Member Programmes » Pakistan

LEAD Pakistan 2006 Highlights

Sponsors of LEAD Pakistan

 

During the year 2006, LEAD Pakistan won support from some new sponsors and donors, while continuing to work with the existing ones. The list of donors who supported LEAD Pakistan financially in different projects includes:

  • Asian Development Bank (ABD)
  • Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI)

  • Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),

  • International Fund for Agriculture and Development (IFAD),

  • National Highway Authority (NHA)

  • United States Agency for International Development (USAID),

 

LEAD Associate Training activities

 

Cohort 11:

Cohort – 11 was initiated in April 2005. Three training sessions including the Orientation Session for Cohort-11 were completed during the year and appear in the previous report. The 3rd National session was held in early 2006 followed by the Global session in India.  

Third National Training Session

Education for Sustainable Development (22 – 28 January)  

LEAD Pakistan hosted a 6-day training session on “The political Economy of Education: Education for Sustainable Development in Pakistan” as the Third National Training Session of its eleventh Cohort under the Leadership Development Program (LDP). The session was held in Karachi from 22-27 January, 2006.

Cohort-12                                                                        LEAD Pakistan after a lengthy, competitive and rigorous process of screening and evaluation completed the selection of Associates for Cohort-12 in January 2007. Due care was taken to carry out selection on equitable merit basis. Thirteen Associates were finally selected for the programme. The composition of this Cohort like previous ones, is a mix of mid-career professionals reflecting sectoral diversity from Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Corporate/Business, Academia and Government. All these professionals represent geographical distribution of the four provinces and the Federal Capital.

 

Detailed profiles of Cohort 12 Associates are available on our website: www.lead.org.pk

 

LEAD Pakistan’s activities in Partnership with others

Democratized Education Management & Ownership (DEMO) (September 04 – April 07) 

Democratized Education Management & Ownership (DEMO) project is a consequence of the disconnect that exists in Pakistan between the local communities and the functioning of their local schools. DEMO was designed as a community based project to strengthen School Management Committees (SMC) and involve communities in the running of their schools, DEMO sensitizes the community to the importance of their involvement in their children’s education. This is done by undertaking several capacity building initiatives at the community level and on the whole involving the community into the affairs of their schools through strengthened and better functioning School Management Committees.

DEMO is being implemented by LEAD Pakistan in two Districts of the Province of Sindh, Khairpur and Sukkur with the support of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under its Education Sector Reforms Assistance (ESRA) Program and also in support of the Government of Pakistan's Education Sector Reform (ESR) plan.

Promoting Data Quality and Use: Sukkur District (March – November 06)

The project Promoting Data Quality and Use: Sukkur District also referred to as District Education Management Information System (DEMIS) is to field test an integrative approach towards educational attainment in district Sukkur. The project stemmed from the belief that the community is the custodian of not just the physical assets but also the statistics required to making decisions for improvement of education. The willingness of the District Government of Sukkur to realize this vision by taking to the communities their Education Management Information System (EMIS) prompted USAID-ESRA to support this initiative. LEAD Pakistan facilitated this venture by providing technical and training support.

Assessing and Developing Capacity to Improve Participatory Environmental Management in Selected Districts of Pakistan (August 06- July 07)

The project funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) attempts to develop a recognition amongst the decision makers that the vulnerable and poor are the key stakeholders in development planning and implementation. The project initiated the process of responsive governance in the target districts of Kasur and Abbotabad to inculcate the interest of the poor as a core concern in decisions relating to changing land-use, clearing forests for infrastructure development, developing industries or any other activity that directly affects the local ecosystems.

Enhancing Public Private Partnerships (E3P) - (May 2005-March 2007)

LEAD Pakistan in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), initiated an 18 month pilot project in Sindh by the name of Pilot Testing of a Public-Private Partnership to Develop Capacity for Small Scale Agri-Business and Processing Enterprises also known as E3P (Enhancing Public-Private Partnership) in short. The project aims to improve the livelihood opportunities of small farmers by developing their capacity in small scale agri-business and processing enterprises, with particular focus on livestock, dairy and aquaculture. This project was later granted an extension of 6 months owing to the scale and scope of work.

