Promoting management and administrative reform is one of the four priority areas of governance work that the British Council undertakes in Pakistan. Below are some examples of our work in this area.
Seminar held on ‘Devolution: The Reality’
The British Council in collaboration with Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) held a seminar ‘Devolution: The Reality’ at Holiday Inn, Islamabad on 21 August 2000.
The speakers were:
- Daniyal Aziz, Consultant, National Reconstruction Bureau
- Dr Shahrukh Rafi Khan, Executive Director, SDPI
- Dr Kaiser Bengali, Consultant, Social Policy and Development Centre, Karachi
- Dr A.R. Kemal, Director, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics
Dr Inayatullah, academic and research scholar, chaired the seminar. Peter Ellwood, Director Pakistan, The British Council presented the welcome address.
The seminar was attended by around 150 people. The objective was to discuss the government's new Devolution Plan, and its merits and demerits.
Seminar proceedings
Seminar: ‘Role of Local Government in the UK’
On 24 February 2000 the British Council Peshawar organised a seminar led by a 12-member delegation of British councillors from Aylesbury, UK to discuss the history, functions and social responsibilities of local government in the UK.
The seminar was attended by about 50 participants, including elected local councillors from the North-West Frontier Province.
Mayor Chesterfield Jones described the system of checks and balances that operate in the UK system to ensure accountability and transparency. Comparing the UK system with Pakistan, he said that in the UK, local bodies enjoy a high degree of financial independence.
The briefing was followed by an interactive question and answer session. Participants were also shown a short video on Aylesbury.
North-West Frontier Province Primary Education Project
Women in Management Course
The British Council is managing the NWFP Primary Education Project on behalf of Britain’s Department for International Development (DFID).
One component of this project is the development of a Women in Management certificate course. The course encourages the development of a network of confident women education officers capable of leading and sustaining change. Taught by women trainers in three study centres in Abbottabad, Bannu and Peshawar the course is offered over four semesters and is planned for completion in July 2001.
The Women in Management course is part of the broader Women in Management programme managed by the British Council in the NWFP. This seeks to develop the understanding, skills and confidence of women officers within the NWFP Directorate of Education, to enable them to contribute more effectively both individually and as a group to the efficient delivery of primary education.
Family Health I Project
Managed by the British Council on behalf of Britain’s Department for International Development (DFID), the aim of this project is to improve the health status of the population of North-West Frontier Province, including Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
Operational from 1996, the project is working to improve the effectiveness of existing health care and family planning services, to increase staffing levels by female qualified staff and to develop a sustainable health service and family planning delivery system. This has included developing a medium-term health plan for FATA.
Police Training Project
Under the Police Training Project the British Council provided technical assistance to the Government of Pakistan on behalf of DFID. Running between 1996 and 1999, the project aim was to assist the Pakistan Police Force to become more effective, responsive and accountable by improving the skills of senior Pakistan police officers.
The project worked to develop a Central Police Training Unit and national training centre in Islamabad. It also assisted in the preparation of courses and course materials relevant to modern policing and the needs of the community. In this way, the project assisted the National Police Academy in its co-ordination of training at a national level, the training of police trainers and delivery of in-service training for senior police officers.
Family Health II Project
Under the Family Health II project, the British Council worked with British partners to strengthen the management and delivery of health services in Punjab and Balochistan. Operational from 1994 to 1999, the British Council managed technical assistance to this multi-donor health reform project on behalf of Britain’s Department for International Development (DFID). The project helped the Government of Pakistan to reform its health care provision by shifting its emphasis from tertiary and secondary, to primary, preventative and promoting health care.
At the same time, the project facilitated organisational changes within the Punjab and Balochistan health departments by working to develop and strengthen health planning and management systems.
If you'd like to know more about our governance work in Pakistan, please contact Arshed.Bhatti@britishcouncil.org.pk.
For information on the British Council's global policy in this field take a look at our main site.
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