Criteria for VC Scheme Revised by
UP Chairman Workshop
A good number of VC schemes were implemented by PRDP in its different phases as shown in Table 2. They center on para-road repair, school repair and village-wide sanitation while leaving wider alternative ideas yet unrealized. Many such cases have been suggesting us to revise parts of criteria and guidelines on scheme selection and financing. This is the reason why we held a progress review meeting for VC schemes on 21 June 2006 at Link Model Training Center (LMTC), Tangail. About 75 participants including Union Parishad Chairmen and Secretaries, URDOs, ARDO and UDOs from Kalihati, Titash and Meherpur Sadar Upazila had a day long discussion on 1) progress in VC scheme implementation, 2) cost ceiling per scheme and cost sharing among VC, UP and PRDP-2, and 3) annual time-schedule of scheme approval at UCCM, etc.
The Table 1. VC Schemes implemented in PRDP-1, PLMVDP and PRDP-2 (first year).
Jiarkandi After threadbare discussions, the meeting recommended the followings: 1) Normally, one VC for one village, but one more VC may be formed considering geographical boundary/ social bondage/ villagers perception on "social unit"; 2) one VC can implement one VC scheme per year, not exceeding the ceiling cost of Tk. 50,000 with sharing 20% by VC, 10% by UP and the remaining 70% by the project on availability of fund; 3) in practical implementation, however, a larger VC, i.e., having more than 500 households may have two VC schemes each having ceiling cost of Tk. 40,000 or below, while a smaller VC, i.e., having less than 100 households may have a VC scheme.of ceiling Tk. 25,000 or below; 4) in case of sanitation scheme, the ceiling cost may exceed Tk. 50,000 but not beyond Tk. 70,000 on condition that 50% cost will be borne by the VC beneficiaries and UP combined; and 5) VCs are to be motivated to collect UP tax from the village, or paras or direct bene-ficiaries, to make the application to UCCM eligible. It is parti-cularly noted that every UP Chairman pledged that they would take the VC scheme as an integral part of formal program of UP and UCC, hence would willingly expend at least 10% cost out of ADP budget.
UNO Meherpur Sadar Inaugurates Sanitary
Latrine Distribution, Kutbupur
On 14 June 2006, Begum Wahida Akhter, Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Meherpur Sadar, inaugurated the ceremony for distributing 83 sets of sanitary latrines undertaken in a VC scheme in Kutubpur Union. "This village-wide ceremony is rather unique among many similar functions I have ever attended, as it celebrates the performance that villagers initiated and carried it out by themselves", was her first words in her speech as the chief guest. She encouraged the villagers to improve their livelihood and try to change their prospective fate by participating in their self-help movement for development.
She also thanked PRDP-2 for leading the development activities, and praised it for encouraging villagers' participation and ensuring transparency in the process of implementation. UP Women Member, Ms. Parul Parvin declared to take initiative for making the village 100% sanitized in near future.
Villagers View on Road Improvement and
Sanitation
"The tasks and activities of PRDP-2 are very good", Mr. Shohidul Islam, a villager of Uttar Shalika was expressing his feeling. PRDP-2 has been in operation for a few years in this village in Kutubpur Union, Meherpur Sadar. He continues "Most of us farmers here are vegetable growers. PRDP-2 has brought to us much needed "paka rasta" so that we can transport our products to near-by hat and bazar timely. Now, riksha van can go from our village to the market places. Our children are comfortably using the paka rasta for going to school".
He added "Through PRDP-2 village-wide sanitation program is going on, too, which will help us improve our health. I wish women folk of this village would be involved more intently in development work. If this project arranges training programs for village women, our village will surely start to change more rapidly."
Sewing Training in Progress
Bangra Union, Kalihati
"Bangra Union, Kalihati launched a four-month long sewing training on 22 March 2006 under the initiative of Mr. Riaz Uddin, the UP Chairman. 39 village women, from 16 to 35 years old, are participating in the course being held at the UPC. "Some of these skilled trainees who complete the course successfully may take needlework as a profession, and improve their livelihood by earning cash", hopes the Chairman. He uses the UPC (Union Parishad Complex) as the training venue not only for making the training "visible" to village people, but also for setting up standards of using the building.
Of the three instructors, two are local professionals being paid by UP, and another is a formal sewing trainer of BRDB's WTI (Women Training Institute, now our Link Model Training Center) who guides the course as a volunteer. Three sewing machines being used are of Bangra Union, and 10 others are provided by WTI. A JOCV volunteer as well as UDO/O of Bangra Union keep close watch on the program."
