Strengthening local governance in Bangladesh : [electronic resource] reforms, participation and accountability / Shuvra Chowdhury; Pranab Kumar Panday.

Intro; Preface; Abbreviations; Contents; Chapter 1: Introduction; 1.1 Introduction; 1.2 Local Governance, Public Participation, and Accountability: An Analysis of the Context; 1.3 Importance of the Book; 1.4 Methodological Issues; 1.5 Organization of the Book; References; Chapter 2: Policy Impact Study: A Conceptual Framework; 2.1 Introduction; 2.2 Inputs; 2.3 Processes of Participatory Planning and Budgeting, Charter of Services, and Rights to Information; 2.4 Context Analysis of Political and Administrative Structure (Environment). 2.4.1 Local Governance Context Analysis: Political Will and Local Governance Tradition2.4.2 The Political, Fiscal, and Administrative Structures; 2.4.3 Socio-Economic Condition/Poverty; 2.4.4 Gender Analysis; 2.5 Outcomes of Participatory Planning and Budgeting, Citizen's Charter, and Right to Information; 2.5.1 Access to Participation Mechanism; 2.5.2 Ability to Participate; 2.5.3 Access and Right to Information; 2.5.4 Placing of Demands at WS; 2.5.5 Information Transmission Medium; 2.5.6 Responsiveness; 2.5.7 Leadership Ability and Accountability; 2.5.8 Administrative Behavior. 2.5.9 Transparency2.6 Feedback; 2.7 A Conceptual Model; 2.8 Conclusion; References; Chapter 3: Past Reforms on People's Participation and Accountability at the Local Level in Bangladesh; 3.1 Introduction; 3.2 Chronological Development of Local Government Institutions (LGIs) in Bangladesh; 3.2.1 Ancient Bengal: Self-sustaining LGIs; 3.2.2 British Period: Evolution of Modern LGIs; 3.2.3 Pakistan Period: Initiatives for People's Participation and Accountability; 3.2.4 LGIs in Independent Bangladesh: Past Initiatives. 3.2.5 Local Level Planning and Budgeting: A Historical Perspective3.3 Conclusion; References; Chapter 4: Governance, People's Participation, Accountability, and the Act of 2009; 4.1 Introduction; 4.2 Local Governance and Its Components; 4.2.1 People's Participation; 4.2.2 Accountability; 4.3 Participatory Planning and Budgeting as Social Accountability Mechanisms (SAM); 4.4 Citizen's Charter (CC) as an NPM Technique for a Responsive and Accountable Government; 4.5 Right to Information (RTI) as NPM for Establishing a Responsive and Accountable Government. 4.6 The Present Rural Local Government Structure of Bangladesh4.6.1 The Context of the Local Government (Union Parishad) Act of 2009; 4.6.2 Structure and Functions of the UP; 4.6.2.1 Stage 1: Preparatory Task of WS; 4.6.2.2 Stage 2: Social Mapping; 4.6.2.3 Stage 3: Participatory Planning at WS; 4.6.2.4 Stage 4: Union Development Plan; 4.6.2.5 Stage5: Participatory Budgeting at Unmukto Budget Shava (Open Budget Meeting, OBM); 4.7 Citizen Charter; 4.8 Right to Information; 4.9 Conclusion; References; Chapter 5: Process of Participatory Planning and Budgeting at the Local Level.

This book explores the impact of Bangladesh's Local Government Act of 2009 on the functioning of the local governments or Union Parishads (UP), with a particular emphasis on people's participation and accountability. Throughout the chapters, the authors review the existing legal framework of UP and its relation to social accountability, examine how much of the social participation is spontaneous and how much is politically induced, question the success of the Citizen's Charter and Right to Information acts as mechanisms for social accountability, and present suggestions to remedy some of the problems facing people's participation and accountability in the UP. This book fills existing gaps in the discourse by adding new information to the literature on development research and legal reforms in Bangladesh, specifically in how those legal reforms have led to strengthening or weakening people's participation in local government. The target audience for this book are students and researchers in Asian studies, international development studies, and public administration, as well as practitioners working in the local governments discussed.