About IED

IED’s operational approach is to facilitate for people’s voices and aspirations, coordinating and supporting in the areas of environment & climate change, women empowerment and ethnic & religious minorities. ‘Leading from the back’ has twisted IED’s usual style and approach which, IED believes, is essential for building people’s ownership for the societal progress. As per the organizational strategy, it plays a facilitating role through providing support and nurturing people’s initiative with the target group mainly community initiatives to accelerate the development process from the grassroots to national levels. It also works to strengthen local governance, women empowerment and provide skill development training.

It has also earned wide recognition experiencing in the fields of human rights, governance, advocacy, disaster management, minority empowerment and other socio-economic aspects of development through participatory approach. It believes the peoples’ potentiality and participation that brings the success and develops the peoples’ capacity. It mobilizes people for their rights to information that would help them for establishing their rights and mobilize benefits.

IED has conducted several studies on democracy, electoral process, Education system reformation, and Budget and PRSP analysis on women empowerment aspects.

Project design: IED has the capacity to develop comprehensive project proposal based on its experiences and learning related to the various development and environment related projects by its own.

Report Writing: IED prepares all sorts of quality reports related to the project implementations for NGO bureau, donors, government and other organizations by its own.

Monitoring and Evaluation: IED has its own monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system ensuring the quality of programme delivery. The M&E system includes tools for monitoring and assesses the effectiveness of the tools after each semester of the project. A PME Manual also works as workbook with a scope to revising and developing into the system according to the demand at the field level. The Manual also emphasizes on participative and field based approaches including integration of periodic self-evaluation process. It allows a database having analysis of the quarterly-based reported data, possibility of adopting new approach, impact analysis—both qualitative and quantitative, for a better programme management. These data as well as information direct the skilled staff both at centre and central levels to highlights problems and the necessary corrections. The concern Cell of IED performs the internal monitoring and evaluation for all projects and programmes of the organization.

Training Facilitation and Module Development: Training program implementation related to disaster risk reduction such as

• 1. Development of training module on establishing a multi-stakeholder partnership framework for ensuring good quality of the national capacity building to Union Parishad – a joint initiatives of IED with National Institute of Local Government (NILG)
• 2. Training module for BMO members on information, advocacy and gender for Helvetas Swiss INTERCOOPARATION, 2011 and 2014.
• 3. Conducted training course on CRA for IED/CDMP/UNDP, 2005-6
• 4. Training Module for Local Governance Support Project (LGSP), Commissioned by World Bank/NILG/LGD-GoB, 2008-09
• 5. Training Module for Grassroots Women Leaders on `Participation in Election Process and Capacity Development on Election related Activities', Commissioned by Action Aid Bangladesh, 2009
• 6. Manual, Course Module and Monitoring and Evaluation Guideline for Capacity Building of UPs of Local Governance Support Project (LGSP), Commissioned by World Bank/ NILG/LGD, 2008-9
• 7. Training Module for Local Governance Support Project (LGSP), Commissioned by World Bank/NILG/LGD-GoB, 2008-09
• 8. Conducted course for Narshary Malik Samiti of INTERCOOPERATION/RATI, 2006-7
• 9. Social Mobilization, Local Level advocacy and Gender Course for Development Activists, Organized by Institute for Environment and Development (IED), 2004.

Capacity Development and Training

IED gives emphasis on capacity development of its staffs and stakeholders. It organizes training, field visit, exposure visit every year. Skill development training is regular programs and included as activities in the projects. We also provide training to local government representatives and other organizations such as: NILG, Helvetas Swiss International to businessman and government officials.

Capacity Development Forum

As a part of its staff development initiatives IED regularly organizes forum where analytical capacity of its staff is developed on different development, social and economic issues and sharing experiences are given emphasis. It has regular monthly capacity development forum at central level and fortnightly field offices. Through its Capacity Development Forum it organizes policy debates and discussion meetings on pertinent socio-economic, technological, environmental and other professional skill development issues relating to development with national, regional, and international perspectives.

Advocacy and Campaign

IED is involved in various campaign activities in partnership with different national/ international organizations and reputed civil/people’s initiatives. Among those, IED has conducted MDG campaign activities with the aim to facilitate MDG localization in partnership with UN Millennium Campaign (UNMC) to facilitate local/constituency level MDG tracking. IED is an active member of different networks and forums at national and regional level. It has the opportunity to raise its concerns at different levels through these networks and forums, which would be a significant advantage in implementing its activities as well, particularly for advocacy and campaign for promoting democracy, governance, human rights and rights of indigenous people and environment & climate change.

Collaboration and Networking

IED maintains a collaborative relationship with many international organizations of high repute outside Bangladesh. It is also working in co-operation with many national agencies including institutions/organizations, government ministries, departments, commissions set up by the government with specific tasks, autonomous agencies, universities, professional organizations/ societies, print and electronic media, consulting firms, private sector agencies and non-government organizations.

IED is an active member of different networks and forums at regional, national and local levels and has the opportunity to raise its concerns at different level through these networks and forums, which is a significant advantage in implementing the activities of this project as well, particularly for advocacy and campaign. Currently, IED is the member of South Asian Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE) and also the member of internet based information network like Uttorsuri, AHRC, BEN, Jubilee south, etc. Moreover, throughout this period IED has successfully extended collaboration in various initiatives/campaigns with around 200 eminent civil society persons including poet, writer, columnist, journalist, ex-bureaucrats, actors etc. and 18 NGOs. At the moment, IED is actively participating with several civil society platforms namely: Janouddyog (Peoples Initiatives), Shikkha Bachao Andolon (Education Reform Movement), Paribesh Bachao Andolon (Save Environment movement), Haor Bachao Andolon (Save Haor Movement), Sampriti Mancha ( a forum for minority rights) and Adivashi Adhikar Andolon, Green force (Youth Forum), Nari Nirjaton Protirodh Committee (committee against VAW), Election Working Group (EWG), Governance Advocacy Forum, Samajik Protiroadh Committee, Sammilito Samajik Anodolon, and My Rights Campaign, Health Rights Movement etc.

