Bangladesh

Joint Programming: State of play - In Bangladesh, the overall coordination mechanisms are encompassed in the broader framework of the Government and Developing Partners' Joint Cooperation Strategy promoting aid effectiveness principles, including reduction of aid fragmentation. When relevant and feasible, EU+ may take a common position on policy and development issues in the overall coordination fora. EU+ also have regular dialogue on development cooperation at overall and sectoral levels and have been working in partnership in key sectors of the Multi-Annual Indicative Programme (MIP) 2014-2020, such as education, nutrition, civil society support, public financial management and resilient livelihood. The MIP three priority sectors are relevant for the objectives identified in the Government programmatic framework, the 7th Five Year Plan (2016-2020) approved in late October 2015.

Shared vision

The Joint Programming process led in December 2014 to an EU+ Joint Programming interim document with a Shared Vision of Development Cooperation Opportunities, Challenges and Priorities and common messages in selected sectors. Based on a joint identification of challenges supported by a political economy analysis, a mapping of civil society organisations and a gender country profile study, the document identifies a common vision of development priorities for EU+ cooperation aligned with the national agenda and sets a joint strategic framework for selected areas of intervention, improved sector coordination and strengthened policy dialogue.

Concrete steps and opportunities

a) The latest tangible examples of joint operations include programmes developed, implemented and/or co-financed by EU and Member States in line with the Shared Vision to strengthen resilient livelihoods (co-financing with implementation by DfID and GIZ), support food and nutrition security (co-financing with implementation by DfID) and strengthen platforms for civil society dialogue (EU financing with implementation by the British Council).

b) The Roadmap for Engagement with civil society in Bangladesh also provides a framework to ensure better coordination, impact, predictability and visibility of EU and Member States engagement with non-state actors in the country

c) The Joint country evaluation of the development cooperation of Denmark, Sweden and EU carried-out in 2015 represents another example of collaborative work

d) The last example is the collective concern raised by the EU+ Heads of Mission over provisions included in the Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Bill 2016 that the Parliament of Bangladesh passed in October.

The way forward

The Shared Vision indicates that once endorsed the 7th Five Year Plan would be used to elaborate a joint analysis and response strategy that would form the core of a Joint Programming document. 

Over the long-term, the aforementioned collective work could be incorporated in the longer term into an overarching EU+ Joint Strategy (including a joint analysis and joint response) for the period 2021-2026 which would respond to the challenges of Bangladesh's next development agenda (8th Five Year Plan) by setting the overall rationale/direction for EU+ support.

Concluding remarks

It is agreed that the process of Joint Programming should remain pragmatic and flexible but also collaborative, with active commitment and participation from all involved parties. The progress foreseen, should not develop into rigid and prescriptive frameworks of action, but rather create more coherence in the support as seen fit at the local level. The Joint Action plan should serve as strategic umbrella (not a substitute) to bilateral programming and implementation plans, which Member States will continue to set-up and implement as they see fit. The exercise should also draw from existing resources and data to develop the proposed results framework (e.g. the 7th Five Year Plan Development Results Framework) and will require additional efforts for concrete inputs from all parties involved.