Budget Advocacy

Monitoring earthquake budgets in NWFP is the focus of the first 18-month pilot phase of the Foundation’s five-year programme: “Putting Money Where the Needs Are: Matching Money with People’s Priorities.” Initiated in January 2007, this programme supports “demand side” budget work and enables citizens (a) to identify their needs and express them in village-based, union council and district action plans, (b) to engage with decision-makers and examine the extent to which these needs are catered for in standard government budgets and budgets for earthquake relief, (c) to monitor the implementation of the provided budgets and associated activities, and (d) to negotiate for better inclusion of identified needs in future budgets as well as for changes in policy and implementation of related budgets so that they more adequately meet identified needs. The programme is supported by International Budget Project, the Open Society Institute, and the Civil Society Budget Initiative. This includes technical assistance from Ms. Debbie Budlender who has extensive experience in budget advocacy.

In its 18-month pilot phase beginning in January 2007, the following are key programme updates:

Village Rehabilitation Action Plans (V-RAPs):

In 21 villages of District Abbottabad, local activists trained and supported by the Foundation are facilitating analysis and dialogue to prepare a V-RAP for their village. It will provide an analyzed list of priority needs and wants of local women and men living in the village. Special focus will be given to including the marginalized in this process. The 21 V-RAPs from District Abbottabad will be completed by 1 June 2007. The same process will then be initiated in Districts Mansehra and Battagram.

Analysing the impact of the earthquake on the poor through well-being ranking and mobility mapping in Village Naroka

Citizen Report Cards:

In 51 Union Councils across District Abbottabad data on public perceptions on devastation and budget priority is being collected in the form of Citizen Report Cards. The data compilation will be completed by mid-June.

Analyzing Government Priorities:

Government rehabilitation plans and allocations are being analyzed. Dr. Kaiser Bengali is working with the Foundation on this aspect of the project. This analysis will be completed by the first week of June 2007. It will then be compared with citizen priorities expressed through the V-RAPs and the Citizen Report Cards.

Building local institutions and supporting citizen activism

Creating and strengthening local institutions is the lynchpin of the Foundation’s strategy. Since 2002, the Foundation has supported more than 200 community-based People’s Organizations (of women and men) in Districts Abbottabad, Battagram, Mansehra, Haripur, and Kohistan. They are among the Foundation’s primary partners. The Foundation also works closely with interest-based civil society associations including bar councils and traders’ association. The Foundation’s strategy for building local institutions is premised on: (a) supporting collective organization; (b) and promoting critical thinking. Using the village as a basic unit, People’s Organizations (of women and men) are created with at least 70% households included in its membership. These POs in turn become members of the Union Council Organization and elect an advisory committee. Members of all UC Organizations in a District become the membership of the District Organization. Its advisory committee is also elected.

Connecting Citizen Organizations for Activism – Hazara Awami Ittehad

Since early 2005, the Foundation started bringing citizen organizations together to form the Hazara Awami Ittehad. The Ittehad is steadily emerging. It has set an agenda for change, and is striving for:

Male activists of the Hazara Awami Ittehad

Since June 2005, the Foundation in partnership with the National Endowment for Democracy is supporting citizen leadership and activism. This includes support for building local institutions and connecting citizen organizations.

Expanding Space for Women at all Levels

• In the male-dominated reconstruction processes, the Foundation helped women in reclaiming and expanding their space. It has trained more than 200 women in masonry in the earthquake-affected areas. This against popular belief that “women will not be able to do this work.”

• In collaboration with South Asia Partnership – Pakistan, the Foundation is organizing livelihood support for the vulnerable, including women and the poor, in the earthquake-affected areas of Districts Mansehra and Battagram. Credit, training, and policy advocacy are the main features of the programme;

• The Foundation in partnership with Shirkat Gah, UNFPA and WZO is helping women build solidarity and support through the setting up of Women Friendly Spaces in Villages Darra, Shahoter, Karnol and Sirla.

Supporting Rehabilitation

In Union Council Dalola, the Foundation is implementing PPAF’s Reconstruction & Rehabilitation project which is funded by the World Bank. In August 2006 the Foundation completed the Damage Assessment Survey in Dalola which included 5,547 houses. 

Subsidy payments (second installment) have been made to 3,381 of the 4,771 eligible claimants. Inspections to qualify for the next installment are in process and payments are made after PPAF procedures are completed. More than one thousand grievance cases are yet to be decided.

The Foundation is also working closely with local communities in UC Dalola to support infrastructure rehabilitation. 60 schemes have been finalized in consultation with the local women and men. Three have been approved by the PPAF and construction has started. Feasibilities and other preparatory work in ongoing on the remaining schemes.

Though the RNR project is bound by ERRA guidelines, the Foundation has continued to focus on building local institutions and ensuring the involvement of the vulnerable in the project. It has involved local institutions in supporting claimants in the reconstruction. Local skilled women and men were trained to provide technical support for house reconstruction. Monitoring committees are set up to report plinth level constructions. And skilled training is provided to women and men to meet the demand for masonry and other related construction labour.

In collaboration with organizations such as the Round Table 44 Germany, WZO and the CJM Karachi Alumni Association the Foundation is working with local communities to restore drinking water supply in more than 50 affected areas. 

Rehabilitating water supply affected by the earthquake