**[New Title II Development Programs in Bangladesh FY
2005]{.underline}**

The United States Government (USG), as represented by the U.S. Agency
for International Development (USAID), Bureau for Democracy, Conflict
and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA), Office of U.S. Food For Peace (FFP),
through USAID/Bangladesh, will be encouraging the submission of FY 2005
Title II Development Program Assistance (DAP) proposals from registered
Title II Cooperating Sponsors (CSs) to implement food security programs
in Bangladesh complementary to the approved food security strategy of
the USAID/Bangladesh Mission (see Section E, Reference Sources). 

The purpose of this strategy statement is to disseminate information to
prospective CSs to help guide their formulation of Title II development
food aid program proposals as may be submitted this Fall in response to
the DCHA/FFP FY 2005 cycle for new DAP Proposals.

**Please note that the Office of Food for Peace (FFP) in the Bureau for
Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA) is currently
vetting a draft concept paper for its new strategic plan for the period
FYs 2004-2008. In addition to the currently approved and publicized
reference sources mentioned in this document, prospective CSs will need
to follow the ongoing FFP strategy discussions to understand the policy
changes and strategies now under consideration by FFP and its
development partners and which may subsequently be approved.**

This general description provides: (A) a background of food insecurity
and Title II program history in Bangladesh; (B) desirable food security
program strategies and types of activities which are encouraged by the
Mission; (C) identification of important considerations and criteria
which are expected to be used by the Mission in reviewing and evaluating
subsequent and/or parallel proposals for development assistance; (D)
Mission programming priorities and expectations, and (E) reference to
useful materials available on the Internet.

**A.  BACKGROUND**

[1. Food Aid and Food Security Policy]{.underline}

Drawing on 1990 legislative reforms to P. L. 480, USAID in 1992 issued a
broad definition of food security: "When all people at all times have
both physical and economic access to sufficient food to meet their
dietary needs for a productive and healthy life." This definition
further noted that "three distinct variables are central to the
attainment of food security: availability, access, and utilization."
These variables are interrelated and their various forms are given
further definition in the USAID Policy Paper: Food Aid and Food Security
(see Section E, References).

Food security is the condition in which all people at all times have
both physical and economic access to sufficient food to meet their
dietary needs for a productive and healthy life. Food security is
dependent upon agricultural production, food imports and food aid,
employment opportunities and income earnings, intra-household decision
making and resource allocation, and health and nutrition care
utilization and caring practices. It is a multi-dimensional development
topic that requires cross-sectoral integrated interventions.

Bangladesh is a country of 133 million population with a per capita
income of \$360. Poverty alleviation is a core challenge for Bangladesh.
Because of poverty, malnutrition is a fundamental problem. To reduce
poverty in Bangladesh, it is crucial to develop and improve the
capacities of its most vulnerable populations and regions. For this,
Bangladesh needs to accelerate the growth and productivity of its
agriculture and non-farm sectors, improve the quality of social
services, ensure proper functioning of its community and rural
institutions and expand the rural support infrastructures.

Over the last three decades food grain production in Bangladesh has more
than doubled - rice and wheat production has increased from around 10
million metric tons in the early 1970s to 25 million metric tons by the
early 2000s. However, nearly half of the population still cannot afford
an adequate diet. Also, as much of the countryside lies in
disaster-prone, largely flood plain areas, annual flooding, together
with periodic other natural disasters, often cause crop damage and food
shortages for the vulnerable population.

Poverty and lack of social services leave a significant portion of the
Bangladesh population hungry and malnourished. To alleviate these
problems, USAID focuses its resources on long-term sustainable
development. Within a framework of law and USG policy and interests,
USAID invests in people and processes, and promotes policies and
institutional environments which attack the primary basic cause of food
insecurity and hunger -- namely, poverty, especially in rural areas.
Agency priorities for Title II development programs as set forth in the
1995 Food Security Policy Paper focus on improving household nutrition
and health status, especially for children and mothers, and on
increasing agricultural productivity, including field production,
post-harvest handling, transportation and marketing.

Program foci for improving food availability, access, and utilization
include closing the seasonal food gap through improved storage,
small-scale post-harvest transportation, crop diversification (but not
at the expense of food crops), expanded market opportunities, and on
overcoming household cash flow and liquidity constraints. The focus on
food utilization places a major emphasis on changing critical nutrition
(diet, care and feeding) and health enhancing behaviors. In addition,
improved food utilization includes such areas as basic education,
maternal and child health, control of infectious diseases, crop and food
diversification activities and improvements in water and sanitation.

