1 MINUTES OF 4th PDSSP PROGRAMME STEERING COMMITTEE ...

MINUTES OF 4 th PDSSP PROGRAMME STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON 03-09-2005 

Policy 

Action 

Policy Objectives First Tranche actions Implementation 

Milestones 

1 1.1 Five-year 1.1(a) P&DD shall have 1.1 Notified 

strategic plans for notified guidelines on, guidelines for 

social sectors in inter alia, situation PLDs 

line with Punjab analysis, managerial 

PRSP to achieve and functional 

1.2 Draft sector 

MDGs. 

restructuring, and plans of DGs and 

medium-term 

TMAs 

budgetary framework to 

facilitate PLDs in 

developing 5-year 

strategic plans. 

1.1(b) DGs and 

Program TMAs shall 

have developed and 

the respective local 

government councils 

shall have approved 

annual sector plans 

(ASPs). 

Status 

1.1 The Sectoral Guidelines 

prepared by the PSU have 

been approved by the 

respective line departments 

of Health, Education, 

Special Education, and 

Public Health Engineering. 

These guidelines have also 

been cleared by the 

Planning and Development 

Department. Approval of 

PSC is required before the 

same are notified by the 

P&DD. 

1.2 So far 32 ASPs for 

Health, 23 for Education, 19 

for WSS and all 8 for 

Special Education have 

been received in the 

Programme Office. The 

respective line departments 

have been requested to 

provide assistance in 

expediting the remaining 

plans. 

Approval from LG councils 

will be processed after the 

new local governments are 

formed. 

Decision by PSC 

1.1 The PSC gave its approval 

to the notification of sectoral 

guidelines by the P&DD. 

1.2 The PSC decided that the 

provincial line departments will 

provide assistance in expediting the 

process of Annual Sector Plans by 

contacting the respective 

EDOs/TMOs. Health and Education 

Departments were given one week 

while LG&RDD eight days to 

complete the exercise. PSU will 

coordinate with the respective line 

departments in this respect. 

The LG&RDD representative 

pointed out that under Section 197 

1

of the PLGO the Government may, 

by order, remove any difficulty 

which may arise in giving effect to 

the provisions of this Ordinance. 

The representative of the Asian 

Development Bank (ADB) agreed 

with the proposal and informed that 

the ADB would have no objection in 

accepting the relevant first tranche 

condition if this recourse was taken. 

He, however, pointed out that a 

condition for review of these ASPs 

by the newly installed local councils 

may be included to ensure 

ownership of these plans by the 

incoming local governments. He 

also committed to take up the 

matter with the ADB Head Office to 

get a clear cut reply in this regard. 

It was decided that a Summary to 

‘vest the powers of local councils in 

a local authority’ will only be moved 

to the Chief Minister after the ADB 

gives a clear cut commitment to 

accept the tranche action as 

complete once the authority vested 

with the local council powers 

approves the ASPs. 

2 1.2 Implement 

devolved 

administrative and 

financial powers in 

line with PLGO 

1.2(a) LG&RDD shall 

have developed a 

compendium of existing 

laws, rules, regulations, 

notifications, directives 

and orders, etc., 

relating to devolved 

administrative and 

financial powers 

Copy of 

Compendium 

The Compendium 

developed by the PSU has 

been approved by the 

Quality Assurance 

Committee headed by the 

Secretary LG&RDD on 

August 30, 2005. The 

Compendium is presented 

before the PSC for 

information. 

The PSC gave its approval to the 

publishing of the document by the 

PDSSP. The document would also 

be posted on the websites of 

Government of the Punjab and the 

PDSSP. 

It was also decided that the QAC 

would meet regularly to update the 

document. A schedule will be 

2

3 1.3 Use of the 

conditional grants 

to articulate and 

implement 

provincial policies, 

priorities and 

institutional 

arrangements for 

the devolved social 

services. 

4 2.1 PLDs set propoor 

and gender 

sensitive minimum 

service package 

and standards, 

guide, and 

monitor DGs and 

program TMAs in 

rationalizing social 

sector services 

1.3(a) Unless the 3- 

year PFC award shall 

have been approved 

and announced, PFC 

shall have approved 

and announced the 

conditional grant, 

including distribution 

formula, institutional 

arrangements, 

performance criteria, 

and the accountability 

mechanism for 

Program funds to be 

transferred to DGs and 

program TMAs 

1.3(b) PG shall have 

entered into the MOUs, 

in form and substance 

acceptable to ADB, 

with DGs and the 

Program TMAs to 

access program funds, 

on the terms and 

conditions set out in 

the MOUs. 

2.1(a) Each PLD shall 

have consolidated and 

produced a 

compendium of existing 

service standards 

1.1 PFC Award, 

incorporating the 

conditional grants 

mechanism. 

