Studies Archive - BRAC Institute of Governance and Development

Barriers to Women’s Political Participation, Representation and Leadership in Bangladesh

Despite gradual increases in women’s political representation at local and national levels in Bangladesh, persistent barriers — including party dynamics, financial constraints, and violence against women in politics (VAWP) — continue to limit meaningful participation and leadership. This study examines how laws, policies, and political processes shape these opportunities and constraints, drawing on regional consultations and in-depth interviews with women across diverse backgrounds. The findings will raise stakeholder awareness and inform a national VAWP survey ahead of the upcoming elections.

Researchers: Maheen Sultan; Shahida I. Khandaker; Marufa Akter; and Iffat Jahan Antara

Partner: UN Women and UN Electoral Support Programme

Timeline: 2025–2026

Status: Ongoing

Contact: Maheen Sultan, Senior Fellow of Practice; maheen.sultan@bracu.ac.bd

Context

Women’s political representation is recognised by the Bangladesh Government, international agencies, and global conventions as essential for transformative gender equality. However, women’s participation remains limited despite gradual increases at both local and national levels. Legislative provisions have enabled women’s election to reserved seats across local government bodies and 50 reserved seats in the national parliament, with a slow rise in women contesting general seats. Recent discussions in the National Consensus Commission resulted in only minimal agreement on women’s nominations, an outcome contested by women’s groups. Persistent barriers — including limited financial access, male-dominated party cultures, gender stereotypes, and widespread experiences or fear of harassment, abuse, and violence both offline and online — continue to restrict women’s leadership and require deeper exploration.

Objectives

The study aims to examine how laws, policies, and political processes shape opportunities and constraints for women’s political participation and leadership in Bangladesh, including how party and institutional mechanisms influence their access to leadership and how violence against women in politics (VAWP) affects their willingness to participate. It further seeks to explore how these dynamics vary across regions and identities, raise stakeholder awareness, and inform a national VAWP survey ahead of the upcoming elections.

Methodology

The study will draw on eight regional consultations across all divisions of Bangladesh, providing a broad national picture of the barriers and enablers of women’s political participation. These will be complemented by 40 in-depth interviews with women who have contested elections, aspire to enter politics, or have previously held any position in public office. An intersectional lens will be applied throughout, with representation ensured across diverse ethnic, religious, and age groups. The interviews will explore lived experiences of political engagement, incidents of VAWP, strategies for navigating political spaces, and consequences for well-being. Data will be analysed thematically to identify patterns across regions and identities, and ethical standards — including informed consent and confidentiality — will be strictly maintained throughout the research process.

Findings and Recommendations

Forthcoming.

Windows of Opportunity: One-Stop Shops as Intermediaries Between Digital States and Non-Digital Populations

One-stop shops have emerged as critical intermediary institutions in digitising governance systems, bridging the gap between digital states and citizens who lack access to devices, connectivity, or digital skills. This study examines how these spaces — their organisational design and frontline workers — either enable inclusion or reproduce exclusion in access to digital public services. Drawing on qualitative, case-based methods including interviews with policymakers, service providers, and citizens, the research informs debates on Digital Public Infrastructure and equitable digital governance.

Researchers: Miguel Loureiro; Syeda Salina Aziz; Asif M. Shahan, PhD; Taslima Aktar; Raihan Ahamed; and Sadman Mujtoba Rafid

Partner: IDS

Timeline: 2025–2026

Status: Ongoing

Contact: Taslima Aktar, Senior Research Associate; taslima.41@bracu.ac.bd

Context

The study is situated within broader global and national transitions toward digital governance, with particular attention to contexts such as Digital Bangladesh. While digitalisation promises efficiency and transparency, it also risks excluding ‘analog citizens’ who lack access to devices, connectivity, or digital skills — leaving them unable to access public services they are entitled to. One-stop shops emerge as critical interfaces within Digital Public Infrastructure, mediating between state systems and citizens who cannot navigate digital channels independently. Understanding their role — and the discretion exercised by the frontline workers staffing them — is essential for assessing whether digitalisation advances inclusive governance or deepens existing inequalities.