[2. The Gender Dimensions of Food security]{.underline}

Gender relates to the socially assigned position and behavior of men and
women. It affects the allocation of resources and work, decision-making
and power, and the enjoyment of rights and entitlements within the
family as well as in public life. Men and women have different roles and
responsibilities in their individual lives, in their families and
households, and in their communities. Both men and women are income
earners and agricultural producers. Within the family, the women'
responsibilities often involve care provision for their families and
intra-household food distribution. Women also play a vital role in the
processing and preparation of food, and frequently use their own earned
income in support of their children. Women seeking to make these
significant family contributions frequently have only limited access to
the necessary resources, or to the related decision-making processes of
family resource allocation and use.

Individual and household food security is affected by individual actions
and choices men and women make in producing food, earning income or
acquiring assets, and feeding and caring for family members. Thus, it is
critical to ensure equitable access to and control over the resources
needed to meet their respective roles and responsibilities. Indeed,
overcoming gender-based inequities in resource access and decision
making could very much enhance women's contributions to food security
and ultimately result in significant nutritional benefits to the family.
Furthermore, by improving women's health and nutrition, and their access
to education and training opportunities, overall human capital is
enhanced as an input to ensuring individual and household food security.

[3. Title II Programs in Bangladesh]{.underline}

Bangladesh, being one of the most food insecure countries of the world,
has received P.L. 480 Title II food assistance since 1972. During the
first three years (1972-74) of the Title II program in Bangladesh, food
aid was almost exclusively emergency assistance, helping the GOB feed
people displaced by the nine-month war of independence. The subsequent
programs, implemented by CARE into the mid-nineties, consisted of food
for work programs, primarily earth moving for road and canal
rehabilitation. CARE\'s Integrated Food for Development Program
(1994-99) reflected a shift towards development on the
relief-to-development continuum, with approximately 70% of the Title II
resources undergoing monetization, to fund larger scale, higher quality
rural infrastructure. The current CARE program (1999-2004) is 100%
monetized, which enables CARE to implement a wide array of developmental
activities such as low cost paved rural roads, flood proofing, urban
slum development, local government capacity building and training, and
disaster management.

The other ongoing Title II five-year program, with World Vision, began
in FY 2000 and is focused on improvement of food security in 16 of the
country\'s 466 sub-districts. The World Vision activities are in water
and sanitation, agriculture, rural roads and other infrastructure, and
disaster management. The program also includes a direct distribution
component utilizing approximately 20% of the approved program
commodities. Both programs monetize commodities through the Government
of Bangladesh. Although the monetization process itself is relatively
simple, to transfer the local currency to the Cooperating Sponsor\'s
account, at which time it becomes available to support program
activities, is commonly a lengthy, tedious process.

**B.  PROSPECTIVE PROGRAM STRATEGIES**

Although Bangladesh appears to be approaching aggregate national cereals
self-sufficiency, an estimated 32 million plus people cannot afford a
daily intake of more than 1800 kilocalories. Due to the frequency of
disasters, primarily annual flooding and occasional cyclones typically
accompanied by high tidal surges, people in many rural areas remain
ultra poor and are trapped by their poverty. Related contributing
factors include the lack of reliable and regular income sources, with
the majority of the rural population landless and reliant upon income
from unpredictable employment. Insignificant economic activity in most
areas further contributes to poverty and thereby affects community
livelihoods and food security. The domain of vulnerability in this group
encompasses exposure to risk, hazards, shocks and stress, difficulty in
coping with contingencies, and access to assets. The geographic areas
generally identified as most food insecure include the following:

-   coastal belt severely affected by cyclones and tidal/storm surges;

-   riverine areas including the Padma, Brahmaputra, Meghna and Tista
    river proximities;

-   haor and beel areas including the haors at Sunamganj, Netrokona,
    Kishoreganj, Hobiganj, Chalan beel, and water-logged areas of
    Khulna, Jessore, and Satkhira.

> **Note**: A haor is a tectonic depression in the northeastern region
> of Bangladesh which serves as a water basin that during the monsoon
> season receives rain water run-off from the Meghalaya and Assam
> regions of India. The haors remain under water for about six to eight
> months of the year. A beel is a large monsoon-season water body in the
> flood plain.