Establishment of a Forum or Similar Mechanism for Forest Policy Analysis, Formulation and Monitoring its Implementation (December 2005 – November 2006)

With a view to enhancing stakeholder participation in forest policy and creating greater ownership, the National Forest Programme (NFP) Facility of the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) was launched in Pakistan in 2004, jointly with the Ministry of Environment of the Government of Pakistan. To achieve the goals of enhancing participation, LEAD Pakistan being partner in the National Forest Programme Facility is implementing a project titled “Establishment of a Forum or Similar Mechanism for Forest Policy Analysis, Formulation and Monitoring its Implementation”.

Environmental and Social Trainings (Phase-II) - National Highway Authority (Jan 2006 – ongoing)

NHA with the assistance of the World Bank implemented a National Highway Rehabilitation Project. NHA commissioned an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study for the Project. The EMP of the EIA study called for environmental trainings to be imparted to NHA staff, its consultants and contractors. For this purpose, NHA engaged LEAD Pakistan’s services to impart trainings on Environmental & Social Aspects of Highways Development Projects.

2-day Workshop on Avian Influenza Commodities Training (December 2006)

A two-day participatory workshop was held in December 2006, at LEAD House in collaboration with USAID and DAI. The issues discussed inter-alia were risks of exposure to infected birds, careful use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and safe use of decontamination kits in contagious areas. Another important aspect of the session was the appropriate sample gathering practices and their shipment to laboratories, anywhere in the world globe.

 

Involvement of Fellows

Achievements:

  • Mukesh Kumar (C-11) Mr. Mukesh Kumar was selected for a highly prestigious training program ‘International Visitor Leadership Program’ in USA.
  • Mr. Hammad Naqi Khan (C-7)  from WWF has been a part of the report on the deteriorating water quality in the country ‘Pakistan waters at Risk’, with reference to which an 'Appeal' was also printed on the front page of the leading national dailies. Mr. Hammad has been instrumental in keeping the issue alive by writing to different organizations.

    • LEAD Pakistan has developed an extensive database of all its Fellows and Associates. These Fellows and Associates are kept in loop by regular information sharing through emails etc. All Cohort Meeting (ACM), LEAD Club meetings and our News Letter ‘Making the Difference’ (MTD) are the activities specifically carried out in order to keep our network intact.

In year 2006, two exposure visits were undertaken by LEAD Pakistan in its project areas of Sukkar and Khairpur. These visits involved the Fellows and Associates through different activities like sharing of technical expertise and advisory role. Around six of LEAD Pakistan’s Fellows and Associates participated in each trip. The field trips also gave them to familiarize themselves and learn more about LEAD Pakistan’s portfolio, its services and activities.

Raising LEAD Pakistan’s Visibility

Over time, many nonprofit organizations have started realizing that communication is a vital tool for their social change work.  In other words, communications and visibility tools are critical to achieving organization’s mission.  Today nonprofit organizations need to communicate effectively if they are to increase public awareness, secure public and private funding, and ensure the delivery of their important services. An understanding of communication principles and application of communication practices can support an organization to achieve these goals.

2006 was a significant year for LEAD Pakistan as it saw the launch and print of some important brochures like Distance Learning Course – Project Proposal Writing and Leadership Development Programme, resumption of newsletter series and up-gradation of its website. During the year, LEAD Pakistan worked towards better visibility of its portfolio and raising its public awareness.

Suhai – a quarterly newsletter featuring education activities in the districts of Sukkur and Khairpur was published after a short pause during this year. The wide circulation of the newsletter has been significant in promoting awareness about education, and at the same time, in sharing the progress of DEMO project.

Video Documentary:  LEAD Pakistan initiated two video documentaries in year 2006. The first documentary focusing on primary education in Sindh and the initiatives undertaken was completed, while the second documentary focusing on LEAD Pakistan portfolio will be released this year.

E-Newsletter - MTD  LEAD Pakistan has a unique family of Fellows and Associates spread all around. To provide a platform for sharing of information and experiences with each other and that for the benefit of others, LEAD Pakistan publishes an electronic newsletter – Making the Difference. This newsletter carries contributions and suggestions of the professionals, working for sustainable development. This newsletter would be published in the year 2007.

