Assignment Name:Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) Study of Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh (AVCB) Phase III Project

Country: Bangladesh

Client Name: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

The Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) Study of Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh (AVCB) Phase III Project is a five-year initiative (2022–2027) of the Local Government Division (LGD), supported by the European Union (EU), UNDP, and the Government of Bangladesh (GoB). It is being implemented across 4,457 Union Parishads (UPs), including 3,041 new activation UPs and 1,416 maintenance UPs, with the overarching goal of increasing access to justice and promoting social harmony in rural Bangladesh.

The project aims to strengthen the capacity of local justice actors to address the justice needs of rural populations through well-functioning Village Courts (VCs), while empowering communities—especially women, the poor, and marginalized groups—to use these institutions for resolving minor disputes at the local level.

To evaluate the effectiveness of capacity-building, knowledge-sharing, and awareness-raising interventions under AVCB III, UNDP has commissioned DM WATCH LIMITED to conduct a Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) Study. This study will assess changes in the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of key stakeholders—including Union Parishad representatives, Village Court officials, Assistant Accountant Cum-Computer Operators (AACOs), Administrative Officers (AOs/UPAOs), and Village Police—compared with baseline data collected at the start of the project.

The specific focus of the study will be to:

• Examine knowledge, professional attitudes, and practices of VC service providers, including their understanding of the VC system, roles, responsibilities, and legal procedures.
• Assess women’s empowerment in VC processes, including the participation of women as panel members and justice seekers, and their experiences in decision-making.
• Analyze access to justice for rural citizens, focusing on efficiency, functionality, responsiveness, and enforcement of VC decisions.
• Measure adherence to due process, the functionality of VCs, and institutional sustainability in both activation and maintenance areas.

The findings of the KAP study will provide critical evidence to inform project implementation, policy dialogue, and the design of future interventions for sustainable local justice systems in Bangladesh.

DM WATCH LIMITED will deliver this assignment through a rigorous, mixed-methods approach, ensuring methodological soundness, gender sensitivity, and robust stakeholder engagement. The following services will be provided:

Inception and Study Design

• Organize inception meetings with UNDP and LGD to refine objectives, expectations, and deliverables.
• Review project documents, the Village Courts Act (2006), Village Court Rules (2016), baseline reports, and evaluation guidelines.
• Prepare an Inception Report detailing the study methodology, sampling framework, data collection instruments, ethical protocols, and a detailed work plan with timelines.

Sampling and Tool Development

• Design a multi-stage stratified sampling framework covering 300 UPs across eight divisions (activation and maintenance areas).
• Develop structured questionnaires for KAP surveys, case document review checklists, and KII/IDI guides in both Bangla and English.
• Pre-test instruments to ensure clarity, reliability, and cultural appropriateness.

Enumerator Recruitment and Training

• Recruit experienced field researchers with prior exposure to justice and governance studies.
• Develop training materials and deliver intensive training sessions covering ethical guidelines, data collection protocols, and digital tools (CAPI/ODK).

Data Collection

• Administer a KAP survey with approximately 1,100 respondents, including UP chairs, members, AACOs, and AOs/UPAOs, ensuring gender representation.
• Conduct a case document review of 2,000 resolved VC cases from 300 UPs to assess procedural adherence and enforcement.
• Carry out Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with UNOs, DDLGs, DRT members, and project staff, as well as In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) with women leaders, panel members, and justice seekers.
• Implement strict quality assurance and real-time monitoring to ensure accuracy and completeness.

Data Analysis

• Apply advanced statistical analysis using SPSS/Stata, including comparative analysis with baseline data.
• Disaggregate findings by gender, geography, poverty level, and socio-economic characteristics.
• Use regression and difference-in-difference models to measure change in knowledge, attitudes, and practices.
• Conduct thematic analysis of qualitative data (KIIs, IDIs, FGDs) using NVivo/manual coding frameworks.

Reporting and Dissemination

• Submit interim deliverables including the inception report, data collection plan, and data analysis plan.
• Produce a draft KAP report integrating quantitative and qualitative findings with visualized data tables.
• Facilitate a validation workshop with project stakeholders to present key findings and incorporate feedback.
• Deliver the final KAP study reports (both brief and detailed versions) in hard and soft copies, along with cleaned datasets in Excel/SPSS.
• Provide supporting knowledge products, including policy briefs and presentation slides, for dissemination.

Key Deliverables:

• Inception Report with methodology, sampling, tools, and work plan.
• Cleaned and validated datasets (Excel, SPSS).
• Draft and Final KAP Study Reports (brief and detailed).
• Stakeholder validation workshop outputs.
• Knowledge products and training documentation.

Through these services, DM WATCH LIMITED will provide robust, evidence-based insights on the effectiveness of AVCB III interventions, supporting UNDP, EU, and GoB in strengthening access to justice, promoting women’s empowerment, and ensuring the sustainability of Village Courts in Bangladesh.