Coordination and Nordic Wing is headed by an Additional Secretary. He/She has to supervise the following three branches: (1) Cord-I Branch, (2) Cord-II Branch and (3) Nordic Branch.
This wing is the focal point for liaising with Development Partners where a coordinated and unified response of GOB is warranted. This wing also coordinates with other GOB Ministries/Divisions/Departments/ Agencies for processing funding requests for foreign aided projects.

Furthermore, this wing is responsible for utilization of resources from Nordic countries Viz., Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, NDF (Nordic Development Fund) and also from multilateral sources like IFAD and WFP.

One of the important task being performed by this Wing is related to implementation of Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. It is also responsible for the preparation of working paper for the meetings of Hard Term Loan Committee, Secretaries Committee, Economic Affairs Committee, NEC, ECNEC, Purchase Committee and Cabinet.

Branch: Coordination-I

Supervision of work of three Sections of this Branch. Distribution of Working papers of P.E.C. meetings as received from Administrative Ministries/Division/Planning Commission amongst the respective branches of ERD and distribution of minutes of P.E.C. meetings thereof. Attendance of P.E.C. meetings concerning those sectors allocated to Co-ordination Branch. Supply desks with project ideas or proposals to be pursued with donors and also inform them as to when multiple approach on particular project/projects has to stop.
Matters relating to implementation of Cabinet decisions.

Section: CORD-1
•    PM’s Office including BEPZA.
•    Post and Tele-communication
•    Information.
•    NGO Bureau.
•    SIFAD Project.

Section: CORD-2
•    Industries
•    Jute
•    Textile
•    Housing & Public Works
•    Forest & Environment
•    Finance
•    Planning
•    IRD
•    Commerce
•    Social Welfare
•    Women & Children Affairs.
•    IMED.

Section: CORD-3
•    LGED & Co-operative
•    Education
•    Science & Technology
•    Energy & Power
•    Defense
•    Homes
•    Parliamentary Affairs
•    Foreign Affairs
•    Cultural Affairs.
•    Cabinet

Branch: Coordination-II

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
International fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It was established as an international financial institution in 1977. The contribution of IFAD has particularly been laudable in the areas of aquaculture, technical support in micro-finance, agricultural extension and intensification, rural infrastructure and crop diversification.

Membership in IFAD is open to any State that is a member of the United Nations, any of its specialized agencies or the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Fund's 163 Member States are classified as follows: List A (Primarily OECD members); List B (Primarily OPEC members); and List C (developing Countries). List C is further divided into sub-list C1 (Countries in Africa); sub-list C2 (Countries in Europe, Asia and the Pacific); and sub-list C3 (Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean). Bangladesh is in C type membership.

Negotiation Process for International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It was established as an international financial institution in 1977. The contribution of IFAD has particularly been laudable in the areas of aquaculture, technical support in micro-finance, agricultural extension and intensification, rural infrastructure and crop diversification. Main instrument of IFAD's financing is loan. It is a soft loan.
 
Membership in IFAD is open to any state, which is a member of the United Nations, any of its specialized agencies or the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Fund's 163 Member States are classified as follows: List A- Primarily OECD members; List B- Primarily OPEC members; and List C- developing Countries. List C is further divided into sub-list C1- Countries in Africa; sub-list C2- Countries in Europe, Asia and the Pacific; and sub-list C3- Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Bangladesh is in with C type membership.

IFAD Division for Asia and the Pacific had planned to prepare a new Country Strategic Opportunities Paper (COSOP) aiming at developing a framework for its country program in Bangladesh to be implemented from 2006 in line with our Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). IFAD takes the project, which matches with COSOP. Once a project is decided to be taken up by Economic Relations Division, Inception Aide Memoire meeting is held firstly. Then formal meetings are held with formulation mission and appraisal mission of IFAD, regarding the project. After getting appraisal mission report, a draft Loan Agreement/ Financing Agreement is designed. In the mean while the project is taken to the Executive Board of IFAD for approval. At the same time, The Draft Agreement is sent to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs for Legal Opinion. A negotiation is held on draft agreement. Finally, the Loan Agreement/ Financing Agreement is signed. Before signing the Loan Agreement/ Financing.

Bangladesh's contribution to IFAD

As list-C member country, Bangladesh's contribution to IFAD is a voluntary one. Since 1997, Bangladesh has contributed US$ 1,800,000 to IFAD. However, Bangladesh's total contribution is US$ 2,450000, which is 0.1% of overall payments of all members and 1.2% of overall payments of list C members to IFAD. Beside this recently, Bangladesh contributed another voluntary contribution of US$ 210000 to IFAD as last installment of payment of 6th replenishment.
 
