Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) has placed the Punjab government in the first position on account of quality of governance among all the four provinces while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) gained 2nd position, Sindh and Balochistan provincial governments remained on 3rd and 4th position respectively.
According to annual report published by PILDAT, 48 percent of the population, in a public survey, declared Punjab government's performance as the best among all. Punjab government's overall score remained 42 percent. Punjab also achieved 56 percent of its targets in curbing corruption. It also topped in tax collection but failed to control unemployment.
According to the report, the KPK government remained runner-up as 33 percent of the people appreciated the KP government's performance. In performance analysis of various departments, the KP government's overall score remained 37 percent. PILDAT report says that Sindh and Balochistan governments remained 3rd and 4th with 34 percent score. It says that none of the provinces could hold the local body elections except Balochistan. All four provinces also failed to achieve their targets of polio eradication. Education scores remained almost the same while Balochistan government took least measures to improve the situation.
PILDAT's Comparative Score Card on Quality of Governance across Pakistan's 4 provinces shows that the provincial government of the Punjab is leading in comparative ranking on the quality of governance with 42 percent overall score followed by the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the second position with 37 percent overall score - 5 percentage points behind Punjab. Provincial governments of Balochistan and Sindh share the third position each with an overall score of 34 percent.
These scores are based on PILDAT analysis of the data provided by each of the 4 provincial governments on quality of governance during the first year in office after the May 2013 general election. While assessing the quality of governance, PILDAT has looked at both the Policy Formulation and Actual Implementation of Governance Policies. Policy Formulation including legislation and institution building was assigned a 40 percent weightage whereas the results achieved through implementation were assigned 60 percent weightage.
Compared to the score assigned on the basis of the analysis, public approval ratings of quality of governance, based on a PILDAT Public Opinion Poll conducted in July-August 2014, Punjab had received the public approval rating of 48% and was ranked 1st in terms of quality of governance. While Punjab has maintained its 1st ranking in the PILDAT Score Card on Quality of Governance, it has scored 6 percentage points below, based on data on governance provided by the Punjab Government. Quality of governance for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in its first year in office has received a PILDAT score of 37 percent, which is 4 percentage points higher than its public approval rating, 33 percent. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, though, has retained its 2nd rank in comparative assessment on quality of governance as in public approval ratings. The PILDAT Score assigned to quality of governance in Balochistan, based on data provided by the Government of Balochistan, is 5 percentage points lower, at 34%, compared to public approval rating of 39 percent. The province of Sindh, which had received the lowest approval ratings in the public opinion poll at 26 percent, has improved its scores based on the analysis of the date on quality of governance during Sindh Government's first year in office at 34 percent.
Compared to Punjab, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government has ranked first in 2 out of 24 parameters of governance. These include Management of Unemployment at 38 percent and Poverty Alleviation at 36 percent. Overall, the KP Government's highest score, 64% is obtained in Tax Collection (where Punjab takes the lead with 76 percent), followed by Transparency at 50 percent (Punjab has the leading score of 53%). Its lowest score, 25 percent, is in Safe Drinking Water Supply where it is ranked 4th out of the 4 Provinces.
The Provincial Government of Balochistan has outranked the other 3 Provinces in 5 out of 24 parameters. It has obtained the highest score of 60 percent in Devolution of Power to the lower tiers. It has obtained the lowest score, 21 percent, in anti-corruption efforts, where it is ranked the 4th compared to the other 3 provinces.
Sindh has ranked first in 3 out of the 24 parameters of governance. These include use of technologies for better governance, scored at 46 percent, energy production and management, scored at 44 percent and annual development programme, at 40 percent in which it shares the first position with the Punjab. Quality of governance is assessed based on a PILDAT Framework with 24 parameters. The scores are assigned on each parameter, based on data provided by the Governments, by comparing quality of governance during 2013-2014 compared with the previous year of 2012-2013.