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INTERIM NARRATIVE REPORT 1st January to 31st March 2013

Poverty Reduction of Vulnerable Households through

Entrepreneurship Development (PROVED) project

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INTERIM NARRATIVE REPORT

1st January to 31st March 2013

Poverty Reduction of Vulnerable Households through

Entrepreneurship Development (PROVED) project

This project is funded by DFID PPA Programme

This project is Implemented by Islamic Relief, Bangladesh

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Table of contents Section 1: Background Information 04

Section 2: Organisational Information and Progress towards Results 05

Section 3: Outcome Reporting 06

Section 4: Output review and scoring 12

Section 5: Organisational effectiveness 18

Section 6: Evidence and Evaluation 19

Section 7: Partnership Working and Value for Money 20

Section 8: Lessons Learned 23

Section 9: Changing Lives Case Study 24

Section 10: Further Information 25

Annex A: Acronyms 26

Annex B: Evidence Table 27

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Section 1 Background Information

1.1 Organisation

Islamic Relief Worldwide, in Programme Partnership Agreement with DFID, has

been implementing microfinance programme in Bangladesh, Kenya, Pakistan,

and Sudan for building capacity and financial innovation. As part of PPA, Islamic

Relief Bangladesh has taken the project - Poverty Reduction of Vulnerable

Households through Entrepreneurship Development (PROVED) to sustainably

increase incomes of 4500 poor households in Rangpur district of Bangladesh

through self-help group approach to small scale enterprise financing using

Islamic finance principles and strengthen Islamic Relief Bangladesh’s capacity in

line with the IRW global initiatives. The project expect to bring three results – (i)

Formation and strengthened functions of 225 self-help groups to develop a

model of enterprise financing based on Islamic finance principles and on a

revolving fund basis; (ii) Enhanced potential livelihood options of targeted

households for increasing income and assets; (iii) Strengthen Islamic Relief

Bangladesh’s microfinance programme in collaboration with IRW and influence

national policies related to Islamic micro-finance.

1.4 Summary of relationship with DFID and other DFID funding

To be written by IRW

1.5 Approximate % of PPA expenditure allocated by sector or theme for

2012/13

To be estimated by IRW

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Section 2 Organisational Information and Progress towards Results

2.1 Describe your organisational type using the categories in the

guidance and the implications for your work.

To be written by IRW

2.2. What is your theory of change for your PPA funds i.e. that

underpinning your logframe?

To be written by IRW

2.5 Logframe

To be written by IRW

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Section 3

Outcome Reporting

3.1 Progress to date against PPA Outcome(s)

i. Narrative on progress

DFID PPA funded PROVED project has been started since January 2013. During the

inception phase (1st three month of the project), the project interventions start-up

and progressed as per plan. The PROVED project is an integration of Community

Action Project (CAP), Financial Services to the poorest Community for Advancing

Livelihoods (FISCAL) Project, IICO (International Islamic Charitable Organization)

funded SHG model Microfinance Project and SAFOLLO project. Under PPA-PROVED

project Islamic Relief Bangladesh’s microfinance programme will be strengthened in

collaboration with IRW global microfinance policy. The interim report on Poverty

Reduction of Vulnerable Households through Entrepreneurship Development

(PROVED) project covers the period of January 01, 2013 to March 31, 2013. During

the inception period, the project initiated its interventions which may not fully

contribute on brining effective outcomes. In this period, project activities able to

result in following outcomes in progress:

Outcome-1

Increased income, well-being and empowerment/inclusion amongst members of

communities in selected fragile states (Bangladesh, Kenya, Pakistan and Sudan)

3400 group members are organized in 199 groups/SHGs (self-help group).

They are running group activities in self-help mode and are being aware of

different social issues (rights, health, nutrition, accessibility etc.). Self-help

group’s dynamics are strengthening day by day and becoming self-reliant.

The SHGs have played very positive role in achieving project outcome

through group approach – group fund, financial management, investment in

appropriate profitable enterprises and financial management all leading to

sustainability of the project outcomes as well as achieve sustainable better

quality livelihood.

The group members, engaged with IRB’s Islamic microfinance programme,

have received capital and skill training. These supports contributed to

development of their livelihoods. They were able to increase their incomes

and fulfil at least basic needs of their families. The financial support of the

project to the group members has able to make a significant

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contribution towards positive behavioural change of the group members. A

total of BDT 2,74,37,000 amount disbursed as loan to 2442 borrowers for IGAs.

