Background

Given the changes in global aid architecture and changes in the composition of national economy and national developmental plan aiming to become a middle-income country by 2021, ERD is upscaling the role and scope of the Unit making it a dedicated Wing under the caption of Development Effectiveness Wing.

The Wing is headed by a Joint Secretary of the government..

Effectiveness of development cooperation is essential for the successful implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) and Vision-2021. In recent years, comprehensive reviews and actions are taking place nationally as well as internationally for aligning development cooperation with national goals and international aspirations and will continue further in future. The concept of Aid Effectiveness has widened being transformed to a new phenomenon of Development Effectiveness. Both Development cooperation providers and recipient countries are taking numerous steps in order to make development more inclusive and sustainable.  Emphasis is being given for undertaking a broader spectrum of national research, improving advocacy and skills so that global development policies and strategies go in favor of the developing countries and development interventions of development partners is supported by data. With this perspective. In this backdrop the erstwhile Aid Effectiveness Unit of ERD which was transformed afterwards into the Development Effectiveness Wing, started their journey in ERD.

In order to continue and build on the activities and sustainability of the Aid Effectiveness Project of ERD and to make a more effective External Economic Policy (EEP) Branch, a comprehensive framework was necessary. Support for the implementation of the National Development Coordination Policy (commonly referred to as the National Aid Policy) and guiding & maintaining of the Aid Information Management System (AIMS) are considered to be crucial for Development Effectiveness effort of the Government. Besides, holding the Bangladesh Development Forum (BDF), strengthening activities of the Local Consultative Group (LCG) and maintaining the LCG secretariat are also very important tasks for DP-GOB coordination.

Recently, a new type of assistance and scope of resource mobilization are opening up beyond the conventional Official Development Assistance (ODA) of which examples could be given as Climate Change Financing/Green Climate Fund (GCF), South-South Cooperation and Triangular Cooperation, which are needed to be dealt with. Moreover, organizational capacity building of ERD is necessary to coordinate implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), support the global partnership monitoring under the Global Partnership for the Effective Development Cooperation (GPDEC) which are new areas where Bangladesh needs to take an active and visible role. To address the changing global economic scenario it was necessary to establish a dedicated wing (Development Effectiveness Wing) by merging the Aid Effectiveness Unit and EEP branch of the ERD.

Prime objective of the wing
The prime objective of this Development Effectiveness Wing is to provide advisory support to ERD and other ministries/divisions in order to assure effective use of foreign assistance and to protect interest of Bangladesh globally in line with the Development Coordination Policy.

The Wing aims to guide and equip Bangladesh officials to participate with more skill and expertise in the national as well as international economic and social development programmes and in development cooperation related policy negotiations & forums. One of the prime duty of the Development Effectiveness Wing would be playing a role of required strategic and policy level coordination among government’s different ministries and divisions, cooperation provider’s agencies and with international organizations on behalf of ERD.

Activities of the Branches/Sections
The approved organogram of the Development Effectiveness Wing, prescribed for 3 branches and six sections. The activities of the Branches and Sections are:

BRANCH I (External Economic Policy-EEP):
A. Formulate and implement national policy on foreign assistance.
B. Coordination, communication with different international and global organizations (ECOSOC, ESCAP, UNGA, UNDG, HRLLS, UNCTAD, WTO, SAARC, Commonwealth, Colombo Plan etc.).
C. Participate in policy dialogues, research on socio-economic development related issues.
D. Advocate and coordinate ERD’s membership in international organizations and oversee related subscriptions.
E. Maintain the library and documentation centre of the Division (ERDOC).
F. Produce position papers on various subjects and themes from time to time and put forward policy recommendations for national consultation and strategy making.

Section-1 (EEP-1):
1. Development Cooperation related National Policy formulation, update and analysis of implementation.
2. Matters relating to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
3. Matters related to 2nd Committee (Economic) of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
4. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development/World Trade Organization (UNCTAD/WTO) related activities.
5. Matters related to Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA).
6. Matters related to United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (UN ESCAP).
7. Preparation of paper on World Economic Outlook.

Section-2 (EEP-2):
1. Matter relating to Commonwealth Secretariat.
2. Preparation of briefs for Commonwealth Heads of Governments.
3. Preparation of briefs for Finance Minister’s and Senior Finance officials’ Meeting.
4. Matters related to Commonwealth Foundation.
5. Processing of technical assistance received from Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation (CFTC) in the field of general technical assistance, education, training programmes   and export market development.
6. Preparation of briefs for Colombo Plan Consultative Committee meeting and various sessions of Colombo Plan Council and the Bureau.
7. Processing training and technical assistance offered by Colombo Plan.
8. Arrangements for payment of annual contributions of Bangladesh to the CFTC, Colombo Plan Staff College and Colombo Plan.
9. Preparation of brief for meetings of Non-aligned Movement (NAM) and other related issues.
10. Matters relating to SAARC.

