This document outlines the project approval process and bodies involved in Pakistan. There are multiple stages of approval for a project, including approval in principle and conditional approval. Several approving bodies exist at different levels - the National Economic Council approves the highest level projects, while the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council, Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet, Central Development Working Party, Departmental Development Working Party, and Provincial Development Working Party each approve projects below certain cost thresholds. Each approving body is headed by relevant ministers or officials and involves secretaries and department heads in decision making.

1. Manual for Development Projects
Chapter # 06
Project Approval
Presented By: Mr. Abbas

2. Project Cycle Management

3. Approval Stages
– Project Cycle
– Approval in Principal
– Clear purpose should be defined for getting
approval
– Conditional Approval:
Where approval has been given to a project with
certain conditions, it has to be ensured by the
executing agency that those conditions are duly
fulfilled, especially those which have to be fulfilled
prior to the execution.

4. Project Approving Bodies
• Different levels:
– National Economic Council (NEC)
– Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC)
– Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet (ECC)
– Central Development Working Party (CDWP)
– Departmental Development Working Party (DDWP)
– Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP)

5. National Economic Council (NEC)
– Supreme policy making body in economics field
– Headed by chief Executive (PM or president)
– Members:
Federal minister in charge of economic minister,
and the deputy chairman of planning commission
and CM and governor of provinces.
– Controller all the planning machinery and
approving authorities of plan and policies relating
to development.

6. Executive Committee of National Economic
Council (ECNEC)
– Headed by federal Minister of Finance
– Decision taken by ECC in 28-1-1997
– Adviser to the Prime Minister for Finance and
Economic and Planning was designated as its
Chairman
– Member’s Functions are:
– To sanction development schemes in the public and private
sectors.
– To allow moderate changes in the plan and in the plan
allocations.
– To supervise the implementation of economic policies laid down
by the NEC or the Government.

7. Economic Coordination Committee of the
Cabinet (ECC)
– Headed by federal minister of finance and federal ministry
of economics
– Look after Day to day economic matters
– Coordination with Economic policies
– Make proposal to maximize production
– It gives approval to project of private sector and energy
sectors of public sectors

8. Central Development Working Party
(CDWP)
– Dev. projects exceeding a certain financial limit prepared
by the Central Ministries, Provincial Governments, etc., are
scrutinized for the purpose of approval.
– Headed by the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission
– Members:
The Secretaries of the Federal Ministries concerned with
the development and the heads of the Planning
Departments of the Provincial Governments.
– The schemes approved by the Central Development
Working Party costing Rs. 100 million.
– Above are submitted to the Executive Committee of the
National Economic Council for final approval.

9. Departmental Development Working Party
(DDWP)
– It is a body for approving development projects/
programs for Federal Ministries/Divisions/
Departments according to their approved financial
limits.
– It is headed by the respective Secretary/ Head of
Department and includes representatives of
Finance Division and concerned Technical Section
in the Planning and Development Division.

10. Provincial Development Working Party
(PDWP)
– Each Province has a Provincial Development Working Party
– Headed by the Chairman, Development Board/ Additional
Chief Secretary (Development) and includes Secretaries of
the Provincial Departments concerned with development,
as its members.
– The Provincial Development Working Party scrutinize
various projects for inclusion in the Annual and Five Year
Plans.
– It is competent to approve projects up to a certain financial
limit.
– Projects exceeding this limit are submitted to the Central
Development Working Party for approval.

11. Thank You