Urban Community Development (UCD) Program
Urban Community Development Program is being conducted with the aim of implementing the vision of establishing a better life and caring society in urban areas. Through coordination of public-private initiatives, social empowerment and development of living standards of backward and troubled people in urban areas, organization of target groups, coordination of activities of voluntary organizations, skill development training, social activities, interest free micro loans are being provided.
After the partition of India in 1947, Mohajers came to this country from India. This led to various social problems including slum problems in the then provincial capital Dhaka. In order to solve these problems, the government formed the Dhaka Urban Community Development Board in 1955 on the advice of experts sent by the United Nations. As part of the work plan of this board, the Urban Community Development Project (UCDP) was launched experimentally in 1955 in Kayettuli, Dhaka. In view of the success of this project in the same year, the project was included in the five-year plan of the Central Government and the program was expanded to Gopibagh, Lalbagh and Mohammadpur areas of Dhaka city. In 1960, under this project, activities were conducted through a total of 16 units including 12 in different cities of Bangladesh. Since the establishment of the Directorate of Social Welfare in 1961, the growing success and expansion of this project has continued. In response to the needs of the poor living in urban areas, this program was gradually upgraded to 43 units till June 1996. In view of the growing demand, in July 1996, 7 more Urban Social Development Units were established in the development sector under the name 'Development and Expansion of Urban Social Service Program-Phase-I'. The total number of units was increased to 50 in 34 districts. Following this, 30 units were set up in the remaining 30 districts of the country under the project titled 'Development and Expansion of Urban Social Service Program-Phase II' in the financial year 2002-2005. At present, Urban community development activities are being implemented through a total of 80 urban social service offices including all city corporations and district cities.
Skill development training in achieving the vision, aspirations and goals of urban community development activities is a developmental program under urban community development program. Through this program, their skills will be developed to improve the living standards of the youth in the areas covered by the urban community development activities. According to various research reports, one third of the total population of Bangladesh is between 10 and 24 years of age. About 20 lakh young people are entering the labor market every year. By 2025, the labor force of this country will reach 7 crore 6 lakhs. In order to make this huge human resource efficient, the Department of Social Services will implement this program through competency based training system for backward, troubled and marginalized people in line with the National Skills Development Policy. The training activities will be conducted in the manner prescribed by the National Skills Development Policy and Government from time to time.
Vision : Improving the living standards of low income people in urban areas and establishing a caring society.
Mission : Socio-economic empowerment and improvement of living standards of backward and troubled people in urban areas through coordination of public-private initiatives.
Goals :
(1) Coordinating the activities of volunteers and voluntary organizations and assisting in registration;
(2) encouraging private and voluntary social service initiatives;
(3) strengthening family and social bonds, ethics and social values;
(4) organizing through the formation of working groups;
(5) to develop a saving attitude among the party members and to form their own funds through the creation of savings;
(6) Mother and child care; Primary health care; Formal and non-formal education; Safe water use; Hygienic toilet use; Literacy; Environmental awareness; Cleanliness; Waste management; Sports and recreation; Child marriage, Prevention of dowry, abuse of women and children, eve-teasing and acid terrorism; Prevention of misuse of information technology; Prevention of child labor; Discouraging smoking and drug use; Ensuring the participation of the target population in social activities such as assistance to the victims of natural disasters, building happy families, etc ;
(7) To provide technical, vocational and entrepreneurial training for the development of skills of the target population of interest free microfinance;
(8) Conducting skill development training centers for human resource development;
(9) Achieving economic development by providing skill development training for productive and income generating programs for the rehabilitation of these two categories of beggars and hijras in urban areas;
(10) To achieve economic development by involving the poor in productive and income generating programs by providing interest free micro-credit;
(11) To undertake developmental activities on the basis of MoU with the assistance of local and foreign donors subject to the approval of the Department and the Administrative Ministry in the interest of the concerned area; And
(12) Implementation of social security programs.
Strategic Objectives
(1) Coordination;
(2) Increase social awareness;
(3) Provide skills development training; And
(4) Provision of interest free micro loans.
Coordinating Council
Formation of Coordination Council.
