BD, UNDP sign $3m deal

The government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have signed an agreement to implement a US$3.0 million project, titled 'Knowledge for Development Management (K4DM) for ERD UN Wing'.

Additional Secretary (UN), ERD, M Ashadul Islam and Country Director, UNDP Bangladesh, Pauline Tamesis and other government functionaries were present at the deal signing ceremony, reports UNB.

Speaking at the event, Pauline Tamesis said this project will further strengthen the UNDP and Bangladesh government partnership and offer opportunities to explore new avenues of participatory development.

This joint initiative will be undertaken and executed in the context of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) Action Plan over the period 2014-16.

The programme directly contributes to the achievement of Bangladesh UNDAF outcomes and builds on the results of K4DM Initiation Plan (IP) 2012-13.

The objective of the project is to simplify programming procedures and improve knowledge management; promote new knowledge and resource partnerships covering the South-South and Triangular cooperation as well as Public-Private Partnership modality; provide support to the planned National Human Development Report; and support a common expert pool, strategic knowledge generation and innovative programming.

The project aims to work in close cooperation with UNDP-supported 'Aid Effectiveness' project at the ERD and UNDP-supported 'Support to Sustainable and Inclusive Planning' project at the General Economics Division.

The three building blocks to attain the objectives are identified as strengthening collaboration between UNDP, ERD and implementing agencies, including the line ministries to support better results; successful leveraging of new partnership modalities such as South-South and Triangular cooperation, private public partnership in support of UNDAF and ensuring sustained knowledge services such as pipeline of innovative projects prototypes, monitoring & evaluation services, operational support services available to all UNDP projects that are being implemented by various ministries.