Internship Report on

Non-enrolment by Eligible Candidates in the Ultra-Poor

Graduation Programme of BRAC: An Analysis

Exam Roll: 192494

 Internship report on
Non-enrolment by Eligible Candidates in the Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme:
An Analysis

Prepared for
Chairman
Internship Placement Committee

Prepared by
Exam roll number: 192494
4th year, 8th semester
Batch number: 28, BBA Program
Academic session: 2018-2019

Institute of Business Administration (IBA-JU)

Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka-1342

Date: November 12, 2023

ii
Letter of Transmittal
November 12, 2023

Chairperson
Internship Placement Committee
Institute of Business Administration
Jahangirnagar University
Savar, Dhaka

Subject: Submission of Internship Report

Dear Sir,

With due respect, I am very pleased to announce that, after completing my 3-month internship from
the Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme of BRAC, I have prepared my internship report titled, “Non-
enrolment by Eligible Candidates in the Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme of BRAC: An
Analysis”. I am forwarding this report for your kind perusal.

The report explores the causes of non-enrolment by eligible candidates by analysing the selection
and enrolment process. Recommendations are also given with a view to improving the enrolment
rate.

I wish to express my sincere gratitude to you and the entire internship placement committee for
enabling me to gain this valuable internship experience. In case of any queries or confusions
regarding this report, I would be more than happy to address them at your convenient time.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Exam Roll: 192494

BBA 28th Batch
Institute of Business Administration
Jahangirnagar University

iii
Declaration of Originality

I do hereby declare that the internship report entitled as “Non-enrolment by Eligible Candidates in
the Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme of BRAC: An Analysis” has been prepared on the basis of
three months Internship activities on BRAC and it is an original work done by me.

The report is a unique one which is not submitted to anywhere for any academic purpose. The data
and information which are mentioned here are also collected and organized by myself. I am solely
responsible for any kind of misleading or manipulation of data or information in this report.

Finally, this report is submitted to the Institute of Business Administration, Jahangirnagar

University for the partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Degree of Bachelor of Business
Administration.

Exam ID: 192494 Class ID: 1963

Batch No: BBA 28th Academic Session: 2018-2019
Major area of concentration: Marketing
Institute of Business Administration (IBA-JU)
Jahangirnagar University

iv
Certificate of Supervision
This is to certify that student from BBA program bearing Exam ID: 192494, Batch: 28, Academic
Session: 2018-2019, from Institute of Business Administration, Jahangirnagar University, has
completed internship program from BRAC and prepared a report on “Non-enrolment by Eligible
Candidates in the Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme of BRAC: An Analysis” under my
supervision.

I have gone through the report and it seems satisfactory to submit for the award of the Degree of
Bachelor of Business Administration.

I wish his/her success in life.

Professor Kamrul Arefin

Institute of Business Administration
Jahangirnagar University

v
Acknowledgement
All praise to almighty Allah for keeping me safe and sound during this internship period.

I want to express my most sincere gratitude towards by internal supervisor Professor Kamrul Arefin
sir for always patiently guiding me. This report would not be possible without his constant support.
I am also thankful to the batch manager of 28th batch, Assistant Professor, Ratul Kumar Saha sir for
his invaluable support during the last 4 years.

My sincere gratitude towards BRAC for giving me the opportunity to work as an intern in the
organisation. The support, kindness and love I received from the Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme
team during the 3 months has been beyond my expectation. I am especially thankful to my
organisational supervisor, Md. Shahid Ullah (Head of Operations, UPGP) bhai for his patient
mentorship.

Last but not the least, I would like to thank my peers – my friends – from the 28th batch without
whom navigating this internship period would be much more difficult and my family without whom
none of this would be possible.

vi
Contents
Letter of Transmittal ........................................................................................................................ iii
Declaration of Originality................................................................................................................ iv
Certificate of Supervision ................................................................................................................. v
Acknowledgement ........................................................................................................................... vi
Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................... iix
1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Origin...................................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Background ............................................................................................................................ 1
1.3 Objectives ............................................................................................................................... 2
1.4 Methodology .......................................................................................................................... 2
1.4.1 Study Design: .................................................................................................................. 2
1.4.2 Data Collection: ............................................................................................................... 2
1.5 Scope ...................................................................................................................................... 3
1.6 Limitations.............................................................................................................................. 4
1.7 Report Preview ....................................................................................................................... 4
2. Organisational Overview .............................................................................................................. 5
2.1 BRAC ..................................................................................................................................... 5
2.2 Brief History ........................................................................................................................... 5
2.3 Activities and Programmes..................................................................................................... 6
2.4 Mission, Vision and Values .................................................................................................... 7
2.5 Organisational Structure ......................................................................................................... 8
2.6 A Closer Look: Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme............................................................... 9
2.7 Programme Organogram ...................................................................................................... 11
2.8 Financials: Overview ............................................................................................................ 12
3. Internship Overview ................................................................................................................... 13
4. Standard Enrolment Process in the UPGP: An Overview .......................................................... 15
4.1 Participant Selection ............................................................................................................. 15
4.2 Group-Wise Selection Criteria ............................................................................................. 16
4.3 Enrollment Activities............................................................................................................ 17
5. Findings ...................................................................................................................................... 19
5.1 Classification of non-enrolment ........................................................................................... 19
5.2 Reasons for non-enrolment................................................................................................... 19
6. Recommendations ...................................................................................................................... 23
7. Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 26
Appendix .......................................................................................................................................... a

vii
 Reference ...................................................................................................................................... a
Interview Questions ...................................................................................................................... c

List of Figures and Tables

Figure 1: Organogram of BRAC (BRAC, 2022c) ............................................................................ 9
Figure 2: Organogram of the UPGP (M. Rahman, personal communication, 2023) ..................... 12
Figure 3: Income Source, FY 22 (BRAC, 2022c) .......................................................................... 12
Figure 4: Following Up on Poultry-rearing Participants (Author, 2023) ....................................... 14

Table 1: Groupwise Participant Selection Criteria (BRAC, 2022a) ............................................... 16

viii
Executive Summary
The report analyses non-enrolment by participants in the Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme of
BRAC. Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme is a flagship development programme from BRAC that
aims to eradicate extreme poverty. This programme offers a comprehensive support system within
a 2-year period to the people living at the bottom of the socio-economic pyramid in order to improve
their condition in life and make them more resilient. Individuals who enrol in the programme are
called participants.