Objectives

This study aims to examine how one-stop shops function as intermediary institutions between digital states and digitally marginalised citizens, analysing how their organisational design and frontline workers either enable or reproduce exclusion in accessing digital public services. It seeks to understand the mediating role of these spaces within Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and assess whether digitalisation advances inclusive governance or deepens existing inequalities. The findings will contribute to broader debates on state–citizen interaction and inform policy recommendations for more equitable digital governance systems.

Methodology

This study employs a qualitative, case-based research methodology to examine how one-stop shops function as intermediary institutions between digital states and non-digital or digitally marginalised populations. Data will be collected through semi-structured key informant interviews with policymakers and system designers, in-depth interviews with frontline service providers, and interviews with citizens who rely on one-stop shops to access digital public services, complemented by a review of relevant policy and operational documents. A purposive sampling strategy is used to select diverse service sites and participants, and the data are analysed using thematic analysis to identify patterns related to mediation, discretion, inclusion, and exclusion within digital governance systems. Ethical standards, including informed consent and confidentiality, are strictly maintained throughout the research process.

Findings and Recommendations

Forthcoming.

Voting Behavior and Campaign Strategies in Bangladesh

This study explores Bangladesh’s dramatically shifting political landscape since August 5, 2024, when the July Revolution and the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government gave rise to new political parties ahead of the National Parliamentary Elections on February 12, 2026. It examines how electoral campaigns are designed, implemented, and perceived in Bangladesh, investigating voters’ decision-making processes and the factors influencing their choices. The research will engage voters, political leaders, local elites, and marginalized groups, including women and youth.

Researchers: Syeda Salina Aziz; Asif M. Shahan, PhD; Raihan Ahamed; and Tahrima Binte Tarique

Partner: IDRC

Timeline: 2025–2026

Status: Ongoing

Contact: Tahrima Binte Tarique, Senior Research Associate; tahrima.tarique@bracu.ac.bd

Context

Bangladesh’s upcoming parliamentary election is a watershed moment: it is the first democratic election in over 15 years and the first in which an entire generation of young people will cast their votes. Many citizens across age groups will also be voting for the very first time. The country’s political landscape has shifted dramatically since the July Revolution of 2024, with new parties emerging ahead of the 12 February 2026 National Parliamentary Elections. Despite the historical weight of this moment, there is a significant gap in voting behaviour research in Bangladesh, making it difficult to understand how voters make decisions, what they expect from candidates, or which campaign messages resonate most.

Objective

This study aims to uncover the factors that shape voter decision-making in Bangladesh’s first democratic election in over 15 years. It seeks to understand how electoral campaigns are designed and implemented by political actors, and how these campaigns are perceived and responded to by voters from different backgrounds. The research also examines which issues and candidate characteristics most influence voting choices among diverse groups — including women, youth, local elites, and political leaders — and contributes to filling critical gaps in the country’s voting behaviour literature.

Methodology

The study employs qualitative research methodologies to capture the complexity of electoral behaviour and campaign dynamics in Bangladesh. The core methods are in-depth interviews and participant observation, conducted over two months immediately preceding the February 2026 elections. In-depth interviews engage a range of actors — including voters, political candidates, local elites, and representatives of marginalized groups such as women and first-time young voters — to surface individual perspectives on the issues driving vote choices and the messages that resonate most. Participant observation allows the research team to directly witness campaign strategies as they unfold on the ground, capturing the gap between how campaigns are designed and how they are ultimately received by voters across different constituencies.

Findings and Recommendations

Forthcoming.

Gender and Labour Dynamics of Energy Transition: Insights from alternative solar projects in Bangladesh

This research investigates the complex intersections of renewable energy expansion, land use, and gendered livelihoods in Bangladesh. As the nation strives to meet ambitious renewable energy targets amidst acute land scarcity, utility-scale solar projects are increasingly competing with productive agricultural landscapes. This study employs a comparative mixed-methods approach to examine how different solar development models, ranging from conventional “pure solar” to innovative “agrivoltaics”, reshape rural economies, labor participation, and household bargaining power. By documenting the socio-economic and environmental consequences of energy displacement, the project seeks to assess whether a transition toward renewable energy can be socially inclusive and “just” for women and marginalized farming communities.

