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| Title | Abstract | Action(s) |
|---|---|---|
| AN INVESTIGATION OF MAJOR FACTORS LEADING TO TIME AND COST OVERRUNS OF PUBLIC SECTOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN PAKISTAN | Public sector infrastructure projects in Pakistan often suffer from time & cost overruns which undermine their development impact. This study explores the primary factors, which contribute to overruns within Pakistan's Public Sector’s infrastructure projects. It provides localized insights into the challenges that impede timely & cost-effective project implementation, which addresses a notable research gap. Using a qualitative approach, the data was collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with stakeholders involved in PSDP project planning, implementation, and monitoring. Thematic analysis reveals several factors including improper financial planning, gaps in physical planning, human resource limitations, governance inefficiencies and external factors such as security risks and natural disasters. The findings highlight a cyclical relationship that delays results in cost escalation, which in turn further delay project completion. To mitigate these issues, the study recommends detailed project feasibility, proper financial planning, risk management frameworks, improved governance mechanism and capacity building of project staff. It also emphasizes the need for stakeholders’ engagement, policy alignment and digitization of project management processes. Through localized insights, the aim to enhance the efficiency of public investments in Pakistan’s infrastructure sector. |
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| Constitutional Rights and Representation; Exploring the Implications of Natural Resource Governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. | The research is being carried out to explore the relationship between constitutional rights, political representation and natural resource governance through the case study of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KPKP) natural resources. The study analyzes how the constitutional clauses related to the ownership of resources, the distribution of power, and fundamental rights facilitate or impede governance frameworks and practices in KPK. The study highlighted the importance of analyzing the decision-making role of provincial and federal governments, local government institutions and marginalized communities. An emphasis is placed on the maintenance or erasure of constitutional guarantees for representation and equity within governance over natural resources. Use of legal frameworks, policy documents, and governance practices and field data collected from key stakeholders were employed to find the gap between the ideals laid out in the constitution and the ground reality between constitutional provisions and their implementation on the ground. Patronage and nepotism often dominate KPK's natural resource governance, with local communities being poorly represented, transparency failing to reach the forefront of these dealings, and benefit-sharing arrangements being woefully underdeveloped. These problems lead to social and economic exclusion, environmental destruction, and the exclusion of rural and indigenous communities. Furthermore, the research also underlines that top-down government strategy, and insufficient organizational abilities undermine the actualization of just and sustainable administration. The study proposes a paradigm shift towards more inclusive and participatory models of resource governance, which prioritize local voices and rights in line with constitutional principle. The study underscores the urgent need for a rights-based and representation-focused model of natural resource management in KPK that promotes sustainable development and social equity for all. |
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| Empowering Afghan Women in Rural Communities: The Impact of NGOs on Capacity Building and Gender Inclusion | This study explored the Impact of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) on women's empowerment in rural Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, with an emphasis on capacity building and gender inclusion activities. Using feminist theory, capability approach, and social capital theory as theoretical lenses, the research examines the impact of NGO interventions on socioeconomic opportunity, education, and social inclusion of women. Based on data from twenty women beneficiaries and NGO staff through individual interviews along with two focus group discussions of ten participants each, the study uses a qualitative case study approach, supported through document analysis and field observations. The results show that although NGOs are essential in supporting empowerment of women through vocational training, educational programs, and social inclusion efforts are constrained by short project life cycles, lack of follow up support, and cultural pushback. The study identifies some of the social economic problems faced by the rural women and they are identified to include unemployable and limited access to education leading to a cycle of poverty and dependence. These initiatives, however, are hobbled by high repayment rates leading to inadequate long-term market access, making skills training and economic empowerment programs important catalysts of change. The research confirms that development efforts are most effective when they respect and engage local culture and religion and recruit male allies and community leaders. The study highlights that the sustainability of women's empowerment is only possible by adopting integrative approaches targeting the combined interplay of structural and cultural barriers, especially the cultural sensitivity of program planning and implementation. Thus, these findings also have important implications for policy development, program design, and future research on women empowerment initiatives within conservative rural settings. The study suggests the need for longitudinal studies to assess the long-term effects of the program and stresses the importance of technology-enabled interventions that can help surmount geographical and cultural hurdles in rural Afghanistan. Keywords: Women's empowerment, Rural development, NGO interventions, Capacity building, Gender inclusion, Rural communities |
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