Donors/Partners: Palladium

 

Locale: Pakistan

 

Duration of Project: January 2018 to June 2018

Program/Project Brief:

 

In the run up to General Elections 2018, it is expected that new socioeconomic and development agenda will be presented by all the political parties. Those agenda will present proposals for various sectors like health, education, energy, youth, employment, etc. Before the parties formulate that agenda, SDPI proposes to engage with them for incorporation of citizen centric health reforms (CCHR) in their manifestoes. An evidence based advocacy campaign will be undertaken for triggering the uptake of CCHRs in the manifestoes. Evidence will be generated through performance review of incumbent ruling political parties in Punjab and KP. In tandem with performance review, SDPI will also develop the Citizens Heath Manifesto by using data and information provided by Provincial and District Advocacy Forums. Taking lead from these evidences, members of manifesto drafting committees in PML-N, PTI and PPP and their party leads will be engaged for catalysing their interest towards incorporation of CCHR in their manifestoes.

 

Objectives:

 

The overall Goal of the Project is, ‘to revitalize the health care delivery system through citizen centric reforms.’ Social reforms are always on the agenda of political parties. But normally those reforms are supply centric. The main idea behind citizen centric reforms (CCRs) is incorporation of citizens’ demands in the social (health) policy design. Citizen centric healthcare reforms (CCHRs) focus on easier access to services, patient centric outcomes and efficient use of taxpayers money for health service delivery.

 

Objective 1: Ascertainment of Progress Viz. Commitments made in Political Party Manifestoes

In the run up to General Election 2018, all political parties will make high claims about the achievements made in their tenure. They will also assert that all the promises made in political manifestoes have been fulfilled. However, evidence based review of that political gibberish is vital to develop a clear cut understanding of the actual progress and actual progress gaps. This performance appraisal will be carried out through desk review of the budgetary allocations for health sector, health sector policies/plans and health related legislations/resolutions. Supply side assessment will also be complemented by demand side assessment. Demand side assessment will yield the commitment gap analysis.

 

Objective 2: Garner Political Commitments for Citizen Centric Health Reforms Through Advocacy

Election period offers a germane opportunity for ‘lobbying for social change’. An evidence based political advocacy has to be employed that trigger political commitments for CCRs before General Election 2018. Following evidences can front the facts based advocacy:

1- Progress gaps identified during the first phase.

2- Citizen’s health manifesto derived from report of Provincial and District Advocacy

3- Commitment gaps identified in the light of citizens demand assessment

4- Multi-stakeholder consultative session

Assuming that members of Standing Committees on Health in National and Provincial Assemblies can be major influencers within their respective parties, particular focus will be on sensitizing them for becoming champions of change towards CCHRs.  Print, electronic and social media will be engaged for mass communicating the proceedings and learnings of advocacy meetings.

 

Objective 3: Sensitizing and Generating Buy in of Political Parties and Their Influencers for Incorporating CCHRs in Party Manifestoes

At this stage meetings will be held with political party leads in the presence of party members engaged during the advocacy meetings held for accomplishing Objective 2. Apart from key influencers within political parties, media (electronic, print and social) is the key influencer for social change. It has a significant potential to influence or trigger the buy in of political parties for incorporating CCHRs in their manifestoes. Media tools will be used to exert moral pressure on political parties for adapting their manifestoes to the citizens demands for healthcare service. 

 

Objective 4: Post Election Progress Monitoring

To track the progress towards CCHRs, after 100 days of General Election 2018 a progress monitoring exercise will be carried out to demonstrate the extent to which manifestoes are adapted and the initiatives taken with regard to commitments by the incumbent provincial governments.

Team Members: Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Rana Nazir, Junaid Zahid, Saadiya Razzaq

 

Status: close.