Program
Helping Governance Systems Better Serve Citizens
In Bangladesh, we help public systems better protect migrant workers, support journalists, and make governance reforms work for citizens.
In Bangladesh, strong policies do not always translate into effective implementation, leaving migrant workers exposed to exploitation and journalists working in increasingly constrained environments.
The Promoting Effective, Responsive, and Inclusive Governance in Bangladesh (PERI) program, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, supports governance reforms that strengthen accountability, improve institutional responsiveness, and help public systems better serve citizens. PERI supports politically feasible governance reforms by working through reform coalitions, evidence-based advocacy, and long-term engagement with government institutions. The program aims to strengthen accountability, expand citizen access to justice and information, and support institutional reforms that improve democratic governance.
Impact
The program supported adoption of Bangladesh’s Sub-Agent Regularization Framework and helped institutionalize pre-decision-making orientation systems.
Grievance management committees within local government systems helped resolve migration disputes and recover more than USD 538,000 for migrant workers.
The program supported draft ordinances on journalist protection and media accountability.
Through governance reform and information integrity efforts, it helped strengthen democratic participation and institutional responsiveness.
APPROACH
Working through coalitions of civil society organizations, researchers, media professionals, universities, and reform-minded officials, PERI identifies practical reform opportunities that can gain institutional traction. The program uses an issue-based approach that focuses on specific problems and reform opportunities. By solving locally grounded issues through targeted policy and institutional reforms, the program helps address systemic bottlenecks and drive practical change.
Political economy analysis is embedded throughout the program cycle to understand interests, incentives, and power dynamics around each issue.
PERI uses a thinking and working politically approach that recognizes governance reform as inherently political and context dependent.
The program builds coalitions of civil society organizations, researchers, and reform-minded officials to identify entry points for change and advance practical reforms that can gain political traction.
Through adaptive management, evidence-based advocacy, and institutional partnerships, PERI helps integrate reforms within government systems while strengthening accountability mechanisms and civic participation.