citizens' voice study report.image.marked.pdf

7/27/2019 Citizens' Voice Study Report.Image.Marked.pdf

1/49


2/49


3/49

BUILDING CITIZENS' VOICE

IN THE MONITORING AND

EVALUATION PROCESSES OF

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA

Towards Citizen-Centric Governance

April 2011

Government of Khyber PakhtunkhwaPlanning and Development Department

Directorate General of Monitoring and EvaluationPAKISTAN


4/49


5/49

List of Abbreviations

Forward by the Secretary P&D

Acknowledgment by the Director General M&E

1. Introduction

2. What is Civil Society?

3. Government-Civil Society Engagement: An Overview

4. Issues and Challenges

5. Voices from the Field

6. Framework for Building Citizens' Voice in M&E

7. Recommendations

8. Endnote

Table 1: Defining Civil Society

Table 2: Examples of Government-Civil Society Engagement in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Box 1: Thematic Focus of CSOs in Pakistan

Box 2: CCBs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Box 3: TehsilAccountability Committees

Annex 1: List of Resource Persons

Annex 2: ToRs for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Civil Society Forum

Annex 3: Citizen Report Cards

Annex 4: Public Expenditure TrackingAnnex 5: Phasing Plan for Implementation

Glimpses of the Consultations

Tab le o f

Contents

i

ii

iii

1

2

5

8

11

12

15

24

2

6

3

4

7

25

27

30

3335

37


6/49

List of Abbreviations

CCB Citizen Community Boards

CDS Comprehensive Development Strategy

CIVICUS This is a Latin term meaning of the town or of the community

(CIVICUS is an international alliance working for the growth and

protection of citizen action throughout the world)

CRC Citizen Report Card

CSF Civil Society Forum

CSO Civil Society Organisation

DFID UK governments Department for International Development

DG M&E Directorate General of Monitoring and EvaluationDTCE Devolution Trust for Community Empowerment

FoI Freedom of Information

IVR Interactive Voice Response

LGO Local Government Ordinance

LSE London School of Economics and Political Science

M&E Monitoring and Evaluation

MPA Member of Provincial Assembly

NGO Non-Governmental Organisation

OBB Output-Based Budgeting

P&D Planning and Development

PETS Public Expenditure Tracking SurveyPRP Provincial Reforms Programme

PTC Parents-Teachers Council

SMS Short Message Service

SOE State Owned Enterprises

ToRs Terms of Reference

UNDP United Nations Development Programme

i Citizens Voice Study of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa


7/49

Foreword

Traditionally there has been state's monopoly over the public sector

planning, monitoring and evaluation processes. However, this trend is

breaking now and governments are becoming more open and

responsive to the citizens' needs and choices in the ever changing world.

The current and last year's Annual Development Programmes of the

Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (2010-11 and 2011-12) were

formulated with the inputs of the civil society stakeholders. With the

commissioning of the Citizens' Voice Study, the Government of Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa has taken a step forward and will include civil society

voices (NGOs, academia, media and the private sector) in its monitoring and evaluation

practices.

The Citizens' Voice Study is a part of the M&E Framework implementation, which was

approved by the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in January 2011. The study suggests

a number of institutional means and mechanisms through which civil society can be

meaningfully engaged in the public sector monitoring and evaluation processes at the

policy, service delivery and grievance redressal levels.

The Directorate General M&E of the P&D Department has already started working on the

implementation of the Citizens' Voice Study recommendations in consultation with the

relevant government departments and civil society organisations. I will expect all

departments of the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to support this process to foster

meaningful institutional reforms for improved service delivery. There is a dire need to close

gap between the government initiatives and the private enterprise, and this study precisely

addresses this issue and provides very useful recommendations for creating

complementarities.

Finally, I would like to thank the UK government's Department for International

Development (DFID) for providing technical assistance for this pioneering reform initiative

of the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through their Provincial Reforms Programme

(PRP). I would also like to appreciate efforts of the Directorate General M&E and all those

civil society organisations which contributed for the finalisation of this study.

(Muhammad Salim Khan)

Secretary to the Government of

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Planning and Development Department

ii

by the Secretary P&D

Citizens Voice Study of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa


8/49

Acknowledgments

The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has taken some important initiativesunder the Provincial Reforms Programme (PRP) to improve governance in the

province in order to make the system more transparent for better service

delivery. Therefore work on the Citizens' Voice Study was started immediately

after the approval of the M&E Framework by the Government of Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa in January 2011. The objective of this study was to assist the

Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in identifying institutional mechanisms for

civil society engagement within the M&E Framework, including the tools which

can be used for such engagement and the manner in which this engagement can

be strengthened.

Under the leadership of Mr. Attaullah Khan, Additional Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and

Mr. Muhammad Salim Khan, Secretary P&D, and with the help of the Reforms Management Group

(Monitoring and Evaluation), the Directorate General M&E has developed an Implementation Plan

to execute selected recommendations of the Citizens' Voice Study report on a pilot-basis during the

fiscal year 2011-12. However, this is just a beginning and there is much to be achieved for improving

government-civil society relationship for improved public sector service delivery in the province.

My sincere appreciation goes to all members of the Reforms Management Group (Monitoring and

Evaluation), the civil society organisations which participated in this study, Dr. Ihsan Ul Haq, the

Director, Reforms Management and Monitoring Unit (Chief Secretary's Office), Mr. Shahid Sharif,

PRP Team Leader and Mr. Mohammad Fayaz, PRP M&E Advisor, for their hard work and efforts in

completing work on this key milestone reform initiative of the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

I also appreciate the efforts of both the M&E Directors, Engr. Sher Azam Khan and Mr. Muhammad

Ayaz, IT Wing of the Directorate General M&E, Mr. Akhtar Shahzad and Mr. Asim Riaz, and Mr. SherMuhammad Khan, PRP IT Assistant, for facilitating printing work of this report.

My deepest gratitude to the UK government's Department for International Development (DFID)

and Oxford Policy Management (OPM) for providing technical and financial assistance for

commissioning the Citizens' Voice Study and its printing.

The Directorate General M&E looks forward and welcomes any comments, feedback and

suggestions from stakeholders on implementing recommendations of the Citizens' Voice Study

report. We hope that high quality technical support from the DFID will remain available for the

implementation of the recommendations of the Citizens' Voice Study report by the Government of

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

(Dil Nawaz Khan)

Director General M&E

Directorate General of Monitoring and Evaluation

Planning and Development Department

Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

iii

by the DG M&E



9/49

The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has taken important initiatives in the

recent past to improve governance and development outcomes in the province.

