Human Development Foundation

PROJECT PAKISTAN

#3 ·  Plan of Operation

In setting up Project Pakistan under the Partnership approach, the first step is to initiate a dialogue with all potential partners in the endeavor, namely with all individuals and organization whose active involvement will be solicited. The purpose of the dialogue is to seek their support and ownership of the idea of partnership, and to use a consensual process to define the precise contours of an action plan. The goal is not only that each partner 'owns' the project but also that every one has a voice in designing it.[1]  The following outline operational plan for the project is intended precisely to initiate this dialogue. It fleshes out the implications and entailments of Partnership approach and provides recommendations on speedy operationalization

The ideas presented here build upon the various points raised by HDFNA and other partner institutions in our interviews with them and our own experience of working with NGOs in Pakistan and elsewhere.  The purpose is to lay out the key elements that will be necessary for the project to succeed and to provide the partners with an agenda for discussion, rather than impose a rigid structure upon the project. 

In order to highlight the priorities imbedded in this discussion, a summary checklist of steps that need to be taken in the immediate future by HDFNA and its partners--along with suggested deadlines--are presented in Box 3.1. 

The following four sections lay out the contours of the Plan of Operations along four themes:

v      Program issues (focussing on program goals and elements, criteria for site selection, recommendations on potential sites and a time table for project expansion);

v      Partnership issues (focussing on the identification of potential partners, modalities of forming a partnership, and an outline Memorandum of Registration);

v      Governance issues (focussing on the need to establish a strong national presence, community empowerment and involvement in management, and mechanisms for operational collaboration with partners); and

v      Communication and Monitoring issues (including a communication and dissemination program, proposals for a local Human Development Index, a system of internal data collection, and a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation program).

3.1 · Program Issues

This section discusses the principal elements of program design, lists the criteria and mechanism for selection sites for the project (both at the stage of its initiation and for subsequent expansion), and recommends a 5-year timetable for regional expansion including the identification of candidate sites.

3.1.1   Program Elements

True and lasting collaboration cannot be cultivated unless all partners fully share, and are equally passionate about, the defining philosophy and core values that form the basis of Project Pakistan and the approach adopted to operationalize it.  In talking to the leaders and staff of the suggested partner institutions and in reviewing their documents, it is clear to us that this bond of vision and values does in fact exist between HDFNA and the partners identified in this report.  Box 3.2 builds on these conversations and documents to articulate the elements of these shared core values.  Specifically, it defines the basic belief that motivates the initiative, the overall goal of the project, and the strategy and approach adopted to achieve this goal.

These core values lead the project directly towards an orientation towards community mobilization for social change.  Social mobilization is, therefore, the first point of entry of the project into any community.  Once a community has expressed a willingness and readiness for self-organization and invites the project to initiate its activities, the project staff will work with the community in conducting an initial needs assessment based on which project staff and community leaders will chalk out a program of specific interventions.

The field activities of the project will be undertaken at the Regional Field Office level.  Each Field Office will be responsible for an administrative region, defined by a Tehsil.  While committing to cover the entire Tehsil over the long term, the project will undertake its actual activities in modules, or units, of around 1000 households each.  Work in each region will begin with only a few units on board (usually 2-5) and new units will be added depending on the availability of resources and community responsiveness.  Generally, it is expected that opportunities to expand within a Tehsil will be given priority over expanding to new Tehsils. 

Functionally, the activities undertaken at the field level will be organized around three clusters covering Community Mobilization and Economic Opportunity activities, Health Awareness activities, and Education activities respectively.  Staffing at the Field Office level, and later at the National Office level, may be structured around the same three substantive areas.  

v      Community Mobilization, Poverty Eradication, and expansion of Economic Opportunities. This cluster will have the lead responsibility for making first contact with communities and the initial assessment of their needs. Its primary responsibility is to support the process of social mobilization through technical assistance and advice on community organization. This includes the formation of village wide community organizations, or, as appropriate, specialized groups (such as savings committees, women's support groups, school boards, health committees), and implementation of a plan for women’s empowerment. In accordance with experience gained in Pakistan on community development, the social mobilization will be organized around activities related to the expansion of economic opportunities on the basis of express demands by the community (although not necessarily the entire unit). Other entry points include human resource development, income generation schemes, physical infrastructure development, or natural resource management. 

