Islamic Relief Worldwide in Bangladesh

Annual Report 2013

Annual Report 2013

Message from the Country Director 01

Our Aims 02

Where we work 03

Our Approaches 04

(1) Protecting Life and Dignity 05

a. Humanitarian Assistance and Early Recovery 05

b. Climate and Disaster Resilience 08

(2) Empowering Communities 11

a. Livelihood and Community Development 11

b. Health and Nutrition 14

c. Orphan and Child Welfare 15

(3) Campaigning for Change 18

a. Policy Advocacy 18

b. Communications 19

(4) Strengthening the Islamic Relief Partnership 20

Quality, Research and Learning 21

CONTENTS

It is a great pleasure to provide you with a glimpse into Islamic Relief Bangladesh programmes and activities, in our Annual Report 2013. Here, you will learn more about how we are alleviating poverty and suffering amongst vulnerable communities.

We are honoured to receive the UN Sasakawa Award 2013 for contributions to disaster risk reduction through NARRI (National Alliance for Risk Reduction Initiative) Consortium - of which we are a founding member. It is a welcome recognition of the collective effort, partnership and mutual understanding between communities, the government, public sector institutions and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as Islamic Relief.

In 2013, we continued building new partnerships and opportunities to enhance impact in collaborating on projects, research, and advocacy. We are especially pleased to be teaming-up with the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs to reduce hazardous child labour in Dhaka.

Independent research illustrated that our HELP-UP project made a huge difference in transforming the lives of 10,000 poor families. It achieved an increase of 554 per cent in the average family income – the highest secured by any of the implementing partners in the EC-funded Food Security for Ultra Poor (FSUP) project.

We thank our wonderful donors, partners and communities for enabling us to make a positive and meaningful change to the lives of poor people - not only for this year, but for years to come. Many thanks also to our diligent and professional staff, and our dedicated community volunteers. Together, and with the grace of almighty Allah, we have improved the lives of 468,501 people across Bangladesh this year.

With your continued support, we will maintain this much-needed momentum in equally ambitious endeavors in the coming years. Allah willing, we will sustain our commitment to serving the poorest people in the best possible way.

Sincerely

Shabel FiruzCountry DirectorIslamic Relief Bangladesh

Message from theCountry Director

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Annual Report 2013

Islamic Relief Worldwide is an independent humanitarian and development organisation. Founded in 1984, with headquarters based in Birmingham, UK, we have a presence in 40 countries.Islamic Relief has been working in Bangladesh since 1991, when we provided emergency relief and supported communities to rebuild in the wake of a devastating cyclone. Since then, we have expanded our programmes to focus on both humanitarian and development challenges.Inspired by the Islamic faith and guided by our values, we envisage a caring world where communities are empowered, social obligations are fulfilled and people respond as one to the suffering of others.

ur mission is to mobilise resources, build partnerships, and develop capacity. We help communities to become more resilient to

disasters, and provide vital aid when the worst happens. We promote sustainable livelihoods through integrated development and environmental custodianship. We also tackle the root causes of poverty, making sure the world’s most vulnerable people have real influence.

We do this regardless of race, political affiliation, gender or belief, and without expecting anything in return.

Leading the way in Islamic humanitarianism, our strategy for 2011-15 includes:

• Understanding the threats to our world, and preparing people for them

• Addressing the underlying causes of poverty through our programmes and policies

• Developing a deeper faith-based framework for humanitarianism and development, that offers leadership and guidance on issues affecting the humanity.

Our aims

Our Values

Sincerity (Ikhlas)

Excellence (Ihsan)

Compassion (Rahmah)

Social Justice (Adl)

Custodianship (Amana)

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Where we work:In 2013, Islamic Relief, Bangladesh implemented 43 projects in 36 districts:

IR Operations in Bangladesh - 2013

Working District

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Our Approach

Islamic Relief believes that local people are central to all phases of development. We therefore engage communities in the whole cycle of our interventions- beginning with assessing their needs and ending with participatory impact evaluation. We also improve local capacity and rigorously involving local people in de-centralised decision-making. Our community mobilisation initiative promotes downward accountability.