The enrolment process starts by selecting the appropriate candidates according to some
predetermined criteria. There are 2 stages of this selection process – primary selection and final
selection. After the final selection ends, the selected eligible people are told about the programme.
This is done in a group meeting with these potential participants where the programme is presented
as beneficial for socio-economic growth of the participants. However, all those who are initially
selected do not end up enrolling in the programme. This non-enrolment is officially called exclusion
– which BRAC tries to reduce. Therefore, understanding the causes of non-enrolment is very
crucial.

Non-enrolment or exclusion can be of two types – voluntary and involuntary. Involuntary exclusion
happens when individuals who are initially selected do not end up as participants due to changes in
their condition at the time of final selection. The 2 main reasons for involuntary exclusion are:
migration and availing loans from other loan providing organization which goes against the
selection criteria. The programme is more concerned about the voluntary exclusion where potential
participants willingly do not want to enrol in the programme.

The study finds that the primary causes voluntary non-enrolment are:

- Distrust regarding loan providing social welfare programmes: The potential

participants do value the benefits that are discussed during the enrolment meeting.
However, they are skeptical about the promises and think that they will be taken advantage
of if enroled in the programme.
- Gender barrier: 100% of the participants are females. However, due to Bangladesh’s
highly patriarchic social system, in some cases the family forbids the potential participants
from joining in the programme aimed at eradicating extreme poverty and empowering
women.
- Fear of loan repayment: Some participants are wary regarding how they can start the
repayment of the loan in instalments within a short period. Discussions in the enrolment
meeting cannot effectively address this concern.
- Lack of confidence: Due to years of subjugation, some potential participant suffers from
a lack of self-confidence. The enrolment pitch cannot effectively convey the scale of the
support and guidance provided by the programme, which makes them concerned if they
have the ability to go through the programme alone.

It is also found that the reasons are not mutually exclusive. Rather they combine with each other
to create a hurdle that becomes difficult for potential participants to overcome. Thus, causing non-
enrolment in the programme. To reduce the rate of non-enrolment the report also provides some
recommendation including leveraging BRAC’s brand image, using appropriate message source,
emphasis on short-term income generating activities etc.

All of these topics are elaborated in detail in the report.

ix
1. Introduction

1.1 Origin

To fulfil the requirements for the Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the Institute of
Business Administration, this internship report, titled "Non-enrolment by Eligible Candidates in the
Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme of BRAC: An Analysis," has been meticulously prepared. The
report is prepared based on my 3-month internship experience at the Ultra-Poor Graduation
Programme of BRAC and with the invaluable guidance of my internal supervisor Professor Kamrul
Arefin.

1.2 Background

The Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme is one of BRAC's flagship development initiatives, aimed
at eradicating extreme poverty (BRAC, 2023). Explored in greater detail later in this report, the
programme uses a range of methods to identify individuals living with extreme poverty and
subsequently enrol them as participants. Over the course of their two-year involvement, these
individuals receive comprehensive support, encompassing sustainable livelihood opportunities,
healthcare services, and knowledge to diversify their assets. It is worth noting that the loans
provided to participants under this programme are entirely interest-free, and a portion of the loan is
given as grant without the need for repayment (BRAC, 2022).

Despite these substantial benefits, a percentage of eligible candidates do not become participants.
This non-enrolment poses a significant challenge, as it deprives these eligible candidates of the push
or help that could potentially improve their economic and social condition. Furthermore, the costs
associated with identifying potential participants go to waste if they do not eventually enrol.
Therefore, reducing the exclusion rate is of paramount importance.

This study delves into the participant enrolment process within BRAC's Ultra-Poor Graduation
Programme, offering insights into non-enrolment by participants and presenting relevant
recommendations.

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1.3 Objectives

The primary objective of this report is to analyse the enrolemnt process and find out why some
eligible candidates are not becoming official participants of the programme.

The primary objective can be further broken down into:

• Describe the typical process employed for selecting participants in the Ultra-Poor
Graduation Programme.
• Understand how the UPGP team portrays the programme to the potential candidates during
the enrolment process
• Identify the causes of non-enrolment by the participants in the Ultra-Poor Graduation
Programme.
• Provide recommendations to increase the enrolment rate.

1.4 Methodology

The methodology for this report is structured as follows:

1.4.1 Study Design:

This study primarily utilises qualitative methods to gain a deeper understanding of the subject
matter. However, to provide contextual clarity quantitative data is also collected. Information for
this report is sourced from both primary and secondary resources.

1.4.2 Data Collection:

The primary data used in this report is collected by conducting interviews with the UPGP team and
potential participants. Primary data is also conducted while working on the job. The secondary
sources include BRAC’s official website, different guidelines and publications by the UPGP team,
scholarly articles and journals.

The data collection methods are described below:

1. In-Depth Interviews: Semi-structured in-depth interviews are conducted with key personnel from
the UPG programme. The following key personnel are interviewed:

• Head of Operations.
• 3 Programme Managers from the north, south, and central clusters.
• 15 Regional and field-level BRAC employees, including zonal managers, regional
managers, branch managers, and program organisers.
• The Communication team.

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Apart from the above mentioned UPGP staff, interviews are also taken of the eligible ultra-poor
candidates. According to BRAC, socially isolated Individuals living at the bottom of the socio-
economic pyramid and struggling to meet daily necessities are categorised as "ultra-poor". These
ultra-poor individuals who enrol in the program are referred to as participants. Information
concerning why certain potential participants refrain from enrolling in the program is gathered
through open-ended questions during field visits to all three clusters. This involves visiting 40
potential participants.

2. Work Experience: Primary data is also collected through work experience. Information about the
enrolment stage is gained through attending, observing and working at the group meetings with
potential participants during the enrolment process of the programme. For this purpose as part of
my work, I have attended 3 group meetings of enrolment in the Jashore zone of south cluster.
Furthermore, attending Mid-year ZM meeting, Town Hall meeting and other UPGP leadership
meeting has given clarity regarding the subject matter.

3. Utilising Secondary Sources: Relevant documents, reports, guidelines, and marketing materials
used by BRAC and the UPGP team are reviewed to comprehend UPGP team’s persuasion process
within the context of participant enrolment. Additionally, secondary sources such as reputable
marketing journals, scholarly articles, and academic textbooks on marketing are consulted to gain
insights into best practices of persuasion. This knowledge is then used to formulate
recommendations.

This comprehensive methodology ensures a well-rounded and informed report.