Environment and Climate change

The Executive Director of IED took environment issues with high importance and started mobilizing civil society people for taking initiatives to address environmental issues. As a part of that IED started to provide back-up support to the organizations/community people towards building a community based integrated initiative in protection of environment and social justice as well.
IED took important role to form active platforms for the protection of environment in Bangladesh. Such as: Paribesh Rakkha Sapath (PAROSH), Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) and Poribesh Bachao Andolon (POBA) With a view to strengthen the relationship among the GoB, civil society organizations, NGOs, academic institutions, individuals having expertise in different sectors.
From its inception IED is addressing the issues on environment, climate change, climate governance, disaster preparedness and risk reduction issues. It is one of the pioneer organizations for environmental movement. It is working in 9 districts through nurturing peoples’ initiatives. To address those issues IED has emphasized Haor and coastal areas. The Haor areas: Netrokona, kishorgonj, Sunamgonj and Sylhet districts.
The coastal areas: Chittagong and Khulna districts IED has undertaken different kinds of initiatives in this regards.

People at local level: Raising awareness of people, campaign, community mobilization, promoting peoples initiatives, provide training, mapping with the people at the local level on environment and climate change.

Peoples’ representatives and policy makers: Make lobbying with local & national level peoples’ representatives and policy makers on environment and climate change.

Network and mobilization: Making network with likeminded organizations which are voluntarily involved with environment movement, women organizations, mobilize civil society members, politicians, youths, media personnel, academicians, cultural activists, ethnic peoples’ organizations on environment and climate change.

Sensitizing youths: IED undertook a sensitizing project with the support from German Embassy with youths especially school and university students in the year 2013 and 2014.The major activities were quiz, art and debate competition on climate change and environment. In quiz competition 14 English and Bengali medium reputed schools in Dhaka city took part. In art competition 69 schools participated. In the debate competition 15 public and private universities including Dhaka University, BUET, Jahangirnagar university, Sir Salimullah medical college etc. The project was highly appreciated by The German Embassy, Dhaka and hundreds of students were highly sensitized

Study and Publications

IED has experiences in conducting study and a strong presence in documentation and publication in the multi-development arena. IED’s target audience broadly ranges from policy makers, civil society, and community people etc. It regularly publishes newsletters, booklets, policy-brief, books journals, posters, leaflets, stickers, flyers, flip-charts, and various other Information Education and communication (IEC) materials. It is also maintained a library in its office premises.

List of major research/study/assessments can be found below:

• 2013: Perception study on flashback of youths involvement in previous election manifesto in the area of employment, education and environment related issues in Mukho-Mukhi project areas
• 2013: Perception study to see the trend of women development, youth development, quality education and environment development in the previous election manifesto of political parties in Mukho-Mukhi project areas
• 2011-12: Policy research and perception study to identify and understand the problems and bottlenecks constraining spread of primary education and reduction of poverty in four districts
• 2010: Arannyer Lorai – A book on forest law and rights of indigenous people of Bangladesh.
• 2010: Book, Samatale Adibasi addhushito Ancholer Union Parishade Adibasi nagoikder Angshgrahan
• 2010: Capitalization Report of Supporting Peoples’ Initiatives towards Improvement of Environment through Empowerment of People’ (Supported by – UN Millennium Campaign)
• 2010: Capitalization Report of Advocacy and Lobbing for Indigenous Peoples of Plain Land and Hilly areas, funded by Oxfam-GB
• 2007-8: Study on HRRP Template preparation, Funded by CDMP
• 2007: Study on Folk culture/lore’s and folk presentation mediums of Haor areas
• 2007: Study on the Factors Affecting Utilisation Efficiency of Allocation Earmarked for Women‘s Development in the National Budget of Bangladesh’ funded by ICCO-The Netherlands
• 2007: Study on the role of PRSP to empower of women in Bangladesh funded by EED-Germany
• 2006: Conduct socio Economic Baseline Survey focusing disaster risks management of all 10 unions of Dharmapasha Upazilla funded by UNDP/CDMP
• 2006: Identify the disaster risk points of Dharmapasha Upazilla sensitive to early and flash flood through GIS mapping funded by UNDP/CDMP
• 2006: Study on the Voter registration process 2006 assigned by The Asia Foundation
• 2006: Allocation in national budget for developing women entrepreneurs and its implication EED -Germany
• 2005: `Governance and Politics: Study on the Interface of Union Parishad, NGO and Local Actors’ Funded by SDC-Switzerland.
• 2005: `Gender sensitiveness in present Education system and the education system we expect’ Funded by ICCO-The Netherlands
• 2005: Study on the role of citizens for reformation of electoral process and democracy assigned by The Asia Foundation
• 2004: Allocation for education in the national budget and its implication on empowerment of women Funded by ICCO-The Netherlands
• 2003: Study the impact of `Eco Park’ in the livelihoods of Adivasis assigned by Action Aid
• 2003: Study the context of Haor region titled as `Haor-Jole Bhasa Jonopad’ to identify the elements for exploring the potential of Haor resources funded by Action Aid, Bangladesh