The Poverty Reduction Strategy Enforcement Secretariat (PRSES) of Ministry of Finance has developed a comprehensive communication strategy to ensure the process of inclusion through sharing and dissemination of information and knowledge at key levels of the society.
According to an official source, this would ensure accountability, participation and transparency in the implementation of Poverty Reduction Strategy Policy.
The core element of the communication interventions is to employ diverse channels in accordance with audience needs including the electronic and print media, workshops and seminars and translation of Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) into national language.
The communication strategy is intended to ensure that the PRSP becomes a living document that adapts to the changing needs of stakeholders.
It also aims to encourage transparency amongst the various levels of society and government.
The communication flow includes briefings, information packs, media coverage, workshops, implementing feedback and policy adjustments. The feedback will be incorporated into the future versions of PRSP.
The PRSP Secretariat, headed by the Joint Secretary (Policy) in the Ministry of Finance, will continue to serve as the principal co-ordinator to ensure that line ministries, private sector, civil society, and the donors are aware of the progress in the PRSP and are timely informed of opportunities to assist and support the PRSP programmes.
The PRSP Secretariat will also be the lead agency that, in collaboration with the Planning Commission, Federal Bureau of Statistics, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics and Center for Research on Poverty Reduction and Income Distribution, will report outcomes and impact analysis apart from tracking budgetary and non-budgetary expenditures and progress on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and resolution of various technical issues relating to PRSP.
it.
The PPA can point to the existence of common concerns or problems that the poor may be facing across communities but the statistical distribution of these problems can only be verified through a proper survey.
To ensure that every government department relevant to the PRSP is fully engaged in the formulation and implementation of the strategy to reduce poverty, the process of formulating the full PRSP is steered by a high-level National PRSP Steering Committee headed by the Federal Secretary of Finance.
The members of the Committee include Secretaries of relevant ministries and
Planning Commission, heads of institutions and Additional Chief Secretaries of the provinces.
The Committee is mandated to oversee implementation of IPRSP policy reforms, to evaluate its impact and suggest changes in the policy regime if required and to build national consensus in formulation of full PRSP.
The Committee also monitors poverty-related expenditures, intermediate indicators and final outcomes.