IID has completed its second biannual survey on Citizens’ Participation in Education Budget in the Upazilas of Saghata and Sreemangal. As a part of IID’s social accountability initiative, it aims to explore the involvement of citizens in the budgeting processes at both primary school and Union Parishad levels.
20 local youth from Saghata’s Dhangora village and Sreemangal’s Baraoora tea garden are at the forefront of this survey, playing a crucial role in gathering insights directly from the community. This grassroots approach ensures a comprehensive understanding of the local priorities and needs regarding education financing. The entire endeavor, encompassing 3 days of training followed by a 3-day survey, Key Informant Interviews (KII), and in-depth interviews, is being completed by the first week of February.
As part of the survey’s preliminary activities, IID volunteers underwent extensive training, including field pilots, to prepare for the effective gathering of data. The training sessions, led by the IID team, comprehensively prepared volunteers by covering detailed survey instructions, group work, open discussions, interactive mock sessions, and teaching important budget concepts related to school and union parishad. Additionally, local partner organizations MSEDA and USS were trained to support the volunteers throughout the survey process, ensuring they were well-equipped with the necessary skills to monitor the survey and collect additional KIIs and in-depth interviews.
Respondents in the survey include a wide range of stakeholders, such as parents, teachers, School Management Committee (SMC) members, Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and Union Parishad representatives. These community members offer valuable perspectives on their experience with and expectations from public financing, specially for the education of their children.
The survey’s findings are anticipated to shed light on the current state of citizen participation in education budget processes, highlighting areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. IID remains committed to empowering local communities and ensuring that education financing is responsive to the needs of all stakeholders involved.
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