1.5 Scope

The report primarily focuses on the reasons for non-enrolment by participants in the Ultra-Poor
Graduation Programme of BRAC. To identify these causes the enrolment process including the
potential candidate identification process is analyzed. Lastly, some recommendations are also
provided based on insights generated during the work experience and from the knowledge gathered
from other scholarly sources. The primary data for this report were collected during the three-month
internship period, commencing from 9th July to 8th October. It should be noted that the report
covers the regular UPGP programme. New poverty eradication projects like the Disability-Inclusive
Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme (DiUPG) and BRAC to Basic (B2B) falls outside the scope of
the report.

Page 3 of 26
1.6 Limitations

The report has some limitations. Due to the time and resource constraint not all the non-enroling
participants could be reached. For the creation of this report 40 such potential participants have
been interviewed to gain an understanding into the reasons non-enrolment.

1.7 Report Preview

The report is meticulously structured, ensuring logical and coherent flow. Following the prefatory
section, the main body of the report starts with an organisational overview, encompassing the
history, mission, vision, values, activities, organogram, program description, and program
organogram. Subsequently, the internship overview provides insight into the types of tasks
performed within this role, offering added clarity.

The report then delves into the issue of non-participation or exclusion in the program. After a brief
description of the typical participant selection and enrolment process, the report focuses on the
reasons for various types of exclusions. It further outlines the measures undertaken by the UPGP
team to address these exclusionary factors. Following this, the report's author presents a set of
recommendations aimed at boosting the participation rate. The report ends with a concluding
summary.

Page 4 of 26
2. Organisational Overview
To provide further clarity, this section covers a brief organisational profile of BRAC including its
history, mission, vision, activities.

2.1 BRAC

BRAC is the largest development organisation in the world, reaching more than 100 million people
and employing around 100,000 individuals. It began in Bangladesh but has expanded into 11
countries in Africa and Asia (BRAC, 2022c). The organisation directly operates in these 11
countries. Apart from these countries, BRAC also provides technical support to many countries
around the world. Furthermore, the organisation has offices in the United States and the United
Kingdom, which primarily focus on fundraising and securing global support (The Daily Star &
Saleh, 2022).

Below is a brief discussion on the history, mission, vision, values, organisation structure and other
relevant topics that will provide helpful contextual information for the report.

2.2 Brief History

BRAC officially started its journey following the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, led by Sir
Fazle Hasan Abed. However, the inspiration for establishing BRAC came a year earlier by
witnessing the devastating aftermath of the 1970 cyclone that ravaged coastal Bangladesh, claiming
the lives of approximately 300,000 to 500,000 people (Biswas & Daly, 2021). Many individuals,
including Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, stepped forward to assist those affected. This work had a huge
influence on the formation of BRAC. (Ahasan & Iqbal, 2022).

Finally after the end of the liberation war of Bangladesh, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed started the
Bangladesh Relief Assistance Committee, abbreviated as BRAC, with the 16,000 pounds he
received by selling his London apartment. The mission of BRAC at that time was to rehabilitate
war-torn people.

One of BRAC's initial projects involved rebuilding houses for 10,200 individuals in one village of
Sulla, Sunamganj (The Daily Star & Saleh, 2022). However, BRAC soon recognized that genuine
development required more than sporadic relief efforts and necessitated a systematic approach to
problem-solving. Consequently, the organisation was renamed as the Bangladesh Rural
Advancement
Page 5 of 26
Committee (Aizenman, 2016) and broadened its scope from relief work to encompass
comprehensive development activities, including healthcare, poverty reduction, gender equality
advocacy, skill development, and safe migration. BRAC played a pivotal role in reducing child
mortality in Bangladesh by educating rural communities on preparing oral saline solutions
(Ferdous, 2015).

For nearly 30 years following its inception, BRAC primarily focused its efforts within Bangladesh.
In 2002, BRAC extended its reach globally, launching its Microfinance Plus program in
Afghanistan and subsequently expanding into other Asian and African countries. Embracing this
global perspective, BRAC established BRAC International, or BI for short, in 2009 (Green, 2010).
Furthermore, with the globalisation of the organisation and to reflect the comprehensive
development programmes throughout both urban and rural regions, BRAC decided to let go of the
name “Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee” and be simply known as BRAC (BRAC USA,
2023).

2.3 Activities and Programmes

BRAC’s activities can be classified into 4 categories. These are development programmes, social
enterprises, socially responsible investments and a university (BRAC, 2020a)

The organisation’s primary goal is social development and eradication of poverty. However, to do
so BRAC requires a vast amount of resources. For example, the budget for 2023 is set to 1.3 billion
USD (BRAC, 2022c). As donor dependency can create various problems in programme design,
BRAC is trying to be self-sufficient. In that regard, the social enterprises and investments help
BRAC raise funds. It is worth mentioning that BRAC generates almost 80% of the annual budget
through its various enterprises and investments (Jonker, 2009).

Development Activities: BRAC engages in social development through various programmes.

Some of the most prominent of its programmes are BRAC Education Programme, Ultra-Poor
Graduation Programme, Safe Migration Programme, Microfinance, Skills Development
Programme etc. BRAC currently works to eradicate extreme poverty, expanding financial choices,
managing humanitarian crises, adapt to climate change, promoting and campaigning for gender
equality, ensuring universal access to healthcare, pro-poor urban development and invest in the
future generation (BRAC, 2023c.).

The social development activities of BRAC are non-profit in nature. The microfinance program
does generate a substantial amount of return but the goal is social development. On the other hand,
enterprises and investments are run with profit in mind. However, BRAC has a strict credo that
these enterprises and investments cannot of nature that harms the society or people.

Page 6 of 26
Social Enterprises: BRAC enterprises are businesses with profit maximising potential that are
formed to tackle social issues and eliminate poverty. For example, upon realising that rural people
cannot sell milk at a fair price, BRAC established BRAC Dairy – a business that generates profit
while creating income opportunities for the rural farmers (BRAC, 2014).

In 2020, BRAC operated 16 financially viable enterprises. These enterprises span across various
industries including health, livestock, fisheries, agriculture, education, green energy and retail
sections (BRAC, 2020b). Although these enterprises generate profit, none of the profits are
distributed to the shareholders. 50% of the profits are allocated for the development projects and
the remaining 50% are reinvested in the enterprises (BRAC, 2020a).

Investments: Apart from these social enterprises BRAC also engages in investments. BRAC
invests in organisations that are socially responsible and through their operations can help further
BRAC’s social mission. Up until 2016 BRAC invested in the following organisations: BRAC Bank,
DBH Finance Corporation LTD, BRAC Net, Guardian Life Insurance, IPDC Finance LTD, BRAC
IT Services and BRAC Tea Estates.