Researchers: Dr. Rohini Kamal; Dr. Munshi Sulaiman; Tasin Rashid; Mohammad Shadid Hossain and Riana Islam
Visiting Researcher: Anushree Chaudhuri
Partner: FCDO
Timeline: 2026–2028
Status: Ongoing
Contact: Dr. Rohini Kamal; rohini.kamal@bracu.ac.bd

Context
Bangladesh confronts a complex “trilemma” of lagging behind its renewable energy expansion targets, sustaining economic growth amidst recurring energy fuel shortages, and preserving food security in a densely populated, land-scarce country. National plans aim to raise renewables to 40% of total energy by 2041, yet utility-scale solar parks are highly land-intensive, typically requiring 3.5–4.0 acres per megawatt. This creates regulatory tension, as national frameworks generally discourage using agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes.

Independent verification through satellite mapping is critical to resolving these tensions, where official land classifications may diverge from the actual productive use of the site. In an agrarian economy where agriculture accounts for roughly 45.4% of employment, converting cultivable land to “pure solar” generation can disrupt farm-based livelihoods and intensify land conflicts. These risks are deeply gendered: women comprise more than half of the agricultural workforce, but their work is frequently under-recognized, and they often have weaker formal claims to property. This study compares two divergent models: “pure solar,” where energy generation displaces agriculture, and “agrivoltaics,” where solar generation is combined with continued production on the same land.

Objective

The purpose of this project is to compare how pure solar and agrivoltaics affect women’s livelihoods and household bargaining power in communities experiencing renewable energy expansion.

Specific objectives include:

Identify key drivers of women’s labor participation and work choices.
Compare women’s paid and unpaid agricultural work and paid non-agricultural work in terms of earnings, working conditions, control over income, and access to credit/assets.
Assess impacts on time use, income security, mobility, and decision-making (including fertility/family planning where relevant).
Document land-use change and conflict, utilizing GIS and satellite imagery to assess the accuracy of land classifications and the subsequent gendered impacts on displacement and compensation.
Examine how energy access and reliability intersect with women’s work and care burdens.

Methodology

The study utilizes a comparative mixed-methods design (qualitative and quantitative) implemented in three distinct stages:

Initial Qualitative and Community Mapping: Key informant interviews (KIIs) and transect walks are conducted to understand local livelihoods, land use, and community perceptions. Observations focus on gendered work roles and participation in decision-making.
Women-Focused Qualitative Work: Separate focus group discussions (FGDs) are held with women across different work categories, paid agricultural, paid non-agricultural, and unpaid domestic/care work, to understand time use and mobility constraints.
Household Survey: A structured survey measuring household characteristics and women’s earnings is administered to approximately 800 households, utilizing the Abbreviated Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (A-WEAI).
Secondary and GIS Analysis: The research integrates HIES data to construct socio-economic profiles and advanced satellite-based land use/land cover (LULC) change analysis to independently verify pre- and post-construction land changes.

Findings and Recommendations

Forthcoming.

Socio-economic Profiling of Street Vendors in Bangladesh

This study examines the socio-economic conditions of street vendors in Bangladesh, focusing on their demographic characteristics, types of businesses, income patterns, and everyday challenges. It also explores the political and legal context shaping street vending, including interactions and tensions among street vendors, permanent shopkeepers, local residents, and authorities. The study aims to generate evidence to inform more inclusive and effective urban policy and program responses.

Researchers: Narayan C. Das, PhD; James Ward Khakshi; Farah Muneer; Md. Kamruzzaman, Tahasin Tasnim Mohce; Md. Ashikur Rahman; Mohd. Rubayat Ahsan; Nawshiba Arnob

Partner: BRAC Advocacy for Social Change

Timeline: 2025–2026

Status: Ongoing

Contact: James Ward Khakshi, james.wk@bracu.ac.bd

Context

Nearly 85% of Bangladesh’s workforce is engaged in informal employment, with street vendors playing a vital role in urban economies and everyday service provision. In Dhaka city alone, the number of street vendors is estimated at around 300,000. Despite their economic importance, street vendors often operate in precarious conditions shaped by regulatory uncertainty, contested public space, and competing stakeholder interests.

