Support to Development Planning in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Project description
Title: Support to Development Planning in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (SDP)
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Pakistan
Lead executing agency: Provincial Planning and Development Department (P&DD)
Overall term: 2012 to 2016
Context
Citizen-oriented development planning that raises the quality and quantity of public services is a key measure of good governance. In the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, access to public services is limited, with a lack of basic services prevailing especially in rural areas. Planning processes are partly fragmented and insufficiently aligned to the medium and long-term development objectives of the province.
The Provincial Government has devised several strategies to address these issues. In 2010 it conducted a post-conflict needs assessment, which highlighted the importance of good governance and the participation of citizens in planning processes as key factors in peace-building. Two other documents – the Comprehensive Development Strategy Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 2010-17 and the Community Driven Local Development Framework Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – also stress the importance of building stronger, more constructive relations between state and society, and of promoting the transparency and citizens’ participation in development planning. Finally, the recently endorsed Charter of Good Governance Legislative Framework and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Information Law also underscores the need for transparency of government action as a main objective.
Objective
Citizens’ participation, coordination and transparency in Development Planning are implemented in the Districts of Haripur and Nowshera in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Approach
On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH supports is supporting the Provincial Government in achieving these objectives. The project intends to ensure citizen’s participation in development planning, enhance coordination between institutions and developing a constructive relationship between state and society with respect to development planning.
GIZ is working with the Planning and Development Department at the provincial level to ensure that its development planning process is participatory, transparent and inclusive. It is also cooperating with the district administration, local government structures and other relevant stakeholders at the district level. At sub-district level, the Local Government Elections and Rural Development Department as well as other stakeholders, including civil society, are involved. The project aims to initiate change processes that will lead to greater citizen participation, coordination and transparency of development planning in selected areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Based on demand from the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the project also intends to establish a model for participatory development planning that can be replicated and scaled up in other districts.
Results
Together with the partner institutions, the project
- strengthens citizen’s participation in development planning by engaging people into the process in the two pilot districts, Haripur and Nowshera.
- qualifies public institutions that are involved in development planning for effective and coordinated development planning. The citizens will be involved through participatory planning approaches. The project has already identified target groups at the sub district level within the two pilot districts. All the relevant stakeholders including district authorities, secretaries of the preselected Union Councils (UCs), local media agents as well as people of civil society organisations participated in the selection process.
- promotes inter and intra-departmental coordination for achieving medium and long-term development goals. For example it contributes to strengthening the Annual Development Planning Committees at district and sub-district level and developing their linkages with district and sub-district administration.
- has enhanced understanding of role and responsibilities of district officials and civil society regarding sub-provincial planning procedures.