A significant project outcome is the capacity development on the part of the

group members for most prudent utilization of the financial resource made

available by the project as Qard al Hasana. The group members procured

their own productive assets and they have invariably purchased quality and

mature animals (goat, sheep and cattle). They became knowledgeable and

skilled on cattle rearing, homestead gardening, small trading and

implementing individual IGA schemes successfully. They have initiated their

start-up capital i.e. productive asset successfully which will contribute

enhancing their per capita income and status of food intake.

Motivation of the members of the poor and marginalized women of the

project towards savings and using this amount in productive investment has

been a significant economic impact of the project. The self-help groups

(SHGs) have opened bank account in the name of group and keeping

accounts by their own. This is a clear indication of capacity building and

dynamic leadership of the SHGs. Out of 199 groups 111 SHGs have their group

savings accounts with local banks, IRB operates CAP project, in CAP project

77 groups are operating through CAP’s project account. 105 groups (52,76%)

have bank account for revolving fund in the name of the respective groups;

3400 beneficiaries are involved in savings scheme, save a small amount of

money weekly basis. The total savings of 3400 beneficiaries is BDT 41,85,000,

while BDT 21030/group and BDT 1,231/members.

The project has shown green light for economic sustainability by way of

performances of the organizations toward savings and capital management.

The groups as a whole have been able to save a significant amount and

have already been successfully invested in various individual schemes.

Outcome-2

Increased knowledge and awareness of Islamic perspectives (on microfinance,

conflict, climate change, gender and child protection) leads to substantive

improvements in the poverty reduction strategies and programmes of Islamic Relief

and other development actors.

The self-help groups (SHG) are adequately empowered to claim their social

recognition, and able to prevent social discrimination and violence

particularly against women and to achieve rights and justice.

All group members can put their signatures, simple calculation and write

meeting resolution, books of accounts for savings and revolving funds.

Increased capacity of the group leaders to manage the group members,

organize meetings, and redress the grievance of the group members.

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Deep motivation and positive change in attitude of the group members

towards children’s education is significant contribution of the project towards

positive up gradation of the future human resources to enhance sustainable

livelihoods.

Awareness on rights and empowerment of the group members increased

their capacity and confidence in decision making at the household as well as

at the community level.

The group members are aware of negative aspect of early marriage; dowry

and positive aspect of child education, all school going aged children of the

beneficiaries are now going to school.

Group members learned about environment and climate change issues. They

are encouraged to practices in their life and livelihoods.

They have promoted their access to the service providers i.e. access to the

local government representatives, government hospitals, Livestock Officers,

Vaccinators, financial institutions (Bank) and other essential services.

Increased awareness on personal health and hygiene. All most all group

members have access to safe drinking water and sanitary latrine. All of their

household members practice hygiene.

Islamic Relief Bangladesh initiated self-help model as alternative strategy of

Islamic microfinance. IRB creates a level of understanding, put together some

strategies for the smooth function of self-help group operations.

IR Bangladesh has taken Islamic microfinance issue as a policy level

advocacy agenda. IRB team has already started ground works for its

feasibility as well as find out the way for move forward.

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ii. Assessment of overall progress towards target

The project yet to develop monitoring system to generate adequate periodic

quantitative data from the field to analyse and conclude upon efficiency of

the project. However, the project started process of regular monitoring

towards measuring outcomes.

Within the three month of project starting period, the project interventions

able to bring expected outcomes in acceptable level. Although, we found

some gaps in our documentation process these will be trying to minimize in

coming period.

Project team are not properly oriented on Shariah compliance of Islamic

microfinance. Project management emphasis to build capacity of staff and

arrange proper orientation on Shariah based microfinance.

In sustainability point of view, there are numbers of improving areas

have been found those need to be taken in count by the team:

- Institutional capacity of the SHGs to run revolving funds among the

participants will be continued even after end of project;

- The SHG members will have their own savings will also create to finance

the scheme of the project participants;

- The income level of the project participants will increase through

undertaking suitable and alternative livelihood options;

- The entrepreneurship will developed among the project participants;

- The SHGs will be linked with the NGO, MFI, LGI and service providers.

