PPAF and UNHCR have joined hands to take forward the poverty graduation approach for the poorest members of the Afghan refugee population in an effort to graduate them up the poverty scale and simultaneously providing sustainable liveli-hood for them and their families. PPAF conducted a two day orientation workshop at Islamabad for its partner organizations namely CERD from Swabi and Youth Organization from Pishin to acquaint them how to implement UNHCR funded project “Poverty Graduation Pilot for Afghan Refugee fami-lies in District Pishin and Swabi”. The event aimed at orienting them on project goals and outcomes, its key components and implementation approach. Representatives from PPAF projects, III unit, ESM, MIS, Procurement, MER and C&M briefed the partners’ staff on how to assess the market aspect of target community and score their poverty level; form strengthen and functionalize community institutions to ensure PPAF’s core values and take

self-help initiatives; adopt environment friendly implementation approach; follow SOPs for community driven procurement approach in purchasing assets; report the most successful interventions and record and monitor the physical as well as financial aspects of the proj-ect respectively. A total of 2,000 families would be targeted during the pilot phase out of which 70 per cent households would be those residing in settled camps or with host families and 30 per cent of households would be that of host families.

PPAF AKHBARRestoring hope, securing the future, ending poverty

MondayOctober 30, 2017

Safar 9,1439www.ppaf.org.pk

Islamabad

Mr. Luke Sonnet, a Ph.D student at University of California, Los Angeles giving presentation during learning & sharing session.

Can enhanced politician-voter communication in the periods between elections improve democratic outcomes? This is the question that Mr. Luke Sonnet, a Ph.D student at University of California, Los Angeles, in a team of researchers, including Ms. Miriam Golden and Mr. Saad Guzlar is attempting to answer through a field experiment in Pakistan on ‘Political Communication to Establish Responsive Linkages’. Presenting his findings at PPAF’s Learning and Sharing session, Mr. Sonnet explained that this pilot experiment with one politician in Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa showed promising response rates and impacts on voter evaluations. The robocall in a politician’s voice to large number of his constituents asking specific questions about upcoming decisions was received well by constituents and could lay the groundwork for more effective governance and electoral accountability. This pilot will be scaled up to cover 40 incumbent Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs) to study the effects of technology on both voters and politicians on democratic outcomes. Looking at the community development work of PPAF, demand articulation through development plans at village and union council level is similar to registering demands through keypad response on robocall with a difference that technology allowed recording data and the chance to study and deeply analyse it. This session on a political discourse was hugely popular as every attendee had a question or comment to make to sate the appetite for learning. The takeaways-Information Communication & Technology can: 1) help broaden political communication; 2) make politicians more accessible to their constituents; and 3) and provide accurate information to MPAs on demands of their constituents. The data collected in the experiment could also inform political parties on what development activities to pursue in order to win votes of constituents who traditionally had been voting for another political party.

Uzma Nomani – QARD

Political Communication to Establish Responsive Linkages

PPAF and UNHCR join hands Ishtiaq Ahmad – PPAF Projects

Immersion visit: Soul of Development

To-date, a team comprised of 6-staff members from various units namely Mr. Faisal Sajjad Hashmi,Ms. Tabassum Baloch, Ms. Nusrat Jabeen, Mr. Muhammad Sajid, Mr. Saad Tariq and Mr. Abdul Ghaffar undergone the immersion activity in Qilla saifullah, Balochistan. Those team members, who have not submitted their immersion plans yet, are requested to share their field visit / immersion plans with HR. This will not only help us manage this activity smoothly but will also facilitate other support Units (e.g. Procurement, C&M, IT, HR, F&A, Admin etc.) to plan and carry out their immersion visits accordingly.

Rizwan Shaikh – HR

PPAF participated inGerman re-unification Day

The German re-unification event held on October 3rd 2017 at the Germany Embassy in Islamabad in which HRE and LACIP information material was displayed by the KfW. This is an annual event where the German Ambassador to Pakistan invites German Development Agencies working in Pakistan, diplomats from other Embassies in Islamabad and key development partners to celebrate the German re-unification day. The event provided an opportunity to showcase PPAF development work among the stakeholders.

Nazakat Hussain – C&M

Summaira Faisal - HR

Fire Fighting & First Aid Training Session

A one day training session on “Fire Fighting & First Aid” by Rescue 1122 has been arranged under ISO requirements. It was intended to increase the organization’s capability to deal with unseen emergency situations in an effective and efficient manner as per ISOstandards. A total of 28 staff members participated in the session.

The participants discussed on challenges being faced by POs on women inclusion andgender mainstreaming.

A one day training session on “Fire Fighting & First Aid” by Rescue 1122 conducted to increase the organization’s capability to deal with unseen emergency situations at PPAF.

Congratulations Mr. Muhammad Umair Butt has been appointed as Manager Administration. We wish him a continued success.

Mr. Muhammad Riaz, GM PPAF Projects brie�ng the participants about the UNHCRfunded project and its deliverables.

Naeem Haider – HRE

HRE awareness sessions on Solar Lighting

HRE organized awareness sessions in Lakki Marwat, Karak and Swabi to ensure effective use of recently installed Solar Lighting Systems in Off-Grid areas. According to nature of these projects, the communities will be responsible to protect these installed panels to get uninterrupted power supply at their houses in the future. In this regard, these awareness sessions were organized to orient communities and staff of implementing partner organizations regarding the usage and safety precautions of solar lighting system. Moreover, the staff of partner organizations will conduct similar sessions for both men & women at the household level. Nizam Energy – an executing agency has also designed “End User Manual” which will help communities in better understanding and usage of solar panels and adopting precautionary measures. HRE is implementing solar lighting system component of KfW funded Development of Hydropower & Renewable Energy (HRE) project through its partner organizations in districts Lakki Marwat, Karak and Swabi.

ESM team visited two UCs of Lasbela, Balochistan to conduct social and environment audit.

HRE organized awareness sessions for communities on e�ective use of Solar LightingSystems in O�-Grid areas.