The launch of the Comprehensive Development Strategy (CDS), the introduction of

Output-Based Budgeting (OBB), and the development of the Health Sector Strategy,

Education Sector Plan and Social Protection Strategy, as well as the establishment of

the office of the Provincial Ombudsman, all point to a desire to reform the way the

Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa conducts its business.

As part of these reforms, the provincial government recently approved a

comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework. This Framework

seeks to consolidate and streamline M&E processes in the public sector and, as part

of this effort, aims where possible to incorporate citizens' voice in the assessment of

the impact of development programmes and projects.

The objective of this report is therefore to assist the Government of Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa in identifying institutional mechanisms for civil society

engagement within the M&E Framework, including the tools which can be used

for such engagement and the manner in which this engagement can be rolled out

and strengthened.

Within the limitations of the time available for conducting this study, an effort wasmade to consult with a diverse group of stakeholders (nearly 100 people were

consulted individually and through three focus-group discussions and one

provincial workshop). The recommendations contained in this report are based on

the discussions and focus-groups conducted with several civil society organisations,

informal jirga, academia and senior officers in the Government of Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa (see Annex 1 for a full list), as well as an analysis of current practices

and systems for government-civil society engagement.

Introduction

1Citizens Voice Study of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa


10/49

The diversity of issues civil society deals with, and the many roles it performs, makes

understanding what it comprises and its perceived benefits a complex matter. As

economies mature and societies begin to appreciate the benefits of the1

'multipluralism of society' the importance of civil society has grown.

Policy makers, development practitioners and other stakeholders use different

definitions for civil society, each of which mirror their respective perceptions about

the role, significance, motivations and performance of civil society (see Table 1).

However, for the purposes of this report, a broad view and definition of Civil Society

Organisations (CSOs) is taken, including Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs),

academia, media and the private sector.

What is Civil Society?

Table 1: Defining Civil Society

Source Definition

UNDP* Civil society organisations are non-state actors whose aims are neither to

generate profits nor to seek governing power. Civil society organisations

unite people in order to promote shared goals and interests.

DFID** Civil society is located between the state, the private sector, and the

family or household, where society debates and negotiates matters of

common concern and organises to regulate public affairs. It embracesinstitutionalised groups, local organisations and social movements and

networks.

Centre

for Civil

Society,

LSE***

Civil society refers to unforced collective action around shared interests,

purposes and values. In theory, its institutional forms are distinct from

those of the state, family and market, though in practice, the boundaries

between state, civil society, family and market are often complex, blurred

and negotiated. Civil society commonly embraces a diversity of spaces,

actors and institutional forms, varying in terms of degree of formality,

autonomy and power and including registered charities, development-

focussed non-governmental organisations, community groups,

trades unions, social movements, business associations, and advocacygroups.

* UNDP and Civil Society Organisations: A Toolkit for Strengthening Partnerships. UNDP 2006

** http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Global-Issues/Emerging-policy/Civil-Society/

*** http://www2.lse.ac.uk/CCS/home.aspx

1Sen, Amartya. Identity and Violence: The Illusions of Destiny. Penguin, 2006

2


11/49


Despite a long history of dealing with CSOs, the public-sector in Pakistan tends to

equate civil society with NGOs. This view combined with a suspicion about CSOs'

motives hampers efforts at purposeful engagement. However, civil society in

Pakistan has increasingly found space for working in various modes and for a variety

of purposes. Several legal frameworks exist under which CSOs have been

registered, including the Societies Act (1860), Companies Ordinance (1984), the

Trust Act (1882), the Charitable Endowments Act (1890), the Cooperatives Act

(1925), the Voluntary Social Welfare Agencies (Registration and Control) Ordinance

(1961) and the Local Government Ordinance (LGO) 2001.

According to CIVICUS (a leading international NGO working on civil society issues),2

as of 2001, more than 12,000 CSOs were registered across Pakistan, focused across

a range of social sectors (see Box 1).

Poor regulation of CSOs by government, the absence of a comprehensive database

of CSOs, and inadequate reporting by CSOs makes it difficult to determine the exact

number of CSOs active in Pakistan. However, the number is likely to be greater than

the 12,000 identified in the CIVICUS report (2001). To illustrate this point, in Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa alone more than 6,000 Citizen Community Boards (CCBs) were

established under the Local Government Ordinance between 2001 and 2010,

although these were primarily focused on infrastructure and municipal services

(Box 2).

Box 1: Thematic Focus of CSOs in Pakistan

Thematic Area Proportion of Total CSOs

Education

Health

Child Development

Community Development

56%

39%

15%

12%

Source: Directory of NGOs, NGO Resource Centre (A Project of the Aga Khan Foundation), 2000Note: The total exceeds 100% because one CSO often works in more than one thematic area

2Sattar, Adnan and Baig, Rabia. Civil Society in Pakistan. CIVICUS, 2001

3


12/49

4


Box 2: CCBs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CCB Registration and Project Summary (DTCE Partner Districts Only)

CCB Registration Summary (Based on Available Membership Details)

100% Male

100% Female

Mixed

Total

At Least 33% Female

Agriculture

Community Development

Education

Health

Infrastructure and Services

Literacy

Total

5,396

89

949

6,434

110

98

36

63

8

3,405

7

3,617

CCB Projects Summary (Based on Available Project Sectors)

Source: UNDP Pakistan Country Office, 2011



13/49

Governments provide a range of services to citizens. Often, the processes steering

the provision of services become an end in themselves, with beneficiary views on

the composition, quality and relevance of services either not sought or not given

due consideration. This is in contrast to the private sector, which is client oriented

and adopts systems for client-engagement and feedback to improve its services.

The majority of public services are offered through arrangements that offer little or

no choice to the public. While acknowledging that the provision of public services

may be more complex than the delivery of goods and services in the private sector,

the fundamental difference in approach of the two service delivery streams

towards clients forms part of the explanation for differences in results achieved and

the variation in level of client satisfaction between the two.

