The international development nonprofit Counterpart International today released the baseline assessment of its Bangladesh Leadership Development Program, a five-year initiative funded by USAID to enhance citizens’ engagement in democratic processes and community development.

The assessment, produced by Langer Research Associates, includes an extensive review of the relevant literature and detailed measurement of the attitudes, knowledge and capacity of recruited BLDP participants. The research will inform design of the program’s curriculum, serve as the baseline for future assessments of its impacts and help shape Counterpart’s leadership training approaches globally. Key findings include the importance of cultural context, sensitivity toward cultural norms of behavior for women and the impact of these norms on women’s perceptions of their ability to effect change.

The Bangladesh Leadership Development Program Baseline Assessment was designed, managed and analyzed by Langer Research, with field work directed by D3 Systems, Inc., of Vienna, Va., and carried out by Org-Quest Research Ltd. of Dhaka, Bangladesh. See Counterpart’s announcement and the full report here.