(1) A Coordinating Council shall be constituted under the Voluntary Social Welfare Organizations (Registration and Control) Ordinance, 1961 in each city social service office for the purpose of coordinating the activities of volunteers and voluntary organizations, encouraging private and voluntary social service initiatives and human resource development.
(2) The Coordinating Council constituted under sub-paragraph 1 shall be called ‘Coordinating Council, City Social Service Office,....... ’.
(3) The Coordinating Council constituted in accordance with sub-paragraph 1 shall operate as a voluntary body under the control of the concerned registration / registering authority.
Scope of Coordination Council-
(1) The scope of work of the Coordinating Council shall be in accordance with the activities described in the schedule of the Voluntary Social Welfare Organizations (Registration and Control) Ordinance, 1961.
(2) The Coordinating Council may conduct any income-generating program in the light of the policy with the approval of the concerned registration / registering authority.
In order to develop human resources and create skilled human resources, skill development training centers are being successfully run in 23 trades in 80 city social service offices under the Department of Social Services in implementation of the government's vision 2021 and 2041. A variety of activities including online admission activities are being implemented in skills.gov.bd/dss & dsssdtms.gov.bd software to bring the training activities of the entire country on an integrated platform and provide the desired services. To provide 360 hours training in these trades to the orphans of government families, orphans of private orphanages / orphanages, university / college students coming to higher education in the city, persons with disabilities, vedas, transgender and backward people. In addition, the Prime Minister's Office has selected a number of skill development training centers run by city social service offices in an effort to bring Qawmi Madrasa students, imams and muezzins back into the mainstream of society through skill development training through the current A2I program run by the current ICT department.
Purpose-
(1) Creation of appropriate employment opportunities by providing appropriate skill development training to the youth to ensure sustainable economic growth;
(2) Institutional training to engage the young community of the country in suitable occupations; And
(3) Creating young entrepreneurs.
Name of the training center. -
The name of the Skill Development Training Center under the City Social Development Program is in Bengali - ‘Skill Development Training Center, City Social Service Office, ............’, and in English ‘Skill Development Training Center, Urban Social Services Office,.............
Training trades-
(1) Similar naming and syllabus are followed in the skill development training centers as per the trade approved by the Bangladesh Technical Education Board.
Trades approved by Bakashibo
Order |
The name of the trade |
Trade code |
Order |
The name of the trade |
Trade code |
1 |
Computer office application |
76 |
13 |
Radio and television servicing |
26 |
2 |
Electrical house wiring |
17 |
14 |
Bamboo, cane and carpet industry |
64 |
3 |
Hardware and networking |
77 |
15 |
General Electronics |
95 |
4 |
Refrigeration and air-conditioning |
27 |
16 |
Driving cum Auto Mechanics |
68 |
5 |
Dressmaking and tailoring |
29 |
17 |
Travel Tourism and Ticketing |
91 |
6 |
Certificate-in-beautification |
72 |
18 |
Embroidery Machine Operator and Maintenance |
04 |
7 |
Mobile phone servicing |
35 |
19 |
Horticulture |
60 |
8 |
Proficiency in English Communication |
97 |
20 |
Aminship |
48 |
9 |
Graphics design and multimedia programming |
81 |
21 |
Certificate in Pattern Making |
73 |
10 |
Block-batik and printing |
96 |
22 |
Food and Beverage Production |
38 |
11 |
Database programming |
79 |
23 |
AutoCAD |
34 |
12 |
Web Design and Development |
02 |
|
|
|
Eligibility of trainees-
(1) Any Bangladeshi citizen (female / male / transgender) between the ages of 14 and 45 eligible to receive training may apply for the training:
However, disadvantaged and troubled people will get priority in receiving this training.
(2) selected government employees and beneficiaries of projects or programs may receive training in accordance with government orders;
(3) In case of receiving training, a trainee should have the following qualifications-
(A) Educational Qualification for Dress Making and Tailoring, Certificate-in-Beautification, Horticulture and Block-Batik and Printing trade. Minimum 5th class or PEC or equivalent.
(B) The minimum educational qualification of the trainees of all other trades is 8th class or JSC or equivalent.
Admission Procedure-
1)Applicants for admission to any trade or course must apply in the form UCD prescribed by the Department of Social Services, either directly or offline or online; And
2)If the number of applicants for a particular trade exceeds the number of seats allowed in that trade, the trainees are selected through an admission test.