- The key element of sustainability is the strength of the SHGs and the

capacity of efficient management of the activities of these organizations

and how successfully the project’s linkages lead to permanent networks

to attain long lasting behavioural and attitudinal changes.

iii. Recommendations on amendments

The PROVED project log-frame was designed based on local context and

understanding. It will be effective to revise the IRB’s PPA PROVED logframe in

line with IRW’s agreed logframe with DfID.

As it is global programme under PPA fund, we expect effective guidance

frequent collaboration/coordination from IRW. Partner country should update

with regular through information and guidance.

The internal monitoring system need to be strengthened further more to

measure outcomes and impacts along with shortfall for improvement.

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3.2 Discuss

i. Key new challenges to the achievement of outcome(s) and

Islamic Relief Bangladesh applied to Micro-credit Regulatory Authority (MRA)

of Bangladesh Bank for its registration to operate microfinance programme.

The MRA did not issue licence as IRB could not fulfil MRA’s entire requirements.

Till now, the issue is pending and IRB applied to MRA for reconsideration for

issuing the lenience. Considering delay and uncertainty of MRA licence, IRB

decided to implement its microfinance programme in self-help group

approach simultaneously with conventional microfinance. Managing dual

approaches (self-help group approach and conventional microfinance) in

same area is challenge for the team.

There have been some delays for getting outcomes of the project due to

delay of fund clearance approval by the NGO Affairs Bureau of Bangladesh

Government.

ii. Key new factors in progress

Islamic Relief Bangladesh is trying to make the self-help groups in institutional

shape for their self-sustainability. Feasibilities are being analysed for scope of

legal entity of these self-help group. The SHGs will apply to Cooperative

Department or other government authority to get registration and legal entity

as well.

3.3. Assumptions

The present political situation of Bangladesh is disgusting and alarming in

various respects. It is predicted that the situation will become more horrible in

coming days. Strike and conflicting situation will be appearing frequently that

will create negative effects in implementation of project intervention. It is very

essential to have a favourable political environment to achieve project target

within the period.

To stimulate Islamic microfinance, Bangladesh Bank is going to take

pragmatic steps to enhance the activity of microfinance. An act on Islamic

Micro Finance Institutions (IMFI) has been drafted by Bangladesh Bank which

is under process to unveil . Once the act is in place, the scope of works to

strengthen Islamic microfinance programming in Bangladesh will be

increased.

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In case of rejection of IRB’s application from Micro-credit Regulatory Authority

(MRA), IRB should need to phase-out its conventional microfinance. The

shifting period might be challenging for the project team to manage the

shifting process efficiently.

It was assumed that IICO funded project money inject in IRB’s conventional

microfinance programme and that contribute to share operational cost. But,

due to delay of MRA licence and donor requirement, the intervention shifted

in Qard al Hasana mode. In coming months, operational funding deficit will

fund. Operational fund should need to continue the IICO funded

microfinance in a certain level.

Bangladesh is highly prone to natural disaster. There is possibility of damage

project participant’s livelihood means due to severe disaster.

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Section 4 Output review and scoring

4.1 Assessment of performance of output and progress against

expected results

i. Narrative on progress

Within the inception period, the project progressed in some of its activities. Project

areas have been selected in Changmari, Milonpur,Balarhat and Boro Hazratpur

unions in Mithapukur Upazilla (sub-district) of Rangpur district in the north-west part of

Bangladesh an set-up 3 offices in project location. A detail operational plan has

been developed for smooth implementation of project activities. Throughout

consultative process, the project identified community’s needs and poor households

as group member for new self-help groups. Upto March 2013, the project reached at

3400 group members of whom 1105 are newly enrolled and 2295 are from existing

microfinance groups. Weekly groups meeting are continuing for strengthening

group’s dynamics, savings and loan instalments collection. Livelihood need

assessment and business plans were developed for 320 newly enrolled group

members. Among them, 250 group members were distributed Qard al Hasana loan

amounting BDT 2412000. Beside that regular revolving microfinance disbursements

were continuing. A total of BDT 2,74,37,000 amount disbursed as loan to 2442

beneficiaries for IGAs. Preparatory tasks have been undertaken to achieve

other activities during time frame.

Output- 1

Poor and marginalised households to have access to Islamic finance to improve

their livelihoods

Selection of project participants:

Till the reporting period, total 3400 group members are enrolled under PROVED

project. 2295 group members have been taken from existing microfinance groups

and rest 1105 group members have been selected from poor households who were

engaged in IRB’s social mobilization and community empowerment intervention.