The goal of the Title II Program in Bangladesh is to reduce poverty and
achieve long-term food security for the poor and malnourished, helping
them to graduate to a more decent level of living. Future Title II
programs need to address the living conditions of the poor people in the
above cited areas.

Activities proposed in new DAPs should be in conformity with Bangladesh
government and multilateral food security assessments and strategies.
Conformance with both the Agency (see the 1995 Food Security Policy
paper and the FFP FY 2003 Policy Letter at www.usaid.gov) and USAID
Mission (see the USAID/Bangladesh webpage at
[www.usaid.gov/bd](http://www.usaid.gov/bd)) food security strategy and
related development priorities is highly desirable, as program and
resource integration is encouraged. It is recognized that no proposal
may be disapproved solely because it is not in such conformance with the
latter. The Mission expects, however, to subsequently competitively make
available a portion of its development assistance (DA) resources in
support of its Title II partners, and these DA resources will only be
provided to Title II programs which are directly complementary to the
approved USAID/Bangladesh country program strategy and development
priorities.

The DCHA/FFP policy is to encourage an appropriate mix of direct
distribution and monetization activities. The Bangladesh Mission is
encouraging proposals which rely less on monetization to sustain
proposed program interventions. Proposals to implement Title II programs
in Bangladesh may reflect a combination of direct distribution, cash for
work, and monetized program elements. Activities should be implemented
in geographic areas where food insecurity is acute and where
interventions can be expected to have a significant economic impact. 
Innovative approaches that require initial pilot phases should,
nevertheless, be structured to eventually address the needs of the most
needy within the overall project scope and activity duration of the
approved DAP.

Overcoming food insecurity requires attention to specific factors that
promote food availability (e.g. productivity-enhancing technology,
infrastructure, markets), food access (income, prices, employment,
control of assets and resources) and food utilization (health care,
clean water, sanitation, improved diets). Given the relative recent
success of the Government of Bangladesh in achieving national cereals
self sufficiency, the Bangladesh Mission encourages DAPs which focus
primarily on the food security components of access and utilization.
Some possible interventions are listed below. Note that the list is by
no means exhaustive.

Coastal belt:

-   Construction of embankments and protected areas, including tree
    plantation and maintenance, to afford both protection from the
    effects of tidal surges and provide income generation from
    care-taking and appropriate utilization of the trees;

-   Mobilization, training and assistance to fisherman groups;

-   Water and sanitation, including motivation and hygiene education;

-   Survey, needs assessment, provision of cyclone shelters.
    Construction of multipurpose cyclone shelters and killas (elevated
    areas used as shelters for cattle and household assets) including
    their use as schools/vocational training centers, women's training
    centers, fish processing center/markets/etc. The shelters should
    have necessary and appropriate water & sanitation facilities and
    access roads and there should be assurances of community ownership
    and ongoing maintenance by the users.

-   Rehabilitation and maintenance of roads, building and/or maintenance
    of boat landing facilities/jetties;

-   Construction /rehabilitation of markets including access roads;

-   Agricultural production enhancement through the introduction of
    diversified crops, vegetables, fruit trees, poultry, cow/buffalo
    rearing, milk processing, fish processing, fish hatcheries, etc.;

-   Disaster management activities including training, capacity building
    of local NGOs and CBOs in disaster response and efficient management
    and use of shelters during the emergency. Needs and resource
    assessments, stockpiling survival kits, coordination with other
    organizations and local administration, etc.;

Riverine Areas:

-   Rehabilitation assistance for families affected by river erosion
    including housing in khas (government owned lands), and the creation
    of income generating opportunities;

-   Flood proofing activities in the char and related areas to protect
    inhabitants unprotected by embankments;

-   Construction of flood-shelter (and
    killas)-cum-school/market/training centers;

-   Alternative income generation through increased agriculture
    productivity including cattle rearing, poultry, fish culture,
    vegetable and seasonal fruits, etc.;

-   Mobilization, training and assistance to fisherman groups;

-   Construction /rehabilitation of markets including access roads;

-   Water and sanitation including behavioral motivation and hygiene
    education;

-   Disaster management activities including training and capacity
    building of local NGOs and CBOs in disaster response and the
    efficient management and use of shelters and resources prior to and
    during an emergency. Needs and resource assessments, stockpiling of
    survival kits, coordination with other organizations and local
    administration, etc.

