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Document of

The World Bank FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Report No: ICR00004716

IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETION AND RESULTS REPORT

IDA-50150

ON A

CREDIT

IN THE AMOUNT OF SDR 18.2 MILLION

(US$ 29.29 MILLION EQUIVALENT)

TO THE

THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF BANGLADESH

FOR THE

NARI – NORTHERN AREAS REDUCTION OF POVERTY INITIATIVE: WOMEN’S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT PROJECT

June 17, 2019

Social, Urban, Rural And Resilience Global Practice

South Asia Region

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CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS

(Exchange Rate Effective {Apr 16, 2019})

Currency Unit = Bangladeshi Taka (BDT)

84.34500000= US$1

US$ = SDR 1

FISCAL YEAR

July 1 - June 30

Regional Vice President: Hartwig Schafer

Country Director: Robert J. Saum

Senior Global Practice Director: Ede Jorge Ijjasz-Vasquez

Practice Manager: David Seth Warren

Task Team Leader(s): Sabah Moyeen

ICR Main Contributor: Hiska Noemi Reyes

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

BDT Bangladesh Taka

BEPZA Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority

BGMEA Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association

BKMEA Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association

CAS Country Assistance Strategy

CPF Country Partnership Framework

CSR Corporate Social Responsibility

DPP Development Project Proposal

DTC Dormitories and Training Centers

EMP Environment Management Plan

EPZ Export Processing Zone

FAPAD Foreign Aided Project Audit Directorate

HIES Household Income and Expenditure Survey

IEC Information, Education and Communication

ISR Implementation Status and Results Reports

M&E Monitoring and Evaluation

MIS Monitoring and Information System

MOLE Ministry of Labor and Employment

NARI Northern Areas Reduction of Poverty Initiative

OI Outcome Indicator

PAD Project Appraisal Document

PDO Project Development Objective

PIU Project Implementation Unit

RMG Ready-made Garments

TOC Theory of Change

USD United States Dollars

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DATA SHEET ....................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

I. PROJECT CONTEXT AND DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES ....................................................... 5

A. CONTEXT AT APPRAISAL .........................................................................................................5

B. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES DURING IMPLEMENTATION (IF APPLICABLE) .......................................8

II. OUTCOME ...................................................................................................................... 9

A. RELEVANCE OF PDOs ..............................................................................................................9

B. ACHIEVEMENT OF PDOs (EFFICACY) ........................................................................................9

C. EFFICIENCY ........................................................................................................................... 12

D. JUSTIFICATION OF OVERALL OUTCOME RATING .................................................................... 13

E. OTHER OUTCOMES AND IMPACTS (IF ANY) ............................................................................ 13

III. KEY FACTORS THAT AFFECTED IMPLEMENTATION AND OUTCOME ................................ 14

A. KEY FACTORS DURING PREPARATION ................................................................................... 14

B. KEY FACTORS DURING IMPLEMENTATION ............................................................................. 15

IV. BANK PERFORMANCE, COMPLIANCE ISSUES, AND RISK TO DEVELOPMENT OUTCOME .. 16

A. QUALITY OF MONITORING AND EVALUATION (M&E) ............................................................ 16

B. ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND FIDUCIARY COMPLIANCE ..................................................... 17

C. BANK PERFORMANCE ........................................................................................................... 18

D. RISK TO DEVELOPMENT OUTCOME ....................................................................................... 19

V. LESSONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................. 19

ANNEX 1. RESULTS FRAMEWORK AND KEY OUTPUTS ........................................................... 21

ANNEX 2. BANK LENDING AND IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT/SUPERVISION ......................... 29

ANNEX 3. PROJECT COST BY COMPONENT ........................................................................... 31

ANNEX 4. EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS ........................................................................................... 32

ANNEX 5. BORROWER, CO-FINANCIER AND OTHER PARTNER/STAKEHOLDER COMMENTS ... 33

ANNEX 6. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS (IF ANY) ..................................................................... 34

ANNEX 7. NARI RECRUITMENT, TRAINING AND JOB PLACEMENT FIGURES ........................... 36

ANNEX 8. NARI DTCS ........................................................................................................... 38

ANNEX 9. NARI TRAINING CURRICULUM .............................................................................. 40

ANNEX 10. QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY AND FINDINGS ............................... 42

The World Bank Northern Areas Reduction-of-Poverty Initiative Project -- Women's Economic Empowerment Project (P114841)

Page 1 of 46

DATA SHEET

BASIC INFORMATION

Product Information

Project ID Project Name

P114841 Northern Areas Reduction-of-Poverty Initiative Project --

Women's Economic Empowerment Project

Country Financing Instrument

Bangladesh Investment Project Financing

Original EA Category Revised EA Category

Partial Assessment (B) Partial Assessment (B)

Organizations

Borrower Implementing Agency

Ministry of Labor and Employment Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA)

Project Development Objective (PDO) Original PDO

The development objective of the project is to facilitate access to employment opportunities in the garment sector for poor and vulnerable women from lagging areas of Bangladesh by providing information, technical and life skills training, transitional housing, and other support to adjust to urban life and formal sector employment.


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FINANCING

Original Amount (US$) Revised Amount (US$) Actual Disbursed (US$)

World Bank Financing IDA-50150

29,290,000 29,290,000 24,608,635

Total 29,290,000 29,290,000 24,608,635

Non-World Bank Financing 0 0 0

Borrower/Recipient 7,000,000 0 7,000,000

Total 7,000,000 0 7,000,000

Total Project Cost 36,290,000 29,290,000 31,608,635

KEY DATES

Approval Effectiveness MTR Review Original Closing Actual Closing

27-Oct-2011 25-Mar-2012 15-Jun-2014 31-Dec-2015 31-Dec-2018

RESTRUCTURING AND/OR ADDITIONAL FINANCING

Date(s) Amount Disbursed (US$M) Key Revisions

31-May-2016 19.51 Change in Loan Closing Date(s)

21-Sep-2016 19.63 Change in Components and Cost Change in Loan Closing Date(s) Reallocation between Disbursement Categories Change in Legal Covenants Change in Implementation Schedule

KEY RATINGS

Outcome Bank Performance M&E Quality

Moderately Unsatisfactory Moderately Satisfactory Modest


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RATINGS OF PROJECT PERFORMANCE IN ISRs

No. Date ISR Archived DO Rating IP Rating Actual

Disbursements (US$M)

01 29-May-2012 Satisfactory Satisfactory 0

02 23-Nov-2012 Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 2.14

03 17-May-2013 Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 5.19

04 18-Dec-2013 Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 9.66

05 21-Jun-2014 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 15.51

06 02-Jan-2015 Moderately

Unsatisfactory Moderately Unsatisfactory 15.56

07 31-Oct-2015 Moderately


08 05-Jan-2016 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 19.51

09 20-Jun-2016 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 19.51

10 10-Jan-2017 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 20.25

11 31-Aug-2017 Moderately


12 07-Mar-2018 Moderately


13 27-Jul-2018 Moderately Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 24.27

SECTORS AND THEMES

Sectors

Major Sector/Sector (%)

Education 27

Workforce Development and Vocational Education 27

Social Protection 40

Social Protection 33

Public Administration - Social Protection 7


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Industry, Trade and Services 33

Public Administration - Industry, Trade and Services 7

Other Industry, Trade and Services 26

Themes

Major Theme/ Theme (Level 2)/ Theme (Level 3) (%) Private Sector Development 100

Jobs 100

Human Development and Gender 101

Gender 11

Labor Market Policy and Programs 90

Labor Market Institutions 45

Active Labor Market Programs 45

ADM STAFF

Role At Approval At ICR

Regional Vice President: Isabel M. Guerrero Hartwig Schafer

Country Director: Ellen A. Goldstein Robert J. Saum

Senior Global Practice Director: John Henry Stein Ede Jorge Ijjasz-Vasquez

Practice Manager: Maria C. Correia David Seth Warren

Task Team Leader(s): Bhuvan Bhatnagar Sabah Moyeen

ICR Contributing Author: Hiska Noemi Reyes


Page 5 of 46

I. PROJECT CONTEXT AND DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES

A. CONTEXT AT APPRAISAL

Context At the time of appraisal, Bangladesh was experiencing strong economic growth and had made impressive gains in

poverty reduction. According to the 2010 Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES), the national poverty rate

declined from 40 percent in 2005 to 31.5 percent in 2010. The incidence of poverty was estimated at 17.6 percent

nationally, 21.1 percent in rural areas and 7.7 percent in urban areas (HIES 2010). Poverty rates were higher in the

northern areas. In Rangpur Division, a division severely affected by seasonal deprivation and famine- like conditions

called monga1, the poverty rate was above the national and rural averages at 42.3 percent. Women in rural areas, and

especially in monga-prone areas, were particularly vulnerable due to their lower position in households, mobility

constraints and lower access to nonfarm employment opportunities.

The ready-made garment (RMG) sector in Bangladesh has seen epic growth and is an important source for

employment of women. Some 80-85 percent of RMG sector workers are female. The 2015 Bangladesh Systematic

Country Diagnostic noted that between 2002–03 and 2013, half of the net increase in Bangladesh’s employment was

due to increases in women’s employment. This helps explain Bangladesh’s impressive 10-percentage-point increase in

the female labor force participation rate between 2003 and 2016, a time when most other South Asia countries

experienced a decline in FLFP. Still, women in Bangladesh participated in the labor force at less than half the rate that

men do. Employment in RMG has provided poor and vulnerable women with significant socio-economic benefits

including financial independence, protection against early marriage and greater voice and agency in the home. The

demand for skilled labor in RMG – estimated to be between 350,000 and 450,000 at the time of appraisal – spurred

internal migration across Bangladesh. However, only 5 percent of RMG workers came from Rangpur and other northern

areas. Consultations carried out during project preparation and as part of the baseline data collection revealed that

women in the project area were interested in employment opportunities in garment factories, but lacked information

about job opportunities, adequate training, and networks necessary to move to urban centers where garment work was

concentrated.