These 1105 households are living bottom-line in poverty context. The households

have been selected through PRA process during previous phase. Selection criteria

were followed during enrolment of new group members.

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Formation and strengthening of Self-Help Groups (SHGs):

Islamic Relief Bangladesh’s microfinance programme is operating its micro-financing

interventions in self-help group (SHG) model. The SHGs are oriented on importance

of their unity and functions. Each of the group forms and functions with 20-30 women

members while there is an Executive Committee consist of Chairman, Secretary, and

Cashier. The Executive Committee formed through selection process. Every group

has separate bank account which using for their financial transactions. The SHG

members meet weekly basis and conduct awareness session including savings loan

collections. They write meeting resolution by themselves. During this reporting

period, 1105 newly selected poor women are organized in 40 self-help groups while

total 3400 group members are organized in 199 groups. The self-help groups (SHG)

developed bylaws to run group intervention independently.

Identify locally available and feasible farm, nonfarm livelihood options:

To generate potential incomes for targeted households and achieve the results of

the project, staffs of the project have analysed possible livelihood option(s) for

targeted households. Basis on household needs, availability of the assets in the local

markets, potentiality and suitability of particular trade/IGA for individual beneficiaries

are encouraged to decide best suit trades/IGAs for them. 320 group member’s

livelihoods options have been confirmed through this process. Commonly identified

IGAs (income generating activities) are cow rearing, beef fattening, small trading,

goat rearing, agricultural cultivations, van/rickshaw and tailoring etc.

Develop household business plan:

After identification of the IGA options, group members were selected for specific

businesses/IGAs, considering their experience, willingness and suitability of the

particular trades/businesses or projects. A simple business plan developed for each

beneficiary to know the financial needs, timing for finance, market facilities and

profit generating possibilities with this business/IGA.

Livelihood assets support on revolving basis (Qard Al Hasana) for SHG members and

provide microfinance support

Qard al Hasana loans have been distributed among newly enrolled self-help group

members. Borrowers are repaying Qard instalment in their respective SHG fund.

Subsequently this fund will be considered as SHG loan revolving fund. Till March 2013,

Qard amount BDT 2,412,000 disbursed among 250 group members for different IGA

i.e. cow rearing, beef fattening, goat rearing, agriculture, small trading, tailoring,

rickshaw/van. Regular revolving microfinance disbursements were continuing. A

total of BDT 2,74,37,000 amount disbursed as loan to 2442 beneficiaries for IGAs.

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Output-2.1

Islamic Relief and other development actors to have access to improved

knowledge and Islamic perspectives on microfinance, conflict, climate change,

gender and child protection.

In January-March 2013, researches and publications were not planned activities

under PPA PROVED project. However, we did some initial level planning during in the

meantime. Researches on Islamic microfinance will be conducted in coming

months.

Output-2.2

New and/or improved Islamic Relief poverty reduction strategies, programmes and

approaches that incorporate increased understanding of Islamic perspectives on

key development issues.

Islamic Relief Bangladesh has been piloting self-help group model as strategy of

Islamic microfinance. Guideline of self-help group has already been developed and

practicing to make the groups sustainable. Self-help micro-finance including Qard al

Hasana financing started within SHGs and maintaining separate bank account for

financial transactions. The functions of self-help groups are being managed by

group members with their collective efforts. Sustainability of self-help groups should

be new considering driver of progress during upcoming period of the project. The

SHGs need to be shaped in such way so that they can self-reliant and able to

manage by themselves. Formal legal entity should require for SHG’s sustainability.

Output-2.3

Promoting improvements in the poverty reduction strategies and approaches of

other development actors working with Muslim communities through increased

incorporation of Islamic perspectives in their programmes and approaches.

The PROVED project has planned to conduct regional and national level

consultation, advocacy dialogue, and publications on Islamic microfinance issue.

But, during the reporting period, these activities were not in plan.

