Bhutan

Promotion of Culture-Based Creative Industry for Poverty Reduction and Community Vitalization

Within the BIMSTEC agenda, Bhutan is the lead country in the area of culture cooperation. Currently there exist little or no comprehensive data on culture industry. Without data, support to this sector is limited. The project aims to under-take a diagnostic survey in order to form a baseline on culture based creative industry the findings from which will be analyzed by gender and other relevant factors and used to inform policies, plans and program interventions for the development of the sectors.

In order to assist and expand existing activities in the craft sector, the project will support the enhancement of marketing, design, quality, production and entrepreneurial development of the Craft Sector and other related cultural products through partnership with relevant government ministries, private sector institutions/associations and targeted rural communities and groups.  Support will also include the operationalziation of the Bhutan SEAL of Excellence which will establish quality benchmarks for handicrafts. Experiences, information and knowledge products from the project will be shared and where relevant used as models with other BIMSTEC countries. 

UNDAF Outcome	1: By 2012, opportunities for generation of income and employment increased in targeted poor areas.
CT Outcome	1.3.1 Capacity of RGoB enhanced to formulate industrial and trade policies that are pro-poor, gender sensitive and cultural and heritage based, 1.3.2 Capacity of public and private sector enhanced to meet international standards for exports, 1.4.1 Community based MSMEs and cooperatives, particularly those of women and youth, supported through improved access to micro-finance, business development services, marketing, group formation and post harvest management services, 1.5.2 National Capacity at central and local levels for collection, analysis and production of timely, reliable and disaggregated statistical data enhanced
CT Output	1.3. Capacity of the RGoB strengthened to formulate policy framework for Private Sector Development with focus on employment generation and pro-poor growth through the promotion of MSMES; 1.4. New Micro and SMEs and job created with emphasis on women and youth; 1.5. Enhanced capacity of public sector to implement results based policy, plan and programme development for MDGs, GNH and other national priorities
Project Location	Eastern Region
Project Duration	January 2009 - June 2010
Budget Outlay	US$ 790,730
Link to Workplan	Click on the icon to download