Bangladesh signs $366,500 grant agreement with UNICEF

The Economic Relations Division (ERD) under the Ministry of Finance, has signed a grant agreement worth $366,500 (Taka 439.80 Lakh) with the UNICEF, United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially known as United Nations Children's Fund.

The agreement titled "Enhancing Evaluation Capacity for Development (EEC4D)" which was signed yesterday will contribute to implement the three-year project of the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) under the Ministry of Planning. 

The overall objective of the project is to enhance the evaluation capacity of the government agencies for institutionalizing evidence-based, efficient, and effective investment for sustainable development, BSS reports, citing an ERD press release.

Md. Shahriar Kader Siddiky, secretary of the ERD and Rana Flowers, country representative of UNICEF Bangladesh, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides. 

Representatives from the UN Wing of ERD and concerned government agencies were present at the signing ceremony.
 
UNICEF has been a long-term partner for Bangladesh with its wide legacy and focus on children rights. UNICEF has been supporting both nationwide humanitarian response and development programmes.
 
Through the most recent project contributed to develop an evaluation policy and upcoming project is designed to enhance evaluation capacity of the government agencies for institutionalizing evidence-based, efficient, and  effective investment for sustainable development. 

By the end of next three years, the project is expected to develop an evaluation policy implementation framework, draft evaluation act, rules for evaluation, develop evaluation training modules and guidelines to develop the national evaluation capacity. 

UNICEF supports the strategic plan of GoB and contributes towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) notably support to end poverty (Goal 1), healthy lives (Goal 3) and quality education (Goal 4).
 
As evaluation plays a crucial role in shaping effective development strategies, countries with strong national evaluation systems are likely to achieve the development goals on time and within budget. 

By investing in evaluation capacity, Bangladesh is paving the way for more efficient resource allocation, impactful interventions, and attaining sustainable socio-economic growth.