:: PRCPB Interim Workshop (Sept 2003)

:: Annual Progress Report: April 2002 - March 2003
   Programme for Research on Chronic Poverty in Bangladesh (PRCPB)

Progress

1. Finalized the Outline of the Themes of Research to be undertaken during the first two years (13 May 2002).
    
2. Organized a mini launching workshop for initiating the work of PRCPB (11 march 2002).
    
3. Completed a paper on “Drivers of Escape and Descent: A Tale of Changing Household Fortunes in Rural Bangladesh with Panel Survey Data” by Binayak Sen (June 2002). This was done under the Sub-Theme 2 (Characteristics of Chronic Poverty) of the PRCPB Research Themes.
    
4. Delivered lectures on issues related to chronic poverty by Binayak Sen in the training course on “Introduction to Poverty Analysis” organized jointly by BIDS and WBI. Zulfiqar Ali also participated in the course.
    
5. Worked on strengthening the chronic poverty focus in the final draft of IPRSP by Binayak Sen.
    
6. Completed a paper on "Causes of Fertility Decline in India and Bangladesh: The Role of Community" by Binayak Sen and Others (published in EPW). This is a publication of Binayak Sen during the period outside PRCPB that has implication to the analysis of chronic poverty.
    
7. Completed a working paper on "Programmes for the Poorest: Learning from the IGVGD Programme in Bangladesh" (5 August 2002) by Imran Matin and David Hulme.
    
8. Completed a paper on "Why Does Poverty Endure? Maymana and Mofizul’s Story" (19 November 2002) by David Hulme.
    
9. Presented a seminar at DFID Bangladesh on 21 November 2002. Binayak Sen presented the key findings of his paper on “Drivers of Escape and Descent: A Tale of Changing Household Fortunes in Rural Bangladesh with Panel Survey Data”. This was followed by a joint presentation of Binayak Sen and Zulfiqar Ali on "Trends in Poverty and Social Indicators in Bangladesh: An Update". Prof. David Hulme was also present in the seminar.
    
10. Revising the working paper on “Combining Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods: Lessons Learned from Participatory Poverty Assessment in Bangladesh” by Zulfiqar Ali. This is being done under the Sub-Theme 15 (Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Methods for Poverty Research) of the PRCPB Research Themes. Please also note that the first draft of the paper has been presented at an international conference on ‘Combining the Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods in Development Research’ held at the Centre for Development Studies, University of Wales Swansea, UK, during 1-2 July 2002.
     
11. Working on "Updating the Trends in Poverty and Social Indicators in Bangladesh" (Theme 1: Trends in Poverty and Social Indicators: An Update) on the basis of data obtained from HIES 2000, DHS 2000, CNS 2000, LFS 2000 etc. by Binayak Sen and Zulfiqar Ali.
     
12. Collecting, compiling and editing secondary level data and reading materials related to poverty/chronic poverty for PRCPB web site.
     
13. Working on writing a paper on "Monetary and non-Monetary Aspects of Chronic Poverty: The Bangladesh Evidence" by Binayak Sen. This is being done under the Sub-Theme 2 (Characteristics of Chronic Poverty) of the PRCPB Research Themes.
     
14. Working on writing a paper on "Spatial Inequality in Human Development in Bangladesh" by Binayak Sen and Zulfiqar Ali. This is being done under the Sub-Theme 1 (Trends in Poverty and Social Indicators: An Update) of the PRCPB Research Themes.
     
15. Working on writing a paper on "Old Age and Poverty" by Sharifa Begum. This is being done under the Sub-Theme 14 (Old Age and Chronic Poverty) of the PRCPB Research Themes.
     
16. Working on writing a paper on "Women Health and Chronic Poverty " by Sharifa Begum. This is being done under the Sub-Theme 5 (Women Health and Chronic Poverty) of the PRCPB Research Themes.
     
17. Working on writing a paper on "Health Shocks and Poverty" by Sharifa Begum and Binayak Sen. This is being done under the Sub-Theme 11 (Health Shocks and Chronic Poverty) of the PRCPB Research Themes.
     