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ii. Assessment of overall progress towards indicator

Project could not achieve to deliver all targets output as per operational plan due

to some justified reasons (delay approval of fund clearance of Bangladesh

Government, political unrest). However, as project is started just in January 2013 and

up to March 2013 therefore numbers of preparatory works needed to be done and

the project team was much meticulous in all aspect of project implementation

process although political situation of the country is impeded in this period. Following

table gives the scenario of achievement towards its target of output indicators in this

reporting period:

Output indicator Target Achievement % Remarks

Number of clients benefitting from

Islamic microfinance interventions,

disbursed for productive purposes

Bangladesh – 3400

group members (100%

women)

3400 person 100

Number, type, quantities and

distribution of research reports and

other relevant publications on

microfinance, conflict, climate

change, gender and child

protection

2 researches on

microfinance is target for

whole project period,

but no target in

reporting period

0 0

Target will

achieve within

next months

New and/or improved Islamic Relief

poverty reduction strategies,

programmes and approaches that

incorporate increased

understanding of Islamic

perspectives on key development

issues

At least one new

strategy developed by

Islamic Relief

Piloting of

SHG model

initiated

50 On progress

Degree and extent of Islamic Relief's

engagement with key policy

audiences through advocacy

publications, events and policy

feedback as well as the extent of

incorporation of Islamic

perspectives in their approaches

Feedback documents

on policy consultation,

advocacy publications

and advocacy events

0 -

Was not

targeted in this

reporting

period.

iii. Recommendations on amendments to output or indicator

As the milestones are related with central logframe of IRW, our milestone

should be in line with DFID agreed lograme’s milestones. We are

recommending to revise our (IRB) logframe in link with IRW’s logframe. We

also need to amendment some target considering practical causes.

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4.2 Discuss:

i. Key new challenges to the achievement of output(s) and

The projects face serious challenges in this inception phase (reporting period).

This three months period was a challenging time to implement project

activities due to unstable/unrest political situation in Bangladesh. Strike were

the common occurrences in Bangladesh for the last couple of month; almost

every week there were strike called by the opposition political parties in

Bangladesh, which restricted field movements and staff could not work in the

field, no vehicles/bikes were move on the road during strike days. As project

was in its nascent stage and lots of activities which were in time bound could

not carry out thus in some component’s achievements have not been

happened. However, staff worked on weekend days as make-up day to fulfil

the gaps of progress.

Due to delay of Government approval on fund clearance, some project

activities (these are related with fund) could not achieved as per target.

ii. Key new driver of progress

Sustainability of self-help groups should be new considering driver of progress

during upcoming period of the project. The SHGs need to be shaped in such

way so that they can be self-reliant and able to manage by themselves.

Formal legal entity should require for SHG’s sustainability.

The MRA licence issue is still pending to take final decision. Considering

possibility of success, IRB should take timely decision to phase-out

conventional microfinance programme or convert it in alternative approach

of programming.

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4.4 Output risk

IR operates its intuitional microfinance project under Community Action Project

and continuation of this project will fully depend on secure MRA licence. MRA will

confirm their decision in next few months, failure to obtain MRA license brings IR

Bangladesh to rethink about CAP’s borrowers how they will be controlled,

transforming to SHG will be the best option. SHG model IMF is a newly start by IR

Bangladesh. Sustainability of SHG model is a challenge of the project as still in

pilot phase. If SHG model does not successfully run, IRB’s objective may not be

achieved.

Present political situation in Bangladesh is very much unpredictable which may

be continuing in months. Countrywide strike, anxiety and destructive political

programs will be the big risk for achieving project’s output.

Internal conflict among self-help group may impact on decrease loan recovery

rate in group or misappropriation of money.

There may chance of overlapping of group members with other conventional

microfinance programmes. Also, borrowers may migrate and stop to repay their

instalments.

4.5 Actual achievement of expected results

Output indicator Rating

Number of clients benefitting from Islamic microfinance interventions, disbursed for productive

purposes

A+

Number, type, quantities and distribution of research reports and other relevant publications on

microfinance, conflict, climate change, gender and child protection

B

New and/or improved Islamic Relief poverty reduction strategies, programmes and approaches

that incorporate increased understanding of Islamic perspectives on key development issues

A

Degree and extent of Islamic Relief's engagement with key policy audiences through advocacy

publications, events and policy feedback as well as the extent of incorporation of Islamic

perspectives in their approaches

C

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Section 5 Organisational effectiveness

5.1 Organisational effectiveness, definition and impact of PPA

funds

Not applicable

5.3 What key issues or challenges, identified by your organisation

in the Annual Report 2011/12, were to be addressed during

2012/13? How has this work progressed?