University: BRAC also runs a university named BRAC University. Established in 2001, BRAC
university ranked among the top 801-1000 top universities in the word in 2023 (Times Higher
Education, 2023).

2.4 Mission, Vision and Values

Not all people get the same opportunities and generations of injustice keep many poor and destitute.
Poverty deprives them from enjoying life. Life becomes a constant struggle for mere existence. In
such a life witnessing the beauty of a song, music or literature becomes a luxury one cannot afford.
The curse of poverty and subjugation also refrains them from reaching their potential. Sir, Fazle
Abed and BRAC believe life should not only be about merely existing and that everyone has rights
to enjoy the beauty the world has to offer. BRAC hopes to create such a world that works for
everyone. (BRAC, 2019a).

More formal version of BRAC’s mission and vision statements are given below (BRAC, 2022c):

Vision: A world free from all forms of exploitation and discrimination where everyone has the
opportunity to realise their potential.

Mission: Our mission is to empower people and communities in situations of poverty, illiteracy,
disease, and social injustice. Our interventions aim to achieve large scale, positive changes through
economic and social programmes that enable men and women to realise their potential.

Values: The 4 core values of BRAC are: Integrity, Innovation, Inclusiveness, Effectiveness.

Page 7 of 26
Aside from these, there are also 8 tenants that BRAC as an organisation follows. These 8 creeds are
called BRAC DNA (BRAC, 2022b).

1. Unlocking potential: BRAC believes that everyone has the potential to be the agent of their
own change. This potential can be achieved with a little support. That is what BRAC aspires
to do with their activities.
2. Holistic approach: This creed preaches about seeing the whole picture and taking
ownership of the entire problem and not just tackling the symptom. That is why BRAC’s
activities are comprehensive and interconnected in nature.
3. Scaling up for impact: Programmes are designed in a manner so that it can be scaled up to
cover and have an impact on as many people as possible. So scaling up is one of the
priorities for the organisation.
4. Frontline pragmatism: This emphasises BRAC’s focus on frontline effectiveness. BRAC
understands the problem through its frontline workers and creates solutions that are
practical to deliver.
5. Delivering with speed and rigour: Services should be delivered with speed while also
monitoring the quality.
6. Learning by doing: BRAC believes that perfection will not come without incorporating the
learnings from actually doing the work. Hence, Learning by doing is one the key tenants at
BRAC.
7. Women as catalyst for change: Investing in women has a multiplier effect on societal
transformation. BRAC invests in and empowers women, leading to positive changes in
society.
8. Frugal innovation: BRAC emphasises financially feasible innovation, prioritising local and
indigenous knowledge.

These 8 DNA guides BRAC towards achieving their mission and fulfilling the vision.

2.5 Organisational Structure

The current chairperson of the BRAC Governing body is Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman. Both the
executive director and the managing director report to him. The current executive director and the
managing director of BRAC enterprises are Asif Saleh and Tamara Hasan Abed. Below is the
organisational structure.

Page 8 of 26
 Figure 1: Organogram of BRAC (BRAC, 2022c)

Being a quite large organisation engaged in various programmes and activities the organisation can
be quite bureaucratic.

2.6 A Closer Look: Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme

The Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme (UPG) is one of the flagship initiatives of BRAC. It is
dedicated to the eradication of extreme poverty. Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme or UPGP for
short is a time bound sequenced set of comprehensive support systems that aims to improve the
condition of the extremely vulnerable and make them more resilient to future economic shocks
(BRAC, 2022e).

BRAC is the pioneer of the graduation method for poverty eradication. It started in Bangladesh
back in 2002. Since then, 14 million households have been reached through the graduation approach
in 50+ countries with a positive impact being noticed on 93% of the participants even 7 years after
the programme ends (BRAC, 2023b).

Programme details: Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme takes in a new cohort of participants

(Beneficiary of the programme) every year. For each cohort BRAC invests 2 years and provides a
comprehensive support system to each participant during this time frame. There are 4 core pillars

Page 9 of 26
of this graduation approach. These are: livelihood promotion, social protection, financial inclusion
and social empowerment (BRAC, 2022d).

For clarification, it is not a formal educational programme, rather through providing various inputs
and interventions ultra-poor people are “graduated” from the extreme poverty they live in, to a
condition of more resilience. To do so, one of the activities is attaching the participants with their
preferred income generating enterprise through the transfer of assets or interest free loan.

In fact, during this timeframe many crucial activities must take place in a timely manner. The first
task is to find out the deserving people and enrol them in the programme. Detailed discussion about
this enrolment process will be covered in the later part of the report.

There are 6 key elements of the support that is provided by the programme. These are (BRAC,
2022e):

1. Training: After enrolment is complete, the participants are given a one day long training on
how to utilise the enterprise.
2. Asset/Interest free loan transfer: The participants based on their groups (group 1,2,3) are
either directly given the assets or given the loan with which they can buy the asset. The
participants have to return some portion of the money based on their groups; however,
interest is not taken in the UPGP.
3. Monitoring through Group and Home Visits: The participants receive constant follow-ups
and training through regular home and group visits. Each participant receives 2 home visits
and 2 group visits in a month. Through the home visits and group visits the participants are
taught various social issues. Moreover, different technical issues like proper housing
systems for household animals are also discussed. Furthermore, collections are done in
instalments during these group visits.
4. Savings: Participants are given access to savings accounts of sorts through which they can
save little by little every week.
5. Health-care service: Participants also get access to health care services through BRAC.
Furthermore, in more complex situations BRAC connects the participants with other health
care service providers and subsidises the cost based on approval.
6. Community Mobilisation: BRAC creates a village committee composed of the village elites
with a hope that the committee can look after the needs of the society once BRAC ends the
programme in that region.

Although the participant selection process will be discussed in brief in the later part of the report,
the programme is targeted towards the people living in absolute poverty who even struggle to meet
their daily necessities.

Page 10 of 26
2.7 Programme Organogram

The Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme has 5 main functional departments. They are: Operations
unit, Livelihood unit, MEAL unit, Advocacy & Communications unit and T4D unit. The operations
unit is headed by the Head of Operations. There are 3 Programme Managers under this role who
also act as the cluster heads of the North, Central and South cluster. Each cluster is divided into
zones. There are in total 13 zones and each zone falls under the responsibility of a zonal manager.
Regional managers report to the zonal managers. Under regional managers are the branch managers
and at the frontline are the programme organisers. Operations unit is at the heart of the programme
ensuring that the programme is running according to the programme design (S. Rahman, personal
communication, July 12, 2023). The Livelihood unit designs different livelihood interventions
keeping different socio economic, environmental and cultural context in mind (N. Ferdous, personal
communication, September 13, 2023).

