action on cases domestic

and poor people to achieve

domestic violence and

violence and and against

their rights and

against injustice brought

injustice brought to their

entitlements enhanced.
3.Effective monitoring

to their attention.
International donors,

attention
Baseline survey for STUPI

research and evaluation

researchers and media

and STUPII of second phase

systems operational and

have improved

of CFPR/TUP has been

results effectively

understanding of ultra

initiated.

disseminated.

poverty in Bangladesh and

4.Programme

CFPR.
Project learning systems

The CFPR/TUP report have

management systems

result in evidence based

been shared extensively with

established and

changes to the CFPR

various NGOs and

operational.

approach and logical

government programmes

framework.

and posted on the website

Conclusion
5.1Recommendation:
CFPR is powerful tools and techniques to alleviate poverty . It may apply to urban
street children for education. Food For Education should be start instead of Food

For Work for street children. However CFPR programme might be more strong to
take the following things:
*

Required clear strategic directions

* To be restructure salary and benefits system

*

Decrease street of work

Enhance of job security

* To be increase transport facility

* To be insert a good promotion system
* To be implement leave facilities
* To be valuation of experienced senior worker

5.2 Conclusion:
This study provides an analysis and the implementation of BRAC CFPR programme in
Bangladesh. Preliminary analysis indicates the rather demanding nature of the CFPR
programme and the poverty alleviating environment in Bangladesh. Genuine demand
for CFPR programme however exist and most of CFPR components would perform
well for poverty alleviation. Government of Bangladesh is not meeting t his demand.
Since most of the ultra poor house holds are in the remote areas, because of lack of
training, education, illness, social weakness day by day poor are becoming extreme poor.