Support to Local Governance Programme (LoGo)

While Pakistan has a long history of local government systems, all previous decentralization set-ups before 2010 were promoted and introduced by military governments, which was an questionable basis for the devolution of power. Owing to the local government system’s close association with the military, the local government set-ups would end once the military rule was over. In 2010, the 18^th amendment to the constitution of Pakistan made it mandatory for all provincial governments to establish local governments. Since then, for the first time in Pakistan’s history, all four civilian provincial governments have passed local government acts. The KP government held local government elections in May 2015 and is in the process of designing training and devolving funds. Given the higher number of elected councillors and the new tier of government at the village level, the KP Government does not have the full capacity to successfully set up the local government system, e.g. lack of human resources, technical expertise and past experience in setting up a large-scale local government (mainly related to the village level councils introduced for the first time in the province).

Service delivery by the Pakistan state in its devolved structures and political participation by the population have improved.

People in KP, with focus on women and youth;

KP Local Government, Election and Rural Development Department;

KP Local Governance School;

KP Revenue Authority;

KP Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department;

KP Right to Information Commission. Elected representatives in KP.

Devolved structures and dialogue-based systems of service delivery to meet the needs of the citizens in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have improved.

Expected results:  

1. The efficiency and citizen focus of local government structures and the departments of local government at provincial level have increased.
2. Conditions for increasing revenue at sub-national level have improved.
3. Accountability and dialogue between state and society have improved.

Results from previous phases:  

An evaluation of the programme in March 2016 (so far implemented without SDC funds) has stressed positively the systemic approach applied and strong ownership of the KP government. The programme has provided valuable technical expertise that facilitated the set-up of the KP Local Government Act. The programme successfully supported the development of important regulatory frameworks for local government, taxation, which has to be further pursued. The policy advice and capacity development for key functionaries and newly elected councillors at different tiers of government in KP was referred by all partners and donors as a highly relevant contribution to support the implementation of the local government reforms in KP. The programme supported the development of the Rules of Business for Village and Neighbourhood Councils, the Local Government Commission, the Tehsil (municipal) governments, and three key regulations to implement the Local Government Act of KP. 

BMZ 

Devolving Rights in KP;

Multi-Donor Trust Fund;

Local Governance Initiative and Network;

SCOP Water Governance portfolio.

Phase 1 01.05.2017 - 31.12.2019   (Completed)