v      Primary Health Care.  This cluster will undertake activities related to primary health care, including health awareness for the purpose of a universal improvement in personal health behavior. Specific tasks include household health surveys, primary healthcare visits, and a health care training programs. Working with community health committees, the goal is to provide general awareness and technical advice for activities on preventive and promotional aspects of primary health care, potable water and adequate sanitation, and personal hygiene. An area of special focus is mother and child care--including immunization, safe delivery, family planning, antenatal care, postnatal care, nutrition, growth monitoring, and control of diarrheol diseases and upper respiratory tract infections. The program will also provide referrals and first aid for accidents and injuries.  It will seek to establish links with governmental District Health Officers and work with them to improve the quality of health care available to the public. 

v      Formal and Non-formal Education. The goal of this cluster is to mobilize the community to enable it to ensure universal primary education of good quality for its children. The work to be done includes assisting the community organization to survey the coverage and quality of available educational services, identify critical gaps to be filled therein, and prepare a local educational plan. The latter will be developed with the participation of community representatives, key education officials (e.g. government schoolteachers and principals), and project staff. The action plan will include a phased time-table for upgrading the quality of existing educational services, and expanding the coverage of these services to meet identified needs. The program will include mechanisms for teacher motivation and training, long term investment in teachers, curriculum development, establishment of pooled libraries, involvement of communities (through the formation of school boards for each school), and mobilization of community support and resources (e.g. donated buildings for new schools). Initially, salaries for new teachers will be partially supported by the project and partially by student tuition.

3.1.2   Site Selection

Site selection refers to two types of decisions: the selection of new project regions (i.e. new Tehsils), and the selection of new villages or communities for initiating community mobilization programs. The latter responsibility, namely the selection and approval of new communities or villages within a region, should lie squarely with the Local Management Committee (defined below) but with two provisos. First, the agreement of the community to begin project operations must be prior to the initiation of work. Second, all decisions on expansion should be communicated regularly to the HDF-P National Coordinator, and formally ratified by the Advisory Board.

The selection of new project regions is a broader and more serious exercise. The decision on this issue would involve both the HDF-P Advisory Board and HDFNA Executive Board, the latter in its capacity as the main donor. Understanding the dangers inherent in either starting too big or growing too fast, the following timetable of expansion is suggested:

v      Initially, the project should start operation in only one Tehsil, with the aim of covering five units of 1000 households each in that Tehsil within a year.

v      At the end of the first year, one more Tehsil (again with an initial target of about five units of 1000 households each) should be added.

v      A strategic decision will have to be made by the Advisory Board in the second year of the project on whether to utilize the project's resources in expanding rapidly within the existing two Tehsils or whether to add a third Tehsil. It is recommended that, given success in the first two Tehsils and the availability of additional resources, a third Tehsil may be added to the project by the end of Year 2.

v      Once the project has begun operating in three Tehsils, future expansion plans should be made only if improved coverage within the existing Tehsils is ensured. This improvement should not be sacrificed simply to expand coverage.

v      In Year 3, the HDFP Advisory Board and the HDFNA Board should begin considering the modalities and a timetable for moving from the Partnership approach to the Facilitation approach in at least one region, for complete coverage of a Tehsil.

In addition to the above considerations, the decision on when and where to begin operation after the first Tehsil will also depend on the lessons learnt from the initial experience.  As a rule, a new region should be added only when the necessary resources are assured and without wavering in the commitment to the ultimate goal of complete coverage of the Tehsils in which the project is already operating.

Tehsil Mardan is recommended as the first site from where Project Pakistan should be launched. APPNA-Sehat is already working in Mardan and has done impressive work in mobilizing nine units of 500 households each in its program of health awareness. This process has already resulted in the emergence of a number of CBOs in the community and there is considerable interest within the communities and within APPNA-Sehat's field staff in expanding the work that has already been done into an integrated human development program. The choice of Mardan is also influenced by the fact that both NRSP and the Aurat Foundation have an existing presence in District Mardan.

The candidates for subsequent expansion include Pind Dadan Khan and Khushaab (where TMF has a strong presence), Badin and Turbat  (where NRSP has a strong presence), and Rahim Yar Khan (for which there is interest from HDFNA membership). These suggestions are made with an eye also on the need for geographic balance.