Not Applicable

5.4 What key issues or challenges were identified in your feedback

letter in 2011/12 for resolution by 2012/13? How has this work

progressed?

Not Applicable

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Section 6 Evidence and Evaluation

6.3 How have you collected beneficiary feedback and used it to

improve your work? Include a discussion of your methodology,

sampling and verification activities.

Islamic Relief Bangladesh always values project participant’s (beneficiary’s)

feedbacks, complaints and ideas to keep the project transparent,

accountable and beneficiaries friendly. IR Bangladesh has several ways to

collect feedback/complaints and new ideas from project participants.

Following systems are inbuilt in IRB’s project delivery procedures to feedbacks,

complaints and recommendation from project participants:

- At stating of the project, community consultation and need

assessment exercises have been conducted within the project areas.

Community’s perceptions and recommendations have been taken

into account in project planning and implementation.

- All project participants are informed about complaint and feedback

process.

- Stickers with phone number, email address and focal person’s address

are attached to all SHGs resolution’s register.

- IR Bangladesh uses complaint/ feedback box at its unit office level to

drop complaint/feedbacks.

- Meetings with project participants also the way to receive feedback.

- Internal evaluation structure of IRB has feedback system.

Apart from the above measures of collecting feedback and complaint,

project management had workshop with leaders of the SHGs to develop bi-

laws for SHG operations. During this workshop feedback, recommendations

and new ideas were collected from beneficiaries.

An internal evaluation has been conducted by IRB’s internal evaluator for

measuring progress of this progress. Focus Group Discussions (FGD) and Key

Informants Interview (KII) have been conducted under the internal evaluation

process.

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Section 7 Partnership Working and Value for Money

7.2 What effect has PPA supported risk-taking and innovation had

on the effectiveness, impact and value for money of your activities

and reported results?

Islamic Relief Bangladesh has kept some challenging and innovation activities under

PPA programme funded project. National level policy and advocacy interventions

aim to reach high level authority for policy reformulation on Islamic microfinance.

These interventions seem high ambitious but should attainable through special

concentration of IRB team. Piloting online microfinance donation platform is another

innovative activity of PPA fund. This online funding platform will allow IRB to

generate microfinance funding for vulnerable people although it will be very

challenging to function in context of Bangladesh. However, IR Bangladesh will give

its full effort to make good results of innovative and challenging activities. Ultimately,

successful operations of these activities will have positive impacts for advancement

of IMF in Bangladesh.

7.3 What additional financial and material resources have been

levered from partners as a direct result of PPA funding, enabling

you to more effectively deliver your results? How has this been

achieved?

PPA funded PROVED project is integration of IRB’s some with microfinance or

livelihoods interventions i.e. IICO and Khaled Tarabien funded self-help Islamic

microfinance, IR UK funded Qard al Hasana livelihood support to poorest

households, IRW funded conventional microfinance etc. Combination of these

capital funds are resulting on achieving overall outputs and outcomes of IRB’s

Islamic microfinance programme.

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7.4 Partnership working is considered to be one of the key ‘added

value’ aspects of CSOs, and contributes to effectiveness. Outline

your approach to partnership working with respect to PPA funding

and how it enables your organisation to deliver and achieve

results.

In PPA funding project, numbers of activities are to be undertaken which are

focused to research, advocacy and networking at national level. Islamic Relief

Bangladesh will build formal or informal partnership with academic, research

institutions, networking organizations and other INGOs to create collective efforts for

raising research findings and advocacy issue at national level. We expect that

collaborative actions should put into effect on policy change or reformulation.

7.5 Value for Money (VfM)

i. What are the main cost drivers for your organisation in delivering interventions?

To be filled by IRW

ii. Describe how competition and effective commercial practice is used to drive

improved value for money

Islamic Relief Bangladesh estimated cost for this PPA funded project in cost-effective

manner. IRB practices standard procedures to procure any good or services. Market

survey and competitive biding processes make easy to select suppliers with effective

costing and good quality supplies. Recently, IRB initiated to review and update its

procurement policy to make it more standard and cost-effective.

iii. Do you track any specific value for measures in any of your programmes (e.g.

unit cots, cost effectiveness measures etc.)? If so, review performance on these

measures.

Yes, Islamic Relief Bangladesh calculated values of money of key deliverable items.