The Monitory, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning or MEAL unit for short is responsible for
tracking the activities of the programme and to check if everything is taking place as it should. At
the same time this unit is also responsible for accumulation of knowledge and various learnings (T.
Esha, personal communication, September 5, 2023).

The T4D unit or Technology for Development unit is responsible for integrating technological
advancement to the programme. For example, this department keeps track of all the vast amount of
participant data BRAC has and develops various practical technological solutions to the problems.

The Advocacy and Communication unit prepares communication materials and lobbies with
government and agencies for the advancement of the programme and its initiatives (F. Kabir,
personal communication, July 10, 2023).

Page 11 of 26
 Figure 2: Organogram of the UPGP (M. Rahman, personal communication, October 5, 2023)

The organogram above shows a more detailed picture about the staff of the programme.

Aside from these units, there is also an HR BP, Senior financial analyst, admin manager and
manager for programme support. All of the units and departments come together to work for the
elimination of extreme poverty.

2.8 Financials: Overview

According to the balance sheet of the organization, on June 2022, BRAC had total assets worth of
4,686 million USD. In the same period, the capital fund amounted to 1,797 million USD and had a
total liability of 1,786 million USD. As per the income statement, in the year 2023 the organization
had a total income of 1,125 million
Microfinance
USD (BRAC, 2022c).
Social Enterprise
As shown in figure 3 most of the
income for FY 2022 came from Development Grant

microfinance. As for the UPGP, the Self Financing

programme incurred an expenditure of
Community
14 million USD in FY22. Contribution

Figure 3: Income Source, FY 22 (BRAC, 2022c)

Page 12 of 26
3. Internship Overview
I have worked as the operations intern in the Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme (UPGP) of BRAC
in a 3 month long internship starting on 9th July 2023 to 8th October, 2023.

Here is a concise overview of the tasks undertaken during this internship period:

Monitoring Activities: The UPGP's head office team formulates plans and guidelines that serve as
the basis for the execution of day-to-day operations by regional and branch office teams in the field.
As part of my responsibilities, I acted as the delegate of the Head of Operations on various field
visits, monitoring operations and providing reports to the head office. Over the course of my three-
month internship, I visited six branch offices in the south and central clusters, overseeing various
programme activities. During these field visits, I conducted home and group visits, identified any
problems, and reported my observations to the Head of Operations and the rest of the head office
team.

Insight Generation for Proposed Supervision Model: BRAC employs a supervision model to
regularly check on programme participants primarily through home and group visits. The BRAC
leadership sought to make modifications to this model. I was tasked with generating insights about
the existing supervision model and understanding the perception of the programme organisers and
branch managers regarding the proposed changes. I engaged in discussions with several branch
managers and programme organisers, and conveyed their insights and concerns to the UPGP
leadership.

Insight Generation into Non-enrolment: Through conversations with potential participants and
programme staff, I identified and recorded several reasons for voluntary exclusion (non-
participation by eligible candidates). This issue is elaborated further in the report.

Poultry-Rearing Project: To promote short-term income generation, the programme leadership

attached great importance to poultry rearing. As part of this initiative, I was tasked with designing
and implementing a baseline and in-line survey of the poultry participants in collaboration with
three poultry and livestock deputy managers and the Technology for Development (T4D) unit. Once
the survey was deployed in the "digitalisation app," a platform for participant information used by

UPGP, I facilitated online orientation for all programme organisers and branch managers across all
13 zones of the UPG programme regarding the poultry survey. Additionally, I visited the Mirzapur

Page 13 of 26
and Pachgaon branches in the Moulvibazar zone to observe the conditions of poultry rearing and
reported my observations to the UPGP leadership.

Figure 4: Following Up on Poultry-rearing Participants (Author, 2023)

Assisting in Day-to-Day Tasks: Additionally, as an intern, I provided assistance in various day-

to-day activities. For instance, I took meeting minutes during the mid-year zonal manager meeting
and during the town hall meeting. Furthermore, I prepared operational slides for the bi-monthly
head office meeting. I also contributed to data analysis and content writing throughout my
internship.

In addition to these responsibilities, I made an effort to comprehend how different functions of the
UPGP work towards achieving a common goal. To enhance my knowledge and gain a
comprehensive perspective, I conducted interviews with all the unit heads as well.

Page 14 of 26
4. Standard Enrolment Process in the UPGP: An Overview
As previously mentioned, the Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme (UPGP) is a development
initiative aimed at eradicating poverty, with a specific focus on females. 100% of the participants
in the programme are females (BRAC, 2022). The programme is designed to assist individuals
struggling with absolute poverty. While the detailed selection criteria are provided in the subsequent
section of this report, it is important to note that BRAC defines "ultra-poor" individuals as those
who are socially isolated, struggling to meet their daily necessities, lacking a stable and consistent
source of income, and often unable to plan for their future due to the persistent challenges of poverty
(BRAC, 2022e).

The programme has been in operation in the country since 2002, with each year witnessing the
enrolment of a new cohort of eligible ultra-poor individuals. The programme runs 2 years for each
cohort, and the enrolment process begins with the identification of eligible potential candidates.
Given the changing nature of poverty, this selection process needs to be regularly updated as well
(S. Ullah, personal communication, July 12, 2023).

4.1 Participant Selection

The participant selection process is composed of two key phases: the primary selection and the final
selection. The enrolment process occurs immediately after the final selection. Before being enrolled
into the programme, potential candidates living in conditions of extreme poverty must be identified.
To accomplish this, during the primary selection phase, a comprehensive list of all the unions under
each BRAC branch office is compiled, along with a corresponding list of villages within these
unions. Subsequently, with input from various BRAC program employees within that branch, the
unions and villages are categorised based on their levels of poverty. The focus then shifts to the
poorest villages within the poorest unions.

Program organisers visit the identified poorest village and assess the possibility of locating potential
participants. They create a list of potential participants by conducting focused group discussions,
which consists of two primary components: preparing a household list and conducting wealth
ranking. Through the household list all households within the village are recorded, while wealth

ranking classifies these households into four to five categories based on their economic status. The
households ranked in the bottom three categories are selected for further evaluation (BRAC, 2022a).