Social inclusion is at the heart of Islamic Relief programming, and is central to our entire programme. We include marginalised people – such as vulnerable women, children, older persons and people with disability - irrespective of religion, caste, and geographic location. We select programme participants and implement interventions on the basis of inclusive development programming and its basic principles.

In Islamic Relief, Right Based Approach offers a comprehensive approach in determining relevant areas of human development, poverty reduction, humanitarian assistance and resilience building initiatives. We regard affected people as rights holders, and identify relevant duty bearers – establishing accountability when rights are violated.

Key to our work is building the capacity of communities to understand and anticipate risks - as well as putting in place mitigation measures to reduce risk and enhance resilience. By mobilising communities we help poor and marginalised people to escape vulnerability.

Delivered within the sustainable community development model, we make it possible for communities unlock potential and harness their resources to help themselves.

Women play a vital and central grassroots role in all of our interventions. With women mainstreamed into development planning and implementation processes, this approach enhances their role both in the family setting and in the wider community. We deploy gender-sensitive and inclusive programme implementation strategies which fuel positive social change and advance women’s empowerment.

People-centred

Social inclusion

Rights Based

Empoweringcommunities

Self Help

Women Empowerment

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ProtectingLife and Dignity

a. Humanitarian ProgrammeOur Humanitarian Programme aims to strengthen Islamic Relief’s surge and response capacity further, ensuring a prompt and effective response that reduces the suffering caused by natural and human-induced disasters. We adhere to rigorous humanitarian principles and standards, and draw on our excellent track record and experience in emergency and early recovery assistance. This is recognised by governmental authorities and other development organisations.

We actively enhance the capacity of Islamic Relief Bangladesh staff and our strategic partners in emergency response. We also make sure that effective protocols and manuals for responding to emergencies are in place. In addition, greater focus is being given to driving lasting impact by passing on our expertise and experience to local strategic partners and local government agencies.

Total Coverage

Number of Projects: 16 (including seasonal

project)

Direct Programme Participants: 3, 61,005

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In 2013, some of the major impacts of our Humanitarian Programme were:

• Over 4,000 cold wave affected persons received vital assistance. Non-food items such as blankets, Shaal, and sweaters kept vulnerable families warm and also helped reduce cold-related illnesses.

• Food packages containing staples including rice, lentils, peas, oil, sugar gave 6,057 marginalized families - around 30,285 people - nutritious and balanced food during Ramadan. Our Qurbani programme helped around 36,588 extremely poor families - 171,640 people - to tackle hunger and malnutrition in poor and disaster-prone areas across Bangladesh.

• Around 2,480 vulnerable families have their houses for a modest living which would protect them from severe damages during the time of cyclone, flood or water log.

• Poor people were enabled to achieve their right to access safe drinking water and hygiene and sanitation facilities. We constructed 308 tube wells and installed 3,260 latrines serving vulnerable communities. Over 5,500 people participated in training and awareness sessions empowering them to improve their health and hygiene. In addition, we pushed for duty bearers – particularly the government – to deliver effective and timely services.

• More than 15,400 vulnerable families in the districts of Chittagong, Patuakhali and Kurigram received support to escape the poverty trap. Here, cyclones and flash floods destroyed swathes of crop land upon which the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of families depended. Our early recovery programme boosted food security and livelihoods by providing cash grants, training and support so families could build small businesses. We also helped the families to maximise their income with support in marketing and establishing links with the local supply chain.

• In addition, in the flood-prone Haor areas, we provided items such as sewing machines, seeds, and livestock to 546 poor families - enabling them to earn a decent and secure living.

• Communities in four unions in Kurigram benefited from better road links, as we repaired or constructed 32 roads connecting to urban centres. The improvements support local people in generating an income.

• Our newly-developed guidelines on emergency distributions ensured that vulnerable people benefit from effective, coordinated and timely distribution of food and other essential items.