Country Strategic Opportunities Paper (COSOP)

IFAD Division for Asia and the Pacific had planned to prepare a new Country Strategic Opportunities Paper (COSOP) aiming at developing a framework for its country programme in Bangladesh to be implemented from 2006 in line with our Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). Hopefully, the new COSOP will help achieve rural poverty reduction and pro-poor rural growth having a positive impact on the over-all socio-economic development of Bangladesh.
 
 
Official Address of IFAD
International Fund for Agricultural Development
Via Del Serafico 107
00142 Rome, Ittaly

IFAD has no specific headquarters building. For the first time in its 28 years operation, IFAD will have a headquarters building that responds to its long term needs from early 2008. IFAD staff members, who have been divided among different buildings since 1982, will be united in one work place. IFAD will move into its new headquarters on Via Paolo di Dono 44, Rome, Italy in early 2008.
 
 
IFAD on-going projects:   
1.    National Agricultural Technology Project (Co-financing with World Bank)
2.    Community Based Resource Management Project
3.    Micro finance and Technical Support Project
4.    Micro finance for Marginal and Small Farmers Project
5.    Market Infrastructure Development Project in Char land Regions
Finance for Enterprise Development and Employment Creation (FEDEC) Project.

Branch: NORDIC

Working procedure in Nordic Branch:

Whenever any country of Nordic Region (e.g., Norway, Denmark and Sweden) and Nordic Development Fund (NDF) shows interest according to their priority to finance any project, they usually engage a consultant to formulate the project or conduct a feasibility study.  According to the study the cost of the project is being estimated. The DPP is prepared on the basis of the study report. After the approval of the DPP, the draft ‘Government to Government’ agreement received from the local embassy is being consulted in an inter-ministerial meeting.  The comments and suggestions of the inter-ministerial meeting then forwarded to the embassy for necessary incorporation/ modification in the draft agreement. When the refresh draft is received from the embassy, the document is then sent to Ministry of Law for vetting.  The draft agreement after being vetted by the Ministry of Law is sent to Hon’ble Prime Minister or Chief Advisor/ Hon’ble Minister or Advisor for Finance for authorization to sign the agreement on behalf of the Government of Bangladesh.  The signed agreement then distributed among the concerned authorities of Bangladesh.
Supervision of work of two sections of the Branch
•    Processing of all cases of assistance from the following Nordic Countries
•    (i) Norway  (ii) Sweden (iii) Denmark (iv) Finland and v) NDF (NORDIC Development fund)
•    (a) Initiate bilateral negotiations for securing financial aid and technical assistance, (b) Preparation of brief for Bangladesh delegation and follow-up action thereon & (c) Processing/finalizing of agreements to be signed and follow-up action thereon.
•    Review of the utilization of fund received as project and technical assistance.
•    Scrutiny of draft agreements and obtaining approval of Hon’ble Finance Minister/Prime Minister thereon.
•    Preparation of reports/statements on assistance received from Nordic countries and NDF.
•    Prepare agreed minutes and follow-up actions thereon.
•    Attend Pre-ECNEC, DPEC, Annual Review Meeting etc. in other Ministries /Divisions.
 
Section: NORDIC-1
•    Processing of bilateral economic assistance from Norway and Denmark.
•    Preparation of briefs for ECNEC, Purchase Committee, Hard Term Loan Committee, etc.
•    Programming of allocation of aid received from Norway and Denmark to various projects and agencies.
•    Periodical and Annual review and monitoring of utilization of economic assistance received from Norway and Denmark.
•    Processing of Development Assistance Agreements to be signed & follow up action thereon.
•    Processing project tied training / scholarship under Norway & Denmark Technical Assistance Programme.
•    Processing of security clearance, Visa requests for foreign experts working under various NORAD  & DANIDA assisted projects.
•    Scrutiny of proposals for allocation of foreign aid in the form of grants/loans/mixed credits/suppliers’ credit etc.
 
Section: NORDIC–2
•    Processing of bilateral economic assistance from Sweden & Finland, NDF and agreements to be signed and follow up.
•    Programming and allocation of grant received from Sweden and Finland to various agencies and projects.
•    Periodical and Annual Review of the development projects and monitoring of economic assistance received from Sweden, Finland and NDF.
•    Processing of project-tied training, scholarships, seminars under Technical Assistance Programme received from Sweden & Finland.
•    Monthly activities report on the NORDIC Branch.
•    Preparation of briefs for Hard term Loan Committee, Purchase Committee, ECNEC, etc.
•    Scrutiny of proposals for allocation of foreign aid in the form of grants/loans/mixed credits/ suppliers’ credit etc .
Processing of security clearance, visa requests for expatriate Consultants/Advisors/ Experts dealing with Swedish assisted projects.