Page 15 of 26
The program organiser conducts a survey with members of these households, with a view to gaining
insights into their true economic conditions. Based on their judgement and following the selection
criteria, the potential candidates are primarily selected. However, throughout this whole time, these
primarily selected potential participants are not told about the programme. After the primary
selection is completed, zonal managers and regional managers verify the selections based on the
predetermined selection criteria.

4.2 Group-Wise Selection Criteria

It is essential to acknowledge that, to adapt to the evolving nature of poverty, the selection criteria
for participants go through periodic adjustments. In the context of the regular rural Ultra-Poor
Graduation Programme, participants are classified into three different groups: Group 1, Group 2,
and Group 3.

For the 2023 cohort, the selection criteria for each group are as follows (BRAC, 2022a):

Selection Criteria Group 1 Group 2 Group 3

Per capita monthly income of Maximum of 2,500 Maximum of 2,500 Maximum of 2,500
the household taka taka taka

Land owned (in decimal) Maximum of 10 Maximum of 10 Maximum of 30

decimals decimals decimals

Productive asset (in taka) Maximum of 5,000 Maximum of 5,000 Maximum of 10,000
taka taka taka

Table 1: Groupwise Participant Selection Criteria (BRAC, 2022a)

Additionally, none of the participants can have existing ongoing loans from any organisations,
including BRAC. The distinction between Group 1 and Group 2 is in the age of the participants:
participants in Group 1 must fall within the age range of 55 to 62 years, while participants in Group
2 and Group 3 must be between 18 and 55 years of age (BRAC, 2022a).

With these criteria in place, the primary and final selections are carried out, and the enrolment
activities immediately follow the final selection.

Page 16 of 26
4.3 Enrollment Activities

Once the final selection process is complete, the activities designed for enrolling the selected
candidates into the programme start. The initial step involves conducting group-wise meetings with
the selected participants of a particular branch. It is at these meetings that the participants are finally
introduced to the program and the benefits it offers. While conducting this enrolment process the
UPGP team tries to portray the programme as beneficial to the participants.

The typical group meeting for the enrolment starts by explaining that those who enrol in the program
will receive money or assets ranging from approximately 15,000 to 25,000 taka, depending on their
choice of enterprise. The program organiser emphasises that during the repayment phase,
participants will not have to pay any interest. It is further emphasised that only a percentage of this
money needs to be returned, based on their group. For instance, Group 2 participants, on average,
need to return approximately 50% of the funds, while Group 3 participants need to repay
approximately 90 to 95%. Moreover, participants are informed that the repayment does not need to
be made all at once; instead, they can repay it in 32 instalments over a 16-month period. The UPGP
team also talks about a 30-day grace period which means that the first repayment collection will
start after 45 days of asset transfer. Furthermore, the team talks about flexibility in repayment
stating that participants can postpone the biweekly installments up to 4 times. (M. Salim, personal
communication, October 6, 2023).

In addition to highlighting these benefits, the program organisers also discuss how enrolling in the
program will provide them with access to healthcare services. In case anyone from the participant’s
family gets sick then the programme will ensure treatment by connecting them with government
hospitals or BRAC health care services. Furthermore, in case of any serious diseases, the Ultra-
Poor Graduation Programme staff facilitates treatment upon appropriate approval. Last but not
least, the selected individuals are informed about the insurance policy, which states that if a
participant were to pass away before the full repayment of the loan, the debt would not be
transferred to their family. Instead, the insurance policy guarantees that in the event of the
participant's death, they will no longer be obligated to repay the loan. Alongside these benefits, the
program staff also briefly mentions that they will provide regular guidance to the participants
throughout the programme’s duration.

Following this, these potential candidates are not immediately asked for a decision. Instead, they
are encouraged to return home and discuss it with their families. After 2 or 3 days, the branch
manager (BM) visits the home of the potential participant and reminds them of the talking points
of the previous group meeting. While mentioning the benefits of the programme, in this case, the
branch manager modifies the pitch according to the participants. For example, if the participant has
young children, then the BM talks about how enrolling in the programme might enable the

Page 17 of 26
participant to give her children a happier life. Essentially the BM tries to modify the enrolment
pitch according to the participant’s pain points. In most cases, these potential candidates agree to
enrol in the program. After finalising some necessary documents, they officially become
participants of the Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme (M. Salim, personal communication, October
6, 2023).

However, This typical process of participant selection and enrollment does not guarantee a 100%
enrollment rate. In fact, a significant number of individuals do not ultimately enrol in the
programme. The situation in which individuals initially qualify for participation but do not end up
enrolling is officially referred to as "exclusion." This non-enrolment or exclusion is a serious issue
that BRAC is trying to reduce. However, to do so understanding why non-enrolment takes place is
of paramount importance.

Page 18 of 26
5. Findings

5.1 Classification of non-enrolment

Non-enrolment or exclusion can be categorised into two types: voluntary exclusion and involuntary
exclusion. Involuntary exclusion pertains to situations where potential candidates are not unwilling
to enrol in the program. Instead, due to changes in their circumstances, they become ineligible for
the Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme (UPGP) when the time for final selection arrives. For
instance, issues related to migration may arise. Between the primary selection and the final
enrollment, potential candidates might have relocated due to financial hardships or other factors,
rendering them unable to participate in the program. Another example of involuntary exclusion
occurs when potential candidates start taking loans from another organisation or programme after
primary selection and before finally being enrolled. According to the program's policy, individuals
taking loans from other organisations are no longer eligible for participating in the UPGP. This
policy is rooted in the understanding that many impoverished individuals lack access to banking or
loan services, and as such, individuals already engaging with financial services are excluded from
the program, as their financial situation is considered relatively better than that of others.

On the other hand, voluntary exclusion implies that eligible candidates willingly choose not to enrol
in the programme. In essence, they consciously opt not to be associated with the program, despite
meeting the criteria and being considered "ultra-poor" according to BRAC's definition (S. Rahman,
personal communication, September 20, 2023).

As of August 2023, the average non-enrolment or exclusion rate for the cohort of 2023 participants
stood at approximately 23% (UPGP operations unit, 2023). This means that if 100 people were
deemed eligible candidates during the primary selection, 23 of them did not ultimately become
participants. As mentioned before this non-participation can be attributed to both voluntary and
involuntary exclusion.