In Pakistan, governments at the federal and provincial levels have, from time-to-

time, taken steps towards citizen engagement. For example, involving the business

community at the level of the federal Economic Advisory Council, having civil

society represented on the boards of state-owned enterprises, and involving

parents in the Parents-Teachers Councils (PTCs). In the province of Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa there are several forums and initiatives for civil society engagement

(see Table 2).

The 2010-11 and 2011-12 Annual Development Programmes of KhyberPakhtunkhwa were formulated with the inputs of the civil society and political

representatives, ensured through organisation of the workshops at the provincial

level. In addition, the government has adopted a Post Crisis Needs Assessment

(PCNA) in which steps towards embedding citizens voice is included as a major

indicator for improved governance. However, there is a widespread public

perception that engagement between government and CSOs is infrequent, and

often tokenistic. From the perspective of social accountability and ensuring

transparency in development activities, the role of these forums is either weak or

non-existent.

Despite there being a large number of CSOs working in the development sector in

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, traditionally they are not involved in government

M&E processes, with no systematic mechanism for regular and timely feedback

from citizens or community groups to support public sector monitoring and

decision-making.

Government-Civil SocietyEngagement: An Overview



14/49

While there are models of successful civic engagement in planning and social

accountability in the province, these examples tend to operate outside government

(see Box 3 for an example). Furthermore, a low premium is placed on research and

analysis, thus hampering the ability to integrate evidence in government decision-making. The recently approved M&E Framework aims to bridge these gaps.

However, several issues and challenges remain, as noted in the next section.

Parents-Teachers Councils

Primary Health Care ManagementCommittees

Village Development Organisations

Citizen Community Boards

Womens Organisations, CommunityOrganisations, Village Organisations

Musalihat Anjumans

Representation of Civil Society onBoards of SOEs

Local Government Associations

Agriculture Think Tank

Jirgas

Established at the school level, with an elected chair, chosen by and from amongst thePTC members. There are more than 27,000 PTCs in the province, though the exactnumber of functional PTCs is not known.

Formed at the Basic Health Unit (BHU) level, comprising of local beneficiaries, CSOs, andHealth Department staff. These committees have been established on a pilot basisin only a few districts, and form part of the Health Sector Strategy for the province.

Established to oversee water and sanitation projects in province.

Established under the provisions of the Local Government Ordinance 2001.

There are more than 6,000 CCBs registered in the province.

Leverage community support through in-kind contributions, rights-basedadvocacy and platforms for collective decision-making and action.

Established under the provisions of the Local Government Ordinance 2001 forlocal dispute resolution through arbitration and mediation.

On the Board of Directors of organisations such as the Sarhad Development Authorityand the Sarhad Small Industries Development Board.

Formed with membership spread across Nazims of District and Town MunicipalAdministrations, aimed at providing a platform for learning and

sharing for elected heads of the local governments.

Under establishment by the Agricultural University (Peshawar) at the behest of theP&D Department, with representation from the academia, privatesector and government.

Based on the age-old tradition of community-based decision-making and on acommunity-driven, self-help groups basis.

6

Government-Civil Society Engagement: An Overview

Table 2: Examples of Government-Civil Society Engagement in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa



15/49

Government-Civil Society Engagement: An Overview

Box 3: TehsilAccountability Committees

SUNGI Development Foundation has established a community-based

mechanism for a planning and monitoring system, in the Hazara division of

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which is based on community needs and feedback.

Communities are organised at the village level in the shape of Village

Committees, for identifying local needs and developing a Village Development

Plan. Clusters of villages that form part of a Union Council have the Area

Coordination Committee that oversee the functioning of the Village

Committees. At the Tehsil level, Accountability Committees are formed whichcarry out monitoring of infrastructure development in the area and provide

feedback to local Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs) as well as to the

communities on their findings. All Committees are elected by the local

communities themselves and capacity building is provided by SUNGI. However,

there is no formal linkage between these Accountability Committees and the

Tehsiladministration and MPAs, and interaction is based on personal rather than

institutional relationships. At present, there are around 60 functional

Accountability Committees, which present a model for social accountability at

the local level.



16/49

In moving towards a more citizen-centred governance model the Government of

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has several issues to consider. These include:

Credibility. Although government talks of commitment to build citizens'

voice its track record is not strong. Civil society is unlikely to support such

efforts unless the credibility of outreach by government is established.

Government needs to bridge gaps in its communication and coordination

with civil society in order to re-establish this credibility.

The incentives void. There are few incentives for the civil bureaucracy to

adopt more inclusive M&E processes. Policy documents or administrative

instructions that call for multi-stakeholder engagement cannot, by

themselves, deliver effective civic engagement. There must be incentives in

place for the bureaucracy to engage with civil society.

Weak government-private sector nexus. Despite the fact that Government

of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's policy documents highlight the importance of a

private sector-led development model, the involvement of the private

sector in M&E is negligible. The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

organised pre-budget seminars while formulating Annual Development

Programmes of 2010-11 and 2011-12, including the private sectorrepresentatives, there is a scope for further strengthening this

collaboration.

Local engagement, without local government. Following devolution

reforms, the challenges of ensuring institutional civil society engagement

have increased significantly. The draft Local Government Act 2010, currently

under submission to the Provincial Assembly, does away with CCBs, internal

audit functions, and grievance-redressal mechanisms such as District

Ombudsmen. Critics of the LGO 2001 will point out that these institutional

arrangements enjoyed only mixed success. However, the existence of legal

provisions at least provided a basis to build on and continuity could have

helped iron out the deficiencies.

CSO accountability. Government officers often raise the issue of the

accountability of CSOs, and question the validity of their standpoint on

government accountability and transparency. The Pakistan Centre for

l

l

l

l

l

Issues and Challenges

8 Citizens Voice Study of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa


17/49

Philanthropy has put in place an accreditation system for CSOs. However,

questions over CSO accountability and suspicions over their motives still

need to be addressed. For example, CSOs are often accused of promoting

'donor-sponsored agendas', although donor funding constituted only 73

percent of CSO financing in 2002 .

Bridging information gaps. The route to civil society empowerment begins

with access to information. With information access now a constitutional4

right , there is an obligation on the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to

promulgate a Freedom of Information (FoI) Law and to ensure its

implementation. Information flows from civil society to the Government ofKhyber Pakhtunkhwa also need to be strengthened, and CSOs need to reach

out to government to share their experiences.

