Engaging elite support for the poorest: BRAC's experience with the ultra poor programme

How can Bangladeshi village elites become engaged in the support of interventions for the ultrapoor?

This paper describes and draws lessons from the experience of engaging village elites in Bangladesh in supporting the ultrapoor and suggests that motivations behind the elite support are likely to be based on:

the overlap between wealth, influence and the requirements of local social and political leadership.
ways in which the Gram Shahayak Committees (GSC) helped foster a sense of local ownership in a programmatic approach
the likelihood that the programme presented no obvious threat to elites

The authors also raise the concern that improved livelihoods for the ultrapoor may come at the cost of increasing dependence on patrons: which could be an unavoidable consequence of the poverty in rural Bangladesh.

The report argues for careful coalition-building based on advocacy and a good understanding of local social practices with a view to engaging village elites in support of the poorest.

The study is based on a programme delivered through the as part of BRAC's CFPR/TUP programme.

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Engaging elite support for the poorest: BRAC's experience with the ultra poor programme