5.2 Reasons for non-enrolment

The Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme is designed to assist the most vulnerable individuals who
are in dire need of support. Exclusion, in essence, means that those who require assistance the most
are not receiving it. Additionally, the program invests significant resources in identifying eligible
candidates, and when these individuals do not become participants, this investment goes to waste.
Voluntary exclusion or non-enrolment is of particular concern, as these individuals qualify for

Page 19 of 26
participation at the time of final selection but choose not to enrol in a program that is designed to
enhance their resilience. BRAC is actively engaged in efforts to reduce exclusion rates and enrol
more eligible individuals through the final selection process.

Before taking steps to mitigate exclusion, understanding its underlying causes is a must. Involuntary
exclusions primarily occur when potential participants do not qualify or meet the program's criteria
at the time of final selection. There is typically a gap of approximately 2 to 3 months between the
primary selection and the final selection. During the primary selection phase, potential participants
are not made aware of the program's details. In some instances, these potential candidates start
taking loans from other microfinance institutions or external organisations, disqualifying them as
candidates for the UPGP when the time for final selection arrives. Another significant cause of
involuntary exclusion is migration, as some individuals change their primary place of residence
during this three-month period, making it challenging for the program to identify them. In short,
two most significant causes of involuntary exclusion are migration and taking loans from other
programmes and organisatins.

The reasons for voluntary exclusion are multifaceted and diverse. The primary factors include:

Distrust Regarding the Programme: Many potential candidates refrain from joining the Ultra-
Poor Graduation Programme, expressing suspicion of such humanitarian initiatives. They fear that
if they participate in the program, the loan provider will continually pressure them to make
repayments. Some worry that their lack of academic knowledge might be exploited, leading them
into contracts with hidden loopholes.

These apprehensions are often rooted in negative past experiences with various so-called
humanitarian organisations. A recurring theme is that such organisations promise flexible loan
repayment terms before disbursing the loans but subsequently exert persistent pressure for
repayment, causing social embarrassment for loan takers.

For these reasons, some individuals are apprehensive about humanitarian organisations that provide
loans and opt not to join the Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme due to deeply ingrained distrust and
fear. In other words, they value the benefits discussed during the enrolment process, but they are
skeptical about whether they will actually receive the benefits or not.

Lack of Self-Confidence: Ultra-poor individuals reside at the bottom of the societal hierarchy,
lacking many of the privileges often taken for granted. They typically lack formal education and
have spent most of their lives under the weight of poverty and subjugation. This extreme poverty
often leads to a poverty of self-confidence. Over time, they may come to believe that poverty is a
fate imposed by a higher power, an integral and inseparable part of their existence. They may feel
that attempting to change their circumstances is futile. They do not believe that they have the mental

Page 20 of 26
ability to go through this intensive programme. During the enrolment process the UPGP team
briefly mentions that they will guide the participants throughout the 2 years so that the participants
can indeed utilise the enterprise and have the knowhow required to improve their financial and
social condition. However, the potential candidates often do not realise the scale of the support
system and think that the support will be sporadic and generic in nature. As a result, in some cases
people feel helpless and start thinking that they will make mistakes and end up at a worse stage. It
is this sense of hopelessness that demotivates some people from considering participation in the
program.

Gender Barriers: As previously mentioned, the programme is directed towards ultra-poor females.
However, in Bangladesh's deeply patriarchal social structure, women often lack the autonomy to
make decisions independently. If the household's male figure or decision-maker is not directly
approached and persuaded, there may be skepticism, and potential participants might be forbidden
from enrolling in the program. For example, in one case the eligible candidate was very eager to
enrol in the programme but did not join because of restrictions from the in laws. In some cases,
conservative family members may also object to the idea of an earning women. A prevailing
sentiment suggests that if the man of the house is present, the women should not work. Some believe
that if women start to earn then they would become rebellious and not pay any heed to their
husbands which can bring chaos in their household. Fearing this some households forbid the eligible
female from becoming a participant.

Fear of Loan Repayment: Another significant reason for voluntary non-enrolment is the belief
among potential participants that they will be unable to meet the repayment requirements under the
current instalment structure. The common concern here is that their daily struggle for survival is
already extremely taxing. Consequently, they lack confidence in their ability to generate enough
income to meet the bi-weekly instalment obligations. With the introduction of 30-day grace period,
the first repayment starts within 45 days of asset transfer. They are especially concerned that it will
not be possible for them to generate enough surplus to cover the repayment cost in such a short
period. To address this specific issue, the programme has two types of enterprises. Enterprises like
Heifer gives return in the long run. There are also enterprises that generate return very quickly.
Poultry rearing is one such enterprise. To make sure that participants can start earning within a short
period and that repayment does not become a huge burden, the programme has given this emphasis
on short-term income generating activities. However, this point is not given enough attention by
the UPGP staff during the enrolment meeting. As a result, participants’ concern about how they can
meet the instalment requirements in such a short time is not appropriately addressed.

These four primary reasons account for most instances of voluntary exclusion. These reasons are
recognized through working in the programme. Data collected from the Khajura branch of the

Page 21 of 26
Jashore zone corroborate this conclusion. Out of the 270 targeted participants, 68 individuals could
not be enrolled during the final selection process. Among them, 21 were excluded involuntarily,
while the remaining exclusions were voluntary.

Out of the 47 cases of voluntary exclusion, the main reason in 18 instances was concern about the
ability to meet instalment repayments. In 15 cases, families did not want their daughters or wives
to engage in employment. Fourteen individuals cited their distrust of such programs as the primary
reason for their decision (Khajura branch office team, 2023).

Additionally, interviews involving open-ended questions conducted with 40 potential participants

across three clusters revealed that, while not always explicitly expressed, most of these individuals
struggled with a lack of confidence in their ability to alter their circumstances, leading to pessimism.
Furthermore, these interviews demonstrated that these reasons are not necessarily mutually
exclusive. More often than not, these factors combine together to create significant barriers,
resulting in voluntary non-enrolment in the programme.

Page 22 of 26
6. Recommendations
Here are a few recommendations that may assist the Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme in reducing
their non-enrolment rate:

Emphasise on Short-term income generation: The initial enrolment pitch cannot sufficiently
address participants’ concern about the commencement of instalments in 45 days. To address this
issue, detailed discussion on programme supported short-term income generating activities should
take place in the enrolment meeting. A chart can be used to show how quickly and in what amount
these short-term income generating activities will give return to the participants and how that will
help with the instalments.

Avoidance of Negative Fear-Inducing Words: The UPG staff should refrain from using negative
emotionally charged words in front of the participants. Discussions with participants have revealed
that words like "instalments" are feared due to past traumatic experiences. Many individuals have
had adverse encounters with instalments, which makes them apprehensive whenever they hear this
word. This emotional response can overshadow rational consideration of the program's benefits.