Effective grievance-redressal mechanisms. Effective citizen-friendly

grievance-redressal mechanisms are an important element in establishing

more accountable and transparent services. At present, such mechanisms

are largely absent. As mentioned earlier, District Ombudsmen offices were

not established under the LGO 2001, and the Provincial Ombudsman is not

yet fully functional.

The risk of co-option. The need to define appropriate roles and

responsibilities of both the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and CSOs

in the M&E process is important. The choice of partners from CSOs for

oversight needs to be carefully managed to avoid a conflict of interest

between service providers and monitors. Moreover, even within the

internal accountability mechanisms in the Government of Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa, there is a need to ensure that the roles of implementation

and oversight should not be vested in the same person.

Absence of benchmarks and baselines. The weaknesses of government's

M&E processes are underscored by poor or non-existent benchmarks andbaselines. As a result, service delivery processes are not output-oriented.

The introduction of output-based budgeting in the province, however, does

provide an opportunity for setting this right.

l

l

l

l

3Pasha AG, HA Pasha and MA Iqbal. Non-profit Sector in Pakistan: Government Policy and Future Issues.

Social Policy and Development Centre Working Paper 2, The Johns Hopkins Comparative Non-profit Sector Project 20024

This provision was introduced in the recent Eighteenth Amendment

9



18/49

lOvercoming a weak culture of engagement. In Pakistan, the government-

civil society relationship is weak, marked as it is by a mutual suspicion

nurtured by a lack of information about each other's actions. The prospect

of enhanced CSO engagement and making M&E more inclusive requires

focused interventions aimed at bridging this gap. This would entail

addressing capacity needs on both sides of the divide, improving

communication and coordination, and overcoming attitudinal barriers that

have traditionally marred government-civil society relations.

10




19/49

During interaction with stakeholders, feedback was received on different

impediments to effective government-civil society relations. While this has been

reflected in the previous section, a 'word cloud' representation of this feedback is

instructive in helping understand the major challenges, as perceived by civil society

(see below). The size and boldness of the font used indicates the frequency of their

being cited as major issues and challenges, as voiced by civil society during several

interviews, focus-group discussions and workshops. As a visual map of challenges,

this presents an alternative view of people's perceptions about government's

accountability and transparency.

Voices from the Field



20/49

Building citizens' voice in the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's M&E systems

and processes needs to be guided by the principles ofsustainability, consistency,

relevance and trust.

Sustainability. Improving M&E through CSO participation and building

citizens' voice in government processes needs investment in building

bridges, careful planning, and overcoming preconceptions. There is

therefore a need to institutionalise arrangements and develop incentives so

as to provide a sustainable platform for engagement.

Consistency. Government-civil society engagement is often undermined by

a lack of consistency. Initiatives that are launched with much enthusiasm

often are not carried through, usually because they are personality, rather

than system, driven. Consistency of effort, rooted in systemic change, is

important.

Relevance. Given the diversity of expertise, experience and nature of CSOs,

appropriate matching of CSOs for engagement at different levels and

processes of M&E is important. Research organisations may not be

appropriate for the task of community mobilisation, while organisations

involved in managing social-accountability processes may not have therequisite skills for technical evaluation of development projects.

Trust. Partnerships flourish when they are based on mutual trust. This can

be addressed through improved communication and clarity in roles and

responsibilities, expectations, intended outcomes and institutional

arrangements that enable and facilitate each partner in performing their

roles.

The opportunities for building citizens' voice in M&E processes can be optimised,

provided the following changes take place:

The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa moves beyond tokenism. The

government-civil society engagement needs to be meaningful,

institutionalised and based on a shared and genuine concern for improving

public services, driven through incentives and embedded as part of regular

Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa operations, not ring-fenced in donor-

l

l

l

l

l

Framework for BuildingCitizens' Voice in M&E



21/49

Framework for Building Citizens' Voice in M&E

funded projects.

The distinction between citizen-centric government and citizen-centric

governance is grasped. In theory, all governments ought to be citizen-

centric. However, in practice the degree to which they actually are varies

considerably. In building citizens' voice in M&E processes it is critical not to

lose sight of the fact that citizen-centric governance encompasses the roles

and contributions of stakeholders other than Government of Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa itself. Citizen-centric governance implies allowing space for

civil society to develop social-accountability systems, empower

communities through facilitating access to relevant information, andbuilding requisite capacity and alternative service delivery and oversight

mechanisms.

The feedback loop is completed. Mobilising communities for engagement

in the M&E process and strengthening social-accountability mechanisms

serves little purpose if the results of such engagement are not

communicated back to communities. Engagement is a two-way process and

communication is necessary to bridge the trust deficit, build credibility, and

ensure sustainability.

A push and pull strategy is employed.Reforms are sustained where there is

public demand and an enabling environment. Embedding citizens' voice

involves pushing for principles, practices and processes outlined above, and

a pull strategy that is based on effective community mobilisation, access to

information and requisite institutional arrangements.

The benefits of information technology are leveraged. The use of

information technology to facilitate citizens' access to information and

sharing of knowledge amongst stakeholders is amplified both by the

growing 'teledensity'(number of landline telephones in use for every 100

individuals living within an area). In Pakistan, teledensity has increased from4.31 percent in 2003 to over 64 percent in 2010, with cellular service density

5accounting for 61 percent . Broadband subscriptions have also increased

6from just 26,000 in 2003 to over one million in 2010 .

l

l

l

l

5Pakistan Telecommunication Authority

6Ibid

13


22/49


23/49

The following actions are proposed for embedding citizens' voices in the M&E

processes of the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, it is up to the

provincial government how they select and implement these recommendations

to improve their monitoring and evaluation practices in collaboration with the

civil society organisations. A phased Implementation Plan is proposed under Annex

5 for the consideration of the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

This may include:

1. Establishing a Civil Society Forum(CSF) for providing regular policy advice

to the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on issues related to social

accountability, strengthening of grievance-redressal mechanisms,

improving and streamlining of M&E processes and overall developmental

planning and implementation. This forum should consist entirely of CSOs

with broad-based membership to ensure representation of different types

of CSOs. The Chair would rotate amongst members, with a fixed tenure. A

similar Forum was established in Sindh province as part of the Sindh

Reforms Programme and proved a success in mobilising policy-oriented

dialogue amongst CSOs. Proposed Terms of Reference (ToRs) of CSF are

provided at Annex 2.