Haor and Beel Areas

-   Mound (raised villages in the flood plain/haors) extension and
    plant-based wave erosion protection;

-   Submersible embankment construction and maintenance to protect crop
    damage from flash flooding;

-   Construction of flood shelter (and
    killas)-cum-school/market/training centers;

-   Alternative income generation through increased agriculture
    productivity including cattle rearing, duck rearing, poultry, fish
    culture, crop extension, vegetable and seasonal fruits, etc.;

-   Water and sanitation including behavioral motivation and hygiene
    education;

-   Rehabilitation and maintenance of boat landing facilities/jetties;

-   Construction /rehabilitation of markets and roads (submersible
    roads);

-   Mobilization, training and assistance to fisherman groups;

-   Development of fish sanctuaries in coordination with fisheries
    department and local administrations;

-   Disaster management activities including training and capacity
    building of local NGOs and CBOs in disaster response and the
    efficient management of shelters and resources prior to and during
    an emergency. Needs and resource assessments, stockpiling of
    survival kits, coordination with other organizations and local
    administration, etc.

**C. IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS/REQUIREMENTS IN PROGRAMMING**

-   Development Assistance Program proposal submissions must follow the
    final FY 2005 P.L 480 Title II DAP Proposal Guidelines as issued by
    DCHA/FFP.

-   The proposal must be consistent with, and reflective of, the USAID
    food security strategy set forth in the 1995 USAID Food Security
    Policy Paper. The proposal must also be consistent with the annual
    FFP Policy Statement last issued in the "P.L. 480 Title II
    Development Program Policies issued by USAID/DCHA/FFP" dated
    November 1, 2002

-   A Host Country Food for Peace Agreement is required. Regulation
    211.3 stipulates the requirement of Host Country Food for Peace
    Program Agreement. This agreement establishes the terms and
    conditions needed by a nongovernmental Cooperating Sponsor to
    conduct a Title II program in the host country in accordance with
    the applicable requirements of Regulation 211. Express reference to,
    and incorporation of, Regulation 211 is required in the Host Country
    Agreement.

-   The proposal shall include direct distribution commodity
    component(s).

-   The Mission strongly encourages monetization through private
    channels rather than the existing procedure through the government.
    Experience has shown that monetization through the Government of
    Bangladesh is a lengthy, time consuming, and often frustrating
    process which hinders the timely transfer of sales proceeds to
    project accounts.

-   In countries where multiple DAPs are anticipated, joint monetization
    by cooperating sponsors is encouraged to minimize workload and
    accrue program efficiencies.

-   We encourage the programming of value added commodities. The
    DCHA/FFP policy encourages programs to utilize value-added
    commodities. Wherever feasible, monetization of value-added
    commodities is preferable to the monetization of bulk commodities.

-   Each DAP should include a disaster component which would include the
    capacity building of local NGOs, governmental bodies and local
    communities.

-   The Bangladesh Mission believes that PVO cost sharing is an
    important element and demonstrates a partner's commitment to the
    program in Bangladesh. USAID expects applicants to demonstrate a
    commitment to program success by proposing an appropriate and
    meaningful level of cost sharing.

-   Effective partnering can increase efficiency and effectiveness,
    scale of coverage, transparency, sustainability of service delivery,
    and programming scope. Partnering with other organizations such as
    local NGOs, GOB Ministries, research institutions, governmental
    bodies and universities expands community participation, ownership
    and control and improves the development process. Therefore,
    partnering with local indigenous NGOs, local elected bodies, and
    relevant government agencies is strongly encouraged.

-   Promoting stakeholder participation in the design and implementation
    of the program activities is encouraged. Use of Participatory
    Learning and Action techniques are important to bring together
    residents and leaders from the community, government officials,
    representatives of local entities, local NGOs to expand stakeholder
    participation, foster ownership, promote long-term maintenance
    assurances, and promote sustainability.