The Northern Areas Reduction of Poverty Initiative (NARI) was aligned with the strategic objectives of the

Government of Bangladesh and the World Bank to promote inclusive growth and encourage women’s economic

empowerment. NARI supported the achievement of the Government of Bangladesh’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper

objectives that promoted linking the northern areas of the country to growth areas around Dhaka and Chittagong and

increasing women’s labor force participation. The project was aligned to the fourth strategic objective of the Country

Assistance Strategy (FY11-14) which supported women’s economic empowerment. The NARI project is also aligned with

the current Country Partnership Framework’s (CPF FY16-20) focus on skills development, women’s economic

empowerment and inclusive growth as well as the regional strategic priority on promoting female labor force

participation.

1 Monga occurs between the planting and harvesting of rice crops from mid-September to mid-November. The non-farm sector is not large enough to absorb the high number of people unemployed during this period.


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Theory of Change (Results Chain) NARI was designed as a pilot that would test the impact of skills development, mobility and housing on women’s economic empowerment. The project design, as illustrated in the Theory of Change (TOC), assumed that bundling interventions (including infrastructure, training, community awareness raising and others) would improve the job prospects and incomes of graduates. This would, in turn, lead to greater social and economic empowerment beyond the project. The key assumptions emphasize the need for suitable partnerships at various levels to support long-term results that are beyond the project’s scope but aligned with global evidence on women’s entrepreneurship and women’s employment in the garment sector.

Long-Term Outcomes

Medium-Term Outcomes

Inputs Short-Term Outcomes

Outputs

A1

Development Challenge: Women from northern Bangladesh lacked the information, skills, and transition support necessary for suitable employment in the garment sector

Community awareness & recruitment of program candidates

Mechanisms to target and screen applicants

IEC campaign and orientation for program candidates

Continued career development and sustained higher incomes of NARI graduates

Employment of graduates in garment factories around the three training centers

Improvements in career development and income of NARI graduates

Life skills and technical skills training curriculum

Improved knowledge of life and technical skills of NARI graduates

Training program and placement in RMG job

Framework for job placement

A2

Increased social empowerment and decision-making of NARI graduates

Training centers, dormitories, equipment, and services

Three training centers with dormitories capable of accommodating 600 trainees at one time

A3

Continued utilization of training centers and expansion of program to other sectors and areas of the country

Capacity building & feasibility studies

Increased stakeholder engagement

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roject’s co

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Assumptions: A1) Information, education and communication (IEC) activities promote interest in the project and lead to a high number of applicants; A2) NARI program results are aligned with global evidence of long-term results of training programs for women (in particular those that include life skills training) as well as progress and evidence from the garment sector; and A3) implementing partners recognize the importance of the project for vulnerable women and expand/replicate the model.


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Project Development Objectives (PDOs) The development objective of the project is to facilitate access to employment opportunities in the garment sector for

poor and vulnerable women from lagging areas of Bangladesh by providing information, technical and life skills

training, transitional housing, and other support to adjust to urban life and formal sector employment.

Key Expected Outcomes and Outcome Indicators The project had the following outcome indicators (OI) and targets:

• OI #1: Number of women who receive training. The target for this indicator was set at 10,800 trainees.

• OI#2: Percentage of graduates who are formally employed for at least ten months of the year following completion

of the training program. The target for this indicator was set at 90 percent.

• OI #3: Difference in the average level of net monthly income of graduates before the training program and one

year after completion of their training. The target for this indicator was at least 50 percent each year.

• OI #4: Level of satisfaction with the project among graduates of the training program. The target for this indicator

varied by year to show incremental raises in the level of satisfaction of the trainees. The first year the target for

this indicator was set at 70 percent, this was expected to increase to 80 percent in the second year of training and

90 percent by the third year of training.

Components The project consisted of four components as described below.

Component 1. Raising awareness and selecting candidates in the monga-prone districts of northern Bangladesh

(US$0.92 allocated, US$0.75 disbursed): This component was implemented by the Bangladesh Export Processing Zone

Authority (BEPZA) and financed awareness raising and recruitment in the project source areas. The main activities

financed under this component included IEC activities that informed and facilitated recruitment in the training program,

screening of applicants, and a five-day orientation program prior to the training. Women were recruited from five

districts in Rangpur Division, namely, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari and Rangpur.

Component 2. Establishing training centers with dormitories (US$23.64 allocated, US$18.4 disbursed): This component

was implemented by BEPZA and financed construction of three dormitories and training centers (DTCs) near Export

Processing Zones (EPZ) in Dhaka and Chittagong. The DTCs would have the capacity to train and house a maximum of

600 trainees per training batch. The component also financed the cost of the staff employed at the DTCs (110 staff per

DTC), sewing machines and other training equipment, furniture, classroom supplies, food and a monthly stipend for the

trainees.

Component 3. Providing initial training and ongoing support to beneficiaries (US$0.73 allocated, US$2.2 disbursed):

This component was implemented by BEPZA and financed the implementation of the training program, job placement,

counseling services, and additional support to the trainees who completed the program. Rapid market assessments and

engagements with factories would support the job placement services. Trainees who completed the program could stay

in the DTC for an additional two months, given the chance to participate in on-the-job training and supported in the

formation of self-help groups. The self-help groups would function as a social network, helping graduates transition into

employment and identify suitable living arrangements.

Component 4. Supporting coordination, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and program for expansion (US$4

allocated, US$3.2 disbursed) This component was implemented by the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MOLE) and


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financed: project management and coordination activities; the development of the project’s Monitoring Information

System (MIS); building of the implementing partners; and, feasibility studies to determine the scope to expand the

training program. Since the project was a pilot, the component also included an impact evaluation that would assess the

impact of the training and various support services on employment and wages over the medium term.

B. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES DURING IMPLEMENTATION (IF APPLICABLE)

Revised PDOs and Outcome Targets The PDO was not revised. A revision to the outcome targets was considered, but, ultimately not taken because of

concerns that a deeper restructuring could result in cancellation of the credit given the implementation challenges at

the time.

Revised PDO Indicators PDO indicators were not revised.

Revised Components The project components were not revised.

Other Changes

The project closing date was extended twice from the original closing date of December 31, 2015 to a final closing date

of December 31, 2018. Both extensions were needed to accommodate delays in the construction of the DTCs and the

start of the training program. The Borrower requested a third extension to allow the project to meet the target number

of trainees. This request was not granted because the credit had already been extended twice.

The impact evaluation included in component 4 was dropped due to problems establishing a valid control group. Project

delays affected the validity of the control group and resulted in the impact evaluation being dropped from component 4

activities. The exclusion of the impact evaluation affected the implementation of component 4 and was detrimental to

the overall effectiveness, sustainability and potential for scaling up of the pilot (see sections 2B, 3B and 4A).

The project Financing Agreement and Legal Covenant were revised to reflect reallocation of funds in some components.

The project budget at approval including financing from the International Development Association (IDA), in-kind support

from BEPZA and MOLE (US$7m to cover the cost of land, salary and office space of permanent staff at both agencies) and

contemplated USD$3.5 million to be raised from the private sector and channeled through BEPZA’s Corporate Social

Responsibility Fund (CSR). BEPZA objected to the funding arrangements as they felt that IDA financing should have been

used to cover all component 3 activities. The Financing Agreement was amended to reflect: (i) funding from IDA to cover

the entire costs of the training program for the first year and partial funding for the second year of training; (ii) fundraising

from the private sector to cover training expenses for the second and final year of the training program; and, (iii) a

reallocation of approximately US$5.5m saved from the construction of the DTCs to cover increased costs under

components 1 and 4. The World Bank facilitated the fundraising process, but IDA funds were ultimately used to cover all

training expenses (see Annex 3).

Rationale for Changes and Their Implication on the Original Theory of Change The changes described in this section had no implication on the Theory of Change.


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II. OUTCOME

A. RELEVANCE OF PDOs

Assessment of Relevance of PDOs and Rating Relevance of the PDO remained High. NARI was prepared and approved during the implementation of the Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) for FY11-14 (Report No. 54615-BD) which included a focus on women’s economic empowerment. CAS pillar four recognized women’s limited access to employment and included the establishment of employment services for women from the poorest areas of the country as a milestone in the indicator measuring women’s participation in short-term employment programs. NARI was one of the projects listed as supporting achievement of this indicator. The current CPF covering FY16-20 (Report No. 103723-BD) identifies skills development and support for better jobs for the poor as important areas to accelerate poverty reduction and remove impediments to growth and job creation. NARI is particularly aligned with Objective 2.4, Enhanced Rural Income Opportunities for the Poor, and is highlighted in the CPF for its focus on providing formal employment to women from lagging areas.

