Superior Drilling Products
Annual Report 2022

Plain-text annual report

All rights are reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic or mechanical), including photocopying, recording or information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher. A publication of Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Islamabad SDPI is an independent, non-profit research institute on sustainable development. @ 2022 by Sustainable Development Policy Institute Acknowledgement The compilation of this report would not have been possible without the input and guidance from Board of Directors, Executive Director, and colleagues at the Institute. Edited and Compiled by: Designed by: Saleem Khilji Umair Hassan ii T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S I N T R O D U C T I O N \ 1 P O L I C Y R E S E A R C H \ 1 8 R E S E A R C H C O O R D I N A T I O N \ 6 1 R E S E A R C H N E T W O R K S \ 6 2 P O L I C Y A D V O C A C Y & O U T R E A C H \ 6 9 C E N T R E S O F E X C E L L E N C E \ 9 4 R E S E A R C H S U P P O R T \ 1 0 4 S D P I S T A F F \ 1 0 9 iii I N T R O D U C T I O N 1 A B O U T S D P I Founded 30 years ago (August 1992) on the recommendation of Pakistan National Conservation Strategy (NCS), also called Pakistan’s Agenda 2 1 , S D P I w a s r e g i s t e r e d u n d e r Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860. The NCS outlined the need for an independent policy think tank to serve as a source of expertise for policy formulation, policy analysis, policy intervention, and policy p r o g r a m m e a d v i s o r y s e r v i c e s . SDPI strives for bridging research- policy gap through effective policy outreach and capacity building. 2 SDPI at a Glance 3 BOARD OF GOVERNORS 4 5 A PICTORAL VIEW OF 25th SDC 6 A PICTORAL VIEW OF 25th SDC 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 COP27 SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri speaks at a session of COP 27 at Sharm El-Sheikh held in November 2022. 15 Policy Advisory Role Over the years, the institute has been succeeded in carving out an advisory role in policy making circles. SDPI is now closely working with different ministries and departments to provide them policy advise on different issues in line with the institute’s evidence-based research. Some of the policy advisory roles the SDPI leadership has been assigned in the government circles are as under: Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director Member of the Pakistan Climate Change Council Member of the Government of Punjab’s Vice Chancellors’ Search Committee for Agricultural Universities Members, Board of Directors, National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) Member of Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council till April 2022 Convenor of Prime Minister’s Agriculture Transformation Plan till April 2022 Dr Vaqar Ahmed, Joint Executive Director Member, Reforms & Resource Mobilization Commission Member, Board of Directors, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment & Trade. Member, Fauji Foundation Welfare Advisory Board. Member, Approvals Committee, Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA), Pakistan Member, Technical Committee of Spatial Strategy Project, Government of Punjab Member, Advisory Council, National Skills University. Dr Sajid Amin, Deputy Executive Director (Research) Member, Working Group on First Five-Year Plan, Planning and Development Department, Balochistan Member, Sectoral Advisory Group (Macroeconomy), Ministry of Finance Member, Working Group on Macroeconomic Framework-Growth, Investment and Savings, Planning Commission of Pakistan Member, Working Group on Economic Governance, 12th Five Year Plan, Planning and Development Division Invited participant of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Decent Work and Economic Growth Dr Hina Aslam, Research Fellow Part of Advisory Group, National Security Division (Climate Security) Member of Network for Clean Energy Transition (NCET) 16 The Jewel in the Crown Consultative Status by UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs - Sustainable Development I n S e p t e m b e r 2 0 2 2 , S D P I w a s g r a n t e d consultative status for the UN - Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). By virtue of having ‘consultative status’ at ECOSOC, SDPI is enabled to engage with ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies, the Human Rights Council and, under specific conditions, with the General Assembly and other intergovernmental bodies, as well as with the United Nations Secretariat. Accreditation with UN Environment Programme (UNEP) In February 2022, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) was granted accreditation to the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) of UNEP. Accreditation provides non-governmental organizations with observer status access to the UNEA and other subsidiary bodies of UNEP including participation in Committee of Permanent Representatives. 