Timeline of Key Events

From Blue Gold Program Wiki

Evolution of project concept[edit | edit source]

Table 1: Timeline of the evolution of the project concept of BGP
Phase Main thrust Documents
Formulation 2011 – 2012 WMO to be developed as cooperatives acting as main driver for economic development Program Document
‘IPSWAM plus’

2013 – 2015

Start of the implementation period, in which infrastructural works and the formal establishment of WMOs (and their re-establishment under 2014 rules) were undertaken along the lines of the precursor IPSWAM-project; in parallel to implementation of novel project components for agricultural development and business development.
  • Inception Report
  • Rules for Participatory Water Management 2014
Transformation

2015 – 2017

A reconsideration of the approach, enhancing the synergy between water management organisation, agricultural development and business development:
  • From developing organisations to developing institutional networks
  • From parallel components to an integrated approach
  • From central control to decentral initiative
  • From multi-purpose cooperatives to functional water management organisations supporting multiple initiatives for economic development
  • LGI Sourcebook
  • Theory of Change
  • Exit Strategy
  • Unified Approach
  • ARM reports
Maturity

2017 – 2019

Rapid emergence and consolidation of new approaches for in polder water management, for agricultural development, for extension and dissemination, for targeting, and for capacity building.
  • Internal strategy documents on Catchment planning (subsequent versions)
  • Technical reports 19 and 24 on Community Agricultural Water Management
  • Internal concept notes on horizontal learning, extension methodologies and targeting;
  • BGP’s ‘Lessons Learnt’ repository
Handing-over

2019 – 2020

Establishment and activation of WMAs and support to their functionality. WMAs in the driver seat for activities aimed at individual WMGs. Lessons learnt formulated with the aim to inspire improvement of national water governance environment and to support formulation of future programs and projects.
  • Catchment Plans
  • WMA work plans
  • O&M agreement
  • National Conference


Chronological summary[edit | edit source]

A brief chronological summary of some of the key events over the project life are as follows:

2012
30 Aug 2012 Blue Gold Program Document (GoN/EKN)
31 Aug 2012 Advert placed for TA services
15 Oct 2012 Submission of technical and financial proposals to MoFA (EKN)
2013
17 Feb 2013 Contract negotiations for TA services
20 Feb 2013 Administrative Arrangement signed between MoFA (EKN) and ERD
20 Feb 2013 Contract agreement between MoFA (EKN) and Euroconsult Mott MacDonald
15 Mar 2013 TA team mobilise
xx May 2013 Recast of BWDB Development Project Proforma (DPP)
30 July 2013