B. ACHIEVEMENT OF PDOs (EFFICACY)

Assessment of Achievement of Each Objective/Outcome The efficacy of the operation is rated as Modest. Significant progress was made in achieving the PDO to facilitate access to employment opportunities for poor and vulnerable women from lagging areas of Bangladesh, but the project did not meet all targets set for the outcome indicators. The project trained and provided job placement services for 9,099 women. A total of 6,085 trainees (67 percent) accepted a job offer in an RMG factory after graduation. The NARI graduates who accepted a job offer entered as Operators (53 percent), Senior Operators (45 percent) or Quality Inspectors (2 percent) – all levels above the typical entry level for unskilled workers. The number of Quality Inspectors at all DTCs is notable as these positions require more technical skills and are usually available after many years working in a factory. Very few trainees were working or had experience working in a garment factory when they were recruited. According to the set salary structure for garment workers in Bangladesh, NARI graduates that entered as Operators were earning a minimum salary of 9,678 BDT (USD$115) per month, Senior Operators were earning a minimum of 10,042 BDT (USD$119), and Quality Inspectors a minimum of 10,420 BDT (USD$124) per month.2 A survey of 26 factories found that 43 percent of graduates were still employed for at least ten months after they graduated the program.3

Table 1: Employment by Position and DTC

DTC No. Employed Operator (Gr 6) Senior Operator (Gr. 5) Quality Inspector (Gr. 4)

Dhaka 2025 1215 776 34

Ishwardi 2212 902 1308 2

Karnaphuli 1848 1130 665 53

Total 6085 3247 2749 89

2 According to the set salary structure for RMG workers in Bangladesh, the salary for Operators, Senior Operators and Quality Inspectors in 5,678 BDT, 6,042 BDT and 6,420 BDT, respectively. An estimated 4,000 BDT has been added to this salary to account for other benefits such as overtime and allowances such as food, housing and transportation that are paid by the employer. 3 The survey of factories only tracked graduates who were still employed in the factory where they were initially placed. Given the nature of employment in RMG, it is possible that many graduates changed factories.


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Data from factories accepting NARI graduates, as well as a qualitative assessment of 804 graduates, indicate positive

changes in employment and wages of NARI trainees. The assessment found that 64 percent of respondents (514

graduates) accepted a job in an RMG factory when they graduated from the program. Of those who accepted a job offer,

45 percent were still working in the RMG sector and 43 percent left the job to pursue higher education. The qualitative

assessment also found that the income of the NARI graduates that were still employed in the RMG sector increased, with

the majority earning 8,000-10,000 BDT (USD$95-118) per month (see table 2). As shown in Annex 7, almost 40 percent

of the trainees who belonged to the lowest income group were earning 8,0000-10,000 BDT (USD$95-118) per month

(see Annex 7). A t-test of the income before and after training on wages showed that the change was significant.

Table 2: Income Before and After Training

Income before NARI (N=151) Income after NARI (N=227)

Income group N % N %

BDT 450-4,000 44 29.14 0 0

BDT 4,000-6,000 38 25.17 33 14.54

BDT 6,000-8,000 37 24.5 46 20.26

BDT 8,000-10,000 23 15.23 96 42.29

BDT 10,000-12,000 4 2.65 34 14.98

BDT 12,000-15,000 5 3.31 17 7.49

Above BDT 15,000 1 0.44

The PDO also included three clusters of project activities aimed to improve access to employment: (i) information and awareness raising; (ii) infrastructure and skills development; and (iii) housing and other support services. Each of these aspects of the PDO is discussed below, relying on data from the project baseline, MIS, Borrower completion report, field visits to the DTCs, interviews with factory representatives, and the qualitative assessment. Information and awareness raising

A baseline survey was conducted in April-May 2013 and included 1,365 households and 1,467 women from the five

districts in Rangpur Division included in the project area. The baseline survey found that the households had high poverty

rates, men were mostly engaged in wage employment and women in agricultural work. While a high number of women

were interested in participating in a training program and living in provided accommodation (90 and 82 percent,

respectively), few knew the location of the nearest garment factory (7 percent) and cited social norms (24 percent) and

insecurity (12 percent) as reasons for women not to seek jobs in the sector. The findings from the baseline survey were

used to set the eligibility criteria as unmarried or married women from poor households with at least a primary level

education.

The IEC campaign included extensive awareness raising and information sessions in the five districts that helped build

trust and facilitate recruitment during the implementation of the training activities under component 3. A total of 12,241

eligible women applied to join the training program from September 2014 to October 2018.

Infrastructure and skills development

Each DTC site financed under the credit was in gated areas and consisted of three main buildings – a two-story, training

center and two four-story dormitories, that could train and house a maximum of 600 women per training session (see

Annex 8). The DTCs were designed to maximize available space, ensure cost-effectiveness, and allow for future expansion


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of the program by the implementing partners. Additionally, the DTCs met the Bangladesh National Building Code

standards for resistance to earthquakes, floods and other environmental threats.

The technical and life skills training designed and implemented as part of the NARI curriculum aimed to improve the

capacity of the trainees so that they would enter employment in an RMG factory above the basic entry level. A total

of 23 cohorts were trained from July 24, 2016 to November 25, 2018. The training ranged from 245 to 532 hours

depending on the length of the training session (see table 3). The technical training curriculum included modules on

machine operation and safety while the life skills curriculum included modules on communication in English and Bengali,

labor law and rights, women’s empowerment, professional and personal life management (i.e., budgeting and stress

management), teamwork, personal and reproductive health and use of technology (see Annex 9).

Table 3: NARI Technical and Life Skills Curriculum Training Hours

Training Length Technical Hours Life Skills Hours Miscellaneous Hours TOTAL

3 months 350 110 72 532

2 months 275 60 19 354

1 month 175 60 10 245

At the end of the program, 9,099 women were trained; 84 percent of the target set for OI#1. The number of recruits and trainees at the Dhaka and Ishwardi DTCs were similar, while these figures were lower at the Karnaphuli DTC (see table 4). The relatively lower number of applicants and trainees at the Karnaphuli DTC was due to a lower selection of this DTCs by recruits, due to its longer distance from the source areas, and delays during project implementation described in section 3B.

Table 4: Recruitment and Training by DTC

DTC Applied Joined Dropped out Trained Joined RMG job

Dhaka 4235 3505 313 3192 2025

Ishwardi 4661 3551 239 3312 2212

Karnaphuli 3345 2668 73 2595 1848

Totals 12241 9724 625 9099 6085

Over 80 percent of the trainees completed the full one to three-month training program. Different training lengths

were tested during the implementation of the NARI project as follows: three months (10 sessions); two months (10

sessions); and one-month training program (3 sessions). Completion of the full training program was higher in the one

and two-month training sessions. This flexible approach to training considered requests by NARI trainees for shorter

training sessions that would allow them more time to return home before entering full-time employment.

Housing and other support services

Satisfaction with the program was high among NARI trainees. NARI trainees were provided with one-on-one and group

counseling as necessary, which aided in the formation of networks among the graduates and helped with retention.

While a two-month transitional housing period was allowed following the training period, only 20 percent of trainees

chose to stay at the DTC following their graduation for one month. Most graduates returned home immediately after the

training; returning to Chittagong or Dhaka before their employment period was set to start. Ninety percent of graduates

were satisfied with the services offered at the DTCs. Overall, 90 percent of the respondents of the post-evaluation found

the quality of the technical training to be very advanced or advanced, 82 percent were satisfied with the life skills training,


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75 percent considered the quality of the trainers to be very good and 76 percent were very or fairly satisfied with the

accommodation facilities.

Justification of Overall Efficacy Rating The training and employment model that was piloted succeeded in facilitating access to employment in the garment

sector for poor and vulnerable women from lagging areas. The number of recruits and graduates of the NARI program

increased over time in all DTCs. The project successfully identified employment opportunities for all graduates, and those

who accepted positions in RMG factories entered at higher levels. Satisfaction with the program and services was high.

However, the project did not meet targets for the number of trainees and the lack of an impact evaluation meant that

the MIS did not collect data that allowed for an assessment of changes on employment and wages over the medium-

term which was needed to report on progress in OI# 2 and 3. Hence the efficacy was rated modest.

C. EFFICIENCY

Assessment of Efficiency and Rating Project efficiency is rated as Modest as described below.

The economic benefits of NARI were substantial. The proposed project is expected to have outcomes along the following

dimensions: (i) higher salary profile of NARI graduates due to skills acquired and potential for more remunerative work

in the garment sector; (ii) higher probability of employment; and, (iii) improvements in human development outcomes

such as health, hygiene and security. The economic analysis focuses on the first two dimensions since these are more

easily quantified. Using data from the qualitative assessment and baseline, a salary of 8898 BDT (USD$105) per month

was derived for graduates employed in the sector and 3,101 BDT (US$37) per month for women who did not join the

training program. Over a working lifespan of 15 years, a NARI trainee would earn US$10,827 compared to US$4475

earned by women who did not receive the training. Both these income figures were estimated using the Net Present

Value (NPV) method with a discount rate of 7 percent. Discounting the costs for infrastructure and training, the NPV of

lifetime earnings differential is US$2,260. With 9,099 applicants trained and offered employment (94 percent of all

eligible applicants who joined the program), the project had a 55 percent rate of return.

Administrative efficiency was modest. Since NARI was a pilot designed to test a new training and employment model

targeting poor and vulnerable women, extensive stakeholder engagements were needed during project preparation and

implementation. The project timeline was affected by delays in the implementation of key program activities including

construction and the start of the training program. While the project preparation was close to three years, the original

project timeline envisioned a four-year implementation period with training beginning in the second year. Delays during

implementation resulted in a six-year implementation period with training activities beginning four years after the

project became effective. All activities under components 1-3 were completed, however, component 4 was not

implemented in a satisfactory manner. Disbursements were on track for most of the implementation period and 84

percent of funds were disbursed by the project closing date. The implementing partners provided in-kind support in the

form of land and staff costs; the land expense was an important cost and time saving as it was because of this that the

project did not trigger any of the social safeguards policies.


Page 13 of 46

D. JUSTIFICATION OF OVERALL OUTCOME RATING

Following guidelines set forth for ICR ratings in scenarios where relevance of the PDO is High and efficacy and efficiency are rated as Modest, respectively, the overall outcome rating for the NARI project is Moderately Unsatisfactory. Notwithstanding, this rating, the NARI model proved to be effective because it was successful in facilitating employment to women from remote areas. The first challenge that the program faced successfully was reaching out to women from socially conservative areas with very weak networks for women to access the labor market. The project implemented an innovative IEC program that built trust, the life skills component focused on broader women’s empowerment, and the technical training provided adequate skills for immediate job placement and further career advancement. The project also included secure housing during and after the training, this is a critical aspect and served as a catalyst in program uptake and retention. The Government of Bangladesh also sees the model as a successful intervention to be replicated.