Publications:

The ultimate aim of all research activities undertaken by LEAD Pakistan is to consolidate knowledge that makes an impact on the daily lives of the people at large. LEAD Pakistan promotes and sponsors production, dissemination and application of research work leading to policy formulation that facilitates data driven decision making to improve the lives of the poor people in Pakistan. Research in the form of case studies, occasional papers, and updates is carried out on regular basis in the fields of education, governance, environment, health, Social Responsibility, poverty alleviation, and other issues related to sustainable development.

LEAD Pakistan commissioned a number of research papers during 2006

Informal Justice Sector in Pakistan

This Occasional Paper focuses on the informal justice sector prevalent in Pakistan. The writer evaluates the existing norms and traditions common in the informal justice sector. The Paper attempts to give a balanced assessment of the functioning of the informal justice sector in Pakistan – not only the headline-grabbing negative aspects but also the less newsworthy positive work done by jirgas and other such bodies.

CCB Initiatives in Pakistan: Review and Possible Synergies

This occasional paper reviews major projects on Citizen Community Boards - participatory local community institutions established under Local Government Ordinance 2001. The paper outlines a framework to assess various dimensions of projects and suggest possible areas of synergies.

Village Assembly: Organ for Community Involvement in Education

This case study, through interviews with the project team, attempts to investigate a number of innovations and interventions practiced by LEAD Pakistan under its DEMO project in Sindh. The report aims to introduce three main aspects of the DEMO experience, namely: The approach to community participation that DEMO evolved, the community initiatives that DEMO introduced, and the associated targets and achievements. It also covers the overall approach and step-by-step process followed by DEMO in organizing the project, mobilizing communities and helping them with school improvement and CCB registration.

 

Social Capital Formation In DEMO (Democratized Education Management and Ownership) 

The paper  reviews and analyses  project database consisting of over three thousand schools in Sukkur and Khairpur where LEAD Pakistan is involved with the School Management Committees (SMCs) and villagers to mobilize people in helping themselves. Moreover, the research also conducted field interviews, focus group discussions with SMCs and community members and also participated in various activities of the project.

Education Sector Reform In Pakistan

This occasional paper reviews, under broader development goals like EFA, Millennium Development Goals, the education reforms introduced by the present government, the issues being faced in the implementation, the role of stakeholders and the progress or lack of it in improving education sector performance.  The paper proves useful for those new to the education sector in Pakistan, as well as for those working on education issues for years.

How Has Demo Contributed To The Participation And Empowerment Of Women

Women in Pakistan and particularly in Sindh live under various cultural restrictions and taboos that inhibit their mobility and participation in various social and economic activities. Their movement, education, marriages and family life is controlled by the males of their family. This research attempted to explore women participation in education related activities in Democratized Education Management and Ownership-DEMO project implemented by LEAD Pakistan. The study also focuses on issues regarding female participation in community activities. It explores the problems faced by the Social Mobilizers in mobilizing females for school improvement.

Analysis of Sindhi Print Media

This research report focuses on the analysis of selected Sindhi newspaper to gauge change in demand for education in response to educational intervention at grass root level in Sindh. The study involves content analysis of three Sindhi papers (Kawish, Ibrat and Awami-Awaz) from September 2003 to September 2006. The objective of the report is to assess change in demand articulation by community and pattern of coverage of educational news particularly in districts covered by Education Sector Reforms Assistance Program (ESRA)

Plans for 2007 and Beyond

  • Keeping in view its broad vision and mission, LEAD Pakistan intends to reach out to all similar and like-minded organizations and institutions in the country, strengthening its support and portfolio by exchange of expertise, know-how and invaluable field-tested knowledge.

  • LEAD Pakistan also plans to reach out to organizations and institutions in the region in order to expand its presence and foothold in diverse regions and communities. This is one criterion that International donors also endorse and support extensive grassroots level work by NGOs with the communities. 

  • In addition to responding to Request for Proposals and EOIs (Expression of Interest) of numerous organizations, LEAD Pakistan also plans to reach out to potential donors and funding organizations and come up with innovative ideas and initiatives to design projects for programmatic support and building mutual partnerships.