18 Nov 2013

Approval of BWDB DPP

Addendum 1 to contract agreement between MoFA and Euroconsult Mott MacDonald

xx Nov 2013 Submission of Inception Report
4 Dec 2013 Contribution Arrangement signed between MoFA (EKN) and ERD
2014
11 Feb 2014 First Amendment to Administrative Arrangement signed between MoFA (EKN) and ERD (signed 20 Feb 2013)
Feb 2014 Participatory Water Management Rules 2014 issued
xx Mar 2014 Submission of revised Inception Report
EKN approval of revised Inception Report
23 Aug to 5 Sep 2014 First Annual Review Mission
2015
19-27 Apr 2015 Study tour on flood control and drainage systems in Indonesia
27 Sep to 13 Oct 2015 Mid-Term Review Mission
2-14 Oct 2016 Second Annual Review Mission
29 Dec 2016 Second Amendment to Administrative Arrangement signed between MoFA (EKN) and ERD (signed 20 Feb 2013)
2017
2 Feb 2017 TA infrastructure team relocate to New BCIC Bhaban in Motijheel. From March 2017, training and gender teams also relocated to Motijheel.
Mar 2017 First publication of Trend Watcher
16 Apr 2017 Under 2016 ARM, emergency support to expedite infrastructure development, four Junior Design Engineers appointed to Design Circles 2 and 5
24 Apr 2017 Seminar on bank protection in BWDB projects – BGP, FRERMIP, CDSP, etc
April – June 2017 Field work for socio-economic baseline survey covering 3,651 sample households from 7 of 13 Phase-II polders
May 2017 Distribution of Bangla version of Field Manual in Participatory Water Management (aka “Unified Approach”)
11 May 2017 Deltares/IWM Water Management Knowledge and Innovation Program (WMKIP) Formulation Workshop, to strengthen and complement the Blue Gold Innovation Fund by allowing higher value contracts to be awarded for specific water management interventions
15 Jun 2017 Administrative Order issued for DAE BGP Transfer of Technology for Agricultural Production (TTAP) Revised Development Project Proforma (RDPP)
Jul 2017 Contract for emergency geobag protection is successful in stabilising the Lower Bhadra riverbank adjacent to P29, thus protecting Chadghar community from flooding during monsoon 2017
Aug-Oct 2017 Twelve open air dramas performed in new polders as an introduction to Blue Gold. Where possible, the dramas are inaugurated by local UP members and closed by the chairman. During the interaction section of the drama, a number of UP Chairmen took to the stage to persuade the muscle man (actor) that he should allow the requirements of the community to be implemented.
Aug 2017 Pilot sluice catchment water management workshops (Batiaghata Sluice, P30 Khulna on 2/3 Aug and Amkhola Sluice, P43/2B Patuakahli on 6/7 Aug)
13 Sep 2017 Workshop on the update of BWDB’s Gender Action Plan held by BWDB
Oct 2017 3,500 acres (4,200 HHs) benefiting from excavation of P2 Amodkhali Khal
25 Oct 2017 Presentation of dashboard to PCD/DP3
2 Nov 2017 Pre-ECNEC meeting for BWDB BGP Revised Development Project Proforma (RDPP)
5 Nov 2017 Publication of Trend Watcher (second issue)
12 Nov 2017 Booklet “Compilation of Fact Sheets” with 38 examples of good practices issued to CDFs for use in horizontal learning visits.
25 Nov – 4 Dec 2017 Third Annual Review Mission
December 2017 Training by mPower to BWDB/DAE in design and use of WMG tracker/dashboard [13/14 Dec in Dhaka, 17/18 Dec in Patuakhali and 20/21 Dec in Khulna]
17/18 Dec 2017 DAE/BGP Mela, Gajendrapur, Dumuria Upazila, Khulna (attended by EKN)
26 Dec 17 to 22 Jan 18 24 performances of Unnayany Pani Babosthapona (Water Management for Development) were held in the new polders of Khulna, Patuakhali and Satkhira to introduce polder communities to Blue Gold.
Dec 2017 Opening of 4 Women Business Centres at Khulna (Polder 28/2 and 31Part) by BGIF partner organisation United Purpose
2018
2 Jan 2018 MoU signed between BWDB and LGED for the coordination of the implementation of rural infrastructure and small-scale water resource management projects
17-19 Jan 2018 Planning workshop for FFS Cycle 11, Kuakata
22 Jan 2018 Reflection and Learning workshop on ‘Aquaculture intervention in seasonal waterlogged areas in southwest region of Bangladesh’ in Satkhira, polder 2, led by BGIF partner organisation BSMRAU. 
Jan-Apr 2018 Workshops on sluice catchment O&M planning for WMA members & gate keepers (10 catchments/batches)
5 Feb 2018 Publication of 10th issue of BARTA
5/6 Mar 2018 Agro-Insight briefing to EKN and DAE on review of horizontal learning methods
26 April 2018 World Safety Day – meeting held in Government Primary School, adjacent to Maheswarkati Drainage Cum Flushing Sluice in Polder 2 attended by BWDB XEN and staff, contractor representatives, President and Secretary of Maheswarkati WMA and WMG members, and BGP TA staff.
14 May 2018 Approval of BWDB RDPP by Planning Commission
20 Jun 2018 Approval by DG BWDB of scope and content of WMA-BWDB O&M Agreement
21 Jun 2018 ECNEC meeting at which BWDB RDPP is approved
26 Jun 2018 DAE Experience-Sharing Workshop for Districts in the Coastal Zone (see invitation in ARM reference documents)
Jun 2018 Publication of DAE manual on FFS Training Modules
15 Jul 2018 Receipt of 38 applications for Blue Gold Innovation Fund (BGIF) in response to invitation to submit proposals under themes of water hyacinth and climate smart agriculture.
9 Aug 2018 DAE RDPP appraisal meeting in Planning Commission
Aug 2018 Updated Gender Action Plan approved by Gender Equity Committee of BWDB and PCD (DG BWDB approval process ongoing)
23 Sep 2018 Signing of WMA-BWDB O&M Agreements for first six Khulna WMAs in first batch of phase-out polders
23 Sep 2018 Receipt of six proposals from applications submitted to BGIF on 15 July
27-29 Sep 2018 ToT for new FTs (3days residential training on poultry FFS) at CODEC Training Centre, Patuakhali
15 Oct 2018 First applications from WMGs for small-scale water management infrastructure
16 Oct 2018 Approval of DAE RDPP at Pre-ECNEC Committee (PEC) meeting in Planning Commission
9 to 20 Nov 2018 Fourth Annual Review Mission
12 Dec 2018 Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee Meeting at MoWR
2019
12-14 Feb DAE mela Batiaghata
17 Feb Satelligence workshop with BWDB/DAE
20 Mar IRRI conference on climate smart agriculture included presentation by PCD on Blue Gold
26-28 Apr MoWR State Minister and Secretary and BWDB DG and ADG visit to Khulna
17-19 Jun DAE mela in Kalapara upazila (P47/3 and P47/4)
19 Jun GoB-funded DAE seminar on “Vision for agricultural intensification in the coastal zone” chair D(FS), D(P) BARI, BRRI, BINA, DDs, selected UAOs, selected WMOs (budget for 58nr staff)
26 Jun DPA-funded DAE workshop on “learning/sharing of Blue Gold activities” (covering CAWM, IPWM, SSWMIF etc)
1 Jul WB workshop on “Coastal Resilience: Developing New Innovative Approaches in India and Bangladesh”