E. OTHER OUTCOMES AND IMPACTS (IF ANY)

Gender The project’s focus on the economic empowerment of women complements the Bank’s corporate commitments on

gender. At the time of appraisal, NARI was aligned with the WBG’s Gender Action Plan, Gender Equality as Smart

Economics (2007-2010), and its focus on improving women’s labor force participation in Bangladesh is aligned with the

second priority area of the new WBG Gender Strategy (2016-2020) which commits the WBG to promote more and better

jobs for women.

NARI graduates found more lucrative jobs in positions which were previously unavailable to them. In addition to the

positive changes in the economic empowerment of trainees, the project had other positive externalities that were not

captured by the project’s indicators but were reflected in the qualitative assessment. For instance:

• Change in social status: Employment in the RMG sector has led to changes in perception of women working

outside of the home – 77 percent of respondents mentioned positive changes in beliefs within their households

and 59 percent report that their position had positively changed in their households. A total of 312 respondents

did not play any role in household decision-making before the training and 45 percent saw a positive change after

the training.

• Recognizing importance of education: 43 percent of those who accepted a job offer in an RMG factory left their

job to pursue higher education and most respondents are encouraging or supporting their siblings and daughters

to continue their education.

• Confidence in investing and slight change in savings: Over 70 percent of respondents felt confident about

investment or taking part in a business venture after the training, but only 16 percent are saving and only 5

percent are investing. The low rates of investing and saving can be due to the short time in employment, however,

some participants also mentioned that they were paying off household debts with their earnings.

• Changes in nutrition: Diets have become more diversified. Average monthly intake of meat and fish has changed

from once a month to one to three times a month, respectively, and the weekly intake of vegetables has shifted

from twice a week to more than twice a week.

Institutional Strengthening NARI was the first WBG project implemented by MOLE and BEPZA. The Bank provided extensive support to improve their

knowledge of Bank financial management and procurement requirements and facilitate a broader engagement with

other stakeholders operating in the RMG sector. The project supported four learning exchanges (two in Bangladesh, one


Page 14 of 46

in the United Kingdom, and one in the United States of America) that helped MOLE and BEPZA realize the potential of

the project and make concerted efforts to improve the implementation of the program and achieve the project’s

expected outcomes.

During the implementation phase, the implementing agency showed real improvement in the management of

environmental safeguards. BEPZA recruited one environment specialist and thirty counsellors under another World Bank-

financed project to supervise the enterprises at different EPZs and some of them were responsible for monitoring the

compliance of the Environmental Management Plans (EMP) under NARI.

Mobilizing Private Sector Financing The four learning exchanges previously mentioned were also part of the World Bank team’s efforts to facilitate CSR

funding from major RMG brands in Bangladesh. While these exchanges helped raise awareness and interest in NARI,

funding was not mobilized. Instead, these exchanges resulted in greater demand for NARI graduates from major brands.

Poverty Reduction and Shared Prosperity

The project’s impact on poverty reduction and shared prosperity is described in section 2B as well as in the gender

outcomes.

Other Unintended Outcomes and Impacts The project placement services developed a solid relationship with garment factories operating in the EPZs. Factory

representatives were encouraged to tour the DTCs and were invited to all the cohort graduations. The quality of the

training was praised by the factories hiring NARI graduates, and many changed their hiring practices by either turning to

the program for new hires or promoting NARI graduates that were already hired to more advanced positions. As shown

in table 5, forty-nine factories hired NARI graduates. Most factories were in Karnaphuli followed by Ishwardi, however,

there was one factory that hired over 1,000 graduates of the Dhaka DTC.

Table 5: Employment of NARI graduates by factory

Number of graduates employed

Dhaka Ishwardi Karnaphuli

0 - 300 4 factories 11 factories 26 factories

301 - 500 1 factory 2 factories 2 factories

501 - 1000 1 factory 1 factory

Over 1000 1 factory

III. KEY FACTORS THAT AFFECTED IMPLEMENTATION AND OUTCOME

A. KEY FACTORS DURING PREPARATION

Project preparation benefited from extensive consultations with different actors and the Project Appraisal Document

(PAD) included a very detailed description of the rationale for the project’s focus and approach. Extensive consultations

with relevant stakeholders were carried out during project preparation and risks for women participating in the project

were sufficiently identified. A Socio-economic Assessment, Vulnerability Map and Social Risk Management Plan were

prepared. The project document emphasized the importance of including the life skills curriculum as an integral part of

the training program with modules that focused on improving self-esteem, menstrual hygiene, financial literacy and


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communication, among others. Initial designs and plans for the DTCs were also prepared before the credit was approved.

The PAD, therefore, provided a clear roadmap for the development of the project’s Development Project Proforma

(DPP).4

Mechanisms for targeting and recruiting were clear and recognized the importance of self-selection by potential

beneficiaries. With the inclusion of the five-day orientation program, the project design balanced the objective of

reaching poor and vulnerable women with the need to select candidates who were most likely to successfully complete

the training program and obtain employment in a garment factory.

The project’s institutional arrangements called for implementation by a Coordinating Agency (MOLE) and an

Implementing Agency (BEPZA). Both agencies were selected because of their involvement in the RMG sector in

Bangladesh. BEPZA could facilitate relationships with factories operating in the EPZ, and MOLE was already engaging with

the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers

and Exporters Association (BKMEA); these partnerships would be important in job placement of trainees. Additionally,

the implementing partners provided in-kind support in the form of land and staff costs.

B. KEY FACTORS DURING IMPLEMENTATION There were significant delays to the start of the training due to delays in processing contracts, commencement of

training activities and closure of the Karnaphuli DTC for several months.

• Delays due to protracted tendering practices: The contracts to build the DTCs involved contracts with both local

and international firms, which took time to process and then added more time to the timeline for construction

of the DTCs. All other contracts – for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) carrying out the IEC, training and

placement services, furniture and equipment suppliers – were staggered rather than done in bulk. This resulted

in training activities starting only two years after the last DTC was built.

• Delays in start of training activities: The NGO hired to design and implement the IEC campaign was very successful

in recruiting 9,000 potential applicants during the first months of the campaign. However, the Implementing

Agency took too long to approve the list of applicants for the first training session in all three DTCs and many

women lost interest in the program. The NGO had to redouble their efforts to get women to apply. Since the

number of applicants in the first training sessions was so low, the program partners decided to allow applicants

from the control group to join the training. This ultimately led to the impact evaluation being dropped from the

project activities.

• Closure of Karnaphuli DTC: The DTCs in Dhaka and Ishwardi were continuously operating once the training

started, but the Karnaphuli DTC remained closed for several months. The project’s DPP stipulated that in case

issues with recruitment arose, NARI trainees could be recruited from other districts, including from outside of

Rangpur. Recruiting from areas closer to the Karnaphuli DTC was discussed and agreed upon in several

supervision missions, but the Implementing Agency did not follow up on this agreement. While the project was

able to train eight and nine cohorts in the DTCs in Dhaka and Ishwardi, respectively, only six cohorts were trained

in the Karnaphuli DTC.

The structure governing the project implementation which had BEPZA as the implementing agency and MOLE as the

coordinating agency lacked a clear authority figure. Although the institutional arrangements called for each agency to

4 In Bangladesh, the Borrower prepares an operations manual called a DPP that outlines key project activities, implementation plans and contingencies.


Page 16 of 46

have a Project Implementation Unit (PIU) and for there to be a Steering Committee composed of other line ministries

and government agencies to provide oversight, neither agency had authority over the other. Decisions regarding

processing of contracts, opening of source areas, and even approving the start of training activities took an inordinate

amount of time because of this lack of final decision-making power by one agency over the other.

Training activities were not adequately budgeted in the PAD. As previously mentioned, the PAD contemplated funding

for training to be raised from CSR funds of major brands and RMG associations operating in Bangladesh. This was an

important oversight in a pilot that relied on achieving training and employment targets.

World Bank supervision was adequate, and issues faced during project implementation were duly raised to Bank

management. The World Bank team carried out nine missions, all with the full project team (Financial Management, Social

and Environment Safeguards, and Procurement Specialists). The Aide Memoires and Implementation and Supervision

Reports provided candid feedback to World Bank management. In addition, the Bank team engaged continuously with the

Planning Commission, ECNEC and the project’s Steering Committee to address key bottlenecks delaying the

implementation of project activities. A revision to the outcome targets was considered, but, ultimately not taken because

of concerns that a deeper restructuring could result in cancellation of the credit given the implementation challenges at

the time.

The consistent engagement of the private sector and other stakeholders supported job placement activities. The pool

of potential employers was widened with the inclusion of factories outside of the EPZs; engagement of these RMG

factories was facilitated by the BGMEA and BKMEA. Factory representatives were invited to tour the DTCs and attend the

training graduation ceremonies. Engagement with RMG factory representatives resulted in an increased demand for NARI

graduates. Focus group discussions with RMG representatives revealed that their overall impression was that the training

program resulted in a worker that was technically capable and was an overall better worker.

The DTCs employed qualified staff to guarantee satisfaction of the program as well as the safety and security of trainees.

Each DTC employed 110 staff responsible for training, DTC support services, maintenance, security, food management

and health personnel.

IV. BANK PERFORMANCE, COMPLIANCE ISSUES, AND RISK TO DEVELOPMENT OUTCOME

A. QUALITY OF MONITORING AND EVALUATION (M&E)

M&E Design The proposed impact evaluation heavily influenced the design of the project’s Results Framework (RF). The RF was

comprised of four outcome indicators and eight intermediate results indicators which measured progress in recruitment,

number of trainees, impact on employment and earnings, and satisfaction with the program. The indicators measuring

changes in income and employment had ambitious targets that were more focused on capturing medium and longer-

term impacts. MOLE was responsible for implementing the M&E activities included in component 4. Data on indicators

was supposed to come from monitoring reports prepared by BEZA and MOLE on recruitment, training and placements

and the impact evaluation which would collect data from the trainees on wages and employment. Component 4 was

adequately funded, with additional funds allocated during project implementation.


