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Ideas from Field

Shamsin Ahmed & Fariduzzaman Rana

Social Innovation Lab

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Social Innovation Lab• We seek to institutionalize innovation at

BRAC and create an inclusive space where ideas are shared, nurtured, and translated into action. 

• We want to hear ideas from grassroots and facilitate their sharing across the organization.

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How we came up with it?

“I want to share my ideas but I don’t know who to tell”- FO

“Senior Management does not want to listen to our ideas”- PO

“I told my manager about a idea I had but then he did nothing”- PO

“I get a lot of ideas from my staff but I don’t know what to do with them.”- Manager

• 19th November 2012 consulted DBRs

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Collection Dissemination

750 Visitors

60000 staff, 2000 BO

22 BLCs

12 Countries

SIL

Blog

Shetu

PCC/IPC

Programs

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First box launched in Mymensingh BLC by Asif bhai on the 21st of May 2013.

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The first idea contribution from Jessore BLC

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Ideas with ideas

• Talk with Managers: RMs • Collect ideas from Visitors• Sharing in Meetings: IPC/PCC, DPC,DBR• Publications: Shetu, Websites• Poster

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Faridpur

Mymensingh

Comilla

Jessore

Nilphamari

• Received ideas through mail, e-mails and conversations

• Field visits• From all kinds of

staff

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HR + Staff well being• Staff improvement initiatives: Talent management,

scholarships for staff family members, yearly bonus etc.

- Aminul Islam, Senior Admin Officer, AAF, HO (mailed)• Are teacher’s salaries adequate for current expense

rates? (Question about policy)

-By anonymous• Termination threat of 5% weak staff should be removed

from HRPP to increase motivation

-Anonymous, Mymensing• Uniform for all brac field staff

-Shefali Begum, Librarian, BEP, Mymensingh

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New products/Activities1. Banking services in Branch offices because there are many places in Bangladesh where there are no BRAC banks

-By Abu Zafar Mohiuddin (mail)

2. Teacher’s Loan: Loan for teachers

-By Md. Abu Saleh Ahmed, Junior Sector Specialist, Process Review Unit, Nilphamari

3. Farmers are not able to acquire production cost of their products, brokers benefit from this. BRAC can initiate a program for the farmers to sell their agricultural products with right price.

- Shadekul Islam Khan, Manager, CFPR-TUP (Mail)

4. Summer and Winter vacations of brac school should be at the same time with govt schools.

-By Anonymous (Mail)

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5. Having a Pharmacy and Paramedics for each Area and Upazilla Office and a health fund from collecting 50/100 tk from each employee

-Md. Shakur Khan, BLD, Jessore

6. Research has shown that the rice we produce has high levels of cadmium which is bad for health, the source of cadmium is the fertilizers, brac should advocate for organic fertilizers all over the country

-Md. Saidur Rahman, BDP, Jessore

7. Provide Health Insurance to good loanee customers to enhance coordination between MF and Health and encourage beneficiaries- By Arafin Gulshan Ara, Associate Faculty Member,

Mymensingh

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BLC related8. Film/Video club: A monthly session at BLCs when videos of Sir Abed and BRAC will be aired so that field staff know and can take pride in all that Sir Abed and BRAC has achieved- By Monowarul Islam, Advocate, Legal and Compliance,

Faridpur

9. Day care centres for BLCs for the children of trainees- Arafin Gulshan Ara, Associate Faculty Member,

Mymensingh

10. Improving BLCs by having a reception desk, staff quarters and Mini shop.- Md. Fakruzzaman, BLC, Jessore

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Policy/ Suggestions/Advocacy11. There should be one standard way of defining a catchment area for all programmes of brac, this will make coordination within Brac and with GO.s easier

-Md. Abdul Bashar, Health, Jessore

12. TB should be separated from the EHC programme this would reduce work for the CHWs

-Anonymous, HNPP, Jessore

13. Create a mechanism for PMs to be assessed by their subordinates

-Md. Rezaul Karim, WASH, Jessore

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Incentives?

• 10 Best Ideas published in Shetu and BRAC Website

• Best idea contributor gets to have lunch with the Chairman!

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THE TOYOTA WAY

“One of the features of the Japanese workers is that they use their brains as well as their hand, Our workers provide 1.5 million suggestions a year, and 95 percent of them are put to practical use. There is an almost tangible concern for improvement in the air at Toyota.”

-Mr Toyoda

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THANK YOU!