Planning and Development Board Punjab Chairman Suleman Ghani has said that sound and transparent statistics are essential not only for effective policymaking but also institutionalising a result-oriented environment leading to focus on outcomes.
He was addressing an orientation workshop titled "multiple indicators cluster survey, 2007-08" (MICS 2007-08) arranged for district Nazims and jointly organised by the Planning and Development Board Punjab and the Unicef here on Tuesday.
P&D Secretary Shahid Mahmood, Members P&D Board Punjab Arifa Saboohi, Ijaz Ali Zaghim, Unicef Punjab Chief Dr Deepak Bajara Charya, Unicef Health Specialist Dr Tahir Manzoor, Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist Unicef Sarah Ahmed Mirza, Director BOS Shamim Rafique, PRMP Programme Director Asad Sumbal and all district Nazims of Punjab were also present at the workshop.
Suleman Ghani said the chief minister's Vision 2020 urged the building of such a culture of outcome-based policy-making in the province of Punjab. He said, it is increasingly being recognised in the field of development that a judicious use of evidence in development policy and practice is of critical importance, as it is not just an indulgence of the taste for abstract exercises as sound may perceive but it can crucially help in saving lives, lessening poverty and enhancing the quality of life of the citizen.
"The purposes of today orientation workshop was to share information and build a stronger awareness and ownership for this round of the MICS survey at district level. The Punjab government wants strong co-operation and support for this endeavour," he added.
Addressing the participants of the workshop, P&D Chief Economist Dr Shujat All said first MICS 2003-04 was the result of the provincial government's efforts, with support from Unicef, to develop such reliable baseline of socio-economic data, which would assist in the identification of the gaps and setting priorities for sound development planning at provincial and district levels.
P&D Senior Chief Habib-ul-Rehman gave an overview of MICS 2003-04. Unicef Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist Sarah Ahmed Mirza gave her detailed presentation on purposes and methodology of MICS and Punjab BOS Director Shamim Rafique explained the MICS 2007-2008.