Bangladesh - Belgium

Efficiency
Efficiency levels appear extremely high as measured by land redistribution beneficiaries per unit of
expenditure.
A recent draft-stage evaluation suggests, however, that there is significant uncertainty over Samata’s
claims on land redistribution levels (69052 acres were reported to have been redistributed in the July
2006 Output to Purpose Report, at a cost of Taka 8906 per acre) , so conclusions based on this
efficiency measure must be qualified at this stage.
Although staff costs are relatively high at 69% of total budget, this is because Samata does not
provide any assets directly to its members (these transfers are secured from government).
Effectiveness
The project is highly effective in attaining its objectives.
Samata has 432,000 members organised into 26,000 groups in which over 60% of members are
women. Samata reports that it has recovered and redistributed 94,000 acres of khas and other
resources to 184,250 families since the 1980s. Over 90% of this was recovered during the project
DFID funded project period (since 2001). Its members are reportedly able to influence wider
decisions affecting their families and communities, as over 300 members of Samata and LAND
groups have been elected to local union councils.
Samata has successfully mobilised local communities to gain improved access to health, education
and other services.
Impact
The secondary literature and primary fieldwork [Stakeholder interviews and Most Significant Change
(MSC) analysis] reveal a profound impact of khas access on the political, economic and social
opportunities and activities of the landless poor (see Tables 1-3 below). Previously they ernt money
as landless day labourers, but since accessing and gaining property rights to khas land they have
increased their productive assets and incomes, with derived benefits such as food security and
improved housing conditions. A knock-on effect of this has been that they become empowered in
their social environment within and beyond their communities, while, within a single generation, the
adult children of the original Samata landless and poorly educated rights claimers are now high
school or college educated and moving into professional careers.
Samata members have also gained bargaining power in relation to government officials enabling
access to land entitlements and public services. They now have better as better access to (and
participation in) local justice systems as a result of Samata’s facilitation.
The MSC analysis conducted with women during the evaluation (see Table 3 below) indicates that
the impact of Samata on the political, economic and social empowerment of women has been
significant. Female members have become empowered in their relationship to men, with indications
of joint decision making, higher levels of mobility and independent income streams. Through
women’s inclusion in the process of shalish (informal village court of justice) men are also more
accountable with respect to lawful marriages and divorces. Female members now engage local
governments independently of their husbands (or fathers) and their children are reaching education
levels of secondary school certificate (SCC) and beyond.
Sustainability
Sustainability of developmental impacts of Samata land redistribution is ensured through asset
ownership and derived benefits described above. Intergenerational sustainability is likely through the
combination of opportunities such as asset transfer and higher levels of educational attainment. In
an environment of deep inequalities, entrenched corruption and abuse of power, sustained
empowerment impacts depend on the continued work of the Samata project to support contestation
of government and elite interest through its rights-based mobilisation of marginalized groups.
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