The process for selection and approval of new regions should be clear and transparent. In this report, we propose two alternative processes to this end: a standard process, and a special process for exceptional cases. The standard process will entail the establishment of a Task Force by the HDF-P Advisory Board for the preparation of a social and financial feasibility report on proposed new project sites. Proposals for selection of sites can come from any of the partners, and should be agreed through a careful screening process, including the approval of the HDFNA Board. Upon approval of the site by the Advisory Board, it must compose the Task Force, and provide it with appropriate terms of reference for the preparation of the feasibility report.

In making such a selection, the organization and its decision-makers will have to exercise their judgment as the pros and cons of various alternatives. The following general criteria are submitted to provide guidance on the process. In most cases, the decision will involve balancing between different principles. In some cases, however, most of the contributing factors will point in the same direction.

v      The project should address locally felt needs.

v      The project should have the willingness and resources to make a long-term commitment to the Tehsil. All NGOs selected as partners for the particular Tehsil should be willing to begin operations.

v      The availability of resources, and commitment, to begin working in around five units of about 1000 households each in the first year.

v      At least in the first few years, regions where one of the NGO partners already has a presence should be given a priority.

v      In general, however, the focus should be on relatively under-served areas rather than those where many NGOs are already concentrated.

v      The project should be approved by the HDFP Advisory Board of Governors and ratified by the HDFNA Board.

v      Except in rare and special cases, regions of operation should be defined as a Tehsil.

An alternative, more summary process should be initiated in response to a significant donation tied to particular sites. While some of the above criteria will continue to be applicable, the primary consideration in the special case is the availability of significant financial resources, enabling a short cutting of the process of project development. One or more members of HDFNA may be eager to contribute to a project in a particular region, and may be willing to raise the necessary financial resources (including their own contributions). The foundation should encourage such initiatives by treating them as special cases, and establishing a special Task Force both to prepare a social and financial feasibility report, and raising sufficient funds to make the long-term commitment to the project possible. It will often be appropriate in such cases to request the sponsoring individual to head the task force. The guiding principle for all site selection decisions in such cases is the ability to mobilize sufficient resources and the willingness to make such a commitment.

3.2 · Partnership Issues

This section identifies partners, relationship (and exit) arrangements, and the basic elements of a formal partnership document. The first goal is to identify the institutions and individuals that should be approached by HDFNA in designing and executing Project Pakistan. A longer but by no means exhaustive list provides the names of leading institutions with which partnership relationships can be established. A shorter identifies those with whom collaborative work can be started fairly rapidly. If institutional or other unanticipated obstacles create difficulties at a later stage, changes can be brought in through mutual discussion. The nature of partnership and the number of partners will naturally evolve over time. A second goal is to outline the mechanism for establishing a close working relationship with these partners, both through project management committees and a national Advisory Board. Finally, this section also provides guidance on the key issues to be addressed in Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) to be signed by all partner organizations to outline the terms of the partnership.

3.2.1   Suggested Partners

The following list is based on interviews with representatives of Pakistani NGOs as well as HDFNA members, a review of an earlier report on this project (RIM 1998), and our knowledge and analysis of the institutional landscape of Pakistan. This analysis reveals that a large number of organizations share significant elements of the vision and goals that have shaped HDFNA’s formation. While it is impossible to provide an exhaustive list of these organizations, the obvious names are AIE, AKRSP, APPNA-Sehat, ASR, Aurat Foundation, Baanh Beli, GBTI, HDC, HRMDC, IUCN, Khwendo Kor, Network, NRSP, MMBT, OPP, Pattan, PILER, SAHE, SAP, SDPI, Saiban, Shehri, Shirkatgah, SPO, SRSC, Sultana Foundation, Sungi, TMF. Some of these work in selected geographical areas, others specialize in certain core activities (women’s issues, education, health, research, advocacy, training, community development), but all are potential candidates for partnership with HDFNA. The list can include some government agencies as well, although the continued efficacy and transparency of government agencies is difficult to predict.