BRANCH II (Development Partnership Management and AIMS):
A. All activities to ensure effective use of foreign aid for National Development.
B. In order to ensure effective use of foreign aid, coordinate with national and international organizations like National Development Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPDEC), Asia-Pacific Development Effectiveness Facility (AP-DEF), International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI), South-South Institute and other related organizations.
C. Conduct existing Local Consultative Group (LCG) Secretariat for effective coordination with development partner.
D. Arrange meeting for LCG Plenary; providing required assistance to the sectoral working group and conduct the activities of Aid Effectiveness Working Group (AEWG).
E. Different type of dialogues related to government’s policy strategy especially: arrangement of Bangladesh Development Forum (BDF), implementation of the adopted resolution and revision of progress.
F. Proper guidance, supervision and maintenance of Aid Information Management System (AIMS), coordinate with the focal points of ERD for encouraging development partner to provide regular information to AIMS; different types of report formulation based on the information received by AIIMS; Communication and coordination with international organization for AIMS related matters.
G. Prepare Annual Performance Agreement (APA) for this branch and supervise sections under this branch.

Section- 3 (Development Partnership Management-LCG):
1. Represent ERD in different type of national meetings/workshops related to Development Effectiveness.
2. In order to ensure effective use of foreign aid, coordinate with national and international organizations like Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPDEC), Asia-Pacific Development Effectiveness Facility (AP-DEF), International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI), South-South Institute and other related organizations.
3. Provide secretarial service and research assistance for the effective participation of the ERD officials who are in leading position or member of the executive committee of the international organizations related to Development Effectiveness.
4. Conduct existing Local Consultative Group (LCG) Secretariat for effective coordination with development partner; arrange meeting for LCG Plenary; providing required assistance to the sectoral working group and conduct the activities of Aid Effectiveness Working Group.
5. Inform different ministries/divisions about the recommendations adopted internationally, regionally, nationally related to foreign aid effectiveness and coordinate the implementation of those recommendations.
6. Foreign aid related different type of national action plan like Joint Cooperation Strategy (JCS) formulation, update and revision of implementation.

Section- 4 (Development Cooperation Information Management-AIMS):
1. Proper safeguard of AIMS and up gradation in light of requirement.
2. Coordinate with the focal points of ERD to provide regular information from the development partners to AIMS and if necessary, coordinate with development partners.
3. Arrange Orientation cum training on the matter of assurance quality data received by AIMS and usage of the data for the officials of different ministries/divisions including ERD.
4. Formulation of different reports based on the data received by AIMS, especially formulate ODA report and present and evaluate effectiveness of foreign aid based on the report.
5. Communicate and coordinate with others international organizations including International Transparency Initiative (IATI) for the different matters of AIMS (data automation, compatibility and standardization etc.).
6. Arrange consultative meeting for AIMS with different stakeholders.

BRANCH III (Innovative/Climate Financing and Research):
A. Formulate Annual research plan and undertaking of research & publishing report on development effectiveness.
B. Support different Wings of ERD with research input on development effectiveness whenever appropriate.
C. Arrange different types of training and awareness programme for the capacity building of development effectiveness of different ministries/divisions including ERD.
D. Provide input to important development policy including Five Year plans (FYP).
E. Provide comment/feedback on the participation of Bangladesh for the international/regional survey on development effectiveness.
F. Take responsibility of the secretarial function of National Designated Authority (NDA) of Green Climate Fund (GCF).
G. Deal with emerging sources and forms beyond ODA (CC financing, AFT, SSC and TrC, GF, OOF etc.)
H. For Climate Change (CC) Financing/Innovative Financing, coordinate with different Line Ministries/Divisions
I. For Climate Change Financing/Innovative Financing, represent ERD in inter-ministerial meeting.
J. Deals with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) related goals

Section- 5 (Innovative/CC Financing):
1. Deal with emerging sources and forms beyond ODA (CC financing, AFT, SSC and TrC, GF, OOF etc.).
2. Provide support to NDA secretariat of GCF.
3. Address Climate Change (CC) Financing/Innovative Financing, coordinate with different Line Ministries/Divisions.
4. Deal with Climate Change Financing/Innovative Financing, represent ERD in inter-ministerial meeting.
5. Coordinate SDG related goals and initiatives.

Section-6 (Research on Development Cooperation):
1. Formulate Annual research plan and undertaking of research & publishing report on development effectiveness.
2. Support different Wings of ERD with research input on development effectiveness in light of requirement.
3. Arrange different types of training and awareness programme for the capacity building of development effectiveness of different ministries/divisions including ERD.
4. Provide input to important development policy including Five Year plans (FYP).
5. Provide comment/feedback on the participation of Bangladesh for the international/regional survey on development effectiveness.