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M&E Implementation M&E activities were not carried out as designed largely due to delays in setting up the MIS, cancellation of the planned

impact evaluation, and underestimation of the difficulty of following up with NARI trainees once they graduated. The

tendering process for the consultant firm who would develop the MIS was only started after the training activities had

started. This process was so delayed that the project relied on data collected by the NGOs carrying out IEC activities,

training and job placement. Several outcome and intermediate indicators relied on data that captured changes in wages

and employment months after the NARI trainees graduated. The monitoring framework was not revised to collect this

data once the impact evaluation was dropped. The monitoring framework severely underestimated how difficult it would

be to collect data on trainees once they graduated. Following-up with the trainees was very difficult to do because they

changed jobs and telephone numbers frequently. Even when someone from the project managed to reach a trainee, as

was the case during the qualitative assessment, the process for interviewing her depending on her work schedule.

The outcome indicators measuring medium-term impacts were not aligned with the original or revised project

timelines, and the project indicators were not revised as part of the two project restructurings. The initial project

timeline called for a three-year implementation period, which left little room for any delays to the start of the training

program. The World Bank team raised the need to revise the RF so that the outcome indicators capture immediate or

short-term outcomes of the training program, however, this was not done because of concerns that a deeper

restructuring could result in cancellation of the credit given the implementation challenges at the time.

M&E Utilization The data collected by the supporting NGOs was more reliable and accurate and was used to report on progress in Aide

Memoires and Implementation Status and Results Reports (ISR), as well as populate the MIS once it was up and running.

Justification of Overall Rating of Quality of M&E The overall rating of the quality of M&E is Modest. There were significant delays in setting up the MIS, follow-up with

trainees after they graduated was not appropriately included in the MIS, and the indicators measuring medium-term

impacts had ambitious targets that were not aligned with the revised project timeline.

B. ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND FIDUCIARY COMPLIANCE Environmental Safeguards

The Northern Areas Reduction-of-Poverty Initiative Project was classified corresponding to Safeguard Category B-

Partial Assessment and triggered one Bank safeguard policy: Environmental Assessment (OP 4.01). The Borrower

prepared an Environmental Management Framework (EMF), which was reviewed and approved by the Bank and

disclosed in the Bank’s external website as well as in the agency’s site prior to appraisal of the project. There were some

non-compliance issues in EMP implementation in the early part of the project implementation; however, the rating

improved as implementation progressed and the project finished with a Satisfactory rating. The main environmental

issues – namely, air and water quality, waste disposal, the impact of traffic, and the health and safety – were well

managed. BEPZA, along with the supervision consultant, monitored the construction site on regular intervals to ensure

the implementation of Environment Management Plans (EMP) during construction. An Environmental Health and Safety

manager was appointed at each site by the contractors. The labor camps during construction of the DTCs were outside

the construction boundaries and the camps were properly managed.

The project has direct environmental benefits and the overall environmental impact of the NARI project was positive.


Page 18 of 46

Many different tree species were planted and are maintained in the open spaces at all three sites. The drainage systems

at each site was properly designed and no water logging reported. Rain water harvesting facilities have been provided

at all sites and no household or construction waste was disposed in bodies of water.

Social Safeguards and Grievance Redressal

The project did not trigger and social safeguards policies. The project was implemented in compliance with social

requirements of inclusion of the most poor and vulnerable communities. All civil works were carried out on land owned

by BEPZA. Although the project area did not have a presence of small ethnic or indigenous communities, the NGO carrying

out the IEC activities in the source areas employed a Social Inclusion and Small Ethnic Minorities Plan. The project also

had a functional GRM at the DTCs.

Financial Management

While there were some delays in finalizing the Interim Unaudited Financial Reports during the latter part of the project,

due to the abrupt departure of the financial management consultant, there were no major financial management

issues during the implementation of the project. The project completed all works and received all goods and services

within the project closing date of December 31, 2018; all accounting adjustments and documentation of all expenditures

was also completed. The financial management staff at BEPZA and MOLE benefitted from relevant fiduciary training

during project implementation and were therefore able to execute all financial management activities as per Bank

guidelines and policies satisfactorily. The project was regularly audited by the Foreign-Aided Projects Audit Directorate

(FAPAD) and the audit reports were submitted in a timely manner. The project proactively resolved audit observations

raised by FAPAD. Currently, there are only two pending observations which are being processed. The FAPAD Audit of FY

2018-19 for the period July-Dec 2018 will be carried out shortly.

Procurement

Procurement was moderately satisfactory. The project procurement plan was developed in accordance with existing

World Bank and Government of Bangladesh policies and procedures. The major procurement by BEPZA included: the

construction of the DTCs; procurement and installation of furniture; procurement of training equipment; consulting

services for the IEC, training and placement activities; transportation of applicants from the source areas to the DTCs;

services of individual consultant staff at the DTCs; and food. MOLE procured small goods and the services of the

consultant supporting the placement of the MIS at MOLE’s PIU.

The overall time taken in procurement process specifically from evaluation to contract award was substantially long.

The Bid Evaluation reports prepared by BEPZA were routinely not comprehensive and did not include all detailed

information relevant for evaluation. Contracts for supplies, food and security were initially awarded for short periods of

time (i.e., one year) and then needed to be amended multiple times. BEPZA could have received better price estimates

on bids had these been made for a longer duration. BEPZA did not have a procurement consultant for the last two years

of the project and had to resort to asking for clearance from the World Bank on every procurement package using post-

review or using the services of pgrocurement consultants hired by other projects implemented by BEPZA or its own staff.

C. BANK PERFORMANCE


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Quality at Entry

The Bank mobilized a multi-disciplinary team from various units, including the IFC, to enhance the quality of design.

The team consulted widely with the Country Management Unit, MOLE, BEPZA, BGMEA, BKMEA, other private sector

actors, and local organizations in the selected project areas. Additionally, the team carried out multiple field visits to

better understand the issues that the intended project beneficiaries were facing and begin to build trust in the source

areas. The project design, therefore: identified adequate institutional arrangements and selection criteria; emphasized

targeting and self-selection; allowed flexibility in the implementation of the training program, selection of DTCs and

opening of source areas; and was ambitious in the expected outcomes.

Quality of Supervision The Bank team engaged often with the implementing partners and facilitated engagements with other actors in the

sector that helped them recognize the value in targeting women and promoting their greater participation in the

economy of Bangladesh. In addition to the nine supervision missions carried out during the project implementation

period, the Dhaka-based TTL had weekly meetings with the implementing partners and constantly engaged with the

Project’s Steering Committee and other counterparts in the government to address issues and bottlenecks that arose.

The AMs and ISRs were used to provide candid feedback and raise relevant issues to World Bank management. The World

Bank team also facilitated visits to the DTCs by international buyers and Bank management, led the organization of the

four learning exchanges (including by starting the dialogue with international buyers) and raised the need for

sustainability plans by both implementing partners. The Bank team reviewed the training curriculum before it was

launched and provided technical assistance for the preparation of the project MIS. Additionally, the World Bank’s

fiduciary and safeguards specialists provided extensive technical support to the implementing partners as needed.

Justification of Overall Rating of Bank Performance The overall rating of Bank performance was Moderately Satisfactory largely because the team did not revise the

outcome indicators measuring longer term impacts or push for changes in the monitoring arrangements that would allow

for more consistent follow-up of program graduates.

D. RISK TO DEVELOPMENT OUTCOME Notwithstanding the positive project results and increasing demand for the training program both by women in the source areas and RMG factory representatives, the risk of not sustaining the development outcome is modest. The DTCs have been placed under BEPZA’s EPZ authority which is maintaining the premises. While BEPZA and MOLE have expressed interest to continue with the training and develop a follow-up project, they are not able to do so without some funding from IDA. BEPZA’s governing board has agreed to continue with the training program and expand it to include training for existing RMG workers (in particular, mid-level managers and quality controllers); BEPZA would raise funding from the private sector to cover some of the program’s operating costs. MOLE has already submitted a project proposal that considers the lessons derived from the NARI pilot and broadens the training curriculum to other areas and sectors and have also identified land where new training centers can be built or rehabilitated. The results achieved by NARI have been widely disseminated among relevant line ministers by BEPZA and MOLE. To this end, a new semi-autonomous agency, the Bangladesh Export Zones Authority has had initial discussions with the Bank team about developing a similar program.

V. LESSONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Improving women’s labor force participation through skills development is effective and should be carried out with


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awareness of good practices learned through the implementation of the NARI pilot. NARI is just one of a few training

programs that focuses on training women before they enter employment in the RMG sector. The pilot had a lot of

successful elements. These include the linkages with the private sector, extensive community engagement, demand-

driven skills development, and counseling and other services provided to the trainees. This bundling of services resulted

in the project reaching 84 percent of the targeted number of trainees and facilitated employment to more than 60 percent

of graduates. In addition to the positive changes in the economic empowerment of trainees, the pilot had a positive impact

on the social status of NARI graduates.

Notwithstanding the pilot’s positive impacts, the NARI model requires a lot of infrastructure upfront, which increases

the likelihood of implementation delays. Building of the DTCs and the associated construction contracts caused delays to

the start of the training program and affected the overall project timeline and results. Such structural and sequencing

issues need to be considered in any future operation and the project duration should be realistic in terms of the time

needed to complete infrastructure activities.