17 P O L I C Y R E S E A R C H 18 CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITION ENERGY SECURITY Timeline: January 2022 - December 2022. Introduction The energy sector of Pakistan has been facing multiple socio-economic challenges over the past many years, leading to severe energy crisis that has hindered the country’s economic growth. These challenges range from constantly increasing circular debt due to inefficiency and high T&D losses, large-capacity payments, and high dependence on imported fossil fuels to inconsistency in policy goals and targets. Though the nature of each challenge differs, there exists a common solution, i.e. the inclusion of environmental considerations, penetration of clean energy, resource indigenization, and sustainable development in the planning and development discourse of the energy sector. To address these challenges, SDPI has made a comprehensive research outreach strategy under its clean energy transition programme. The key works revolved around advocating and emphasizing the need for energy transition through an evidence-directed outreach effort ensuring a conducive environment which improves buy-in for the relevant interventions from all stakeholders. To achieve this goal, a multi-dimensional approach targeting different aspects of clean energy transition was adopted in the local context of Pakistan. This included: i) conducting an extensive research and advocacy around clean energy transition driven by renewable energy resources, and ii) identifying and advocating policies and strategies that can ensure reliability and affordability for CET in Pakistan through evidence-led research. Output In January 2022, SDPI officially launched its “Network for Clean Energy Transition (NCET) in Pakistan: Research and Advocacy”. Launching NCET was a first-of-its-kind initiative in Pakistan to address the critical dimensions of the energy transition for achieving SDG 7. Together with 120 partners hosted by this network, we aimed to accelerate the debate on the subject, and take bold actions to seek a way forward for technology transfer and the implementation of best practices from across the world. Under the auspice of this network, the energy unit of SDPI collaborated with United Nations Economic and Social Commission of Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) and Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB), the Ministry of Energy 19 (Power Division) to develop Pakistan’s first ever roadmap for SDG 7 using UNESCAP’s NEXSTEP tool. The roadmap was officially launched by Pakistan’s federal minister for energy at the twenty seventh session of the Conference of Parties (COP27) in Sharm El - Sheikh in November 2022. To further address the criticality of “Energy Security” in Pakistan and the need to develop an action plan for climate mitigation in line with Pakistan’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the energy unit of SDPI in collaboration with NCET partners launched three key research publications in the past, i.e. i) “Pakistan’s Annual State of the Renewable Energy Report 2021-22”, ii) “Industrial Preparedness and Socio-economic prospects of electric vehicles in Pakistan” and iii) “Electricity market reforms in Pakistan: The case of Competitive Trading Bilateral Contracts Market (CTBCM)”. Along with these outputs, we have extended our research to further ensure inclusive and green economic recovery by publishing research papers on “Green recovery from COVID 19: Outlook for Pakistan’s Energy sector” and “Debt Swap for Green Recovery: Options, Challenges and the Way Forward for Pakistan”. Furthermore, in our efforts of engaging with the private sector, we have conducted an extensive research work with Unilever Pakistan on a project aiming at “Synergizing the Climate Ambition: A Blueprint for Achieving NDCs through Public-Private Partnership”. Under this project, SDPI started engagement with OICCI (200 companies, corporates, industries), highlighting the critical role of the private sector in promoting a sustainable and inclusive development for achieving NDCs. All the research publications addressing energy security in Pakistan had extensive inputs from all the stakeholders through various consultations and outreach events conducted across the country. This also led to the launch of two annual flagship events, i.e. “Annual State of the Renewable Energy Conference” and “Annual Conference on Green Financing to support low carbon development in Pakistan”. To further ensure that key findings and policy recommendations are forwarded to the stakeholders in the most succinct manner possible, we also facilitated the 20 formulation of “Renewable Energy Parliamentary Caucus” that mobilized the rightful role of parliament in giving political impetus towards Improved legislations and financing for RE, policy oversight, and collaboration and coordination with the government, oversight bodies and organizations promoting the clean energy transition. Impact In the light of our research in connection with renewable energy, the government has facilitated consumers with the options to get soft loans from commercial banks to install solar power plants. Focal Person: Ubaid Ur Rehman Zia (ubaid@sdpi.org) 21 Energy Efficiency and Decarbonization Timeline: January 2022 - December 2022 Introduction With a rapid growth in population and urbanization, the energy demand has been constantly increasing. During the period between 2018-50, global energy consumption is likely to increase by almost 50%. On the one hand, this increase is directly linked to environmental degradation, but on the other, it poses a daunting challenge to the limited energy sources, particularly in the developing countries. In Pakistan, energy wastage and environmental degradation are the major challenges behind the increasing energy demand. In the backdrop of missing regulatory and policy regulations, lack of awareness of energy-efficient appliances and passive conservation techniques, the wastage of energy in Pakistan is almost three-times more than that of the global average. SDPI, under its clean energy transition programme, has been conducting extensive research and policy advocacy