Pakistan readiness assessment: delivering anticipatory social protection
This study uses the ASPIRE tool to evaluate the readiness and effectiveness of social protection systems in Pakistan, identifying gaps and opportunities to improve anticipatory measures and climate resilience.
The analysis shows that Pakistan's social protection landscape, featuring programmes like the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), the Benazir Nashonuma Program and the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund, shows a well-articulated policy framework aimed at addressing poverty, malnutrition, and climate resilience. While BISP excels in targeted cash transfers and stakeholder engagement, the system suffers from limited coverage and lack of anticipatory mechanisms for disaster response. The framework aims for universal access and proactive measures, but the actual reach and readiness fall short, underscoring a disconnect between policy objectives and outcomes.
The assessment further highlights these gaps and inconsistencies. For instance, despite a focus on comprehensive support, explicit guidelines for anticipatory actions are missing. The devolution of powers to the provinces has led to fragmented policy implementation. Financial commitment is low and there is no evidence of contingency or private sector funding. While technological solutions like biometric verification are used in programmes like BISP, there's a general lack of integration of modern tools like EWSs. Grassroots mechanisms do exist, but their effectiveness is not well-documented.