2. Representation on the M&E Committees in the office of the Directorate

General M&Eto ensure that direct advisory input of CSOs is available to

assist the DG M&E in its efforts to deliver effectively on its mandate under

the M&E Framework. In addition, inclusion of civil society in two other

management forums proposed to be established in the office of the DG

M&E especially at the level of Divisional Review Committees headed by

the Commissioners would help ensure that the community's voice is

embedded in an institutional arrangement at the local level, allowing for

collation of experiences, concerns and suggestions for improving oversightreceived from a variety of local, community-based mechanisms (including

Parents-Teachers Councils, Village Organisations, Women's Organisations

etc).

A. Establish Platforms for Policy Engagements

Recommendations



24/49

3. Setting up of multi-stakeholder sectoral Think Tanks and Commissionsas is

being done for the agriculture sector. In keeping with the Government of

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's focus on social service delivery and aligned to the

rolling out of its CDS and OBB initiatives, it is proposed that, initially, these

Think Tanks be established for the education, health and social protection

sectors. Since the idea of these Think Tanks is to provide independent advice

and feedback on implementation of the sector strategies, the majority of

the members should be from civil society, including the private sector.

To bridge the information gap and promote transparency, it is

recommended that:

4. Freedom of Information (FoI) legislation is enacted, drawing upon best

international practice and including subordinate legislation in the form of

rules and regulations. Every department at provincial and local level should

be asked to nominate Information Officers, their contact details should be

widely publicised and their capacities built. Subsequent to the enactment, a

sustained public awareness campaign should be run in the media and local

community, mobilised through the help of CSOs engaged in rights-basedadvocacy, highlighting the rights of the common citizen in this respect, how

they can exercise this right and the procedure for grievance-redressal in

case they are denied this right.

5. The Provincial Ombudsman legislation is amendedto vest in this office the7

powers of an Information Commissioner , to whom citizens denied access to

information can appeal. Publicity should be given and CSOs used to create

awareness and understanding of the role of the Information Commissioner

and the procedure to follow for approaching him for redressal of any

grievance related to access to information.

6. The principles of open budgeting are embracedwith budget information

including development budgets made available to the public in a concise

and simplified form, with multilingual versions in Urdu, Pashto and other

local languages. These can be made available through websites and printed

B. Prioritise Improved Access to Information

7This proposed amendment would follow the enactment of appropriate FoI legislation

16

Recommendations


25/49


26/49

9. Establish Awaaz: a Provincial Call Centre to serve as a one-stop shop for

sharing information, guiding citizens with respect to any governmental

procedures, receipt of complaints and enabling tracking of complaints,

providing budgetary information or receiving suggestions.Awaaz should be

a toll-free service offered to the public, established under a public-private

partnership, offering multilingual IVR-based services and linked to the

Ombudsman office as well as departmental databases, Information Officers

and grievance-redressal systems. An example of such a service is the Call

Centre established by the Federal Ombudsman's office.

Tools to use in this respect include:

10. Citizen Report Cards (CRCs) developed for key service-delivery sectors such

as education, health and municipal services, starting with pilots carried out

in select districts on either education or health service delivery. CRCs have

been used in other provinces in Pakistan, including by the Karachi Water and8

Sewerage Board and the Town Municipal Administration of Dunya Pur in9

the Lodrhan district of Punjab province (please see Annex 3 for further

details on CRCs).

11. Expanding on the concept of community-based Tehsil Accountability

Committees to serve as an independent forum for public accountability

linked with departmental information and accountability systems through

quarterly meetings. In particular, they could be used to monitor

procurement and contracting at tehsiland district level, providing feedback

on the integrity and efficiency of the process as well as information on

market costs.

12. Accountability focus for facility-level participatory forumswith a conscious

effort made to ensure that the Parents-Teachers Councils at the school level,

Primary Health Care Management Committees in health and Village

Development Organisations in the water and sanitation sector become less

like rubber-stamping forums and focus more on their functions as

accountability and transparency forums. This can be achieved through

C. Institutionalise Social Accountability Mechanisms

8See the World Bank Water and Sanitation website at http://www.wsp.org/wsp/node/231 for more information

9Mid-Term Report on Citizen Report Card Methodology and Continuous Improvement Benchmarking. ADB 2008

18

Recommendations


27/49

Recommendations

ensuring members' understanding of any standards (such as those set for

the health sector), their role in monitoring those standards and for checking

issues such as doctors' absenteeism, availability of medicines etc and

through regular performance audits carried out by CSOs as well as detailed

evaluations of their performance by the Directorate General M&E in

collaboration with CSOs.

13. Use Public Expenditure Tracking Surveys (PETS) to map the flow of public

resources from the source to the beneficiary and, in doing so, assess the

deficiencies, impediments and transparency of the process. To ensure

linkage with the OBB process, it is proposed that the PETS be initiated for theeducation, health and social protection sectors (please see Annex 4 for

details).

Issues of voice and accountability cannot be addressed fully unless an

effective grievance-redressal mechanism is instituted at various levels of

service provision. The following interventions are proposed:

14. Develop standards for departmental-level grievance-redressal to cover

roles and responsibilities, procedures for grievance-redressal and ensure

wide dissemination and public awareness of these standards and systems.

15. Prioritise the full functionality of the Provincial Ombudsman and establish

a Civil Society Advisory Committee to assist the Ombudsman in its work and

provide a civil society perspective on public accountability issues. A similar

Forum has been functional in the office of the Federal Ombudsman of

Pakistan for more than two years now and provides a useful model to follow.

16. Publish and ensure wide dissemination of a Complaints Directorylisting all

grievance-redressal focal points and Information Officers (once the FoIlegislation is enacted), their contact details and steps to follow if access to

information is denied or a grievance not redressed. Both the Federal and

Punjab Ombudsman have published these Directories, with the Federal

Complaints Directory available in English and Urdu.

D. Institute Effective Grievance Redressal Mechanisms



28/49

E. Strengthening M&E Operations

The responsibilities assigned to the Directorate General M&E under the

M&E Framework are both wide and challenging. To strengthen and support

their operations, it is proposed that:

17. An M&E Fund is createdwith development partners pooling resources to

conduct evaluations on priority issues and development initiatives in the

province. The fund would be managed by a multi-stakeholder fund-

management forum that would define eligible uses, criteria for evaluating

proposals, and carry out regular assessment of the results achieved. This

would also help ensure a streamlined approach towards strengthening

public accountability and transparency issues promised under the M&E

Framework.