under the theme of “Energy Efficiency and Decarbonization”, with the aim to analyze the potential of energy efficiency and conservation measures to address the energy sector challenges. Objectives Key objectives of this research and policy advocacy are: • To identify the potential avenues for energy efficiency and conservation in the residential sector through the use of active and passive energy conservation techniques, • To analyze the techno-economic feasibilities of Industrial Decarbonization in Pakistan and identify the key enablers that can be mobilized through political interventions and public/private investments, and • To analyze how energy efficiency and conservation can support Pakistan’s mitigation action plan prescribed under the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Output To support Pakistan’s stance on phasing out of inefficient and mercury-based lighting under the Minamata Convention, SDPI conducted a “Market study on LED lightning: A case for energy efficiency and conservation in Pakistan” in collaboration with Clean Lighting Coalition (CLiC). The study highlighted the socio- economic and environmental benefits that can be achieved by making a complete transition towards indoor LED lighting. The key findings of the study were presented to the stakeholders and eventually the African Lighting Amendment demanding the phaseout of mercury-based lighting was supported by Pakistan during the fourth 22 session of Conference of Parties of Minamata Convention (COP 4) in 2022. This research will be further extended to cover inefficient outdoor and industrial lighting in Pakistan. Secondly, to address the residential sector challenges particularly for the low- income population, SDPI published a study on “Climate Smart and Low-Income Housing in Pakistan”. This study identified the active and passive energy conservation techniques in both the in-house appliances and construction materials that can address the energy requirements of building sector while providing a low- carbon solution. Currently, the work is also being targeted to deliver a comprehensive baseline estimate of Pakistan’s industrial sector emissions and map the extent of use and performance of existing and planned decarbonization technologies in key subsector activities. The resulting database will inform an investigation that quantifies the opportunity scope to scale traditional and innovative technical solutions and assess their ‘fit’ for local policy and investment conditions. Impact At present Pakistan faces a shortage of more than 10 million homes. Owing to population explosion, peri urban areas are expanding with less facilities. A big number of population living in urban and peri-urban areas have informal settlements. The former government has initiated Naya Pakistan Housing scheme, but it could not yield fruitful results. As SDPI has launched an extensive advocacy campaign with regard to promoting the concept of climate smart housing, private sector has now started builingd climate-smart and energy efficient houses in the country. A consultative meeting on Pakistan’s stance on proposed amendments at Minamata Convention on the occasion of COP 4.2 Focal Person: Ubaid Ur Rehman Zia (ubaid@sdpi.org) 23 Energy Finance Timeline: June 2022 - December 2022. Introduction Clean energy transition is crucial to lowering the intensity of the climate change, a big challenge confronting the world. Phasing-out fossil fuels, switching to electric vehicles, deploying renewable energy technologies on a massive scale, and ensuring complete access to affordable and reliable energy, are all important advancements in this context. However, such ventures require a comprehensively drafted strategy along with a sustainable flow of finance, areas that Pakistan often struggles with. The country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), presented in 2021, estimate a sum of $101 billion to achieve its energy transition targets by 2030; acquiring a major chunk of this amount is dependent on international support in the form of ‘green finance’ facilities, which to a large extent, remain unexplored and underutilized by Pakistan. Objectives To address these issues, SDPI has paved the way for mainstreaming green finance and supporting the country’s energy transition. The key objective has been to spread awareness and initiate a dialogue on the subject, while building capacity on green financing guidelines and sustainable development needs of Pakistan, both generally and with a special emphasis on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Output SDPI, through its Network for Clean Energy Transition (NCET), initiated work on green financing in June 2022. In this connection, a capacity building workshop and 24 training session was conducted to help the stakeholders in developing an initial understanding of the concept and acclimatizing them with the resources and tools that are already available in the national and international markets. This was conducted in collaboration with the Pakistan-Germany Climate and Energy Initiative, which is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and currently coordinated by GIZ. The key outcome was the identification of gaps in Pakistan’s current financial, governance, and institutional structures that potentially obstruct the development of green projects: these activities also revealed a consensus amongst all stakeholders on the liberating role the private sector could play and the subsequent need to tap its resources. These, along with other relevant policy recommendations, now compiled in the form