As a pilot, NARI strove to strike a balance between testing and assessing impact, however, the RF was completely driven

by an impact evaluation that was subsequently dropped. The targets for the outcome indicators measuring wages and

earnings included in the project’s RF were too ambitious for a pilot as these focused on measuring longer-term impacts.

The tracking of trainees after graduation is particularly difficult and hence may not be a good results indicator. Pilots need

to be able to adapt to ongoing learning by doing, and evaluation arrangements should allow this. For this to be done

effectively, impact evaluations should be considered as mechanisms for learning, but not become the basis for the project’s

RF. For the RF the project outcome indicators should include achievable and time-bound targets.

Having two implementing partners will only work if the institutional arrangements include a clear division roles and

responsibilities. For dual or multiple agency implementation arrangements to function as intended, there needs to be a

lead agency with enough authority to make critical decisions in a timely manner. The NARI pilot did not have this, so critical

decisions took time and were only done after a host of other stakeholders were consulted.

Building trust with local communities is important, especially when working with vulnerable populations, but this needs

to be adequately reflected in the project timeline and budgeted. The IEC activities were critical to project recruitment. An

IEC that targets poor and vulnerable women needs to consider the risks that they face and their initial resistance to join

due to social norms or concerns for safety and security. The IEC needs to follow a multi-pronged approach with multiple

actors and mechanisms and consistent messaging.

.


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ANNEX 1. RESULTS FRAMEWORK AND KEY OUTPUTS

A. RESULTS INDICATORS A.1 PDO Indicators Objective/Outcome: Facilitate access to employment opportunities in the garment sector for poor and vulnerable women

Indicator Name Unit of Measure Baseline Original Target Formally Revised

Target

Actual Achieved at Completion

Number of women who receive training

Number 0.00 10800.00 9099.00

26-Mar-2012 31-Dec-2015 31-Dec-2018

Comments (achievements against targets):


Target


Percentage of graduates who are formally employed for at least 10 months of the year following completion of their training.

Percentage 0.00 90.00 43.00

26-Mar-2012 31-Dec-2015 31-Dec-2018



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This information was supposed to be collected as part of the project's impact evaluation which was cancelled. This data comes from a survey of 26 factories that employed graduates from cohorts 1-4. The figure only captures graduates that are still employed in the factory. Given the turnover of RMG workers, it is likely that this figure is much higher and some graduates are employed in factories not included in the survey.


Target


Difference in average level of net monthly income of graduates, before and 1 year after completion of their training

Percentage 0.00 50.00 50.00

26-Mar-2012 31-Dec-2015 31-Dec-2018


The MIS did not capture changes in earnings one year after completion. However, the average net monthly income of graduates increased. According to the set salary structure for garment workers in Bangladesh, NARI graduates that entered as Operators were earning a minimum salary of 9,678 BDT (USD$115) per month, Senior Operators were earning a minimum of 10,042 BDT (USD$119), and Quality Inspectors a minimum of 10,420 BDT (USD$124) per month. Most graduates were not employed before the training.


Target


Level of satisfaction with the project among graduates (% who rank their satisfaction level as three or higher on a

Percentage 0.00 80.00 90.00

26-Mar-2012 31-Dec-2015 31-Dec-2018


Page 23 of 46

five point scale)


A.2 Intermediate Results Indicators

Component: Raising awareness and selecting candidates in the monga-prone districts of northern Bangladesh


Target


Raising awareness and selecting training program candidates from the lagging region of northern Bangladesh.

Number 0.00 10800.00 12241.00

26-Mar-2012 31-Dec-2015 31-Dec-2018

Number of eligible applicants who apply for the training program

Number 0.00 10800.00 12241.00

26-Mar-2012 31-Dec-2015 31-Dec-2018

Percentage of beneficiaries who complete the two and half month training offered by the program.

Percentage 0.00 95.00 100.00


The project recruited 12,241 applicants of which 9,724 actually joined the training and 9,099 graduated. The project tested different training lengths and 82 percent completed the full one to three-month training sessions.


Page 24 of 46

Component: Establishing training centers with dormitories


Target


Establishing training centers with dormitories in the EPZs located in Dhaka, Ishwardi, and Karnaphuli.

Percentage 0.00 100.00 100.00

26-Mar-2012 31-Dec-2015 31-Dec-2018

Percentage of graduates who stay in the project accommodation after completion of their training

Percentage 0.00 95.00 20.00

26-Mar-2012 31-Dec-2015 31-Dec-2018

Percentage of project beneficiaries who are satisfied with the services offered by the facilities (% who rank their satisfaction asthree or higher on a five point scale)

Percentage 0.00 90.00 90.00

26-Dec-2016 31-Dec-2015 31-Dec-2015

Percentage of graduates who opt to pay for the meal service provided by the project facilities

Percentage 0.00 95.00 95.00

26-Mar-2012 31-Dec-2015 31-Dec-2018


Page 25 of 46


Three DTCs were constructed.

Component: Providing initial training and ongoing support to beneficiaries


Target


Providing initial training and on-going support to beneficiaries.

Percentage 0.00 100.00 100.00

26-Mar-2012 31-Dec-2015 31-Dec-2018

Percentage of project graduates who are offered formal employment within one month of graduation

Percentage 0.00 100.00 100.00

26-Mar-2012 31-Dec-2015 31-Dec-2018

Percentage of graduates who are satisfied with the training program (% who rank their satisfaction as three or higher on a five point scale)

Percentage 0.00 90.00 90.00

26-Mar-2012 31-Dec-2015 31-Dec-2018

Percentage of graduates who are employed at the senior operator level 18 months after graduating

Percentage 0.00 80.00 0.00

26-Mar-2012 31-Dec-2015 31-Dec-2018


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(i.e., they get promoted)


All NARI participants were trained and given on-going support.


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A. KEY OUTPUTS BY COMPONENT

Objective/Outcome 1: The development objective of the project is to facilitate access to employment opportunities in the garment sector for poor and vulnerable women from lagging areas of Bangladesh

Outcome Indicators

1. Number of women who receive training. The target for this indicator was set at 10,800 trainees

2. Percentage of graduates who are formally employed for at least ten months of the year following completion of the training program

3. Difference in the average level of net monthly income of graduates before the training program and one year after completion of their training

4. Level of satisfaction with the project among graduates of the training program

Intermediate Results Indicators

1. Number of eligible applicants who apply for the training program

2. Percentage of beneficiaries who complete the three-month

training offered by the program

3. Percentage of project graduates who are offered formal

employment within one month of graduation

4. Percentage of graduates who are employed at the senior operator

level 18 months after graduating

5. Percentage of project beneficiaries who are satisfied with the

services offered by the facilities

6. Percentage of graduates who stay in the project accommodation

after completion of their training

7. Percentage of graduates who opt to pay for the meal service

provided by the project facilities

8. Percentage of graduates who are satisfied with the training

program


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Key Outputs by Component (linked to the achievement of the Objective/Outcome 1)

Component 1: 1. 12,241 women applied to join the program, 9,724 joined the

training program and 9,099 were trained Component 2:

2. Construction of three fully equipped and staffed DTCs Component 3:

3. 100% of graduates offered employment and 67 percent (6,085) accepted an employment offer.

4. Over 80 percent completion of full training program 5. Over 50 percent increase in income. 6. 53 percent employed as Operators, 45 percent as Senior

Operators and 2 percent as Quality Inspectors 7. 43 percent employed for at least 10 months following

completion of the program 8. 90 percent of trainees satisfied with training program 9. 20 percent of graduates stayed in accommodation after the

program


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ANNEX 2. BANK LENDING AND IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT/SUPERVISION

A. TASK TEAM MEMBERS

Name Role

Preparation

Supervision/ICR

Sabah Moyeen Task Team Leader(s)

Arafat Istiaque Procurement Specialist(s)

Hasib Ehsan Chowdhury Financial Management Specialist

Dolly Elizabeth Teju Team Member

Hiska Noemi Reyes Team Member

Md. Akhtaruzzaman Social Specialist

Iqbal Ahmed Environmental Specialist

Zahin Takrim Hussain Team Member

Samera Chowdhury Team Member

A. STAFF TIME AND COST

Stage of Project Cycle Staff Time and Cost

No. of staff weeks US$ (including travel and consultant costs)

Preparation

FY09 3.758 21,854.69

FY10 62.678 457,148.58

FY11 53.175 389,939.67

FY12 19.240 45,365.14

Total 138.85 914,308.08

Supervision/ICR

FY12 17.658 101,528.96


Page 30 of 46

FY13 23.150 105,616.14

FY14 18.368 107,392.44

FY15 15.700 73,278.79

FY16 23.147 75,383.11

FY17 10.675 94,460.74

FY18 11.182 154,809.29

FY19 8.775 152,345.05

Total 128.66 864,814.52


Page 31 of 46

ANNEX 3. PROJECT COST BY COMPONENT5

Components Amount at Approval

(US$M) Actual at Project

Closing (US$M) Percentage of Approval

(US$M)

Component 1: Raising awareness and selecting candidates in the lagging region of northern Bangladesh.

0.92

0.75

82

Component 2: Establishing 3 training centers with dormitories in the Export Processing Zones (EPZs). Includes government contribution for land and CSR funds.

23.64 18.4 78

Component 3: Providing initial training and on-going support to beneficiaries. Includes CSR contribution.

0.73 2.2

301

Component 4: Supporting coordination, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and expansion.

4.0 3.2 80

Total 29.29 24.6 84.00

5 The table reflects only IDA financing. The Borrower provided US$7m of in-kind support.


Page 32 of 46

ANNEX 4. EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS

The economic analysis estimates the private returns of migration to the EPZs and acquiring technical and

life skills, by estimating the probability of employment as well as the wage premium. The proposed

project is expected to have outcomes along the following dimensions: (i) higher salary profile of NARI

graduates due to skills acquired and potential for more remunerative work in the garment sector; (ii)

higher probability of employment; and, (iii) improvements in human development outcomes such as

health, hygiene and security. The economic analysis focus on the first two dimensions since these are

more easily quantified. The analysis includes data from the baseline mentioned in the Project Appraisal

Document, and data from the project MIS and post evaluation. Relevant statistics for a comparison

group analysis were approximated using comparison group data from the baseline survey and updated

using national statistics from the World Development Indicators. Net Present Value of the investment

and rate of return metrics have been used to express results.

