To address the inequality of development, BRAC started a pilot program titled Integrated Development Programme (IDP) in the depressed basins of Bangladesh. This paper provides an impact assessment of the IDP to understand the extent to which it has been successful in improving the lives of haor dwellers. This study is based on the data from the census conducted in 2012-2013 prior to the initiation of the IDP, and the follow-up survey conducted in January-February, 2016. Census information is available for intervention areas only, while the household survey conducted after the intervention covers both intervention and non-intervention areas. Program impacts were estimated by comparing outcomes at follow-up between the households from intervention and non-intervention areas. Results from this paper show that the intervention increased self-employment noticeably among working-age groups while decreasing causal wage employment to some extent. These results are perhaps derived from asset transfers and access to BRAC loans provided through the IDP because the IDP has increased the holdings of productive assets such as goats/sheep. Since the IDP transferred productive assets to the selected ultra-poor households, an increase in productive asset is expected. The agricultural practice has also been positively influenced by the intervention. Overall, we find that the area under cultivation and total production has increased substantially in intervention areas compared to non-intervention ones. Furthermore, the IDP has been successful in improving homestead vegetation as well.
Authors: Ara, Jinnat; Rahman, Rehnuma; Shahed, Syeda Sitwat; Ahmed, Sibbir; Das, Narayan C
Type: Monograph
Year: 2017
