Public Policy Management And Social Protection Schemes In Pakistan
- Pakistan’s social protection schemes need to go beyond the cash distribution to the provision of productive assets among people via social-economic bargains. Land distributions schemes need to be developed through stakeholder harmonization and along with the assistance of development banks such as Zarai Taraqiati Bank (ZTB).
- In the wake of economic downfall due to COVID-19, public sector organizations need to develop long-term synergies and harmony with all relevant stakeholders, including academia, CSO, and private sector organizations, to ensure a better response through social protection schemes.
- “Quantum of need” of BISP beneficiaries needs to be reduced by dignifying them and considering them as proper customers. This could lead to long-term benefits and better funding recoveries than conventional techniques.
- Considering that public policy management is highly based on a stakeholder perspective analysis, it should be carefully analysed how they feel and react to the interventions. An assessment framework could be developed through constitutional networks, parliamentary proceedings, interprovincial dialogues, communication from top to bottom, and then Media Discos.
- To ensure that rural poor have direct access to the procurement bags without involvement of the intermediaries, there is a need to develop technological capabilities and database for low-income potential beneficiaries.
- Rural poor protections schemes should involve capacity building and technological interventions to ensure an adequate water supply among farmers, both at upper and lower streams.
- Social protection in Pakistan would require collectively mobilizing the voice of the poor by building their institutional frameworks (Agencies) and empowering their supporting lobbies.
- There is a need to develop a national Social Protection Council that can have representation from all agencies so they can sit together and design programs in a way that utilizes resources more efficiently.
- For efficient social protection schemes, Government needs to develop benchmarks of value to measure each intervention. This valuation should be built around the inclusion, participation, and governance of local communities.
- There is a need for an integrated system for social protection, developments and reforms in order to create a centralized system governed by an overarching entity with access to required data. Further, there is a need for clear devolution of responsibilities under the 18th Amendment for the local Government.
- Public policy experts should address the current practices to shift from only income-generation modules to full packages of health and education.
- Mental health issues and socio-psychological problems need to be addressed through community mobilization rather than just through the provision of cash assistance.
- Pakistan’s public social protection schemes should be expanded to cover climate vulnerable households, and anticipatory actions are needed to support vulnerable communities before the full impact of a climate hazard is felt.