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“I am self-reliant now”

Shahina, 27, lives in the Chittagong district of southeast Bangladesh. Her house, in Tulatoli village, was washed away during the torrential rains and flash flooding of 2012. Her crops – which were ready for harvest – were destroyed.

In Satkania Upazila, several hundred- thousand families lost their crops. They struggled to earn a living through activities upon which they previously relied-such as livestock rearing, homestead gardening, and fishing.

We worked with the community, local government and civil society organisations to identify the most vulnerable families. We provided with training and a cash-grant of BDT.10, 000 ($125 USD) to enable them to generate an income from livestock rearing, sewing machines and hand stitching, homestead gardening and fishing.

Shahina, who had learned some tailoring skills as a student, decided to start a tailoring business. With her grant, she repaired her home and bought a second-hand sewing machine and essential equipment.

Her popular designs and good handiwork – as well as reasonable prices – have seen orders soar. She now earns four to seven thousand taka per month – and takes on extra help to meet demand during religious festivals.

“I am self-reliant now,” said Shahina. “I can earn money for myself and lead a decent life with this income.”

Shahina has passed on her tailoring skills to a local girl, and plans to extend her home so she can start training more women.

“Shahina is a great example for our community,” said Saidul Haque, member of the local union council. “She is concerned about the welfare of other poor women, advocating for them to enroll in government safety-net programs.”

b. ClimateChange

andDisaster

Resilience

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We work with the most vulnerable, and give special emphasis to socially excluded and marginalised people – including women, older people and children - in areas particularly prone to disasters. We focus on building and scaling-up the capacity of local communities and institutions. In addition, we foster traditional and indigenous knowledge and combine it with hard science – provided by academic partners and research institutions – to provide practical, impact-oriented and replicable activities which strengthen community and household resilience.

Accordingly, we have adopted an integrated and holistic approach to address disaster and climate risks. In partnership with government, academic institutions, civil society, communities and the private sector, we are supporting a vibrant, thriving and resilient Bangladesh.

Working with mandated emergency response agencies, we are strengthening coordinated emergency responses - including by training community volunteers as part of an overall response and recovery strategy.

Total CoverageNumber of Projects: 5Direct Programme Participants: 15,000

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• The NARRI Consortium, in which Islamic Relief is a founding member, was awarded the UN Sasakawa Award 2013 for contributions to disaster risk reduction. The award, by the United Nations Office for Disaster Reduction, recognises an individual or institution that has acted to reduce disaster risk in its communities and which advocates for disaster risk reduction.

• Ministry of Disaster Management & Relief (MoDM&R) endorsed the urban and rural Community Based Disaster Preparedness (CBDP) Model that we developed to help disaster-prone communities improve disaster preparedness. The model will help to reduce the impact of future disasters in Bangladesh. We also helped the government to develop a much-needed countrywide Tsunami Early Warning System.

• Local resources and government funds were leveraged to reduce the impact of climate change upon vulnerable communities. Disaster risk reduction was mainstreamed into development planning through local communities and mandated government intuitions. In various areas in which we work, Union Disaster Management Committees (UDMC) have developed a risk reduction action plan - based on findings from a community risk assessment -and have successfully leveraged funds from the government’s Annual Development Programme (ADP).

• Vulnerable communities are also set to benefit from our new partnerships with leading universities and institutions – including BRAC University North South University, Dhaka University and Action Research for Community Adaptation in Bangladesh (ARCAB). With agreements signed in 2013, we are working together to strengthen national disaster management and climate change adaption.

• Six schools have been equipped to serve as community cyclone shelters, with local people employed to carry out the work. This included improving the disaster-resilience of the buildings, and will also help minimise disruption to education in the aftermath of disasters.

• Almost 800 vulnerable families have now had their houses for a respectable living, protecting

the homes from severe damages during disasters.

• Resilience in areas frequently struck by natural disasters was improved through our comprehensive capacity development programme. This saw us team-up with local disaster management committees such as Upazila Disaster Management Committee (UzDMC) and Union Disaster Management Committee (UDMC) to enable them tosupport communities in preparing for disasters.