While it is difficult to narrow down the list to a few organizations, we recommend the following six organizations as the initial partners in HDFNA’s Project Pakistan.[2] If difficulties emerge either during the discussion stage or during project implementation, other partners could be approached for the specific project. However, HDFNA should continue to consider these as its partners in a larger sense, i.e. as fellow travelers engaged in the pursuit of the same national goal.

v      In primary health care, the obvious candidate is APPNA-Sehat. It has a close relationship with the founder members of HDFNA, and has been a pioneer on health awareness work in Pakistan.

v      In the area of primary education, Tameer-e-Millat Foundation (TMF) has considerable experience in establishing and operating formal and informal primary schools with the support and involvement of the local community. Other like-minded NGOs include the Ali Institute of Education (AIE, which specializes in teacher training), the Malik Maula Baksh Trust (MMBT, which has considerable experience in the provision and upgrading of primary education in a sustainable manner), the Orangi Pilot Project (OPP, whose home schools have been a success story replicated by many other organizations), and the Aga Khan Education Service (AKES, which has established primary schools in Karachi and the Northern Areas).

v      In poverty education, community organization and economic opportunity, the leading national organization is the National Rural Support Program (NRSP). It follows the model of community development that evolved out of the highly acclaimed AKRSP and OPP programs. Other organizations, with some variations in theme (or with more restricted geographical concentration) are AKRSP, OPP, SPO, and SRSC, and Sungi,

v      In the area of gender and development, the most prominent national organization is the Aurat Foundation (AF). Other relevant organizations are Shirkatgah, ASR.

v      On the development of a local database and a local Human Development Index, the organization that would have the most to contribute is the Human Development Center (HDC). It would also be able to use this opportunity to deepen its analysis of the human development situation in South Asia.

v      In terms of a research-led process of monitoring the performance of the project and converting into consensual, policy relevant lessons, the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) is the appropriate organization. It can apply its experience with the research-led process on pollution abatement to the human development context, and use an institutional framework similar to that of the government business roundtables to develop policy lessons and guidelines for future work.

The above recommendation is based on the following criteria:

v      A similarity of approach and a shared commitment to the core values defined earlier (Box 3.2).

v      A demonstrated expertise and proven track record in an area of importance to Project Pakistan.

v      A complementarily of expertise and interests.

v      A commitment to community empowerment and human development.

v      Express desire and potential ability to work with other NGOs in a collaborative project.

Substantively, NRSP, APPNA-Sehat and TMF form the 'field' component of the partnership in areas of community mobilization and economic opportunity, health awareness, and education respectively.  The operating style of each is highly complementary, each emphasizes community empowerment and consultative decision-making, and each operates through a variety of community organizations in their own activities.  There is much that they have in common and much that can be gained from collaboration between them. 

HDC, Aurat Foundation and SDPI form a second cluster of partners who focus on assessment and communication. HDC's proposed principal contribution is the development and maintenance of a local Human Development Index (HDI), meant both to empower local communities in assessing their own situation and making required decisions, and to enable the donors and investors to monitor the results of their activities. The local HDI, along with a regular internal program for data collection (to be designed by SDPI), will form the 'statistical' component of monitoring and evaluation. However, there are at least two other components to monitoring and evaluation which cannot be covered directly by the local HDI and which will require a regular system of assessment. The first of these relates to non-statistical indicators of empowerment, particularly of women, and the second to issues of institutional development, vulnerability, community participation and capacity building. Aurat Foundation is an ideal partner for the first of these and SDPI is particularly well suited for the second. Aurat Foundation should also be asked to work closely with the project field staff to establish, provide training for, and oversee a strong gender and development (GAD) component to the project. 

An added operational advantage of selecting these six NGOs is that the head offices of all (except Aurat Foundation) are in Islamabad.  Also, while each organization has been identified because it brings a particular set of expertise and experience to the project, each organization also has a larger interest in integrated human development and will therefore bring more than just those skills to the partnership.

3.2.2   Setting up a Pakistani presence

We recommend that HDFNA should set up a formal institution in Pakistan with the support and advice of selected partner organizations. In order to avoid confusion and for the purpose of this report, we will refer to this Pakistani institution as the Human Development Foundation of Pakistan (HDF-P). It is absolutely essential that HDFP have a clear legal standing. This is the basic minimum required to ensure smooth collaboration over the long-term. It will help clarify the division of responsibilities; establish a transparent decision-making structure; provide a clear system of financial flows, responsibilities and incentives; and most importantly an umbrella organization to support and service the partnership. HDFNA will be the sponsoring organization for HDF-P.

We recommend that HDF-P establish a resident Pakistani identity for itself as soon as possible. Besides registration under Pakistani laws, this will entail the opening of a national office headed by a National Coordinator, and the formation of a high-profile Advisory Board, drawn from the founding members, and including representation from HDFNA and partner organizations, eminent resident Pakistanis, and community leaders from selected project areas. The national office will be the focal point and secretariat for all management and policy decisions pertaining to the project. Recommendations on the constitution of the Advisory Board are presented later in this chapter.