18. Working on writing a paper on "Vulnerability, Agency and Chronic Poverty" by Naila Kabeer. This is being done under the Sub-Theme 3 (Vulnerability, Agency and Chronic Poverty) of the PRCPB Research Themes.
     
19. Working on writing a paper on "Specific Chronic Poverty Groups" by Binayak Sen and Naila Kabeer. This is being done under the Sub-Theme 2 (Characteristics of Chronic Poverty) of the PRCPB Research Themes.
     
20. Working on writing a paper on "Violence, Mastanocracy and Chronic Poverty " by Imtiaz Ahmed. This is being done under the Sub-Theme 4 (Violence, Mastanocracy and Chronic Poverty) of the PRCPB Research Themes.
     
21. Working on writing a paper on " Financial Services for the Chronic Poor " by Imran Matin. This is being done under the Sub-Theme 6 (Financial Services Possibilities and the Chronic Poor) of the PRCPB Research Themes.
     
22. Working on writing a paper on "Images of Stability in Development: How Can we Include the Unstable" by Imran Matin. This is being done under the Sub-Theme 13 (Images of Stability in Development: How Can we Include the Unstable") of the PRCPB Research Themes.
     
23. Initiated the work on "Unfavourable Environment and Chronic Poverty" by Quazi Shahabuddin. This is being done under the Sub-Theme 7 (Unfavourable Environment, Remote Rural Areas and Chronic Poverty) of the PRCPB Research Themes.
     
24. Initiated the work on "Malnutrition and Chronic Poverty" by Omar Haider Chowdhury. This is being done under the Sub-Theme 10 (Malnutrition, Educational Attainment and Chronic Poverty) of the PRCPB Research Themes.
     
25. Initiated the work on "Educational Attainment and Chronic Poverty" by Omar Haider Chowdhury. This is being done under the Sub-Theme 10 (Malnutrition, Educational Attainment and Chronic Poverty) of the PRCPB Research Themes.
     
26. Attending meetings with the following organizations/individuals with regard to discussing the poverty/chronic poverty issues in Bangladesh:
     
27. (i) DFID mission on seeking advice to make DFID support to Bangladesh more effective.

    (ii) Statistics Adviser of DFID for Nepal and Bangladesh.

    (iii) Economic Adviser of DFID Bangladesh (Bo Sundstrom).

    (iv) Local Consultative Group (LCG) on Gender.

    (v) Action on Disability and Development (ADD), Bangladesh.

    (vi) Mitra and Associates, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Future Plan: April 2003 - March 2004

- To prepare the working papers on the following sub-themes by the respective researcher(s):

Research Sub-Themes	Research Sub-Themes
Malnutrition and Chronic Poverty	Omar Haider Chowdhury
Educational Attainment and Chronic Poverty	Omar Haider Chowdhury, Zulfiqar Ali
Unfavourable Environment and Chronic Poverty	Quazi Shahabuddin
Women's Health and Chronic Poverty	Sharifa Begum
Old Age and Chronic Poverty	Sharifa Begum
Health Shocks and Chronic Poverty	Sharifa Begum,Binayak Sen
Vulnerability, Agency and Chronic Poverty	Naila Kabeer
Violence, Mastanocracy and Chronic Poverty	Imtiaz Ahmed
Financial Services for the Chronic Poor	Imran Matin
Images of Stability in Development: How Can we Include the Unstable	Imran Matin
Specific Chronic Poverty Groups	Binayak Sen, Naila Kabeer
Characteristics of Chronic Poverty	Binayak Sen, Zulfiqar Ali
Graduation and Poverty Dynamics	Binayak Sen
Operationalising Unfreedoms	Binayak Sen, David Hulme
Integration of Quantitative and Qualitative Methods	Binayak Sen Zulfiqar Ali and Others
Poverty Mapping and Its Implications	Binayak Sen Zulfiqar Ali and Others
Trends in Poverty and Social Indicators: An Update	Binayak Sen, Zulfiqar Ali

- It may be mentioned here that works on some of the above sub-themes have already been initiated and expected to be completed during the second year.

- Preparation of the First Chronic Poverty Report of Bangladesh