Research suggests that when people are emotional, they tend to give disproportionate attention to
the issue triggering their emotions, often neglecting other important points. So, when people get
very negatively emotional, their decision making ability might be hampered (Lerner et al., 2015).
"কিস্তি" (instalment) is one such emotionally charged word for many potential participants.
Therefore, it is advisable to initially emphasise the program's benefits without explicitly using the
word "কিস্তি". Later, once they grasp the program's advantages, discussions about loan repayment
can be introduced more delicately. To enhance communication effectiveness, UPGP staff should
conduct in-depth interviews with participants and potential participants to identify words perceived
negatively and intentionally avoid using them in future interactions. This approach will help lower
mental barriers and increase participation rates.

Instilling Confidence through appropriate Message Source: As mentioned earlier, many eligible
candidates tend to view poverty as a permanent condition, feeling hopeless and believing that efforts
to overcome it are futile. To address this, UPG staff members, including program organisers, branch
managers, and regional managers, often use motivating phrases such as "আপা, আপকি ই পারবেি".
This phrase has become a sort of catchphrase for the program.

Page 23 of 26
However, potential participants are likely to be more persuaded when the message comes from
someone who shares a similar background and has overcome similar challenges. They will find
hope in the stories of individuals who have been in their shoes and have successfully gone through
the programme. In fact, messages coming from sources that are familiar are more easily accepted
by the audience (Pickton et al., 2005).

Therefore, to boost confidence among the ultra-poor individuals, the program can engage previous
program "graduates" as advocates for the programme. These former participants can share their
personal success stories with potential participants during enrollment pitches. In cases where in-
person attendance is not possible, video testimonials featuring their stories can be created. Here, the
former participants can also talk about the type of comprehensive regular guideline they received
from the UPGP team. By delivering the message through individuals who resemble the target
audience, eligible candidates will be more receptive and find courage in success stories from peers.
This will help establish the Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme as their trusted development partner.

Leveraging the Credibility and Brand Image of BRAC: A brand can be considered a promise,
creating specific expectations in the minds of the target audience. In today's world, individuals are
constantly bombarded with a plethora of information and exposed to numerous products and
services. A well-established brand name, along with a positive image, serves to simplify the
decision-making process for the target audience. Furthermore, a positive mental association with a
brand helps alleviate concerns related to potential risks associated with availing the offerings
(Kotler & Keller, 2012).

As previously mentioned, one of the reasons for non-enrolment in the programme is the distrust
surrounding social welfare initiatives. Often, this distrust has arisen due to experiences with
fraudulent or unhelpful so-called "welfare loan" activities. Here, BRAC's renowned brand image
can be utilised to address this persistent fear among the potential participants.

BRAC is a giant organisation with diverse projects spanning nearly every corner of Bangladesh.
Approximately 40% of Bangladeshis have received some form of assistance from BRAC, and the
organisation has undertaken development and relief campaigns in nearly every village in
Bangladesh. These projects have been executed with unwavering diligence, benefiting countless
individuals. To encourage the enrolment of individuals in the Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme,
the UPGP staff should capitalise on this strong brand image. When interacting with potential
participants, the BRAC logo should be prominently displayed. Furthermore, trusted program
organisers, who have garnered respect and admiration within their communities through the success
of other programs, can be used as spokespersons to reduce the scepticism about the program's
credibility among eligible candidates.

Page 24 of 26
Finally, while attempting to persuade eligible candidates to join the program, it is beneficial to not
solely focus on the program itself. Initiating a brief discussion about BRAC's extensive work and
providing examples of how the organisation has positively impacted people's lives will help foster
a rapport and increase the likelihood of enrolment.

Shortening the Duration: A significant gap of almost 2 months exists between primary selection
and final selection in the enrolment process. During this period, some individuals migrate to other
locations due to deteriorating economic conditions. Their change of residence poses a challenge for
the program to verify them as participants during the final selection stage, contributing to
involuntary exclusion. If it is feasible to reduce the time between primary and final selection,
eligible candidates could be incorporated into the UPGP's support system before they are compelled
to relocate due to worsening economic circumstances. While shortening the duration might pose
challenges given the scale of the project, it is important to explore the possibility, as it would
undeniably decrease the rate of involuntary exclusion. Conducting a comprehensive cost-benefit
analysis could help assess the advantages of reducing involuntary exclusion against the potential
added expenses associated with shortening the time frame.

Implementing these recommendations in the programme can help increase the enrolment rate.

Page 25 of 26
7. Conclusion
The reasons for exclusion or non-enrolment in the Ultra-Poor Graduation Program are multifaceted
and often involve a combination of factors that keeps eligible candidates from becoming
participants. Reducing non-enrolment is a top priority for the UPGP team, as it not only helps the
organisation achieve its goals but also makes the program more efficient. While both types of non-
enrolment, involuntary and voluntary, should be minimised, voluntary exclusion has a more
detrimental impact, and specific measures should be taken to address it.

The solutions to this problem are diverse and multi-faceted. Relying on a single method may not
produce the desired outcome but employing multiple strategies to address various concerns leading
to non-enrolment can lead to a more favourable result.

To this end, it is recommended that the UPGP team conduct a more in-depth examination of non-
enrolment, delving into its root causes and the driving factors. Based on the findings of this
examination, appropriate steps should be taken promptly to minimise non-enrolment and enhance
the program's impact.

Page 26 of 26
Appendix

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https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/brac-university

UPGP operations unit (2023). ‘Target finalisation for cohort 2023’ Minutes of midyear ZM
meeting August 2, 2023, BCDM, Savar.

Interview Questions

As mentioned in the main body of the report, semi-structured interviews are taken with key
members of the UPGP team and eligible potential candidates.

The questions asked during these semi-structured interviews are given below. Please note that the
interviews were conducted in Bengali. For the purpose of inclusion in the report, the questions have
been translated into English.

To the UPGP team

- How do you identify eligible candidates for the UPGP?

- Which points do you focus on when introducing the programme to eligible candidates for
the first time?
- How do the potential participants respond to the enrolment pitch?
- Approximately what percentage of eligible candidates initially decide not to enrol in the
programme?
- Why do you think some eligible candidates did not end up as participants?
- What can the UPGP team do to reduce this rate of non-enrolment?

To the eligible potential candidates:

- What did the UPGP team tell you about the programme?
- Why did you not enrol?
- What do you think about the programme?

These open-ended questions were followed up by necessary relevant questions based on their
answers.