HDF-P should be registered as a non-profit organization in Pakistan. This can be done either under the Cooperative Societies Act 1860, or the Companies Ordinance 1984, depending on the legal advice. While some details on the nature of the organization are provided below, an initial point about its founding membership can be made here. In order to make explicit the fact that program represents a joint effort by Pakistani Americans and Pakistani activists, the initial membership should include individuals from both groups. For instance all members of HDFNA’s Executive Board as well as the representatives of selected partner organizations (and other like-minded individuals) could be invited to become founder members of the new organization.

The partners should immediately begin discussions on formalizing a charter or vision statement for the new organization, including a Memorandum of Partnership outlining the terms of the partnership. While the outlines of the vision document are fairly clear and relatively non-controversial, it will still require considerable discussion on details. This should be the first item on the agenda for discussion between prospective partners. It is very important to have total clarity on all relevant issues for the preparation of the vision statement, since it will be the enabling document of HDF-P, and therefore of Project Pakistan.

The question of partnership is more complex, and will involve legal advice as well as detailed consultations with the heads (and possibly the Boards) of each partner organization. Agreement will have to be reached on a number of issues that underlie the acceptance of ownership and responsibility for the project by prospective partners. These include governance (i.e. the HDF-P decision-making structure, and representation and participation in meetings); management (division of personnel, assets, and responsibilities, such as allocation of staff time to HDFP projects); membership (expansion and termination of membership); and steps to be taken in the event of the dissolution of the organization.

We recommend complete transparency in all matters. Transfer of assets between partners or to HDF-P should only be at arms-length market prices, secondment of staff on clear and explicit terms, and expansion or termination of membership according to pre-agreed terms. If this is followed, the (hopefully unlikely) events of membership termination or dissolution will not entail lengthy legal intricacies, and all HDFP assets will naturally remain at the disposal of HDFP or HDFNA.

In order to help in these discussions, and to assist partner organizations in thinking about the ultimate shape of the vision statement, salient issues for agreement are listed in Box 3.3.

In addition to the issues listed in Box 3.3, which are fairly straightforward divisions of responsibility, the partners will also have to reach agreement on a set of somewhat more complex issues.  Discussions on the following issues should be part of the initial meetings between the partners and appropriate clauses on them may be added to the Charter.

::      Staff reporting lines.  The staff working on Project Pakistan will be HDF-P staff and will be paid directly by HDF-P.  However, it may be advisable to have a joint reporting line for staff members responsible for an area (e.g., health or education) where a particular partner has the necessary expertise.  This might be done through a system of matrix management for these staff members.  The partners should decide whether such staff members should or should not be given dual affiliation.

::      Salaries.  The different NGOs listed as potential partners for the project have wide variance in the level of salary and other support provided to their staff.  The partners need to jointly determine the level of staff salaries for the project (which will itself determine the quality of human resources hired).  Moreover, a system of standard compensation for staff from the partner organizations who may be 'seconded' to the project or may act as occasional consultants needs to be determined.  In order to avoid problems at a later stage, it is suggested that a standard rate be determined for long-term assignments and occasional consultancies at the outset.

::     Transfers of assets and staff.  If the project decides, as is recommended here, to begin operation in an area where one or more of the partners are already operating, a decision will need to be made about how the existing operations merge into the joint project, and the terms and conditions of the transfer.  The details of such a transfer--including a mechanism for compensation--will have to be worked out with some care, particularly in relation to staff and capital assets.  

::      Termination Clauses. Frequent changes in partnership at least in the initial years are both unlikely and unwise. HDFNA must make a long-term commitment to its partners, from whom it seeks a similar long-term commitment for the project. In short, one does not foresee partner changes in the immediate future. However, partnership is a delicate arrangement, requiring the building of trust and comfort with each other. This might not be possible in every case, and mechanisms for the termination of a partnership should be agreed upon from the outset.

::      Adding New Partners. On the other hand, as a project develops, new needs arise, and new partners might be needed to respond to those needs. An analogous mechanism is needed for adding new partners if such a need arises. Ordinarily, this should not involve any reduction in the role or responsibilities of existing partners, including their representation on the Advisory Board or other decision-making forums.