18. Formal reporting formats (PC-III, PC-IV etc) used for M&Eare amended to

include a section on community feedback, detailing who was contacted for

feedback, and their views summarised and assigned a weight in the overall

monitoring scorecard. This would institutionalise and integrate the citizens'

voice in formal M&E systems. Criteria and guidelines on who can be

contacted, when and how can be determined jointly by CSOs and theDirectorate General M&E. The guidelines under preparation for the M&E

Framework could incorporate the manner in which this interaction can be

undertaken and how the results emerging from it can be integrated in the

overall report. Following the Eighteenth Amendment, provinces can now

change the PC-III (monthly/quarterly monitoring proforma) and PC-IV (end-

of-project report) originally designed by the Planning Commission of

Pakistan.

19. A public call for information and feedback should be issued by the

Directorate General M&E for all the major projects it intends to monitor,

through the media and through local CSOs. The deadlines, manner of

provision of this information and contact details of officers conducting the

monitoring can be publicised and this feedback incorporated in the reports

generated. This would provide a direct opportunity for the public to

contribute to the government's M&E processes.

20

Recommendations



29/49

Recommendations

20. A Research and Analysis Centre is established in the Sarhad Chamber of

Commerce and Industryto enable the premier representative body of the

private sector to contribute to the accountability process through

independent and alternative budget analysis and proposals, and assist the

Directorate General M&E in the evaluation of development projects aimed

at poverty reduction and private-sector development.

As mentioned above, unless incentivised, questions may linger over the

sustainability of government-civil society relations. To address this issue,the following actions are proposed:

21. Linking performance appraisal of civil servants responsible for service

delivery and M&E with their efforts to build citizens' voice this could be

done through, for example, social-accountability processes such as CRCs

and institution-based mechanisms such as Parents-Teachers Councils and

Primary Health Care Management Committees with the former assessing

teachers on their performance and the latter para-medical staff.

22. Instituting the Khidmatgaar Markas a charter mark system that recognises

efforts made by public sector agencies to comply with standards set for

more citizen-centric governance. Eligibility and selection criteria can be

determined jointly by government and CSOs and the evaluation of

applications for the mark carried out through an independent agency.

23. Instituting the Chief Minister's Award for Civic Engagement to

acknowledge government agencies that have performed well with respect

to building the citizens' voice and to serve as an incentive to those who still

need to work on their performance. The involvement of the civil society

would be through their participation as members of an independent panel

of experts who would determine the indicators and also evaluate entries forthe Award.

24. Introducing conditional fiscal transfers to reward departments that make

efforts to improve government-citizen engagement either through

inclusion in the monitoring and evaluation process, tracking use of public

F. Civil Society Engagement Incentivised



30/49

funds or raising awareness and providing access to information.

Departments that meet specified eligibility and performance criteria could

have their budgets topped up with special conditional fiscal transfers every

year, with the proposed Local Council Finance Commission determining and

overseeing the shape, size and implementation of these grants.

Although a number of the recommendations listed above represent a major

departure from the way public accountability processes currently are

carried out, there are other innovative ways in which these processes can be

strengthened. These include:

25. Partnering with the electronic media to introduce a mobile Meri Awaaz

service with an Outdoor Broadcasting van taken to different parts of the

province and members of the public invited to send short, direct messages,

suggestions and information to the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to

be televised and shared with relevant government officers. Some of the10 11

private TV channels and some mobile service providers have piloted

similar initiatives and garnered public support. This service could be used to

particularly target remote areas in the province to enable local communitiesliving there to establish contact with the Government of Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa. Local CSOs could be engaged to mobilise communities in this

respect and the service could be linked with the Directorate General M&E in

relation to inviting public opinion prior to undertaking monitoring of major

projects as outlined above.

26. Develop a Civil Society Performance Index to address the CSO

accountability issue and establish a benchmark for evaluating the

performance of CSOs and non-state providers. This evaluation would reflect

the relative performance of CSOs within a specified period and provide a

benchmark for stakeholders to use and consider when deciding who to

partner with. The Index could follow the parameters used by CIVICUS for its

own Civil Society Index, and could be established and managed by the P&D

Department in collaboration with the NGO Resource Centre (A Project of

the Aga Khan Foundation) and the Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy.

G. Innovations in Engagement

10News-based TV channels such as Geo and ARY have run special programmes where District and

Town Nazims appeared live to respond to complaints by callers11

For example DJuice Telenor's recent 'Khamoshi Ka Boycott' campaign against corruption

22

Recommendations


31/49


32/49

While the benefits of building citizens' voice in the government's M&E Framework

are plentiful and obvious, the path to achieving this result is a complicated one, as

noted earlier in this report. Mindful of these challenges, and the limitations within

which this effort to embed citizens' voice in M&E is being undertaken, the

recommendations made in the report are intended to:

Build on the political will articulated by the Government of Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa for improving accountability and monitoring;

Provide a local context as most recommendations are rooted in successful

CSO practices and models in the province or in other provinces of Pakistan;

Rely on active participation and reciprocation of commitment by civil

society, because while the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will have to

take the lead on several initiatives, the engagement process requires full

involvement of CSOs; and,

Call for phased implementation that is synchronised with the rolling out of

other reforms (particularly those related to improving service delivery,

finance management and public accountability), availability of resources

and building of capacity in both government and civil society (please seeAnnex 5 for the proposed phasing plan).