Admission fee-
The selected candidate has to pay the prescribed admission fee and the registration fee and center fee prescribed by the board for participating in the examination of each trade;
However, considering the socio-economic status, the Coordinating Council can reduce the admission fee of any selected candidate.
Registration and tenure of trainees in the board. -
1)The registration process has to be completed within the stipulated time by the Skill Development Training Center by entering the system of the Board after paying the registration fee and center fee;
(2) 3-6 months duration /360 hours training course in January-June and July-December or January-March, April-June, Will be conducted in July-September and October-December sessions.
Completion and benefits of training. -
1) The training will be completed by taking the training as per the syllabus prescribed by the board and by passing the examination at the prescribed time, if successful, the certificate will be issued.
(2) If the trainee who successfully completes the training course is self-employed or interested as an entrepreneur through self-employment, he/she may apply for interest free micro-loan from the revolving fund run by the Upazila/Urban Social Service Office under the concerned district.
Micro-credit activities for socio-economic development
The demand for microcredit from countless poor families in Bangladesh has been an ongoing reality since time immemorial. Since the fiscal year 1980-81, micro-credit activities have been conducted in the urban social service activities for the socio-economic development of the poor people who are fighting against indigestion and various risks. The revitalization of the almost national economy, which was halted under the influence of COVID 19, is an integral part of national development through socio-economic development of the country's poor.
Managing microfinance activities:
Targeted families: By selecting the targeted families through socio-economic survey, the families are divided into 3 (three) categories.
(A) Average annual family income: Tk. 0-2,00,000 - Class A (The poorest)
(B) Average annual family income: Tk. 2,00,001-3,00,000 - Class B (Poor)
(C) Average annual family income above: Tk. 3,00,001- Class C (Above poverty line)
‘A’ and ‘B’ class families will be considered suitable for this activity.
Debt limit: Tk. 10,000 to Tk. 50,000 per person. Special interest free special micro loan of Tk. 1 lakh is provided subject to having the certificate of trained staff in the Skill Development Training Center run by the City Social Service Office.
Debt repayment period: The loan is repayable in 10 equal installments with 5% service charge for a maximum period of 1 year.
Those involved in the implementation of the activities:
At the central level, the activities branch of the Department of Social Services is responsible for the implementation of this activity. Led by the Director (Activities), one Additional Director, one Deputy Director, one Assistant Director at the headquarters level and 80 city social service officers at the field level are involved in the implementation of these activities.
At the district level, 64 Deputy Directors and 100 Assistant Directors supervise the field level activities and coordinate between the field level and the headquarters. The implementation committee of the urban social service activities implementation authority. The urban social service officer and the deputy director of the concerned district are the members-secretaries and presidents of the activities implementation committee respectively. Municipal social workers / technical trainers work directly with the service recipients at the ward level. Office assistants attached computer operators of the urban social service office, and municipal social workers/technical trainers supervise the activities and assist the urban social service officers in the overall coordination of the activities.
Service Center: 80 Urban Social Service Offices.
Methods of service delivery (in short):
After completing the family survey by the municipal social worker/ technical instructor in the ward selected by the Urban Social Development Activities Implementation Committee (UCDPIC), the task force is formed and trained with the family members belonging to group A and B, each group member is made accustomed to 20 social activities. Then the concerned social worker / technical trainer submits the draft list along with the application form after verifying and selecting the application form of the loan candidates proposed from the ward committee or task force and submits the collected savings project as bank of the ward or task force. The prepared draft list, application form, scheme is submitted to the urban social service officer along with the recommendation for examination by the municipal social worker / technical instructor. Then the urban social service officer organized a meeting of UCDPIC and approved the loan. Finally the loan disbursement activities are completed by informing the selected borrowers by setting the date and place of distribution of loan checks /cash.
Progress in implementation of Urban Community Development Program (UCD)
Areas of citizen cooperation:
Required fees / taxes / incidental expenses: Free
Service Deadline:
The next remedial officer in case of failure to get certain services
1. Deputy Director, concerned District Social Service Office
2. Director, concerned Divisional Social Service Office
3. Director (Activities), Department of Social Services