::      Dissolution: A third possibility, namely the dissolution of HDF-P also needs to be accounted for in the termination clauses. In such an eventuality, all assets should revert to HDFNA, and efforts should be made to find suitable employment for project staff. In each case, clear guidelines about the division of assets and liabilities should be provided.

A number of issues have been raised in this section, and elsewhere in this report, that need to be addressed during the first meeting of HDFNA and its partner NGOs (assuming that this report and its recommendations are accepted by HDFNA and its partners).  This meeting is of the utmost importance and it is crucial that each institution be represented at it at the highest level.  Ideally, the meeting should be convened by HDFNA and attended by the heads of all selected NGO partners, assisted by relevant staff members.  This report should serve as the background document for the meeting.  This meeting will not only finalize the working details of the partnership but will also be the first step in collaboration between these organizations.  It will, therefore, serve the added purpose of enabling each to learn more about the interests and priorities of the other and better define the complementarity that each brings to the partnership.  Box 3.4 provides a draft outline agenda for this first meeting of the partners.

The key to the success of the project will be the efficacy of the governance system set up to manage the process of collaboration.  In building on the discussion in earlier chapters, the goal is to set up a system of governance which:

::      Provides for meaningful community participation at all levels of decision-making and management.

::      Gives the project a distinct Pakistani identity and established a resident presence for HDFNA in Pakistan.

::      Gives all partners a deep sense of joint ownership of the project and seek from them a formal system of inputs and interaction in the day to day operation of the project.

::      Establishes processes and procedures for efficient and effective collaboration between HDF-P partners.

::      Builds on the synergies between partner organizations and brings down the cost of operation to a level significantly less than what it would be if each partner were to operate independently in that region.

::      Build a mechanism for periodic and regular contact and with government.

::      Allows for the best advice and guidance from non-resident as well as resident Pakistanis.

The governance structure proposed for Project Pakistan responds to the above by setting up a management structure at the local level which empowers community participation, establishing a national presence and identity for HDF-P, and creating mechanisms for operational collaboration between various partners and regular interaction with government. 

3.3.1   Community Empowerment

Project management at the local level will be the responsibility of a Field Office.  The details of the technical design and staff allocation for this field office will have to be decided by the collaborating partners and will build on their experiences with their own different programs.  A sample structure for staffing the field office--built around the program elements discussed earlier and based on the structure that the three proposed field partners (APPNA-Sehat, TMF and NRSP) now use in their individual programs--is presented in the next chapter as a rough template for cost calculations. At this point, however, this structure is advanced only as a possibility rather than a recommendation. The exact structure of the Field Office should be developed jointly by the field partners keeping in mind their own experiences with such projects and the social, economic and political realities of the particular local environment. It is, however, to be expected that because of synergistic gains, the HDF-P Field Office should be able to operate on a staff and a budget considerably less than the combined budget of the three field organizations working individually in the same area. 

Operationally, the Field Offices will report to the HDF-P National Office and through it to the Advisory Board and the HDFNA Board. Some technical staff members of the Field Office may also be required to report directly to a focal point in one of the partner organizations on technical and substantive issues through a system of matrix management. 

With respect to governance, the Field Offices will ensure maximum community involvement and empowerment in relevant decision-making.  For this purpose a Local Management Committee will be set up at the Tehsil Level.  The key features of this committee will be as follows:

::      Each Local Management Committee will consist of the around 13 members.  These will include: the Coordinator of the HDF-P Field Office Coordinator (1); up to three representatives of relevant partner organizations (1-3); elected representatives of the communities where the project is operational (4-6); representatives of local civil society (e.g., lawyers, educationists, professionals, etc.) and other NGOs working in the area (2-3); and invited officials from local and Provincial government (2-3).

::      The Chairperson will be elected by the Committee from amongst the community leaders or local civil society.

::      The community representatives will be elected directly by the community organizations.  All other members will be nominated by HDF-P.

::      To provide continuity and ensure prompt action, the relevant Field Office will act as the secretariat for, and the Coordinator of the Field Office as the secretary of the Committee.

::      The Committee will meet at least once every three months.

::      The Committee will assist and advise the Field Office in local trouble shooting, coordination with other governmental and non-governmental agencies, identifying needs and priorities of the Tehsil, including new communities where the project can begin working.

