Public Policy in Action: Sindh Devolved Social Services Program

Public Policy is becoming increasingly important to support Social Entrepreneurial Initiatives and providing critical funding for their growth. Many social organizations, who are achieving concrete results and impact, simply do not get the right environment and supplementary support from the public sector in order to grow and tackle social problems at a large scale. Recognizing this need the Government of Pakistan has established the Sindh Devolved Social Service Program (SDSSP) as an effort to create a favourable environment for the social sector growth.

Sindh is one of the poorest and least developed provinces of Pakistan. The low social indicators of the province are having a serious negative impact on the regional economy and political stability. In response, the provincial Government of Sindh has put a policy framework in the shape of the Sindh Devolved Social Services Program. The program, which is administered by the Provincial Department of Finance, supports greater involvement of community-based organizations (CBOs), nongovernment organizations (NGOs), and the private sector. The objectives of the program are:

1. Further administrative devolution of social services

2. Improve social sector financing and flow of funds

3. Promote participation, linkages, and public accountability

4. Rationalize services and set minimum standards

5. Encourage public-private partnership

For further information about the scope of work, reform process and ongoing activities please visit the following website:

http://www.sdssp.gov.pk/index.htm

The Sindh Devolved Social Services Program made me think about the following questions:

1. Provided the widespread corruption and lack of transparency in the government departments in Pakistan, will this program deliver?

2. What are the accountability and evaluation measures, if any?

3. Will other Provincial Governments follow suit? Especially in Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where social conditions are in dire straits.

4. Should the Federal Government recognize the need and establish a central policy framework to achieve the same objectives, as the SDSSP, at the countrywide level?