According to the baseline survey conducted in 2013, 80.5 percent of surveyed women were either

unemployed or housewives. Given the employment rate, and after accounting to robustness and

national income growth in 2012-2018, the economic analysis estimates that the mean expected wage of

woman working in the monga area to be 3101 BDT (USD$37) per month.

The ex-post economic analysis assumes that, on average, a NARI graduate employed in the RMG sector

will work for 15 years after receiving the training. Using data from the post evaluation, a salary of 8898

BDT (USD$105) per month was derived for graduates employed in the sector. A conservative assumption

was made that there will be no income growth for these women and they will continue to work for 15

years at the same rate. Over a working lifespan of 15 years, a NARI trainee would earn US$10,827

compared to US$4475 earned by women from the source area who did not receive the training. Both

these income figures were estimated using the Net Present Value (NPV) method with a discount rate of

7 percent. The opportunity cost of training is, therefore, US$4475 as this is the amount a woman could

have earned if she decided not to avail the opportunity of training and stayed in the monga area.

The present value of the lifetime earning differential between a trainee and a non-trainee is US$6,352.

However, discounting the costs for infrastructure and training (US$4,092 per trainee), the NPV of

lifetime earnings differential is US$2,260. This means that after subtracting the opportunity cost and

cost of training, US$2,260 is gained by each trainee over their working life. By investing US$4,092 per

women, the project has recovered the investment and then made gains of US$2,260 per worker. With

9,099 applicants trained and offered employment (94 percent of all eligible applicants who joined the

program), the project’s rate of return is at 55 percent while the Internal Rate of Return is at 30 percent.


Page 33 of 46

ANNEX 5. BORROWER, CO-FINANCIER AND OTHER PARTNER/STAKEHOLDER COMMENTS

The Borrower prepared a Project Completion Report (PCR) that lists the different project activities that were carried out as well as the relevant Procurement and Financial Management activities. The Borrower recognized that NARI was a pilot project and that such a program and that there were difficulties during the project’s implementation. A snapshot of part 4 of the PCR with the analysis of the project implementation is attached herewith. Borrower PCR


Page 34 of 46

ANNEX 6. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS (IF ANY)

1. Aide-Memoire, October 14-17, 2018

http://pubdocs.worldbank.org/en/396801544346338711/Bangladesh-Northern-Areas-Reduction-of-Poverty-Initiative-Project-Implementation-Support-and-Review-Mission-Aide-Memoire-October-14-17-2018

2. Bangladesh Country Assistance Strategy for the period FY11-FY14, Report No. 54615 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/441491468200680406/Bangladesh-Country-assistance-strategy-for-the-period-FY11-14

3. Bangladesh Country Partnership Framework for the period FY16-20, Report No. 103723 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/362231468185032193/Bangladesh-Country-partnership-framework-for-the-period-FY16-20

4. Disclosed ISR No. 1, May 29, 2012 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/982751468768649067/pdf/ISR0Disclosabl029201201338318810984.pdf

5. Disclosed ISR No. 2, November 23, 2012 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/919241468206667796/pdf/ISR-Disclosable-P114841-11232012-1353732897171.pdf

6. Disclosed ISR No. 3, May 17, 2013 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/393501468004790420/pdf/ISR-Disclosable-P114841-05-17-2013-1368824963830.pdf

7. Disclosed ISR No. 4, December 18, 2013 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/673081468221376267/pdf/ISR-Disclosable-P114841-12-18-2013-1387388215084.pdf

8. Disclosed ISR No. 5, June 21, 2014 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/886911468217767398/pdf/ISR-Disclosable-P114841-06-21-2014-1403370143618.pdf

9. Disclosed ISR No. 6, January 2, 2015 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/831751468218410186/pdf/ISR-Disclosable-P114841-01-02-2015-1420191846652.pdf

10. Disclosed ISR No. 7, October 31, 2015 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/817491468005125536/pdf/ISR-Disclosable-P114841-10-31-2015-1446332147478.pdf


12. Disclosed ISR No. 9, June 20, 2016 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/973421468206680286/pdf/ISR-Disclosable-P114841-06-20-2016-1466433863129.pdf


14. Disclosed ISR No. 11, August 22, 2017 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/265841503376967857/pdf/Disclosable-Version-of-the-ISR-Northern-Areas-Reduction-of-Poverty-Initiative-Project-Womens-Economic-Empowerment-




http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/441491468200680406/Bangladesh-Country-assistance-strategy-for-the-period-FY11-14

http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/441491468200680406/Bangladesh-Country-assistance-strategy-for-the-period-FY11-14

http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/362231468185032193/Bangladesh-Country-partnership-framework-for-the-period-FY16-20

http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/362231468185032193/Bangladesh-Country-partnership-framework-for-the-period-FY16-20

http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/982751468768649067/pdf/ISR0Disclosabl029201201338318810984.pdf

http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/982751468768649067/pdf/ISR0Disclosabl029201201338318810984.pdf

http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/919241468206667796/pdf/ISR-Disclosable-P114841-11232012-1353732897171.pdf

http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/919241468206667796/pdf/ISR-Disclosable-P114841-11232012-1353732897171.pdf

http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/393501468004790420/pdf/ISR-Disclosable-P114841-05-17-2013-1368824963830.pdf
















http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/265841503376967857/pdf/Disclosable-Version-of-the-ISR-Northern-Areas-Reduction-of-Poverty-Initiative-Project-Womens-Economic-Empowerment-Project-P114841-Sequence-No-11.pdf



Page 35 of 46

Project-P114841-Sequence-No-11.pdf 15. Disclosed ISR No. 12, March 8, 2018


16. Disclosed ISR No. 13, July 27, 2018 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/742001532691477253/pdf/Disclosable-Version-of-the-ISR-Northern-Areas-Reduction-of-Poverty-Initiative-Project-Womens-Economic-Empowerment-Project-P114841-Sequence-No-13.pdf

17. Restructuring Paper, Report No. 105807, February 17, 2014 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/855321467995639637/pdf/105807-PJPR-P114841-PUBLIC-Box396257B.pdf

18. Project Appraisal Document, Report No. 64619-BD http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/958311468206352559/pdf/646190PAD0P1140Official0Use0Only090.pdf








http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/855321467995639637/pdf/105807-PJPR-P114841-PUBLIC-Box396257B.pdf

http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/855321467995639637/pdf/105807-PJPR-P114841-PUBLIC-Box396257B.pdf

http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/958311468206352559/pdf/646190PAD0P1140Official0Use0Only090.pdf

http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/958311468206352559/pdf/646190PAD0P1140Official0Use0Only090.pdf


Page 36 of 46

ANNEX 7. NARI RECRUITMENT, TRAINING AND JOB PLACEMENT FIGURES Recruitment, training and job placement in each DTC

DEPZ DTC

Cohort PERIOD APPLIED JOINED DROPOUT TRAINED JOB PROVIDED JOB JOINED

1 24 Jul – 30 Oct 2016 531 313 79 234 234 114

2 10 Dec - 15 Mar 2017 316 154 12 142 142 92

3 08 July –27 Aug 2017 566 401 45 356 356 204

4 31 Oct – 31 Jan 2018 507 483 61 422 422 274

5 17 Feb - 14 May 2018 604 559 79 480 480 354

6 25 Jun - 14 Aug 2018 609 592 23 569 569 337

7 01 Sep - 31 Oct 2018 698 599 14 585 585 430

8 01 Nov - 26 Nov 2018 404 404 0 404 404 220

TOTAL 4235 3505 313 3192 3192 2025

IEPZ DTC

BATCH PERIOD APPLIED JOINED DROPOUT TRAINED JOB PROVIDED JOB JOINED

1ST 26 Jul – 30 Oct 2016 719 315 36 279 279 114

2nd 17 Nov - 23 Feb 2017 614 292 39 253 253 130

3rd 25 Mar – 20 Jun 2017 530 346 41 305 305 137

4th 16 Sep – 15 Dec 2017 421 397 36 361 361 230

5th 30 Dec - 28 Mar 2018 405 380 21 359 359 283

6th 09 Apr - 06 Jun 2018 540 481 19 462 462 361

7th 28 Jun - 14 Aug 2018 622 579 36 543 543 456

8th 01 Sep - 30 Oct 2018 560 511 11 500 500 341

9th 01 Nov - 25 Nov 2018 250 250 0 250 160

TOTAL 4661 3551 239 3312 2212 2052

KEPZ DTC

BATCH PERIOD APPLIED JOINED DROPOUT TRAINED JOB PROVIDED JOB JOINED

1ST 24 Aug – 30 Nov 2016 719 296 39 257 257 121

2nd 25 Mar – 20 Jun 2017 330 202 12 190 190 167

3rd 05 Apr - 06 Jun 2018 512 488 8 480 480 460

4th 25 Jun - 14 Aug 2018 614 581 8 573 573 459

5th 01 Sep - 28 Oct 2018 650 600 0 600 600 381

6th 01 Nov - 28 Nov 2018 520 501 6 495 495 260

TOTAL 3345 2668 73 2595 2595 1848


Page 37 of 46

Income before and after training for graduates employed in the RMG sector (data from post-evaluation report)

