Public sector development projects are often criticised for lacking real evidence-based planning. They are based on expediencies and meant to achieve political objectives alone. In fact, the government spends billions of rupees on development schemes without a systematic and coordinated research to gauge the impact of these schemes on the lives of people. Another major criticism is that development plans and policies are conceived at a higher level without or limited consultation with end beneficiaries — citizens.

In the past, the provincial planning and investment decisions were guided by the medium-term strategies such as the integrated development strategy and growth strategies besides benefiting from the federal five-year plans. The KP needed a unified approach which also could translate the provincial government priorities into actions. Therefore, The KP government in 2019 developed the Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS) under the directions of the senior leadership of the province in order to make Annual Development Plans (ADPs) more reflective of the regional needs and that too based on evidence.

The SDS, approved by the KP cabinet, forms the basis of the government’s planning and reform agenda and now must be reflected in the upcoming Annual Development Plans of the province.

As reported in the SDS, nearly half of the KP population and 73 percent of newly-merged districts are highly impoverished in terms of education, health and socio-economic standards. While the province is yet to fully recover from the decade-long terrorism and militancy, the development indicators depict an alarming picture.

For instance, according to the official figures, nearly two million children are out of schools who need serious attention for long-term peace and stability in the province. A common perception is that many parents in KP don’t send their children, specifically girls, to schools which are located far or without basic facilities such as toilets and boundary walls. The provincial government, in the past few years, doubled its education budget, yet there is no credible source that suggests any decrease in the dropout rate and out-of-school children number.

Nearly two million children are out of schools who need attention for long-term peace and stability in the province. Many parents in KP don’t send their children, specifically girls, to schools which are located far or without basic facilities such as toilets and boundary walls.

The new medium-term strategy crystalises the KP government’s vision into clear policy directions and strategic objectives. It provides a comprehensive approach for the development of a roadmap for the province which will be aligned with political reforms to avoid duplications and wastage of resources on schemes outside the ambit of the political reform’s agenda. Such a roadmap will build the confidence of international development partners of the government and will result in increased investment in the province. The government’s interaction with development partners will be leveraged by the roadmap as they will have a clear idea of where things stand, what has been achieved and what’s to be done to move forward.

The KP province receives nearly 93 percent of its revenues from the federal government and revenue mobilisation has been excruciatingly slow in the absence of a comprehensive plan. The ratio of own-source revenues to the GDP is less than one percent of the provincial GDP. This shows the potential for reforms in revenue mobilisation. The SDS recommends expansion in the tax base, targeted tax drives, improved enforcement and compliance and increased tax facilitation services.

While the province is making efforts to streamline the planning process, it has an opportunity in the form of continued interest of international donors who provide technical assistance to the provincial government. The UK Department for International Development (DFID) is already supporting the government reforms in the governance, health and education sectors while GIZ, World Bank, European Union, USAID and United Nations also provide sector support.

The government planning often suffers due to a gap between the planning and budget cycle. The Planning and Development Department is the custodian of planning with limited control on budget allocations which sometimes results in time and cost overrun. The government should empower the department to take complete ownership of their initiatives by making comprehensive service delivery plans and associated budgets and spending plans. The Finance Department, on the other hand, may strengthen its functions related to quality assurance and ensuring fiscal discipline.

The public sector is not short of strategies and plans but implementation approach and ownership. This is high time for the government to change this perception by strengthening evidence-based planning functions and bridging coordination gaps between its departments for a long-term and sustainable impact in the lives of the people. While the current government has a strong presence in the KP, Punjab and Centre, it can leverage knowledge-sharing and inter-provincial coordination very effectively.

The writer is a public policy commentator and communications professional. He can be contacted at Twitter: zia051