See also[edit | edit source]

Section A: Background and context
Chapter 01: Overview, Purpose and Structure of Report Chapter 02: Institutional Setting Chapter 03: Social, Physical and Environmental Context
  1. Overview
  2. Water management for development
  3. Purpose of the Report
  4. Structure of this report
  1. Executive Authorities
  2. Implementing Agencies
  3. Other public sector organisations
  4. Private Sector
  1. Geography of the coastal zone
  2. History of polders
  3. Social context
  4. Polder infrastructure
Chapter 04: Policy framework, history of interventions and project definition
  1. Policy and regulatory framework for Participatory Water Management
  2. History of interventions
  3. Project definition
Blue Gold Wiki
Executive summary: A Call for Action
Section A: Background and context Section B: Development Outcomes Section C: Water Infrastructure


Summary


Summary and Introduction


Summary

Section D: BGP Interventions: Participatory Water Management Section E: Agricultural Development Section F: Responsible Development: Inclusion and Sustainability


Summary



Summary


Summary

Section G: Project Management Section H: Innovation Fund Files and others


Summary


Summary

Blue Gold Program

Water Management Organizations - The common name of organizations of the local stakeholders of a water resource project/sub-project/scheme. The concept WMO typically refers to WMGs and WMAs (and/or WMFs) together

Integrated Planning for Sustainable Water Management

Water Management Organizations - The common name of organizations of the local stakeholders of a water resource project/sub-project/scheme. The concept WMO typically refers to WMGs and WMAs (and/or WMFs) together

A process by which the local stakeholders are directly and actively involved in identification, planning, design, implementation, operation & maintenance and evaluation of a water management project.

Local Government Institutions - Union Parishad, Upazila Parishad etc

Annual Review Mission, the broad objective of which was to secure and where possible further enhance the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of the project. ARM members were individuals who were appointed by, and reported directly to, EKN and BWDB/DAE

An area of low-lying land surrounded by an earthen embankment to prevent flooding by river or seawater, with associated structures which are provided to either drain excess rainwater within the polder or to admit freshwater to be stored in a khal for subsequent use for irrigation.

human intervention in the capture, conveyance, utilisation and drainage of surface and/or ground water in a certain area: a process of social interaction between stakeholders around the issue of water control.

Water Management Association - In Blue Gold, the polder-level representative of WMGs, and signatory to an O&M Agreement with BWDB

Water Management Group - The basic organizational unit in Blue Gold representing local stakeholders from a hydrological or social unit (para/village). Through Blue Gold, 511 WMGs have been formed and registered. The average WMG covers an area of around 230 ha has 365 households or a population of just over 1,500.

Water Management Association - In Blue Gold, the polder-level representative of WMGs, and signatory to an O&M Agreement with BWDB

Government of the Netherlands; a donor to the Blue Gold Program

Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the contractual representative of the Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Netherlands and signatory to the agreement for the Blue Gold Program with the External Resources Division of the Ministry of Finance as the signatory for the Government of Bangladesh

Technical Assistance

Bangladesh Water Development Board, government agency which is responsible for surface water and groundwater management in Bangladesh, and lead implementing agency for the Blue Gold Program

Development Project Proforma: a formal document which sets out the intention of a GoB organisation to invest in a development project, seeking approval for the investment and, if successful, a budget allocation. The DPP follows a prescribed format, including the project’s financial and physical scope, benefits, and proposals for monitoring and internal and external audits. The approval of a development project proposal follows a number of stages: formation with preliminary studies, formulation to develop greater detail and with additional information to make the economic case for the project, scrutiny by the executing agencies and concerned ministries, appraisal by the Planning Commission, recommendation for approval by Project Evaluation Committee (PEC), Minister/ECNEC approval, and inclusion of a budgetary allocation in the Annual Development Plan (ADP).