of a policy brief titled “Green Financing Frontiers in Pakistan: Charting the course towards a Sustainable Future”, have been well-received by federal ministries such as the Ministry of Energy. Furthermore, following the launch of the “Green CPEC Alliance” in June 2022, in collaboration with the Pakistan-China Institute, SDPI initiated the “CPEC Green Development Program” to support, accelerate and promote green transition within Pakistan as well as the broader domain of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Workshops and discussions organized under the programme revolved around scaling up green finance under CPEC by utilising incentives and innovative mechanisms to diversify risk, along with different policy instruments that can be used to encourage the public and private sectors to invest in renewable energy in CPEC. The discussions have been encapsulated in the following outputs; a research report on “Green Financing Guidelines and Framework for CPEC", papers on “Green Financing Guidelines under CPEC”, “Renewable Energy Investments under CPEC”, and “Private Sector Engagement and Renewable Energy (RE) Investments under CPEC”. Focal Person: Ubaid Ur Rehman Zia (ubaid@sdpi.org) 25 ECONOMY Pension Reform Agenda of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Timeline: January 2021-December 2022 Introduction In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, pension liabilities represent a long-standing drag on the provincial balance sheet and the provincial budget. The yearly pension expenditure has jumped from 03 per cent of the provincial budget to nearly 10 per cent during the last decade. The pension bill has grown nearly 10 times larger from Rs 7.17 billion in 2009-10 to Rs 69.91 billion in 2018-19, outpacing the salaries’ bill growth, federal transfers and even the overall budget during the same period. Pre- COVID estimates predicted that growing pension servicing costs would squeeze out development spending in the years to come. However, the pandemic has accelerated this shift by up to 3-4 years, which means development spending could be completely crowded out by pension costs before 2030. The study was conducted with the assistance of Sustainable Energy and Economic Development (SEED) Objectives • To bring  together government officials and independent experts to highlight fiscal policy challenges presented by the growth in public sector pensions (which are not funded) and to evolve reform options based on evidence from nation and international experiences • To bring forth a fruitful discussion around pension reforms through advocacy and stakeholders’ engagement Recommendations The study recommended that if the pension contributions are indexed to revenue growth, this will obligate the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to prioritize pension servicing and set aside funds for this purpose above and beyond the current Pay-As-YouGo level. It further recommended that raising debt through traditional banking channels or riskier financial markets is a fairly obvious policy option. This could be used to initiate a buy-out programme. Under this program, government employees could be offered an option to accept immediate partial payments in lieu of full future benefits. The study also suggested some IT-based solutions that could help plug and prevent leakages and opportunities for misuse. 26 Provincial Finance Minister Mr Taimur Jhagra speaks at a webinar on ’Government Pensions and Future Fiscal Sustainability’. Output Our study highlighted that the KP government can earmark assets with matching duration and transfer them to the Pension Fund to meet targeted milestones in pension liabilities. If the pension contributions are indexed to revenue growth, this will obligate the KP Government to prioritize pension servicing and set aside funds for this purpose above and beyond the current pay-as-you-go level. Impact After first policy note, the KP Government took key pension reform measures in its annual budget 2021 which were also discussed in first policy note and presented to Provincial Finance Minister Mr Taimur Jhagra. The policy notes proposed that the family pension structure should be simplified to reduce administrative costs. Besides, the province should move towards Defined Contribution Scheme for pension. The KP government implemented both the measures through legislation. Focal person: Asif Javed (asifjaved@sdpi.org) 27 Expanding financial service delivery for the poor and marginalized Timeline: November 2021-March 2022 Introduction The microfinance industry has now been increasingly focusing on how to reach out to un-served and under-served segments of its target market through the digital financial services (DFS). In this regard, SDPI has conducted a field survey to provide key insights on how to improve the bank’s digital financial services (DFS) outreach in the customer segments. Objectives • The survey aims to identify the social, economic, and behavioural factors that prevent potential clients from accessing digital financial services? • Despite good outreach by the bank, why potential clients from certain income- class or geographical location may not be showing interest in microfinance services? • Despite the complimentary benefits available for the bank’s micro borrowers, e.g. provision of health insurance, what more could be done to make digital financial services more attractive? • What the bank can learn from the experience of its peer organizations? Findings The study finds that two-thirds of all respondents reported having a bank account whereas majority of respondents reported having a smartphone and are using a pre-paid cellular connection for their routine connectivity needs. Overall, respondents’ interactions with DFS were more likely to have revolved around using an ATM machine (followed by a mobile app) than using other alternate-delivery- channels (ADCs) such as call centers. The study highlighted how greater and improved digital financial services could be attained by potential clients to access the services with certainty and low transaction costs. 