The next steps in this respect would include the development, approval and

implementation of an action plan, based on the phasing proposed.

l

l

l

l

Endnote



33/49

25


S/No Name Designation/Department/Organisation

1 Mr. Mian Asim Ismail Chief, Economic Analysis Wing, P&D Department

2 Mr. Shakirullah Assistant Director, P&D Department

3 Mr. Dil Nawaz Khan Director General, P&D Department

4 Mr. Razaullah Chief Education, P&D Department

5 Mr. Nadeem Bashir Additional Secretary, Finance Department

6 Mr. Iftikhar Ahmad District Planning Officer, Peshawar

7 Mr. Siraj Ahmad Khan District Coordination Officer, Peshawar

8 Focus-Group Meeting with

Community Leaders

Khattak Qomi Jirga, Pubbi/Nowshera (10 Representatives)

9 Mr. Sharafat Gul District HRD Officer, Nowshera

10 Mr. Adeel Bashir District Coordinator, CESSD Project, Nowshera

11 Mr. Mansoor Nasir District Planning Officer, Nowshera

12 Mr. Muhammad Tariq Chief Executive Officer, SABAWON

13 Mr. Rizwan Ahmad Additional Director P&D, Agricultural University, Peshawar

14 Dr. Muhammad Zulfiqar Director VC Secretariat, Agricultural University, Peshawar

15 Mr. Ismael Afzal Assistant Director, Agricultural University, Peshawar

16 Dr. Hamayun Khan Director, Institute of Development Studies, Peshawar

17 Dr. Shahnaz Arifullah Professor, Institute of Development Studies , Peshawar

18 Mr. Mir Kalan Shah Professor, Institute of Development Studies, Peshawar

19 Mr. Masoodul Mulk Chief Executive Officer, Sarhad Rural Support Programme

20 Mr. M Salim Khan Secretary, P&D Department

21 Mr. Mohammad Farid Qureshi Special Secretary, E&SE Department

22 Mr. Hamid Naveed Deputy Director Coordination ESRU, E&SE Department

23 Mr. Hashmat Ali Senior Planning Officer, E&SE Department

24 Mr. Hameed Hasan Deputy Project Field Manager, CESSD Project

25 Mr. Ahmed Ali Director II, Directorate General M&E

26 Mr. Akhtar Shahzad Database Administrator, Directorate General M&E

27 Mr. Yasir Qureshi Director MIS, Planning Commission of Pakistan

28 Dr. Shaheen Afridi Deputy Chief HSRU, Health Department

29 Dr. Arif Azad Executive Coordinator, TheNetwork for Consumer Protection

30 Mr. Asad Rehman Director of Programmes, SUNGI Development Foundation



34/49

26


31 Focus-Group Meeting with CSOs Omar Asghar Khan Development Foundation and Society forAlternative Media and Research (5 Representatives)

32 Workshop with Community Leaders,CSOs, Academia and Press

Community Leaders (11), CSOs (7), Academia (3) and Press (3)

33 Mr. Shamroz Khan Chief SCRU, SW&WD Department

34 Mr. Usman Gul Chief Economist, P&D Department

35 Mr. Amjad Afridi Secretary, ST&IT Department

36 Mr. Shahid Hayat UNDP IECD Project

37 Ms. Maheen Zehra The World Bank (Water and Sanitation Programme)

38 Mr. Osman Bashir Bilour President, Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Peshawar

39 Mr. Javed Akhtar Vice President, Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Peshawar

40 Focus-Group Meeting with theInstitute of Management Sciences,Peshawar

Representatives (9)

S/No Name Designation/Department/Organisation



35/49

A. Objectives

B. Outputs

The Civil Society Forum (CSF) will provide a platform for structured policy dialogue

between various stakeholders from civil society to discuss, recommend and

advocate for policy changes to build the citizens' voice in monitoring and evaluation

of public-sector development programmes and projects and to promote

accountability, transparency and integrity in public-sector service delivery and use

of public funds. The specific objectives of CSF would be to:

Create a platform for discussion of important policy issues surrounding

government-citizen engagement, with a view to building up a broad-based

support for such policies;

Discuss the policy and systemic issues and challenges to improve the

coverage and quality of accountability and transparency in service delivery;

Identify ways in which the current legislation, policies, systems and

procedures can be improved within the context of monitoring and

evaluation and to highlight ways in which civil society can supplement,

facilitate and support the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in this

respect;

Conduct research on critical issues having an impact on the inclusion of the

citizens' voice in the monitoring and evaluation processes employed in the

public sector, to facilitate informed debate and decision-making; and,

Facilitate knowledge sharing amongst all the stakeholders on

accountability, transparency and integrity, and service delivery issues.

The above-stated objectives will be achieved in the form of the following outputs:

Policy papers/briefs recommending new policies or policy changes;

Research reports and studies on various accountability, transparency and

integrity, service delivery and inclusiveness issues;

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Annex 2: ToRs for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Civil Society Forum



36/49

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Knowledge-management systems and practices such as Communities of

Practice and online resource repositories;

Annual Report on performance targets and recommendations for future

actions; and,

Working groups/task force papers and reports.

The intended objectives and outputs will primarily be achieved through regulardialogue between civil society organisations, policy makers/parliamentarians,

academics/subject experts, civil society members, media and representatives from

the business community to stimulate a culture of dialogue and discussion on

government-civil society engagement. The dialogue that will take place could range

from conferences on broad public policy issues to more focused discussions of the

task forces/working groups on issues such as policies to improve accountability and

transparency in the delivery of government services.

The CSF is proposed to be made up of:

Heads of the largest CSOs* working in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Chairperson of the relevant Standing Committees of the Provincial

Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (e.g. Committee on Health, Education,

Social Protection etc)

President, Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Peshawar

Director, Institute of Development Studies, Agricultural University,

Peshawar

Director, Centre for Public Policy and Research, Institute of Management

Sciences, Peshawar

President, Peshawar Press Club, Peshawar

C. Strategy

D. Composition

28




37/49


l

l

Representatives of PTV, Geo TV, ARY, Dawn TV, Express News, Khyber TV etc

Subject experts/technocrats (such as on education, health, social

protection and governance etc)

* This would include international, national and local CSOs. The Directorate General

M&E will determine the criteria for selection, which could include the number of

projects implemented, years of service in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and specific

expertise in relevant areas such as development, advocacy, outreach and research

etc.

The CSF Chair shall rotate amongst the Heads of the CSOs and the first Chairperson

shall be elected through a majority vote.

The CSF may establish any sub-committees or working groups, which shall meet as

per need. Experts may be co-opted for these sub-committees or working groups.

The CSF shall present its reports and recommendations to the Minister for Planning

and Development of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The CSF shall be convened at least bi-annually. Minutes of the meeting should be

prepared and circulated for information, record and action by the Directorate

General M&E.

The Directorate General M&E shall serve as the Secretariat to the CSF.

E. Reporting

F. Meetings

G. Secretariat



38/49

The Citizen Report Cards (CRCs) are participatory surveys that solicit user feedback

on the quality and performance of public services in order to raise citizen awareness

and ultimately bring about reforms in the public-service delivery system. A key

feature of the CRC method is that survey findings are placed in the public domain

through the use of media and public meetings, thus making it an effective

instrument to promote transparency, responsiveness and public accountability.

