Information and communication technology / ICT strategy and policy, and capacity development

Public sector management / Public expenditure and fiscal management - Social protection initiatives

The knowledge and support TA will primarily help with the setting up of the proposed Policy and Research Unit (PRU), inline with the envisaged institutional strengthening of the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP). This KSTA is expected to help operationalize the concept of the PRU and assist in key factors such as staffing model, contract design, terms of reference, recruitment process, reporting lines, performance evaluations mechanisms, monitoring and evaluation plan, and budgeting. Subsequently, this KSTA will ensure BISP-additional financing's project readiness and minimize possible start-up delays in its implementation.

The Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) was launched in 2008 as the country's primary social protection program and is one of the largest social protection programs in South Asia. The program has three primary objectives: a) enhance financial capacity of the poor and their dependents, b) formulate and implement comprehensive policies and targeted programs for the poor and vulnerable, and c) reduce poverty and promote equitable distribution of wealth, especially for low income groups. The program was supervised by the Ministry of Finance at inception and is now under the administrative domain of the newly set up Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division. A new Government, formed in August 2018, has made it a priority to retain and expand BISP as the primary social safety net tool for the ultra-poor in Pakistan (Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), 'First 100 Days Agenda , 2018). The Prime Minister has announced the Ehsaas Policy with key areas for Kifalat (which includes programs for graduation of BISP beneficiaries) and Tahafuz (which focuses on providing a precision safety net for the poor).

BISP's primary operation is the Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) modality which is paid exclusively to eligible women and, as of January 2019, it has disbursed PRs563.57 billion to over 5.6 million beneficiary families (17% of the population).

The Government of Pakistan has made it a priority to retain and expand BISP as the priority social safety net tool for the ultra-poor in Pakistan. It has requested ADB to finance a new investment in social protection and poverty reduction that will build on SPDP and assist BISP in expanding into new modalities, like CCTs, that will help target intergenerational poverty and lead to decreased gender inequality. Support for this renewed investment is included in the country operations business plan (COBP) 2019-2021 for Pakistan. In the interim, the government has requested Additional Financing as a transition between this first phase and second phase of BISP. The Additional Financing will assist BISP in continuing to disburse UCTs essential given the bleak economic context - but will also help with improvement in institutional capacity, and in establishing a Policy Research Unit that will help develop and pilot new interventions and poverty reduction modalities that can be piloted and prepared for national scale up before the next SPDP investment.

Reduced income poverty and non-income poverty for poor families in Pakistan (2007 National Social Protection Strategy)

Institutional knowledge and capacity for effective social protection and poverty reduction improved.

Stretegic Business Plan for BISP prepared

PRU operational plan fully developed

Priority actions and plan for strengthening fiduciary systems and EFC framework developed

Policy and Research Specialist - Team Lead (International Consultant)

Policy and Research Specialist - National