• We also provided communities with essential search and rescue equipment. In addition, we empowered local people to build livelihoods that work in harmony with the local environment and which are less likely to be jeopardised by natural disasters.

Some of key impacts of our programme in 2013 were:

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With our support, the community of Botul Bazar - one of Koyra Upazilla’s most vulnerable wards–is becoming stronger than ever before.

After Cyclone Aila ripped through the area, the local economy and family livelihoods were left devastated. Though the community received emergency support in the aftermath, local people continued to struggle with the legacy of disaster. The local economy and family livelihoods were devastated. Challenges included the impact of displacement, deepening poverty and aid dependency.

Saline intrusion into the land prevented the growth of crops, and made drinkable water sources scarce – with women typically shouldering the burden of an arduous journey to collect safe water, and local sanitation facilities deteriorating.

“A local NGO came to reinstall our water, sanitation and hygiene facilities,” said local ward member J.M Mafizul Islam, “After that, Islamic Relief Bangladesh started strengthening their programs. To date, Islamic Relief is with us and has continued its support.”

Working in the ward of Uttar Bedkashi village under Koyra Upazilla, our 30-month project is strengthening

the capacity of local people to mitigate the impact of the changing climate.

Botul Bazar was one of the communities to benefit. Here, a Ward Disaster Management Committee (WDMC) – led by local people – was re-formed, to increase strength and develop coping strategies and mitigation plans.

Social capital was developed through regular coordination meetings and awareness sessions, with diverse participation across the community. Families got involved with community-based disaster risk reduction planning, and embraced household plans to reduce the impact of disasters.

With Islamic Relief providing technical support, initiatives taken by local people include tree plantations at local homes, low-cost rainwater harvesting, and generating a community disaster fund.

The project, ‘Programme for Augmenting Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Capacity of the Communities in the South-western Bangladesh’ is being funded by Islamic Relief UK.

Botul Bazar Ward: Strengthening community disaster-resilience

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Through our integrated approach, we focus on creating employment, boosting income and increasing the assets of poor people - so they can build secure livelihoods.

Our training – provided in collaboration with government institutions and technical partners – gives people the equipment, materials, and skills they need to escape the poverty trap. This is underpinned by a support package that may include health care services, and government extension services – among others.

Islamic Relief also promotes self-help and small scale enterprise financing using Islamic finance principles. We are actively strengthening the

systems and policies around Islamic micro-finance in Bangladesh.

Islamic Relief in Bangladesh has significant experience in delivering equitable community development as a route out of poverty. At the heart of our strategy is community empowerment, where local people lead in forming groups and managing operations. The grassroots community platform allows people to work together to achieve sustainable impacts – and is combined with community empowering processes where local people take the lead in group formation, management and operation. This process helps to promote peoples’ rights and ensure equitable development.

a. Sustainable Livelihood and Community Development:

Empowering Communities

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This year, impacts include:

• Around 42,500 vulnerable families now have the means to earn a modest living through lasting livelihoods. Thanks to our training and cash grants, families are now able to lift themselves out of poverty through enterprises which include livestock rearing, vegetable gardening and tailoring.

• Poor families in three Rangpur sub-districts gained significantly greater incomes through our HELP-UP project. According to independent research - commissioned by the EC, which funded the project – we achieved an increase of 554 per cent in the average monthly income for 10,000 poor families. According to recent independent research, Islamic Relief’s HELP-UP project was the highest amongst four FSUP implementing partners.

• More financially-excluded people than ever before gained access to vital financial support, as we widened and promoted self-help Qard al Hasana, an Islamic microfinance model, across relevant projects. In addition, our integrated community development approach helped to build solidarity amongst 1,357 groups.

• Nine hundred women earn a living through a Rangpur clothing and soft furnishings showroom. The group received opportunities to enhance their skills in hand stitching, tailoring, block and traditional batique– as well as training in small-business and entrepreneurship skills.

• Older people, widowed women, disabled people and ethnic minorities were mainstreamed across economic and social development processes through our inclusive approach.

• Women achieved increased social and economic mobility, with greater access to income generating activities.

