1) Governance reforms in Pakistan have devolved many SDG-related functions to provincial and district authorities, including increased provincial shares of the federal budget and devolution of implementation functions. 2) Tools for localizing the SDGs in Pakistan include aligning provincial development plans and budgets to SDGs, using multidimensional poverty indexes to target investments, improving sub-national data collection, and establishing coordination platforms. 3) While provinces have primary responsibility for SDG planning and implementation, districts have limited resources and financing authority, posing challenges to localizing the SDGs. Coordination across levels of government and organizations is needed to effectively implement the SDGs in Pakistan.

1. FUNCTIONS OF PROVINCIAL AND DISTRICT
AUTHORITIES IN DELIVERING THE SDGs
Lessons and tools from Pakistan
Shakeel Ahmad
Assistant Country Director
Chief, Development Policy Unit
UNDP Pakistan

2. Structure of
Presentation
• Functions of federal, provincial and district
authorities viz SDGs
• 5 tools for SDG localization
• Lessons and challenges

3. • Functions: The impact of governance
reforms
1. 7th National Finance Commission Award
2. 18th Amendment to the Constitution
3. Local Government Acts
4. Issues

4. 1. The 7th National
Finance
Commission
Award (2009)
has increased
the share of
provinces in
Federal divisible
pool. It has also
increased the
share of smaller
provinces.

5. 2. The 18th
Constitutional
Amendment
(2010) has
devolved most
of the SDGs
related
implementation
functions to
provinces

6. 3. Local
Governments
(2015) have
significant role
to play
Province Goals
Punjab 9 (1,2,3,4,6,9,
10,11,16)
Sindh 9 (1,2,3,4,6,9,
10,11,16)
KPK 12 (1,2,3,4,6,7,
8,9,10,11,1
3,16)
Balochistan 9 (1,2,3,4,6,9,
10,11,16)
Punjab
Sindh
KPK
Balochistan
Punjab
Sindh
KPK
Balochistan
Punjab
Sindh
KPK
Balochistan Punjab
Sindh
KPK
Balochistan
Punjab
Sindh
KPK
Balochistan
Punjab
Sindh
KPK
Balochistan
KPK
KPK
KPK
Punjab
Sindh
KPK
Balochistan
Punjab
Sindh
KPK
Balochistan
Punjab
Sindh
KPK
Balochistan

7. Issues: Despite
the devolution
of functions,
the Local
Governments
get a small
share of
Development
Budgets
6.35
2.86
2.08
0.86
0.34
0.37
11.12
10.01
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Punjab
Sindh
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Balochistan
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Punjab
Provincial Share
Federal Share
ProvincialLocalGovt.Fed.Govt.
Annual Development Budgets - 2017-18
(USD Billion)

8. Issues: Provinces
have the main role
in planning and
implementation of
SDGs. District
governments are
dependent on
provincial
governments for
resources and
legislation.
Functions Federal Provincial District
Planning Medium High Low
Implementation Medium High Medium
Financing &
Revenue
Generation
High Low Very Low

9. Tools for SDG
localization and
planning
1. Alignment of Provincial Annual
Development Plans to SDGs
2. Multidimensional Poverty Index for
geographical targeting
3. Sub-national level data
4. SDGs Local Government diagnostic
online tool
5. Institutional coordination platform

10. 1. The provincial
Annual
Development Plan
is the major source
of SDG financing.
Its alignment to
SDGs is the key.
The first step is
mapping ADP
against SDGs.
Example: Punjab ADP

11. 2. District level
Multidimensional
Poverty Index is
useful in informing
public investment
decisions. Based
on MPI, Punjab
province has
allocated $ 50
million for the 10
bottom districts.

12. 3. Sub-national SDG
data disaggregation
is an important tool
for mobilizing
actions to “leave no
one behind”.
Unavailability of
sub-national
disaggregated data
is a challenge
though actions are
being taken.
• The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics has integrated some of
the data requirements in national survey
• A country wide MICS survey is being planned

13. 4. Local
Governance
Diagnostic
Executive
Snapshot
• An online platform that uses printed data
and citizens’ feedback to inform district level
SDG planning

14. 5. Institutional coordination is key to localization & mobilizing actions.
National
Coordination
Committee
Provincial
Coordination
(across
provinces)
Sector Specific
& Thematic
Coordination
National
SDGs
Support
Unit
(Planning
Commissio
n)
Provincial
SDGs
Support Unit
(in each
Planning &
Development
Dept.)
VerticalPolicyCoherence:Institutionalcoordinatingmechanisms
tofosterpartnershipsandcoordinationacrosslevels
Horizontal Policy Coherence: formal partnerships and coordination across
sectoral line ministries and agencies
Federal
Cabinet
Committee
Provincial
Cabinet
Committee
Parliamentary
Secretariat on
SDGs

15. Lessons and
challenges in
Localizing the
SDGs
• There is not a single entry point
– requires work across
organizations and governments
• How to define alignment of
resources? - Need analysis
• Going micro: Aligning Govt.
planning / project documents to
SDGs
• Aligning interventions
• Technical solutions vs political
economy challenges: creating
political incentives

16. THANK YOU