The project will provide cash support (Qard al Hasana) for productive asset

purchase. Value of every group members or clients for cash support cost estimated

BDT 9700. The clients will invest the amount on their income generation purposes.

After a certain period of time, outcome monitoring or evaluation will be measured

to see return of the investment by clients. The project will provide skill training support

for clients. Average training cost per participants estimated BDT 1017. Effectiveness

of contribution of skill training can be measured through counting increase of

productively and income. In entire project, considering total value of the project,

per project participant’s cost estimated is BDT 4962. Throughout evaluation or detail

outcome survey, overall effectiveness of the value per project participants can be

measured.

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iv. Explain and evidence how the use of measures or management practices

enables you to achieve results that represent better value for money.

To be filled by IRW

v. Have you had experienced any significant VfM achievements in the last reporting

year? If so, please describe.

To be filled by IRW

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Section 8

Lessons Learned

i. Briefly describe your organisation’s approach to PPA learning.

Islamic Relief Bangladesh practices systematic process to capture lesson learning

from every project. Lessons learn documentation register keeps in every project for

regular updates. Lessons learning discuss in team meeting and best practices

disseminate among others. M&E unit conducts periodic outcome monitoring, mid-

term review and final evaluation for finding outcomes, impacts, limitations, gaps,

learning, these are use for further replication. Issue based action research, study also

conduct to find critical points these need to address through future programming.

Beside that lesson learning workshop organize yearly basis with participation of staff,

project participants and other stakeholders. Beside that lesson learning and best

practices discussed in project coordination meeting and project steering meetings.

PPA funded project has just passed three months of its functions. Lesson learning

process initiated that needs to strengthen in future.

ii. Where possible, describe the impact of your learning.

Islamic Relief Bangladesh will conduct some study and research on Islamic

microfinance – effectiveness, weakness, potentiality, demand-supply, operational

approaches etc. compare to conventional microfinance. The research findings and

learning will disseminate and share with microfinance practitioners, policy makers

and other stakeholders. The learning and research findings will use as advocacy

tools for discussing with policy makers to reformulate microfinance regulation focus

on Islamic microfinance. These findings will also be used in further programme

design on microfinance.

iii. Describe how you learn from and/or contribute to the sector’s learning.

To be filled by IRW

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Section 9 Changing Lives Case Study

Standing with her small cow Sufia

a member of Sangrampur Uttar

Para SHG (Rangpur district-South

west part in Bangladesh) talking

with confidence. She is happy

that, she has a cow and busy

working with them. Her husband,

Sahadat is a poor farmer, the small

piece of land the family possesses

is not enough to maintain the

family. Like a typical poor family

in rural Bangladesh, this family

could not have three meals a day.

Sufia was passing days without

income garneting works. Sufia

was looking for doing something to

support her family One day she

was informed from her neighbour about Islamic Relief’s new project where women

get loans in easy conditions (Qard Al Hasana) for different Income Generating

purposes. Sufia was eager to get this opportunity. She got admitted in nearby

women group organized by Islamic Relief’s local Branch Office and received loans.

She received 1st cycle of loan BDT 10000 for cow rearing purpose. Sufia is very

regular in her repayment and active in decision making in the group. Sufia would

not be eager if the loan is not interest free. With Qard Al Hasana loan, she can

change her economic conditions. She says, “This type of project (Islamic

Microfinance) is a useful than any form of credit supply as it ensures the required

goods and it is interest free.”

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Section 10 Further Information

IRW guidance needed

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Annex A

Acronyms

IGA : Income Generating Activities

CAP : Community Action Project

FISCAL : Financial Services to the poorest Community for Advancing

Livelihoods Project

IICO : International Islamic Charitable Organization

SAFOLLO : Strengthening Peoples’ Actions for Food and Livelihood Security

SHG : Self Help Group

FD-6 : Foreign Donation Form-6 of Bangladesh Government

NGO : Non Government Organization

MFI : Micro Finance Institution

LGI : Local Government Institutions

MRA : Micro-credit Regulatory Authority

IMFI : Islamic Micro Finance Institutions

IMF : Islamic Micro Finance

PRA : Participatory Rural Appraisal

IRB : Islamic Relief Bangladesh

IRW : Islamic Relief worldwide

MIS : Management Information System

BDT : Bangladeshi Taka (currency)

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Annex B

Evidence Table

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