New Training Management System at LMTC
"To serve the needs of different stakeholders involved in PRDP-2, LMTC (Link Model Training Center, which was called WTI, Women's Training Institute, earlier) provides a variety of training courses for their capacity development. Since July 2006, LMTC has introduced a new training management system, in which training courses are categorized into three types: (1) the LMTC Regular Type; (2) the LMTC Exposure Type; and (3) the Field Proposal Type.
The first one includes training courses provided regularly by LMTC based on the annual training plan that LMTC prepares every year. Most of the training courses in this type will be conducted in the training room at LMTC. The Skill-Up Training for UDO/O of PRDP is one of the examples of the LMTC Regular Type.
The second one, the LMTC Exposure Type, includes the following four kinds of study visits: 1) study visits to another country; 2) study visits to other similar projects; 3) study visits to other project sites of PRDP; and 4) receiving visitors from other projects or organizations. In other words, the LMTC Exposure Type means intra-and-inter-project study tours managed by LMTC.
The third one, the Field Proposal Type, consists of three groups: 1) Exchange Programs; 2) Grassroots Trainings; and 3) Awareness-Raising Activities. In any of the three, the training or the activity should target the ultimate beneficiaries in the Link Model, such as Village Committee (VC) and Mohila Boithak (MB) members. Anybody of the PRDP staff can apply for the Field Proposal Type. As for Exchange Programs, the selected programs will be implemented by the project field offices, while the Grassroots Trainings and Awareness-Raising Activities will be conducted actually by either LMTC or the project field offices depending on the contents of the proposal.
Jiarkandi After threadbare discussions, the meeting recommended the followings: 1) Normally, one VC for one village, but one more VC may be formed considering geographical boundary/ social bondage/ villagers perception on "social unit"; 2) one VC can implement one VC scheme per year, not exceeding the ceiling cost of Tk. 50,000 with sharing 20% by VC, 10% by UP and the remaining 70% by the project on availability of fund; 3) in practical implementation, however, a larger VC, i.e., having more than 500 households may have two VC schemes each having ceiling cost of Tk. 40,000 or below, while a smaller VC, i.e., having less than 100 households may have a VC scheme.of ceiling Tk. 25,000 or below; 4) in case of sanitation scheme, the ceiling cost may exceed Tk. 50,000 but not beyond Tk. 70,000 on condition that 50% cost will be borne by the VC beneficiaries and UP combined; and 5) VCs are to be motivated to collect UP tax from the village, or paras or direct bene-ficiaries, to make the application to UCCM eligible. It is parti-cularly noted that every UP Chairman pledged that they would take the VC scheme as an integral part of formal program of UP and UCC, hence would willingly expend at least 10% cost out of ADP budget. 
On 14 June 2006, Begum Wahida Akhter, Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Meherpur Sadar, inaugurated the ceremony for distributing 83 sets of sanitary latrines undertaken in a VC scheme in Kutubpur Union. "This village-wide ceremony is rather unique among many similar functions I have ever attended, as it celebrates the performance that villagers initiated and carried it out by themselves", was her first words in her speech as the chief guest. She encouraged the villagers to improve their livelihood and try to change their prospective fate by participating in their self-help movement for development. 
"The tasks and activities of PRDP-2 are very good", Mr. Shohidul Islam, a villager of Uttar Shalika was expressing his feeling. PRDP-2 has been in operation for a few years in this village in Kutubpur Union, Meherpur Sadar. He continues "Most of us farmers here are vegetable growers. PRDP-2 has brought to us much needed "paka rasta" so that we can transport our products to near-by hat and bazar timely. Now, riksha van can go from our village to the market places. Our children are comfortably using the paka rasta for going to school". 
"Bangra Union, Kalihati launched a four-month long sewing training on 22 March 2006 under the initiative of Mr. Riaz Uddin, the UP Chairman. 39 village women, from 16 to 35 years old, are participating in the course being held at the UPC. "Some of these skilled trainees who complete the course successfully may take needlework as a profession, and improve their livelihood by earning cash", hopes the Chairman. He uses the UPC (Union Parishad Complex) as the training venue not only for making the training "visible" to village people, but also for setting up standards of using the building.
"To serve the needs of different stakeholders involved in PRDP-2, LMTC (Link Model Training Center, which was called WTI, Women's Training Institute, earlier) provides a variety of training courses for their capacity development. Since July 2006, LMTC has introduced a new training management system, in which training courses are categorized into three types: (1) the LMTC Regular Type; (2) the LMTC Exposure Type; and (3) the Field Proposal Type.