• The socio-economic conditions of vulnerable people improved through changing attitudes fuelled by

enhanced community awareness of key issues - including human rights, empowerment, gender, and HIV/AIDs.

Total Coverage

Number of Projects: 8

Direct Programme Participants: 15,050

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Nine hundred women have opened a unique cloth-ing and soft furnishings showroom in northern Bangladesh, as part of an Islamic Relief project designed to support them in building livelihoods.

The women, of Rangpur’s Mithapukur sub-district, came together under a scheme funded by Forum Syd. The project provided them with opportunities to enhance their skills in hand stitching, tailoring, block and traditional batik and helped the group to buy the materials and equipment needed to get started. The women also received training on small-business skills – including sourcing value-for-money and quality materials, displaying their hand-made products, and reaching local and national markets.

The products – which include saris, shirts, and children’s clothes as well as bedlinen – are on display at ‘Naowar’ (Flower), the new Sales and Display Centre in Rangpur District Administration Community Market. The centre is generating more

publicity, and has become a hub for wholesalers and retailers.

Mr. Rezaul Karim Reza, Chairman of Pairabandh Union Parishad said: “Naowar has the potential to be a popular brand in handicraft market. The dedi-cation and commitment of the entrepreneurs can be a good example for others.”

Since the project began, the Naowar Women Devel-opment Organisation has saved BDT. 120,000(around 963 GBP), and the entrepreneur group continues to expand its market to other regions of Bangladesh.

In July 2013, Naowar show-cased their products in the Islamic Relief World Expo, held in Lidcombe, Australia - and are set to carry on developing the enterprise into the future.

“We work hard to make Naowar a good brand in Bangladesh,” said Sumona Akter Shirin, President of Naowar Women Development Organisation.

Crafting clothes and hope in Rangpur

b. Health and NutritionTo improve the health and nutritional status of poor people, we are increasing access to health and nutritional facilities. Targeting the most vulnerable, we raise awareness on issues related to maternal health, childbirth, adolescent reproductive health and common preventable diseases. Islamic Relief facilitates linkages with local health system – making the government accountable to service recipients.

This year, impacts include:• Over 36,800 poor people benefitted from a project to improve access primary health care services. The scheme linked them with public sector and other service-delivery systems and mobilised skilled community health volunteers to deliver key messages on health and hygiene.

• Almost 520 adolescents benefitted from life-skills training in areas such as reproductive and sexual health.

• Over 37,700 vulnerable people were reached by our campaigns on preventable blindness and eye-care, with thousands accessing free treatment such as cataracts surgery.

• Vulnerable women saw their health outcomes improved through our mass awareness campaign and healthcare services for child birth complications and uterus prolapses.

Total Coverage

Number ofProjects: 2

Direct Programme Participants: 75,154

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Since 1992, Islamic Relief has been enabling vulnerable children to unlock brighter futures through child sponsorship and alternative education initiatives. We regard this as an integral part of our programme, and continue to increase coverage in Bangladesh’s poorest areas.

The number of orphaned and vulnerable children reached by our sponsorship programme and other community-based projects continues to rise.

Vulnerable families in the sponsorship areas also benefit from support to build lasting livelihoods and access to healthcare. We integrate our work with relevant government programmes, to ensure sustainability.

C. Orphan and Child Welfare

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Total CoverageNumber of Projects: 5Direct Programme Participants: 3297

In 2013, impacts included:• At our non-formal basic education schools,

100 per cent of sponsored children passed in the Primary School Completion (PSC) Examination. This exceeds the national average for our schools, which is 98.5 per cent.

• A total of 482 children took public examinations. Of these, 26 children achieved impressive marks of 80 per cent or above. Out of 600 children to have successfully graduated from our schools, 572 are now mainstreamed into formal higher education.

• Our one-to-one sponsorship programme has expanded to provide a monthly stipend of BDT. 2689(26 Euro) to 3,012 orphaned children – helping them to continue and make the most of their education.

• Working children in Keraniganj, Dhaka, are benefitting from a pilot project to eliminate hazardous child labour. The innovative project is backed by the Ministry of Women & Children Affairs.