The CRC is a tool to engage citizens in assessing the quality of public services such as

primary health care, water supply, public transport, elementary education etc. Thesurvey can be used for an overall assessment of the performance of a public agency

based on the customer/client/citizens' experience captured in terms of their

satisfaction in relation to specific attributes of services, such as access, availability,

quality and reliability, along with agency responsiveness and the transparency of

the service provider. When CRCs are applied at regular intervals, they can also help

benchmark the changes over a period of time. On several occasions, CRCs have even

revealed hidden costs incurred by users/citizens while seeking access to or using a

particular service.

The World Bank cites the following as crucial requirements for an effective CRC

initiative:

A commitment to gather credible data on clients' perceptions;

Constructive and solution-oriented approach on the part of CSOs rather

than confrontational advocacy;

Competence, professionalism and credibility of the group that undertakes

the CRC exercise;

Commitment by the public agency to engage in the process, listen to criticalanalysis and initiate reforms based on the findings; and,

Active involvement of the mass media to ensure that the findings are widely

disseminated and debated.

A. What is it?

l

l

l

l

l




39/49

B. How is it done?

C. Benefits

D. Challenges and lessons

Key steps in implementing a CRC are:

1. Identify scope, actors and purpose

2. Design the questionnaire

3. Sampling

4. Execution of the survey

5. Data entry and analysis

6. Dissemination of findings

7. Institutionalisation of CRC

CRCs generate experience-driven, scientifically analysed and quantified

knowledge that is difficult for service providers to ignore;

CRCs enhance public awareness on issues of service quality (they encourage

citizens to pro-actively demand greater accountability, accessibility and

responsiveness from service providers);

The CRC process facilitates open and proactive discussion on theperformance of public agencies (in many cases it has led to enhanced

responsiveness and reforms to improve the quality of services);

Enables federal ministries and planning departments to prioritise budget

allocations and monitor implementation;

Facilitates partnerships by bringing together citizens, CSOs and government

in face-to-face meetings; and,

Expands 'social capital' by uniting communities around issues of shared

concern.

Conducting a large survey of service users can be costly and time

consuming;

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

31




40/49

l

l

l

l

l

Key resources

CRCs require country contexts that are open to civil society/citizen advocacy

and external pressures to engender public service improvements;

It is crucial that meetings between users and service providers do not

become forums for personal attacks on service providers;

There can be institutional resistance/lack of will to act on CRC findings and

implement reforms;

CRCs require support from the media, which must be engaged from the very

outset; and,

The CRC process can lead to citizen disillusionment if there is no perceptible

improvement in the quality of services.

Ackerman, JM. Human Rights and Social Accountability. Social Development

Department, World Bank (2005)http://zunia.org/uploads/media/knowledge/Human%20Rights%20and%20Social%20Accountability%20FINAL.pdf

Asian Development Bank, Manila: E-Learning Toolkit on the Citizen Report Card

Methodologyhttp://www.citizenreportcard.com

Public Affairs Centre, Bangalore, Indiahttp://www.pacindia.org

Ramkumar, V. Our Money Our Responsibility: A Citizen Guide to Monitoring

Government Expenditure. International Budget Partnership (2008)http://www.internationalbudget.org/resources/expenditure/IBP-Expenditure-Monitoring-Guide.pdf

South Asia Social Accountability Nethttp://www.sasanet.org/aboutsasa.do

Source: CIVICUS




41/49

Public expenditure tracking involves tracing the flow of public resources for the

provision of public goods or services from origin to destination. It can help to detect

bottlenecks, inefficiencies and/or corruption in the transfer of public goods and

resources and is a key tool for the government and CSOs to guard against corruption

and work towards ensuring transparent, accountable and effective public financial

management.

Public expenditure tracking helps governments, citizens and CSOs ensure that

allocated public resources effectively reach their intended beneficiaries. It can help

identify and address problems and weaknesses in systems of public expenditure,

transfer and service delivery. It is also effective in revealing corruption and

detecting the exact location of leakages. Public expenditure tracking usually

involves some form of both quantitative research and qualitative research such as,

for example, interviewing users of public services about their experiences and

assessments of the quality, accessibility and cost of public services. Expenditure

tracking can be undertaken at the local, district or sub-national level.

Key steps in implementing public expenditure tracking are:

1. Determine the scope and purpose of the tracking exercise

2. Identify partners and key stakeholders

3. Design the research/survey

4. Gather and analyse the data

5. Public dissemination of findings and advocacy

6. Explore possibilities for institutionalisation

Access to expenditure data gives politicians and citizens the ability to

engage government on issues of public spending (it creates an incentive for

governments to be vigilant in their financial-management practices);

A. What is it?

B. How is it done?

C. Benefits

l

Annex 4: Public Expenditure Tracking



42/49

l

l

l

D. Challenges and lessons

l

l

Increases public financial transparency and reduces the potential for

corrupt practices;

Can contribute to improved delivery of public services, by identifying and

addressing problems of bureaucratic bottlenecks, inefficiencies, corruption

and leakages; and,

Establishes whether expenditures are consistent with budgetary allocations

and whether transfers/services are effectively reaching the targeted groups.

Obtaining access to relevant accounts and financial reports can be a major

obstacle; and,

In some cases, accurate expenditure/transfer records may not exist (CSOs

can sometimes play an important role in tracking transfers in collaboration

with local level service providers and/or users).

Source: CIVICUS

34

Annex 4: Public Expenditure Tracking



43/49

35

Annex 5: Phasing Planfor Implementation

Intervention ST MT LT Responsibility



44/49

ST Short Term period of up to 12 months

MT Medium Term period of 1-3 years

LT Long Term period of 3 years or longer

E&SED Elementary and Secondary Education Department

HD Health Department

LDs Line Departments

P&DD Planning and Development Department

FD Finance Department

ID Information Department

DoL Department of Law

ST&ITD Science & Technology and Information Technology Department

DG M&E Directorate General of Monitoring and Evaluation

Citizens Voice Study of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa36

Intervention ST MT LT Responsibility

Annex 5: Phasing Plan for Implementation


45/49



37


46/49

38




47/49


48/49


49/49

citizens' voice study report.image.marked.pdf

Documents