28 President of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mr Kashif Anwar and SDPI researcher Asif Javed pose for a photograph after a meeting. Impact In the aftermath of our research and continuous follow-up with select microfinance institutions, our selected microfinance institute was restructured and later merged with a larger banking entity for improved services to facilitate women micro borrowers. Focal person: Asif Javed (asifjaved@sdpi.org) 29 Impact of Tariff Rationalizationon and FBR Export Schemes on SMEs Timeline: April 2022- October 2022 Introduction The senior leadership of National Tariff Commission in collaboration with the World Bank Group and Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) conducted a firm level survey to assess a) effectiveness and impact of tariff rationalization on small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and b) benefits of FBR facilitation schemes for exporting firms. In the case of latter there have been recent changes and it is important to see if early (intended) results have started to emerge. It is equally important to note that both (a) and (b) are linked as any efforts towards tariff rationalization will not lend optimal gains unless conducive measures are also undertaken through FBR schemes. Over the years, SMEs have raised concerns over changes in tariff structures and related costs. Industry believes that due to changes in tariffs and lack of consistency in policy has created a unfavourable environment to operate in. Background: Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) conducted a programme titled: “Strengthening the Use of Evidence for Development Impact” (SEDI) which sought to increase the use of robust evidence directly informing policy or programme decisions. The project mapped the main elements of the evidence ecosystem in the country. The programme was awarded due to SDPI’s previous exercises in evidence use space especially with the Planning Commission. During the course of that programme, SDPI engaged National Tariff Commission 9NTC) and conducted a diagnostic exercise to find out the status and needs of evidence for the commission. In the backdrop of that engagement NTC reverted to SDPI with the request to help in acquiring robust evidence that can inform commission’s policy decisions viz a viz tariff rationalization. Objectives To address these NTC developed the National Tariff Policy in 2019. This project aims to assess effectiveness and impact of the policy on SMEs. In addition to this, the project would also aim to find out if the intended results have emerged. On the contrary, if the policy has not benefitted or has some loopholes or pitfalls the project would relay recommendations and feedback from SMEs to NTC for redressal. In the end, NTC wishes to improve upon the tariff policy to provide effective relief to SMEs in the country. 30 The export schemes study is aimed to find out if these schemes complement tariff rationalization efforts. Tariff rationalization efforts alone cannot bring the desired effects and changes if export schemes also do not move in the same direction. So, it is imperative to assess how export schemes either support or hurt tariff rationalization measures. If there is any mismatch or inconsistency among various exports schemes and tariff policy, NTC would seek to take the matter up with the FBR to provide consistency across policies for SMEs. The key objective of the study is to assess the effectiveness of tariff rationalization/ National Tariff Policy and export facilitation schemes for SMEs. The project conducted two surveys of 300 SMEs for each study in Karachi, Lahore, Sialkot, Gujrat and Peshawar to acquire feedback from SMEs. Output Based on findings and analysis of the report, NTC would fine tune its approach to tariff policy related measures thereby reducing financial burden/costs for SMEs. Impact After following our research findings and recommendations, National Tariff Commission was able to revise tariff rates for inputs of value-added industrial sector. Our inputs also included improving the design of Federal Board of Revenue's Export Facilitation Schemes -- an aspect which is being looked into presently by the government and International Monetary Fund. SDPI Researcher meeting with Surgical Instruments Manufacturers Association of Pakistan (SIMAP) 31 SDPI Researcher in meeting with Fawad Ijaz Khan, Patron-in-Chief and the Founder Chairman of Pakistan Leather Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association SDPI Researchers meet senior management of Pakistan Automobile Spare Part Importers and Dealers Association Focal person: Ahmed Khaver (ahmedkhaver@sdpi.org) 32 Course on Social Protection Timeline: April 2022 to Jul y2023 Introduction Social protection enjoys political priority in Pakistan and has consequently become an institutionalized topic at the federal and provincial levels. Areas of social protection continue to benefit from strong and long-term development partner support as well as continuous capacity development. Keeping in view the gaps in design of