Existing research has largely focused on isolated aspects of vendors’ lives, leaving important gaps in understanding the socio-political dimensions of street vending and how these intersect with vendors’ socio-economic realities. This study addresses these gaps by situating vendors’ livelihoods within broader legal, political, and urban governance contexts to support more informed policy and program planning.

Objective

The study aims to generate a comprehensive socio-economic profile of street vendors in Dhaka by:

developing demographic profiles of street vendors;
assessing their socio-economic conditions, challenges, and needs; and
analyzing the policy and legal environment, including competing and conflicting stakeholder interests.

Methodology

The study adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative survey data with qualitative inquiry to explore key livelihood dynamics and governance challenges. A structured survey will be conducted with 400 street vendors in Dhaka, focusing on demographics, economic conditions, and coping mechanisms. To complement and deepen the survey findings, qualitative methods will include 10 focus group discussions (FGDs) and 35 in-depth interviews, enabling exploration of lived experiences, stakeholder interactions, and policy-relevant issues. Together, these methods provide a robust evidence base to identify priority areas and potential entry points for intervention.

Findings and Recommendations

Forthcoming.

Accelerating and Strengthening Skills for Economic Transformation (ASSET)

This study supports an impact evaluation assessing the effectiveness of providing TVET students with access to a job-matching platform, structured job search support, and CV-building assistance. The study combines large-scale baseline data collection with implementation support to generate evidence on labour market outcomes, women’s economic empowerment, and household well-being among TVET students in Bangladesh.

Researchers: Kate Vyborny; Hasibul Hasan; James Ward Khakshi; Farah Muneer; Saadman Faisal; Noriya Mahin Chowdhury

Partner: World Bank

Timeline: 2026

Status: Ongoing

Contact: James Ward Khakshi; james.wk@bracu.ac.bd

Context

Despite growing enrolment in technical and vocational education, many TVET students in Bangladesh face challenges transitioning into employment due to weak job search skills, limited access to labour market information, and poor linkage with employers. Digital job platforms offer potential to bridge this gap, but their effectiveness depends on students’ ability to access, navigate, and use these tools. To address this, the World Bank in collaboration with BIGD is piloting an intervention that combines access to a job platform with CV-making support and job search training. This study contributes to a broader impact evaluation by generating baseline evidence and supporting implementation to assess how such interventions influence employment outcomes, particularly for women. BIGD is supporting World Bank in implementing the baseline and pilot phases of the evaluation, working closely with TVET institutes to ensure high-quality data, effective training delivery, and strong coordination across institutions. Contextual learning for deciding the design and research protocol is an important contribution of BIGD.

Objectives

The study aims to support the impact evaluation by:

generating baseline evidence on labour market outcomes, job readiness, and household well-being among TVET students;
supporting the delivery of CV writing workshops and job search training linked to a digital job platform;
ensuring high-quality data collection and adherence to evaluation protocols; and
strengthening coordination with TVET institutions to enable smooth implementation of the pilot.

Methodology

The study adopts a mixed-methods, implementation-support approach, combining large-scale baseline surveys with coordinated training delivery and rigorous quality control. A structured baseline survey is administered to 6,600 TVET students across institutes in Dhaka Division using SurveyCTO, following extensive instrument testing and piloting. Data collection is embedded within CV writing and onboarding sessions to ensure high participation and operational efficiency.

Beyond data collection, BIGD provides implementation support across four integrated workstreams:

coordination with TVET institutes and institutional profiling;
delivery of CV writing workshops and job search training through trained facilitators;
survey programming, piloting, and baseline administration; and
monitoring, quality control, and reporting, including supervisor back-checks, independent verification, and delivery of a clean, analysis-ready dataset.

This integrated approach ensures that the evaluation is supported by reliable monitoring data, well-executed training, and strong institutional engagement.

Findings and Recommendations

Forthcoming.