• Families with orphaned children have been empowered to increase their self-reliance, with skills training and support to kick start sustainable enterprises from which they earn a decent living.

• Vulnerable children have gained better education and nutrition through our integrated health, livelihood and education programme.

• The rights of children in Bangladesh have been st rengthened through our contribution to national and regional platforms on child protection and rights – including Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF) and Girl Child Advocacy Forum (GCAF). Child marriage and child labour are among the policy areas in which we worked this year.

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Most families living in the slums of Subaddya union, in downtown Dhaka, work in the shipyard, transport mechanic workshops, garments industry and in small factories. The economic realities of life in the poverty trap – combined with a lack of even basic education facilities - mean that children are exposed to hazardous labour which puts their development and wellbeing at risk.

Jewel, 12, lives in a hut with his mother and three siblings. His father died when he was just seven years-old, and his mother could not earn enough money as a domestic help, to keep Jewel at school.

He started work at a local dockyard with many other children. The work – even for adults – was exhausting, dangerous and life-threatening. He had been working there for one year when he fell from the ship he was help-ing to weld. Jewel’s right hand was broken. His family’s poverty meant he did not receive essential medical care.

Within months of his accident, Jewel joined an Islamic Relief project, ‘Reducing Hazardous Child Labour in Keraniganj’. His family now receives a small, regular stipend - so he no longer has to work. Instead, he is able to receive the education that he needs to access a brighter future, and the living conditions of his family have improved.

“I am now regularly attending school,” said Jewel. “I would like to continue my education, through which I can get a respectable job and help my family to lead a decent life”.

The project’s hard-hitting awareness campaign targets families, employers, teachers, and the communities where hazardous child labour is a reality. It also sees us working with the government, employers, the private sector and civil society organisations to promote under-standing of the negative impacts of hazardous child labour – pushing for changes in attitudes and policies to better protect children.

It is hoped that the pilot project – which is backed by government - will go on to be replicated elsewhere in Bangladesh.

Jewel has escaped the dockyards

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Campaigning for Change

We are passionate about empowering marginalised people to have their voice heard by local and national decision-makers, so that they can demand their rights. We link our work on the ground closely with national and international policies and institutional frameworks. All of our programmes integrate policy and advocacy initiatives to promote social justice.

This year, we drove momentum toward long-term change in a number of critical areas, including:

• Core issues on climate change were addressed in the second sub-regional workshop on community resilience in the Bay of Bengal. Held in October, the Dhaka conference shared the latest developments and discourse on building community resilience across the region. We hosted a session on disaster risk reduction and climate change, which was chaired by the government’s Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief. A charter of policy – setting out priorities and recommendations - has been drafted.

• As a member of National Girl Child Advocacy Forum, a network of 165 NGOs, we participated in a unified campaign to help girls who are being compelled to marry. The campaign focused on improving services in safeguarding, health, education and nutrition. A broad network was engaged through rallies, human chain and the media.

• Child rights in Bangladesh gained additional

impetus through a new, long-term partnership. By helping to establish BSAF - a network of 263 organisations that work to improve child rights – we created collaboration opportunities, particularly around reducing hazardous child labour.

• We threw our weight behind an international campaign calling for an end to world hunger. The Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign mobilised over 200 organisations to lobby for increased investment in life-saving nutrition interventions. Tens of thousands rallied around the campaign, sending a powerful message to world leaders ahead of a key G8 summit.

• Our local level advocacy helped poor and marginalised people to get their voice heard and achieve their rights and entitlements through inclusive local development. Rapid community mobilisation and regular awareness-raising helped vulnerable people to participate in local planning, resource allocation, and joint monitoring as well as decision-making.

• As an active member of Haor Advocacy Forum and a NARRI Advocacy Working Group on water-logging, we also contributed to efforts to safeguard the rights of people in disaster-prone areas – and to ensure sufficient resources are allocated to the poorest.

a. Policy and Advocacy:

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• A two-day workshop – held in Satkhira district - empowered the media to improve reporting on climate change adaptation and disaster-risk reduction. Thirty-three journalists from Satkhira Sadar, Shyamnagar and Asashuni upazila participated in the training at the Satkhira Press Club. The initiative was part of a comprehensive programme which is mobilising the media to provide high-quality information that helps improve the resilience of vulnerable communities.

