Like non-governmental organizations (NGOs) around the world, Private Voluntary Development Organizations (PVDOs) in Bangladesh are challenged to balance the requirements of professionalism in their program delivery, while at the same time remaining close to the poor and the communities they aim to serve. Called upon to play a larger role in poverty alleviation programming, they face a variety of management issues. While many of these organizations are led by people with a deep commitment to the poor, they often lack the capacity to develop and manage targeted programs.
The PRIP (Participatory Rural Initiatives Program) Trust of Bangladesh has as its mandate the strengthening of PVDO sector through capacity building and institutional development. Understanding that reaching each PVDO would be impossible, PRIP selected as its niche the provision of services to support and strengthen the Support Organizations (SOs) and Networks that in turn work directly to build the capacities of PVDOs. In what PRIP terms a "cascading effect," innovative participatory approaches to institutional development, capcity building and service delivery are strengthened within the country's SOs and networks, enabling these to continue the process of institutional development.
FIT partnered with PRIP Trust to design a project aimed at consolidating and furthering PRIP's work while strengthening its own organizational capacities. FIT provided training and technical assistance to enhance and strengthen PRIP's programs, particularly in the areas of training, institutional development, management information systems and monitoring and evaluation. As a result, PRIP was able to strengthen its effectiveness as a capacity devcelopment organization, assisting a growing number of Bangladeshi PVDOs realise increased impact in their work. The project established a solid foundation for the continued development of PRIP as a supporter of the civil society sector in Bangladesh.