Contested Mobilities: Understanding the Political Ecology, Livelihoods, and Policy Futures of Rickshaws in Urban Bangladesh

Recent restrictions and bans in key urban zones reflect growing tensions between elite infrastructure visions and the lived mobility needs of working-class populations. This study examines rickshaw governance through a political ecology and livelihoods lens, focusing on how regulatory decisions are made, contested, and experienced on the ground. The research explores the political, institutional, and socio-economic forces shaping their regulation and the consequences for those whose livelihoods depend on them.

Researchers: James Ward Khakshi; Md. Faruq Hossain; Noriya Mahin Chowdhury; Mohd. Rubayat Ahsan; Nawshiba Arnob

Partners: BRAC Advocacy for Social Change

Timeline: 2026-2028

Status: Ongoing

Contact: James Ward Khakshi, james.wk@bracu.ac.bd

Context

Despite their economic and environmental contributions, rickshaws continue to be marginalized in formal transport planning. Policy decisions particularly around battery-run rickshaws are often made without meaningful participation from rickshaw pullers, even though the sector supports an estimated six million vehicles nationwide and contributes substantially to the urban economy. Existing research has examined rickshaw pullers’ socio-economic precarity or the technical role of rickshaws in transport systems, but far less attention has been paid to how governance decisions are negotiated, whose interests dominate, and how regulation reshapes livelihoods. This study addresses that gap by foregrounding governance from below examining how rickshaw pullers experience, adapt to, and sometimes resist regulatory power.

Objectives

The study aims to generate evidence to support more inclusive and context-specific urban transport policy in Bangladesh. Specifically, it seeks to:

examine the political, institutional, and regulatory factors shaping rickshaw governance in urban Bangladesh;
assess the socio-economic conditions, vulnerabilities, and coping strategies of rickshaw-pullers across different regulatory environments;
analyze the sustainability trade-offs—social, economic, and environmental—of current rickshaw policies; and
identify entry points for participatory and inclusive policy pathways that reflect both governance realities and everyday mobility needs.

Methodology

The study adopts a mixed-methods design, anchored in Problem-Driven Political Economy Analysis (PD-PEA) and complemented by a livelihoods framework. This approach enables analysis of how political incentives, institutional arrangements, and actor power shape feasible policy choices and its uptake, while grounding these dynamics in lived livelihood realities.

Fieldwork will be conducted in Dhaka and Barishal, allowing comparison between a megacity with restrictive rickshaw regulation and a medium-sized city where rickshaws remain central to mobility. The quantitative component includes a structured survey with 450 rickshaw-pullers across different regulatory zones to assess income, work patterns, vulnerabilities, and encounters with regulations. Qualitative methods include key informant interviews (KIIs), in-depth interviews (IDIs), focus group discussions (FGDs), and document and media analysis. Actor-network mapping and critical discourse analysis are used to trace decision-making processes, power relations, and dominant narratives shaping rickshaw policy.

Findings and Recommendations

Forthcoming.

System Mapping and Political Mapping of Childcare in the RMG Sector of Bangladesh

Emerging evidence suggests that home-based childcare (HBCC) may offer a more feasible and context-appropriate alternative for garment workers, but sector-wide adoption depends both on the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association’s (BGMEA) stance and on the broader system of incentives, regulations, and power relations governing childcare in the RMG sector. This study combines system mapping and political mapping, using home-based childcare as a focal issue to analyze key stakeholders across the RMG childcare system, identify advocacy and leverage points where change is most likely to be sustained, examine how childcare-related decisions are made within the association, and where strategic entry points exist to advance HBCC as a legitimate and acceptable option within sector governance and compliance frameworks.

Researchers: Ferdousi Khanom; Mahmuda Akhter; Wasima Nah; Gerard Oliver D’Costa; Sultana Chadni; James Ward Khakshi

Partners: CARE Bangladesh

Timeline: 2026

Status: Ongoing

Contact: James Ward Khakshi, james.wk@bracu.ac.bd

Context

BGMEA is the most influential industry association in Bangladesh’s RMG sector, shaping collective positions in negotiations with government, buyers, and development partners. Although legal frameworks such as the Labour Law and the Child Daycare Centre Act (2021) mandate childcare provision, implementation has remained limited, and compliance pressures alone have not resulted in widespread adoption.