• We added to the debate and awareness on key development issues, through building relationships with the media. Our media engagement programme generated 30 articles in national print media outlets alone and saw our work to improve the lives of vulnerable people recognised locally and nationally

• We also generated awareness and contributed to global conversations about reducing poverty and suffering by harnessing the reach of social media and vibrant digital media.

a. Communications:

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4. Strengthening the Islamic Relief Partnership: Islamic Relief in Bangladesh actively develops strategic partnerships that optimise our reach and enable us to develop much-needed capacity in key intervention areas. We work with national bodies, government agencies, and local institutions – including universities, research bodies, local and national partner NGOs.

Focused on working together to achieve shared strategic goals, we participate in various consortiums to leverage greater impact and mobilise resources from different funding bodies. We continually strive to increase coordination with national, regional and local level institutions.

Highlights from 2013, include:

• Building an effective partnership on eradicating hazardous child labour with the government’s Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, consolidated in a formal Memorandum of Understanding.

• Continuing to support the innovative NARRI Consortium, in which we are a founding member. Funded by European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO) and delivered by the consortium, the project is strengthening the capacity of local government and communities to improve grassroots resilience.

• Local level partnerships have already mobilised the participation of key stakeholders, enabling them to develop disaster management plans and carry out effective risk assessments that help keep protect vulnerable communities.

• Forging a partnership with the Extreme Poverty Research Group. The platform for sharing knowledge on issues around extreme poverty is organised by DFID-Shiree.

• Participating in various influential networks, consortiums, forum and UN clusters – as well as technical working groups as key members. We have contributed to the development of various ambitious policies and to the delivery of policy and legal frameworks.

• We work with eleven NGOs to distribute Ramadan and Qurbani food parcels, and collaborate with two national NGOs through our disaster risk reduction programme.

• To boost research on community-based adaptations to Climate Change, we teamed-up with Dhaka University, BRAC University, North South University, and Action Research.

• Efforts to improve community resilience also gained momentum through our participation in the Community Resilience in Bay of Bengal Network, which is enhancing collaboration and joint advocacy.

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Quality, Research and Learning:We measure our work with high impact and maintain internal and donor standards and compliance in of our programmes. We have a continuous improvement approach and prioritize documentation, monitoring and evaluation–as well as learning. Research and study is common practice and we carry out baseline studies to identify the problems and potential solutions, and end line studies to measure the impact of our work.

All of our projects have a monitoring and evaluation plan as well as individual action plans. We continue to improve our reporting mechanisms. Rolling out organisational accountability standards is a priority, and we apply a rigorous quality management framework.We promote lesson-learned initiatives that contribute to effective organizational development, and allow us to respond effectively to environmental changes.

Some impacts include:

• In order to develop concept note and project proposal, we conducted two in-depth assessments on the livelihood and food security issues of south-west and south-east region of Bangladesh which have been of great help to develop two new project proposals for the poverty-stricken and disaster prone areas of Bangladesh.

• A significant number of baseline studies have been carried out on various IR projects which helped a lot off to a great start of new projects and interventions and provided us with a glimpse for further development of tools and strategies towards effective programme implementation.

• We have continued our effort in ensuring quality programming through regular and periodic monitoring for almost all projects of Islamic Relief Bangladesh. In 2013, we developed M&E plan for six IR projects which have helped to ensure quality implementation and sustainable impact on the lives and livelihoods of the ultra poor people.

• We also went through rigorous final impact evaluation for eye-health, livelihood and seasonal

programmes through which we ensured that the inputs are properly utilised and our intended beneficiaries are mostly benefited from the input.

• Capacity building initiatives have been undertaken in a view for learning accumulation and for greater organizational development. Policies and strategies on complain response, process management, child protection and IRQMS were developed during this reporting period.