interventions, together with lack of coordination and overlaps in delivery, the need for a more systems-based approach was felt to the design and delivery of social protection in the country. At present, there is no regular, institutionalized in- service training for social protection practitioners in the public sector. Therefore, capacity strengthening needs to be prioritized at the governmental level and beyond. For this purpose, a detailed social protection course was prepared. The course targeted the civil servants, who were at the entry- or mid-level of their careers and involved in social protection service delivery both at the federal and provincial levels in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In this course development, GIZ, Oxford Policy Management, and Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg are SDPI partners. Objective The basic objective of the course is to familiarize civil servants with different social protection instruments and provide them a better understanding of the rationale as well as the main concepts in social protection. They will be able to develop an understanding and pursue a systems-based approach to social protection, realizing the potential as well as the challenges when it comes to coordination, integrated data management an graduation approaches. With this training, they will be provided a detailed know how to use different indicators, methods, and databases to compare and contrast social protection systems and best practices. Focal Person: Qasim Shah (qasim@sdpi.org) 33 Trade and Commerce Economic Conditions of Transgender Community in Pakistan: A case for establishing their business networks Timeline: August 2021 – June 2022 Introduction Transgender persons are often stigmatized and suffer discrimination in our society. They are subjected to harassment and violence at large. This study highlights the challenges being faced by the trans-community and how they can be empowered economically so that they might earn a respectable livelihood and pursue their own businesses. It further aims to bridge the knowledge gap as to what is required and how does the community perceive in depth the challenges in their struggle to demand their right to identity, and how they can be accepted by the state and society as equal citizens. For this purpose, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted with potential entrepreneurs from the transgender community. The views expressed in this study indicate the ignorance and unconcernedness of society towards the trans-community in the provision of employment, business opportunities, education, and health benefits, resulting in limited means of livelihood for them. There is a need to implement Transgender Persons Act, 2018 in letter and spirit at the provincial and federal levels. The study was carried out with the assistance of SEED Venture, and Pink Skill & Training Centre. Objectives The study mainly aims to: • identify the challenges experienced by the transgender community in the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Pakistan. • points out the technical and managerial skills required with a focus on the creation of a trans-incubation cohort and understanding their demands from the state. • bridge the gap by studying the challenges and grasping the demands of the transgender community Recommmendations For the uplift of trans-community in Pakistan, it is mandatory that special National Incubation Centers should be set up for them. More emphasis should be on the transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018 implementation with letter and spirit at all levels. The acquisition of rights concerning rental property should also be considered. These implementations will act as a cushion with focused actions for their inclusion in every walk of life. 34 The study demands that the inclusion of transgender community in the e-commerce cycle of the country by providing them access to technical skill development is the need of hour. In this manner, they will enable themselves to integrate into the business supply chain cycle. The transgender community needs an economic stimulus empowerment package so that they might be able to access equal education and technical/ vocational training. This step would empower them economically through micro-financing and loans to run and sustain their own businesses. Impact One of our recommendations was that transgenders should be included in the government schemes such as the Benazir Income Support Program. In this regard, a policy was approved in December 2022. Focal Person: Ahad Nazir (ahad@sdpi.org) 35 Better Business Regulatory Environment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Timeline: June 2021 to June 2023 Introduction Pakistan has seen recent improvements in business climate which is indeed an encouraging news not only for local investors but also for foreign ones, who look into the prospects of long-term growth opportunities. Recent research by SDPI and partners, however, reveals that barriers to the growth of private enterprise still exist and can be addressed through further improvements in the regulatory environment. Problems faced by the existing large enterprises also discourage small businesses to scale and foreign investors to enter into joint ventures. In order to bridge the gap between academic research and policymakers and better sharing and dissemination of the research on these topics related to the business environment, SDPI established an inclusive Network for Economic Think Tanks in 2018. For 2021-23, SDPI has prioritized, ‘Better Business