CARE’s childcare system mapping has identified home-based childcare as a potentially scalable, culturally appropriate alternative for garment workers. However, endorsement or at minimum non-opposition from BGMEA is critical for sector-level uptake. Given BGMEA’s internal governance structures, informal power relations, and exposure to economic, reputational, and political incentives, a political economy lens is required to understand how childcare decisions are shaped and how advocacy efforts can be more effective.

Objectives

The overall objective of this study is to understand how decisions related to worker childcare are made within BGMEA, and how home-based childcare can be advanced through strategic, influence-aware engagement.

Specifically, the study seeks to:

identify key internal actors, incentives, and power relations shaping BGMEA’s position on childcare;
map formal and informal decision-making pathways within BGMEA;
assess the role of external actors such as buyers, government agencies, unions, and civil society in influencing BGMEA’s stance; and
identify potential champions, blockers, and persuadable actors, along with entry points for targeted advocacy on home-based childcare.

Methodology

The study adopts a political economy and stakeholder-mapping approach, combining desk review, key informant interviews (KIIs), and structured power–interest analysis. The focus is on decision processes and influence pathways rather than program implementation. Primary data are collected through KIIs with current and former BGMEA leaders, standing committee members, selected factory owners, and influential external actors, including buyers’ compliance teams, relevant government officials, labour representatives, and childcare-focused civil society organisations. Interviews are conducted until data saturation is reached. Secondary analysis draws on BGMEA governance documents, public statements, election materials, labour and childcare policies, buyer codes of conduct, and CARE program documentation. Analytical tools include stakeholder power–interest matrices, influence mapping (formal and informal), incentive and risk analysis, and champion–blocker–neutral actor classification to surface strategic advocacy pathways.

Findings and Recommendations

Forthcoming.

Long-term Follow-up of Urban UPG Participants for Recalibrating Targeting, Intervention, and Priorities

Urban poverty in Bangladesh extends beyond income deprivation, shaped by informal employment, inadequate housing, limited services, environmental and health risks, and gendered vulnerabilities. Although BRAC’s UPG model has been widely studied in rural settings, the urban program—launched in 2010 and now reaching over 50,000 households— lacks structured longitudinal evidence on the sustainability of outcomes. This study addresses that gap by examining longer-term experiences of UPG participants across cohorts and urban contexts, with particular attention to mobility, vulnerability, and evolving aspirations.

Researchers: Noriya Mahin Chowdhury; Farah Muneer; Mahbubul Hassan Sharan; Suzana Huq; Fathima Hayder Chowdhury

Partner: BRAC Poverty Alleviation Cluster

Timeline: 2026

Status: Ongoing

Contact: Noriya Mahin Chowdhury; noriya.mahin@bracu.ac.bd

Context

Rapid urbanisation in Bangladesh has intensified multidimensional poverty, particularly among households living in informal settlements and engaged in informal work. While a lot is known about BRAC’s rural Ultra-Poor Graduation (UPG) program, far less is known about the urban UPG program and how its participants fare once program support ends. High mobility, exposure to urban shocks, and shifting living conditions make sustaining gains difficult and challenging to assess.

For this purpose, the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD)—through its Monitoring and Evaluation for Learning and Adaptation (MELA) Initiative—is conducting a long-term qualitative follow-up of Urban UPG participants to understand post-program trajectories. Rather than measuring impact, the study generates learning to inform recalibrated targeting, refined interventions, and updated program priorities that better reflect urban realities and participants’ evolving aspirations.

Objectives

The study aims to generate evidence to strengthen the design and adaptation of the Urban UPG program and support sustainable urban poverty reduction. Specifically, it seeks:

to evaluate if and how Urban UPG interventions have improved livelihoods and supported sustained progress;
to examine the degree to which participants’ aspirations align with the program’s interventions;
to assess current vulnerabilities, resilience, and opportunities to strengthen long-term outcomes.