Present income Past income

Overall BDT 450-4,000

BDT 4,001-6,000

BDT 6,001-8,000

BDT 8,001-10,000

BDT 10,001-12,000

BDT 12,001-15,000

BDT 450-4,000 N 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

% 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

BDT 4,001-6,000

N 31 2 0 0 0 0 33

% 16.05 18.18 0 0 0 0 14.54

BDT 6,001-8,000

N 40 2 3 1 0 0 46

% 20.73 18.18 21.43 25 0 0 20.26

BDT 8,001-10,000

N 77 6 8 0 1 4 96

% 39.9 54.55 57.14 0 100 100 42.29

BDT 10,001-12,000

N 29 0 3 2 0 0 34

% 15.03 0 21.43 50 0 0 14.98

BDT 12,001-15,000

N 15 1 0 1 0 0 17

% 7.77 9.09 0 25 0 0 7.49

Above BDT 15,000

N 1 0 0 0 0 0 1

% 0.52 0 0 0 0 0 0.44

Total N 193 11 14 4 1 4 227

% 100 100 100 100 100 100 100


Page 38 of 46

ANNEX 8. NARI DTCs

DEPZ gate

Front side of DTC (training building)


Page 39 of 46

Classroom

Graduation ceremony


Page 40 of 46

ANNEX 9. NARI TRAINING CURRICULUM TECHNICAL TRAINING

SECTOR SPECIFIC COMPETENCY (HOURS BY TRAINING LENGTH)

OCCUPATION SPECIFIC COMPETENCY (HOURS BY TRAINING LENGTH)

3 MONTHS

2 MONTHS

1 MONTH

SEWING MACHINE OPERATION 3 MONTHS

2 MONTHS

1 MONTH

RMG OVERVIEW

15 10 5 SINGLE NEEDLE LOCK STICH 15 10 10

VARIOUS ACCESSORIES AND MATERIAL

10 05 5 MACHINE CONTROL AND SEWING 30 30 20

VARIOUS MACHINES

20 20 10 DOUBLE NEEDLE LOCK STICH 5 5 3

SAFETY AND SECURITY

05 05 5 SINGLE NEEDLE CHAIN STICH 5 5 3

DOUBLE NEEDLE CHAIN STICH 5 5 3

OVERLOCK MACHINE 8 5 3

FLAT LOCK MACHINE 5 5 3

KANSAI MACHINE 7 5 3

FEED OF THE ARM MACHINE 5 5 3

BARTECH MACHINE 5 5 3

BUTTON HOLE MACHINE 5 5 3

BUTTON STICH MACHINE 5 5 3

SHIRT MAKING 25 20 10

PANT MAKING 25 20 10

SKIRT MAKING 20 15 10

CHAIN SYSTEM PRODUCTION LAYOUT

20 10 5

RELATED DEFINITION 10 10 5

SPECIAL MACHINE 100 70 50

TOTAL 50 40 25 300 235 150


Page 41 of 46

LIFE SKILL TRAINING

COMPETENCY MODULE 3 MONTHS

2 MONTHS

1 MONTH

NARI OVERVIEW 6 3 3

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

COMMUNICATION 8 4 4

ENGLISH COMMUNICATION 14 6 6

BENGALI COMMUNICATION 8 4 4

LABOR LAW AND RIGHTS

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT 2 2 2

WORKING HOUR AND WAGE 2 2 2

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND FIRE SAFETY

4 2 2

OCCUPATIONAL BEHAVIOR 8 4 4

GENDER AWARENESS

STATUS AND EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN

6 3 3

PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL LIFE MANAGEMENT

PRACTICAL MATH 8 4 4

INCOME, EXPENSES AND BUDGET

2 2 2

STRESS AND TIME MANAGEMENT

4 2 2

TEAM WORK

WORKING IN A TEAM 6 4 4

LEADERSHIP 4 2 2

HEALTH MANAGEMENT

PERSONAL HEALTH 6 3 3

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH 6 3 3

USE OF TECHNOLOGY

USE OF COMPUTER AND MOBILE PHONE

2 2 2

TEST, EVALUATION AND RECREATION

14 8 8

TOTAL 110 60 60


Page 42 of 46

ANNEX 10. QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY AND FINDINGS

Background

The objectives of the study is to study and document the potential social and economic impacts of the NARI project by examining the changes in the graduates’ incomes and employment, attitudes, and empowerment. As per the Terms of References the specific objectives of the study were to:

• To explore the changes in the career and income prospects of the NARI graduates

• To understand the nature of employment, income, terms of employment, and overall working conditions of graduates working in the RMG sector and in sectors other than the RMG industry

• To explore the attitudinal changes among graduates with regards to savings, investment, and entrepreneurial initiatives

• To identify the role of the project’s different capacity development activities in empowering the graduates so that they can have better access to economic opportunities in the future

• To determine the role of the project in empowering the graduates by enabling attitudinal changes among the household members and the local community with regards to equality of opportunities and participation

• To explore the change in the graduates’ and/or their households’ incomes, assets, nutrition, and education outcomes

Methodology

The study used a mixed method research approach has been applied to gather data from NARI graduates, their households. The quantitative survey conducted on a representative sample used semi-structured questionnaires done through the Open Data Kit, a free and open-source set of tools. The qualitative part of the study used checklists/guidelines where data was collected through Key Informant Interviews, case studies and in-depth interviews. The initial sample size was 1,000 NARI graduates, but due to difficulties locating graduates and time constraints, only 804 were interviewed.

Findings

Occupation of the participants who were offered job

Occupation N %

Job in the RMG factories 229 44.55

Got job in RMG (didn't join to continue study)

223 43.39

Tailoring/ Handicraft Business 30 5.83

Non-RMG service 11 2.14

Livestock rearing 2 .39

Others 19 3.70

Total 437 100


Page 43 of 46

Quality of Technical Training given by NARI

How was the Technical training N %

Very advanced 346 43.03

Advanced 369 45.9

Somewhat advance 89 11.07

Not advance - -

Not advance at all - -

Total 804 100

Quality of Various Facilities

Quality Quality of Trainers

Accommodation Facility

Medical Facility

N % N % N %

Very good 420 52.24 431 53.61 355 44.15

Fairly good 193 24 181 22.51 197 24.5

Good 190 23.63 191 23.76 241 29.98

Not good 1 0.12 - - 11 1.37

Not quite good - - 1 0.12 - -

Total 804 100 804 100 804 100

Quality of equipment

Satisfied with the quality of Equipment

N %

Yes 742 92.29

No 62 7.71

Total 804 100


Page 44 of 46

Efficiency of Various Training Modules

Efficiency (was the training

efficient)

Other Training Beside Technical Training

Computer/Mobile Training

Language Training

Leadership Training

Training on Practical

Mathematics

Awareness training

(Assist to Cope up with

City Life)

N % N % N % N % N % N %

Yes 656 81.59 417 51.87 670 83.33 526 65.42

122 80.26 338 78.97

No 148 18.41 387 48.13 134 16.67 278 34.58 30 19.74 90 21.03

Total 804 100 804 100 804 100 804 100 152 100 428 100

Changes in food intake

Food Item

Before training

After training

n % n %

Me

at (Ho

w m

any

time

s in a m

on

th)

Once 265 32.96 161 20.02

One to three times 303 37.69 328 40.8

Three to five times 119 14.8 201 25

More than five times 40 4.98 57 7.09

Not once 77 9.58 57 7.09

Total 804 100 804 100

Average monthly intake of meat (in kg) 1.99 3.01 Fish

(Ho

w m

any

time

s in a w

eek)

Once 119 14.8 62 7.71

One to three times 399 49.63 364 45.27

Three to five times 187 23.26 256 31.84

More than five times 81 10.07 106 13.18

Not once 18 2.24 16 1.99

Total 804 100 804 100

Average weekly intake of fish (in kg) 1.75 2.08

Vegetables (How many times in a week)

Once 115 14.3 95 11.82

Twice 363 45.15 314 39.05

More than twice 319 39.68 389 48.38

Not even once 7 0.87 6 0.75

Total 804 100 804 100

Average weekly intake of vegetables (in kg) 2.51 2.66


Page 45 of 46

As a result of training, have your confidence in business ventures and Investment changed?

Positive Changes in confidence level Investment business ventures

n % n %

Yes 567 70.52 582 72.39

No 237 29.48 222 27.61

Total 804 100 804 100

If a positive change has taken place, how confident do you feel about business ventures and

investment now?

Degree of confidence Investment business ventures

n % n %

Very confident 178 31.39 192 32.99

I am confident 215 37.92 205 35.22

Somewhat confident 174 30.69 185 31.79

Total 567 100 582 100

How This Program is Helping Economically

How This Program is Helping Economically % of

responses

Helped to find jobs 56.33

Helped in understanding the value of savings 29.67

Helped in understanding the value of investment 7.67

Others 6.33

Do you have savings?

have savings Before training After training

n % n %

Yes 82 10.2 127 15.8

No 722 89.8 677 84.2

N 804 100 804 100

Do you invest?

have investment Before training After training

n % n %

Yes 21 2.61 41 5.1

No 783 97.39 763 94.9

N 804 100 804 100


Page 46 of 46

Have your household members' view on women engaging in economic activities changes after your

participation in the training?

Changes N %

Yes 621 77.24

No 183 22.76

Total 804 100

What is their opinion now about their women's economic activities?

Opinion N % of

responses % of cases

Now they see it positively 561 49.51 90.34

See it negatively 249 21.98 40.1

Now aware of women's rights 321 28.33 51.69

Others 2 0.18 0.32

N=621

Did your position change in the family after training?

Change N %

Positive Change 472 58.71

No 332 41.29

Total 804 100

Positive Initiative to Send Family Members (Children) to School

Do you take any positive initiative

N %

Yes 389 68.61

No 178 31.39

N 567 100

How do you play a positive role?

How do you play a positive role N % of

responses

With suggestions 305 36.4

Helping economically 73 8.71

By using herself as an example 207 24.7

Encouragement 253 30.19

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