Development Project Proforma: a formal document which sets out the intention of a GoB organisation to invest in a development project, seeking approval for the investment and, if successful, a budget allocation. The DPP follows a prescribed format, including the project’s financial and physical scope, benefits, and proposals for monitoring and internal and external audits. The approval of a development project proposal follows a number of stages: formation with preliminary studies, formulation to develop greater detail and with additional information to make the economic case for the project, scrutiny by the executing agencies and concerned ministries, appraisal by the Planning Commission, recommendation for approval by Project Evaluation Committee (PEC), Minister/ECNEC approval, and inclusion of a budgetary allocation in the Annual Development Plan (ADP).

Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation

Flood and Riverbank Erosion Risk Management Investment Program - A program financed by ADB and EKN with consultancy services provided by Northwest Hydraulic Consutants and Mott MacDonald, which provided structural and non-structural flood and riverbank erosion risk management measures in three high priority subproject areas, with the aim in subsequent projects of extending the protected reaches using designs adjusted to current riverbank erosion conditions and considering the possibilities of reclaiming lost floodplain land.

Char Development and Settlement Project

Institute of Water Modelling

Water Management Knowledge and Innovation Program - starting in December 2017 and led by Deltares and the Institute of Water Modelling (IWM) with the aim of contributing to the long term development goals for the Southern Coastal Region as well as to objectives of the Blue Gold Program through tested and sustainable water management innovations, knowledge development and participatory action research. https://www.deltares.nl/en/news/developing-water-management-innovations-local-communities-bangladesh/

A defined set of temporary activities through which facilitators seek to effect change

Department of Agricultural Extension, a department of the Ministry of Agriculture responsible for disseminating scientific research and new knowledge on agricultural practices through communication and learning activities for farmers in agriculture, agricultural marketing, nutrition and business studies.

Technology Transfer for Agricultural Production (DAE)

Revised Development Project Proforma

Union Parishad - Union Council chaired by an elected Union Chairman

A vertical gate to control the flow of water; also referred to as 'regulator'

Household

Program Coordinating Director

Community Development Facilitator - a member of the Blue Gold technical assistance team who lived and worked in a specific polder, and provided the main point of contact between the project and the polder communities

mPower is the social enterprise which is dedicated to information technology solutions and strategies that maximize impact on people’s lives.

Water Management Group - The basic organizational unit in Blue Gold representing local stakeholders from a hydrological or social unit (para/village). Through Blue Gold, 511 WMGs have been formed and registered. The average WMG covers an area of around 230 ha has 365 households or a population of just over 1,500.

Blue Gold Innovation Fund

Memorandum of Understanding

Local Government Engineering Department

Farmer Field School - A group-based learning process through which farmers carry out experiential learning activities that help them to understand the ecology of their fields, based on simple experiments, regular field observations and group analysis. The knowledge gained from these activities enables participants to make their own locally specific decisions about crop management practices. This approach represents a radical departure from earlier agricultural extension programmes, in which farmers were expected to adopt generalized recommendations that are formulated by specialists from outside the community.

Executive Engineer (BWDB)

Director General

Training of trainers

Farmer Trainer - Well-performing and capable farmers, previously trained in Farmer Field Schools, who became FFS facilitator themselves after ToT training

Ministry of Water Resources

International Rice Research Institute

Additional Director General

Government of Bangladesh; a donor to the Blue Gold Program

Feasibility Study / Feasibility Stage, especially of Blue Gold Innovation Fund projects

Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute

Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture

Community-led Agricultural Water Management - with DAE, Blue Gold established a network of schemes for demonstration purposes where locally-applicable annual cropping patterns are introduced along with water level control facilitated by small-scale water infrastructure, and the development of value chain skills in farmers

In-polder water management; term used in Blue Gold to describe water management interventions which aim to deliver excess water from the field through field drains to secondary khals and thence to primary khals for evacuation through the sluice/regulator

World Bank

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