In addition to the above all local management will be through community organizations.  This would include local school boards, community health committees, savings groups, and other community based organizations formulated as part of implementing the project.  These community organizations will be responsible for all community-level decision making.  The project will make a commitment to work in a community in concurrence and with the support of these organizations.   

3.3.2   Establishing a National Presence

A National Advisory Board will be constituted both to guide and personify the project. It should be a functional rather than a ceremonial body entrusted with authority over program issues. It would serve as a symbol of cooperation between resident and non-resident Pakistanis, provide a venue for advancing collaboration between the partner organizations at the highest levels, and lilies with the Board of HDFNA (the two Boards would have some overlapping membership). The quality of the membership of the Advisory Board should reflect the aspirations of the project as well as the values of HDFNA.

An Advisory Board of 15-20 members is envisaged, with roughly equal representation of resident and non-resident Pakistanis. It should include selected representatives from partner institutions (generally their chief executives), key civil society groups (NGOs, journalists, lawyers, educators, notable professionals, and academics), the communities in project areas, and the government (e.g. the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission). Non-resident Pakistani embers should be selected on the basis of their expertise, commitment, and willingness to participate actively in project activities.

The Advisory Board should meet at least once (and preferably twice) a year. Its secretariat will be the HDF-P National office. This will ensure continuity, not burden board members with undue secretarial tasks, and avoid possible delays in regular tasks such as notifying meetings, recording minutes, or distributing decisions.

The Advisory Board will provide operational, policy and profile guidance to the project, assist in fundraising by enhancing the project's profile with government and international donors, report to HDFNA on financial and program matters, and address issues of coordination and collaboration between partner organizations. It will also initiate the process for reaching a decision on project expansion to new regions by establishing a Task Force with requisite responsibilities. Finally, it will review monitoring reports, oversee budget preparation, and prepare annual reports. 

The members of the Advisory Board will be the principal champions of the institution in Pakistan and North America. They will work closely with the HDFNA Executive Office and the HDF-P National Office on issues related to enhancing the project's profile, raising funds from international and national donors, and representing the project and HDFNA in Pakistan.

Besides the co-chairs of HDFNA and the heads of partner organizations, the list of potential candidates to be invited to join the Advisory Board include Mr Shoaib Sultan Khan, Mr Arif Hassan, Mr Abid Hassan Manto, Mr Farrukh Captain, Ms Bushra Gohar, Mr Aslam Azhar, Mr Sami Mustafa, Dr Zulfiqar Gilani, Dr Hamid Kizalbash, Dr Zafar Mirza, Mr Sami Mustafa, Ms Stella Jafri, Dr Anita Ghulam Ali, Mr Nisar Memon, Mr Karamat Ali, Mr Farooq Sumar, Dr Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, Dr Nighat Saeed Khan, Ms Khawar Mumtaz. The list of potential government representatives would include the Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Secretary Planning, Secretary Finance, Provincial Additional Chief Secretaries (Development). A number of political personalities from all political parties have shown support for human development agendas. A short list would include Mr Ahsan Iqbal MNA, Senator Sartaj Aziz, Mr Mushahid Hussain, Senator Shafqat Mahmood, Mr Daniyal Aziz MNA, Senator Taj Haider, Mr Shahbaz Sharif, Mr Farooq Sattar MPA.

An HDF-P National Office should be set up in Pakistan to oversee day to day operations. The office would ultimately be headed by a Chief Executive responsible for overall management, reporting to the Advisory Board, managing the budget, preparing annual reports, supervising field offices, and managing coordination between partner organizations. The Chief Executive would also be the Chair of the Partner's Coordinating Committee (PCC) and the ex-officio secretary of the Advisory Board.

Realizing that it may not be possible, or even desirable, to establish an HDF-P National Office right in the beginning (especially since the project will be working in only one location to begin with), one of the partner institutions could be designated as the interim secretariat for HDF-P.