Supplementary 

Grant to the DGs 

1.2 Signed 

MOUs 

Copy of 

Compendium 

1.1 The DSSP conditional 

grant mechanism, as 

contained in the MOUs, is 

ready for consideration and 

approval of the Provincial 

Finance Commission. The 

PFC meeting is expected 

soon. 

A case for getting approval 

through circulation to the 

PFC members has also 

been moved to the Finance 

Department. 

1.2 Once approved by the 

PFC, the MoUs would be 

sent to the DGs and 

Programme TMAs for 

signatures. 

The Compendium has been 

developed after approval of 

the existing service 

standards by the respective 

line departments. The 

Compendium is presented 

before the PSC for final 

clearance. 

decided in coordination with the 

Secretary LG&RDD. 

1.1 The DSSP conditional grant 

mechanism, as contained in the 

MOUs, is ready for consideration 

and approval of the Provincial 

Finance Commission. At the 

moment the PFC membership is 

incomplete due to the absence of 

Nazims and private members. The 

next meeting of PFC is expected 

once all the members are in place. 

1.2 Necessary action would be 

initiated after approval of MoUs by 

the PFC. 

The PSC gave its approval to the 

publishing of the document. The 

document would also be posted on 

the Programme website within one 

week. 

(TRANCHE ACTION COMPLETE) 

3

5 2.2 

Rationalization of 

staff in PLDs and 

strengthening of 

employer functions 

of DGs and TMA 

level 

6 3.1 Strengthened 

social 

sector monitoring 

systems and 

enhanced public 

disclosure on 

social services 

delivery 

2.2(a) in consultation 

with PLDs and S&GAD, 

LG&RDD shall have 

notified guidelines to 

facilitate DGs and the 

program TMAs to fill 

essential vacant 

positions, preferably 

well-qualified female 

candidates, on 

contractual and facility 

specific basis. 

3.1(a) in consultation 

with DGs and program 

TMAs, each PLD shall 


P&DD shall have 

approved a monitoring 

framework, which shall 

propose linkages 

between various subsystems; 

identify 

operational efficiencies; 

advise on collection, 

reporting and use of 

gender-disaggregated 

data; and recommend 

mechanisms for 

increased public 

access to information. 

Notified 

Guidelines 

1.1 Approved 

Monitoring 

Frameworks 

Recruitment guidelines and 

contractual policy have 

already been notified by the 

Provincial Government. A 

meeting has been held by 

the ACS on April 9 to reaffirm 

the provincial 

position, specifically for the 

social sectors. Necessary 

guidelines have again been 

issued by the Provincial 

Government to meet the 

tranche conditionality. 

1.1 The M&E Framework 

developed by the PSU was 

circulated to the PLDs and 

P&DD on July 2 for 

views/comments. 

Comments from P&DD, 

Health and Special 

Education Departments 

have been received. 

The conditionality has been met by 

the provincial government. 


1.1 It was decided that the 

pending comments from PHED and 

Education Department would be 

finalized by the 10 th of September. 

3.1(b) Punjab shall 

have implemented a 

behavior change 

communication 

campaign informing 

citizens about the 

reasons for poor social 

indicators with 

1.2 Initiation of a 

Behavior Change 

Communication 

campaign by the 

Provincial 

Government 

1.2. A media strategy was 

devised and circulated to 

the PLDs and P&DD for 

comments. The line 

departments of Health, 

Education, Special 

Education, and PHE have 

approved the strategy. PSC 

1.2 The BCC strategy was 

approved by the PSC for 

implementation. 

4

7 3.2 Effective 

functioning 

of Local Council 

monitoring 

committees 

reference to MDGs and 

the Program’s 

contribution towards 

progress on MDGs. 

3.2(a) LG&RDD shall 


disseminated draft bylaws 

for local 

government monitoring 

committees. 

Disseminated 

draft bye-laws 

is requested to clear the 

‘campaign strategy’ for 

implementation. 

The draft bye-laws have 

been adopted and 

disseminated to the local 

governments by the 

LG&RDD. The same are 

presented before the PSC 

for information. 

The draft bye-laws were presented 

before the PSC for information. 


8 3.3 Promotion of 

public-private 

partnerships in 

social sectors 

focusing on 

innovative 

alternative service 

delivery and public 

accountability 

mechanisms. 

3.3(a) P&DD shall 

have prepared a white 

paper on PPPs. 

White Paper 

Draft report prepared by the 

consultant was circulated to 

the PLDs and P&DD on 

July 27 for 

views/comments. 

Comments from P&DD, 

Special Education have 

been received. 

It was decided that the remaining 

comments would be processed and 

finalized by the line departments of 

Health, Education, and PHE in one 

week. 

