Narrative Description of the Project:
The SHOUHARDO III Plus Project, Care Bangladesh a USAID-funded two-year program in northern Bangladesh, endeavors to enhance food security, resilience, and gender equity for 168,521 impoverished households. It builds on prior successes by promoting income diversification, sustainable agriculture, market access for women, and financial services. Additionally, the project addresses maternal and child health challenges by deploying Private Community Skilled Birth Attendants (PCSBAs), trained women from local communities, to provide essential care and promote institutional deliveries.
Under this project, IPTM was awarded an assignment to conduct a research program. The objectives of the SHOUHARDO III Plus program are the touchstones that guide the strategic deployment of resources and interventions in the Char and Haor regions. The core objective of the SHOUHARDO III Plus program is to improve the food and nutritional security of 168,521 Poor and Extreme Poor (PEP) households. These covers enhancing the availability, accessibility, and utilization of nutritious food, which is achieved through a combination of agricultural support, market access, and nutrition education initiatives. IPTM will conduct an assessment, conduct research, and collect data from 384 households, 330 LSPs, and 77 stakeholders (total 791 sample size) from Char regions (Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, and Sirajganj) and Haor regions (Kishoreganj, Sunamganj, Habiganj, and Netrokona) to achieve the main objective of the assignment. The duration of the assessment is from April to July 2024.
Local Service Providers (LSPs) play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between the communities and the various stakeholders involved in the implementation of programs aimed at improving food and nutritional security. These LSPs, mostly rooted in the local context, act as conduits for information, resources, and support. The assessment seeks to explore how these LSPs are actively engaging with the public and private sectors to create a synergistic and comprehensive approach. SHOUHARDO III Plus Program aims to assess how the LSPs and public and private sectors, including the program, are working together in a holistic approach to deliver improved gender-equitable food and nutritional security for the PEP communities in DHRC areas.
Key Activities:
- Kick-off meeting with Care Bangladesh officials and submit the inception report
- Review relevant literature and documents
- Prepare inception report and literature review report
- Develop the questionnaire & finalize the questionnaire
- Prepare a list of stakeholder mapping for conducting a qualitative survey
- Provide training to the enumerator
- Pre-test of Data Collection Instruments/Tools
- Field data collection
- Conduct the research (KII, FGD, IDI & Case Studies)
- Develop a comprehensive data quality assessment plan
- Prepare and submit the draft report and present the key findings with the project
- Prepare & submit the final report with incorporate feedback.