Methodology

This study adopts an exploratory, qualitative, learning-oriented approach spanning four program cohorts (2018, 2022, 2024, and a potential 2026 cohort). A total of 60 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with program participants from the 2018 and 2022 cohorts explore their life trajectories before and after the UPG intervention. Focus group discussions (FGDs) with recent (2024) and upcoming (2026) cohorts capture emerging challenges, vulnerabilities, and aspirations, enabling the program to assess alignment with participants’ lived realities, understand how interventions are reducing vulnerabilities, and identify what could be adapted or done differently in future cohorts. Additionally, key informant interviews (KIIs) with urban UPG program staff triangulate participant narratives with operational perspectives. Data is being collected from Dhaka, Chittagong, Rangpur, and Sirajganj, representing megacities, city corporations, and municipalities, respectively.

Findings and Recommendations

Forthcoming.

Organizational Impact Evaluation: BIGD’s As A Case

Since its establishment, the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) has sought to bridge rigorous research with real-world policy and development practices. As BIGD’s research, policy engagement, and capacity-building work has expanded across and beyond governance, gender, climate, digital inclusion, and academic training, a critical question has emerged: to what extent do BIGD’s research, engagement and capacity-building activities contribute to evidence-informed policy discourse and programmatic decisions?

Researchers: Farah Muneer; Noriya Mahin Chowdhury; James Ward Khakshi

Timeline: 2025- 2026

Status: Ongoing

Contact: Farah Muneer, farah.muneer@bracu.ac.bd

Context

BIGD operates in complex policy and governance environments where change is shaped by multiple actors, institutions, and long-term processes. While BIGD has produced a substantial body of research, policy engagement, academic, and training initiatives including programs such as Young Researchers’ Fellowship (YRF), Research Initiative on Development, Governance, and Economy (RIDGE), etc. the pathways through which this work contributes to real-world decisions are not always visible or linear.

Traditional impact evaluation approaches that rely on attribution or counterfactuals are poorly suited to assessing the impact of a research institution like BIGD. Instead, understanding BIGD’s organisational impact requires examining how evidence is generated, taken up, debated, and used as well as understanding how BIGD’s various initiatives collectively contribute to shaping policy discourse, program design, and research capacity.

For this study, MELA undertakes an organisational impact evaluation of BIGD to understand how BIGD’s research, policy dialogue, communication, and capacity-building initiatives have plausibly contributed to changes in programs, policies, knowledge ecosystems, and decision-making processes in Bangladesh and countries within the Global South. Rather than attributing change to a single actor, the study examines how BIGD’s work has influenced outcomes within complex policy and development systems over time. This evaluation method responds to the need for structured reflection on BIGD’s contribution to governance and development practice, not only to demonstrate impact but to learn how BIGD can strengthen its role as a knowledge and learning institution.

Methodology

The study adopts a theory-based contribution analysis approach to assess BIGD’s organisational impact within complex policy and development systems. Given that BIGD operates alongside multiple actors and influences, and does not implement programs directly, a contribution analysis is used to examine how and why BIGD’s research, engagement, and capacity-building efforts have plausibly contributed to observed changes, rather than attempting to attribute impact to BIGD alone. The evaluation begins with the articulation of a Theory of Change (ToC), alongside nested ToCs for selected clusters and initiatives. These ToCs make explicit the assumptions, pathways, and mechanisms through which BIGD’s work is expected to influence policy, practice, knowledge production, and research capacity. Evidence is then systematically gathered to assess the strength of these contribution pathways, including whether BIGD’s outputs were relevant, timely, used by key actors, and aligned with decision-making processes.

Objectives

The overall objective of this study is to assess the extent to which BIGD contributes to better governance and development practices through evidence-based decision-making grounded in Global South knowledge.

To address this overarching question, the study examines the extent and ways in which BIGD’s research has contributed to programmatic decision, policy discourse, and capacity-building of emerging social science researchers between 2021 and 2025, focusing on:

the use of BIGD’s research in informing the design, adaptation, or reform of programmes and policies;
BIGD’s contribution to academic and applied development literature, particularly from a Global South perspective;
the effectiveness of BIGD’s mentorship and capacity-building initiatives (including YRF, RIDGE, and academic programs) in shaping the trajectories of emerging social science researchers and development practitioners.

Findings and Recommendations

Forthcoming.