5

ISSUES 

No. Issue Status Decision by PSC 

1. 17% of the allocation in the 

PDSSP is earmarked for the 

Education Sector. With 

massive funding already 

available for strategic 

interventions in the 

mainstream Education 

Sector, it is deemed desirable 

that the Special Education 

sector should also 

share/benefit from the funds 

earmarked for the Education 

Sector. 

2. A T.A. Management Firm 

needs to be hired through the 

QCBS methodology. This 

would imply a lot of time 

consumption and could 

impinge negatively on the 

Programmes progress; 

therefore, needs to be looked 

into. 

In a meeting held with Education Secretary the 17% 

Programme funds were proposed to be bifurcated as 

follows: 70% to Education Department (US $9 million) 

and 30% to Special Education Department (US $3.75 

million). Up-gradation of female middle schools to high 

schools in the most deprived districts, re-organization 

of DPI (Directorate of Public Instruction) offices, 

management structures and quality assurance 

systems, strengthening of public private partnership 

(PPP), and school health programmes were identified 

as major activities for utilization of Programme and TA 

funds. The same is presented before the PSC for 

information. 

Pending the release of the first tranche, Bridging TA 

facility has been provided by the donors to meet the 

immediate TA needs of various line departments. This 

arrangement will continue till such time that a TA 

Management Agency is selected through the 

International Bidding Process, which is a timeconsuming 

procedure. The PSC have already given 

its approval to this arrangement in the last meeting. 

EOIs of the TA Management Firm have been 

developed. The same may be cleared by the PSC 

before the international bidding process is initiated. 

The PSC gave its approval to the proposed 

bifurcation of 17% funds meant for education 

sector i.e. 70% to Education Department (US $9 

million) and 30% to Special Education Department 

(US $3.75 million). The PSC also gave its 

approval to the major activities identified for 

Programme and TA funds utilization in the 

education sector, namely up-gradation of female 

middle schools to high schools in the most 

deprived districts, re-organization of DPI 

(Directorate of Public Instruction) offices, 

management structures and quality assurance 

systems, strengthening of public private 

partnership (PPP), and school health 

programmes. 

It was observed during the meeting that the entire 

process of selection of the TA Management Firm 

was very complex and time consuming. The 

Chairman P&D informed that P&D was in the 

process of standardizing different documents that 

would streamline and expedite the selection of 

individual consultants and consulting firms. It was 

decided that the EOIs developed by the PDSSP 

would be considered in the next PSC meeting 

scheduled for September 12. 

All the four PLDs had earlier given the broad areas for 

TA interventions and those were made part of the PC- 

I. Now, the PLDs have come up with specific TA 

needs which are to be financed through the Bridge 

TA-II arrangement. These TA needs require approval 

from PSC so that they can be processed promptly. 

The representative of HUD & PHED requested 

that the TA utilization plan be modified by 

including the ‘Establishment of TMA Support Cell’ 

and ‘Formation of Village Councils/ Water User 

Committees’ as the essential department needs. 

The PSC gave its approval to the request of HUD 

6

& PHED and also approved the essential TA 

needs identified by the other line departments. 

These needs would be met by the Programme 

through the Bridge TA-II resources. (List of 

approved utilization plan is enclosed). 

BRIDGE TA-II UTILIZATION PLAN 

No Demand/ Need Actions Responsibility Target 

Dates 

Estimated 

Cost 

(US $) 

A. HEALTH DEPARTMENT 

1 Establishment of Monitoring Unit in the Health 

department to monitor and coordinate various 

projects and programmes, with specific 

reference to the Health Sector Reforms 

Programme 

1. Development of TORs 

2. Approval from ADB 

3. Recruitment of Monitoring 

Specialist 

4. Field consultant 

PLD, PSU 

PSU, ADB 

Proc specialist 

PSU 

Sep15 

Sep25 

Nov07 

Nov15 

10,000 

B. EDUCATION DEPARTMENT 

1. Reorganization of DPI Office 1. Development of TORs 


3. Recruitment of Specialist 


PLD, PSU 

PSU, ADB 

Proc. Specialist 

PSU 

Sep15 

Sep25 

Nov 07 

Nov15 

6,000 

C. SPECIAL EDUCATION 

1 

Situation analysis of existing services and 

delivery system and Needs Assessment for the 

use of modern teaching aids 





PLD, PSU 

PSU, ADB 


PSU 

Sep15 

Sep25 

Nov 07 

Nov15 

4,000 

D. HUD & PHE DEPARTMENT 

7

1 Establishment of TMA Support Cell 1. Development of TORs 




PLD, PSU 

PSU, ADB 


PSU 

Sep15 

Sep25 

Nov 07 

Nov15 

13,000 total 

2 Formation of Village Councils/ Water User 

Committees 





PLD, PSU 

PSU, ADB 


PSU 

Sep15 

Sep25 

Nov 07 

Nov15 

8

1 MINUTES OF 4th PDSSP PROGRAMME STEERING COMMITTEE ...

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