-   The proposal must reflect gender considerations in all activities.
    In recognition of the relative imbalance of women vis-à-vis men in
    economic and social arenas, wage disparities, and widely variable
    degree and scope of economic and social independence, the DAPs
    should make special efforts to ensure that women are given optimum
    opportunity as program participants and beneficiaries in all
    activities. Cooperating Sponsors must work closely with their
    partners, prospective stakeholders and beneficiaries to fully
    demonstrate in their proposals that all activities take into
    consideration the prospective impact of their respective
    interventions in a gender accountable manner. Full, equitable, and
    appropriate participation, training and empowerment of women and men
    must be apparent throughout all program elements of the DAP. Gender
    sensitivity in staffing, training and decision making is to be given
    emphasis throughout the proposal.

-   The Title II program should be designed to help achieve the
    Mission's goal of improving the food security of the most vulnerable
    groups. The geographic strategy used in programming should allow for
    the targeting of the most needy beneficiary groups.

-   To achieve a tangible program result a holistic approach is
    necessary. It is recommended that programs consider a carefully
    focused range of complementary activities to accelerate improvements
    to the food security of the target population.

-   Appropriate food utilization is critical to the achievement of
    improved food security in Bangladesh. The direct food distribution
    component(s) of the DAP should reflect a balanced diet package as
    opposed to the sole distribution of food grains.

-   Linkages with other USAID funded projects and partners (such as
    "Improving Wheat, Maize and Papaya Production and the Impacts of
    Arsenic Contamination implemented by CIMMYT, and "Agro-based
    Industries and Technology Development Project II (ATDP II)"
    implemented by Louis Berger, is encouraged.

**D.  MISSION PRIORITIES AND EXPECTATIONS**

In future DAPs, USAID/Bangladesh envisions having multiple Title II
Cooperating Sponsor development food aid partners, with smaller
individual programs and a strong programmatic and geographic focus
within each program.

The USAID Bangladesh Mission expects to make a currently undetermined
amount of DA resources available to support DAPs which are approved in
the FY 2005 DAP review cycle. Priority points in the Mission evaluation
of grant proposals for the use of DA resources will be awarded to those
approved DAPs that most appropriately and thoroughly meet the following
criteria.

[Mission Program Priorities ]{.underline}

-   Linkages with other elements of the Mission program;

-   Inclusion of direct distribution components;

-   Monetization through private channels;

-   Inclusion of value-added commodities;

-   Significant partner cost-share in the budget;

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-   Gender considerations adequately reflected and included in program
    activities;

-   Creative, innovative and effective approaches to food security in
    Bangladesh, including disaster preparedness and mitigation,
    utilized.

[Contextual Knowledge]{.underline}

-   Demonstration of a clear understanding of the political, cultural,
    social, and institutional norms in targeted areas;

-   Incorporation of "lessons learned" from past food aid programs in
    Bangladesh;

-   Clear understanding of local capacities and demonstrates inclusion
    of the vulnerable populations in program planning;

-   Clear understanding of the community dynamics and incorporate
    appropriate steps for gender integration and balance in activities
    at all levels.

[Institutional Capability/Past Performance]{.underline}

-   Demonstrated previous successful Title II program implementation in
    Asia;

-   Demonstrated internal technical capacity to address food insecurity
    issues;

-   Demonstrated strong and productive relationships with former and
    current partners and beneficiaries;

-   Appropriate targeting of vulnerable communities.

[Personnel]{.underline}

-   Key personnel have relevant experience in managing international
    development programs and working collaboratively with Asian
    governments and disaster-related organizations;

-   Key personnel have relevant experience in working with community
    organizations and/or regional organizations;

-   Program operational personnel have demonstrated sector-specific
    technical capability in their skill areas and appropriate language
    skills.

[Cost]{.underline}

-   Cost Effectiveness: percentage of the overall budget going as direct
    assistance to beneficiaries; significance of program impact in terms
    of number of beneficiaries and cost per beneficiary;

-   Cost Realism: likelihood that the program can be accomplished within
    the stated budget and within the projected operational period;

-   Cost-Sharing: Extent to which the applicant intends to use its own
    funds, and/or those of other non-USG donors.

**E. REFERENCE SOURCES**

The \"DCHA/FFP "P.L. 480 Title II Guidelines for Development Assistance
Programs" may be obtained from the USAID/DCHA/FFP Website at:

[http://www.usaid.gov/hum_response/ffp/nonemergency.html]{.underline}

A description of the USAID Bangladesh Mission activities can be obtained
from USAID/Bangladesh website: <http://www.usaid.gov/bd> or may be found
at the Asia Near East website at: <http://www.usaid.gov/country/ane/>