Sector wide approaches at critical times: the case of Bangladesh

Javier Martínez, February 2008

After initial successes, some of the mature SWAps are losing momentum. Some of the difficulties stem from pressure from global initiatives, large scale project aid and vertical interventions.

The largest and oldest health SWAp, the Bangladesh Health, Nutrition and Population Sector Programme is a good example of the tensions and fatigue facing many SWAps. This paper looks at what happened in Bangladesh, and draws lessons for other SWAp countries.

The paper concludes that many of the issues identified are not exclusive to Bangladesh; they do not lie in the SWAp model, but rather in its application.

Through the case of Bangladesh, the paper emphasises the importance of keeping a constant watch on key SWAp principles, such as: government leadership, a realistic government health plan, commitment to adopt common review, reporting and monitoring systems, and continued efforts to provide external financing in ways that increase absorptive capacity. When fatigue sets in and problems emerge, SWAp partners need to look critically at themselves and ensure that their focus remains on the core SWAp principles and values.