3.3.3   Operationalizing Collaboration

It is important to build into the governance structure a number of formal and informal opportunities and venues for coordination and collaboration between the partner organizations.  The following are some of the key opportunities that this Plan of Operation provides for operationalizing collaboration.

v      The heads of partner NGOs and the co-chairs of HDFNA are members of the Advisory Board.

v      A Partner's Coordination Committee will be set up at the national level with high level representation from all partner NGOs (preferably the heads of organization).  The Chief Executive of the HDF-P National Office will chair the committee.  All Field Office Coordinators and any relevant staff from partner NGOs will also be invited to attend its meetings.  The Committee will report, through its Chair, to the Board of Governors and will review and resolve issues related to operational coordination and collaboration between partner institutions.  The Committee will be a forum for brainstorming and troubleshooting on issues related to partner collaboration.  It will also be responsible for recommending the timing and sites for possible project expansion to the Board.  The Committee will meet once every three months, including meetings immediately prior to each meeting of the Board of Governors. 

v      Representation of partner NGOs on the Local Management Committee will be encouraged as appropriate.

v      Each partner NGO will set up an internal system for providing timely and regular advice and guidance to HDF-P project staff.  While each organization will set up the system which is best suited to its own structure, it is expected that a professional staff member will be designated at each organization to serve as the focal point for HDF-P related activities. 

While the above discussion pertains to collaborating with partner NGOs, it is also important to maintain regular contacts with government decision-makers.  This is especially important since the long-term goal of the project is to move from the Partnership approach to the Facilitation approach, which requires a much more central role to be played by local government agencies.   For this purpose, one or two seats on the Advisory Board as well as the Local Management Committees should be reserved for officials of the Federal and Provincial/local governments respectively. In general, government functionaries should be invited to these positions on the basis of their individual interests and commitment rather than simply because of the office that they hold. Their participation in these forums should be strictly by invitation from HDF-P rather than by government nomination. Nevertheless, one seat might be reserved for an ex-officio government representative in order to ensure continuity.

3.4 · Communication and Monitoring Issues

The broad definition of communication used in Chapter 1 requires that this component be viewed not merely as an exercise in publications and public relations, but as the principal ingredient in the construction of a knowledge-based system that strives for constant quality improvement and excellence. By a similar token, monitoring is seen here not simply as "accounting" but as a mechanism for establishing transparency and legitimacy and for constant learning.  The purpose of a strong communication and monitoring program, therefore, is not simply to chart whether the project is a success or not but to ensure a continuous process of error correction. Finally, it is a mechanism for creating local knowledge and strengthening local capacity for knowledge creation, analysis and decision making. In other words, it is an essential tool for empowerment of local communities. The communication and monitoring component of Project Pakistan has the following goals:

v      To ensure that HDF-P is a 'learning institution' that is able to learn from both its successes and mistakes and is capable of changing course in response to that learning.

v      To contribute to a national and international discussion on human development by translating project achievements into policy lessons, and documenting and disseminating the benefits of integrated human development.

v      To demonstrate the importance of collecting detailed and reliable social and economic data at the local level and its utility in empowering local communities, and enabling them to obtain the maximum benefits from development interventions.

v      To build local capacity by involving local experts in data collection and analysis, and local community organizations in the assessment of social trends.

v      To establish a research orientation at the local level among community members as well as project staff.

v      To establish the intervention's legitimacy and transparency by continually providing key audiences in Pakistan and abroad with information and analysis on the project's achievements.

3.4.1   Communication and Dissemination

Although the HDF-P communication strategy will have a complex set of audiences, two large groups are particularly important. The first of these are resident Pakistanis including, but not limited to, the direct beneficiaries of the project. The second are non-resident Pakistanis, including but not limited to, HDFNA contributors. The key communication goals for the first audience are:

a)      establishing the legitimacy of the project as a 'Pakistani' initiative;

b)      broadening a discourse on community-led social change and governance;

c)      sowing the seeds of a movement for change by presenting a viable model for large-scale human development in Pakistan; and

d)      introducing capacity building and empowering elements into the project design itself.

While some of these goals are also relevant to non-resident Pakistanis, they are interested in a number of additional goals. To wit:

a)      mobilizing and arousing interest in Pakistan amongst these groups including amongst second generation Pakistanis;

b)      supporting fundraising for the project and keeping contributors informed of the results of their investment; and

c)      establishing the legitimacy of HDFNA as an effective ambassador of NRPs in Pakistan. 

HDFNA should launch a comprehensive research-based communication program from the very beginning, based on some of the following ideas:

v      First, invest in a general dissemination program that produces material for mass consumption such as brochures, a newsletter for financial contributors and others, and regular annual reports.

v      Second, institute a systematic research and analysis initiative. Much of this will be based on the local HDI, internal data collection and monitoring programs discussed later in this section. In addition to a regular stream of in-house studies, HDF-P should also encourage and invite outside scholars to study its program by providing access to data and financial support.