Bangladesh’s enabling policy environment and national commitment have brought about dramatic improvements in nutrition, food security, poverty, and women’s empowerment, together with development partners like IFPRI. Since 2010, the PRSSP builds off of IFPRI’s thirty year foundation in Bangladesh to successfully translate its research to policy impact. From social protection reform to regional agricultural development strategies to establishment of policy situation rooms within the ministry, the government has been receptive to PRSSP’s policy analyses and recommendations.
PRSSP phase two (2014-2018) is using evidence-based research from phase one to explore trends in poverty, agriculture, food security, women’s empowerment, incomes, and other phenomena. The BIHS 2011/12 first round panel results motivated the design for the ministry-led ANGeL project. PRSSP’s work on TMRI in 2012 to 2014 – a momentous success in social protection research – raised government and donor interest in learning more about the sustainability of impacts when combining safety nets and nutrition education in ultra poor families.
PRSSP continues to design high quality surveys and studies that produce high quality results, driving demand for further research. Over halfway through phase two, PRSSP is well-positioned to continue delivering policy impact that will be seen well after the close of the project.