Regulatory Environment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’ as a key area of research and advocacy. Keeping the above in view, we are extending the Network of Economic Think Tanks by establishing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chapter. Objectives This project aims to assess the business regulatory environment for various segments, geographies, and firms in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. Through an inclusive and scientific approach, it aims to boost evidence collection and afterwards enhance outreach and communication leading to an indicated perception of KP’s regulatory environment by the private sector. Highlighting the gap analysis of the current regulatory regime, the project further aims to enhance the accountability and principles of democracy by convincing the government through evidence- based decision-making and working on both supply and demand sides for a better business regulatory environment. Output A survey focusing on the micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) from all sectors was conducted to assess the regulatory environment in the KP province. For a detailed study, SDPI research team visited chambers of commerce and industry and provincial government departments associated with business regulations and built a rapport and understand the core issues related to the regulatory environment in the districts and divisions. To analyze the issues pertaining to the regulatory environment and to reflect on the stakeholder engagements, public-private dialogues were held in Hazara, Malakand, Swabi, and 36 Peshawar divisions. Impact Several of the recommendations from our public-private dialogues (PPDs) and reports have been included in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Policy. The salient ones include a focus on ease of doing business at the district and tehsil level, and energy security through solarization. Public-private dialogue on Better Business Regulatory Environment in Newly Merged Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa held on 29th September 2022 Public-private dialogue on Better Business Regulatory Environment in Newly Merged Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa held on 29th September 2022 Focal Person: Ahad Nazir (ahad@sdpi.org) 37 Technical Assistance for Pakistan Single Window (PSW) - Bridging Digital Innovation and Sustainability Timeline: June 2022 to June 2023 Introduction This project aims to align the SDPI mandate with that of Pakistan Single Window (PSW) in areas of action research, advocacy & outreach, and capacity-building. Through these actions, SDPI’s interventions will make PSW a practically useful and sustainable initiative with a focus on the intended benefit. Furthermore, the PSW requires assistance in developing a capacity-building programme with the objective to lead to an accreditation programme that shall ensure the sustainability of the PSW. They are considering using e-learning platforms that shall be utilized for continued training and certification for the PSW users and other stakeholders. SDPI is bridging the interlinkages by mapping the PSW processes with the United Nations 2030 agenda through specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The mapping shall guide the PSW to become green and sustainable not only in operations but also in communication. Objectives • To encourage the accountability and transparency mechanism for all policy decisions in the PSW through structured and documented public-private interactions. • To aware all stakeholders of the international trade ecosystem about inclusive communication, training, certification, and accreditation mechanisms of the PSW. • To recommend sustainability and evidence-driven decision-making in the PSW through mapping and aligning their majority processes and initiatives with the SDGs. Activities During 2022, SDPI in collaboration with an international donor provided support to to PSW in multiple activities in the form of a a platform to ensure accountability, and transparency for all policy decisions for paperless cross-border trade. To ensure that the private sector is an integral part of the PSW, SDPI is setting up a Private Sector Stakeholders Advisory Committee (PSSAC) to ensure the accountability and transparency of the PSW initiatives. To further strengthen the PSW initiatives, SDPI will be establishing a capacity-building programme (Trade Labs), which is an e-learning platform based on international best practices. In the lieu of the training policy of PSW, SDPI is further enhancing the policy to include the certification and accreditation of training providers as per international practices. Additionally, with regard to the capacity-building platform. A portal 38 has also been developed by SDPI for the Ministry of Food Security and Research. Furthermore, a curriculum will be designed to train various stakeholders of the PSW to conduct training of trainers across all federal and provincial capitals. Another unique component of this initiative is the podcast series (Trade Talks), which received appreciation from all quarters. To further enrich the process of advocacy and communication, a webinar series is being initiated where a focused discussion will resonate on the PSW policy actions, initiatives to go paperless, and how to improve cross-border trade in the light of national and international trade regulations. In continuation of the advocacy campaign, the podcasts and other initiatives are being disseminated on social media. PSW and SDPI podcast with Dr. Gonzalo J. Varela titled “Pakistan’s Economic Crisis, how can international trade help?” organized on 15th June 2022. For 2023, SDPI will also be focusing on developing the framework for the sustainability reporting of PSW based on PSW CSR policy. The framework for the knowledge product is based on the data that will be shared with SDPI by PSW. SDPI has also proposed an annual trade facilitation monitor to be the potential knowledge product that can validate the anticipated theory of change which formed the basis of the PSW concept. Outcome SDPI’s work on the capacity-building component of Pakistan Single Window (PSW) has led the institution to launch their training provider registration programme and PSW certification platform. Both these initiatives will raise awareness regarding PSW in the trader community. With this the PSW will be more effective and inclusive. Focal Person: Ahad Nazir (ahad@sdpi.org) 39 Blue Economy Pathways to a Sustainable Blue Economy: Role of Financial Institutions Timeline: April 2022 – December 2022 Introduction Blue Economy belongs to the economic activities that directly or indirectly take place in marine and coastal areas, utilize outputs from the ocean, and place goods and services into ocean activities. Eventually, well-managed Blue Economy initiatives not only contribute to sustained economic prosperity, but also social, cultural, and environmental well-being. Knowing the importance and need to work on Blue Economy, SDPI takes the initiative by presenting an analysis of the “Blue Economy and Sustainable Development" at the Multimodal conference in March 2022. Then bringing this blue economy initiative forward in September 2022, the report: “Pathways to a Sustainable Blue Economy: Role of Financial Institutions” was launched. SDPI and the Bank of Punjab ollaborated to create this report which strives to provide evidence-based research and analysis to help the ocean and coastal management, and sustainable, long-term economic prosperity. Extract from the report reflecting on SDGs 14: Conserve and sustainability use the oceans, sea, and marine resources for sustainable development The report has emphasized the need for multisectoral governance that integrates sustainable human uses with environmental conservation and social equity. The emphasis is given to the financial institutions’ support in the form of “Green Bonds” 40 and “Blue Bonds” initiatives, which are essential for the growth and development of the blue economy in Pakistan. Output SDPI successfully engages policymakers and government stakeholders, including experts from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs (MoMA), private sector, and academia. They not only appreciated the report but also provided their valuable opinion to add to our findings. The goals of the Blue Economy report are: • To support a vivid maritime and technology economy • To support a healthy environment as the basis for a healthy economy and flourishing communities, and • To support a planned and educated labour force. The report discusses the importance of blue economy and provides policy recommendations related to financial institutions’ role in blue and green bonds, reviews procedural inefficiencies, vale-addition of fishery products, promotion of coastal tourism, suggests capacity building initiatives for stakeholders to shape their work, and how the coastal communities can strengthen themselves by developing and improving blue economic growth in Pakistan. Report launch in Islamabad on 29th September 2022 We have suggested that the size and capacity of the blue economy in Pakistan’s context should be $100 billion. This has been validated during the Pakistan International Maritime Expo & Conference (PIMEC) 2023. The roadmap that was provided at the end of PIMEC was based on the way forward from our research report. The roadmap and potential have been submitted to ministries and departments concerned at both at federal and provincial level. Focal Person: Ahad Nazir (ahad@sdpi.org) 41 Labour Migration Establishing a regional learning and action platform - A knowledge hub on labour migration in South Asia Timeline: October 2021 to July 2023 Introduction The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) calls for a comprehensive approach to human mobility and enhanced cooperation at the global level. At the adoption of the GCM, the UN member states also agreed to establish a Capacity Building Mechanism that will include a global knowledge platform to help inform and support governments in the implementation of the GCM. Labour migration is one of the key pillars of the GCM. Since the implementation of the GCM at the national and regional levels, it is imperative to conceptualize the formulation of a knowledge hub in South Asia. Governance of Labour Migration in South and South-East Asia (GOALS) is a UN Joint Programme being implemented by ILO, IOM and UN Women with the support of Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC); It will be working with academic institutions and think tanks in South Asia to address research and academic gaps on labour migration and decent work, linking learning to enhanced and informed policy dialogues and evidence-based decision-making on labour migration governance. Under Outcome 3 of the GOALS programme, a South Asia Knowledge Hub will be created to address knowledge gaps on labour migration in South Asia. The hub will examine specific labour migration and mobility issues through a broader lens of decent work and the social, economic and political trends in the sub-region and beyond. Initially, it will establish links and collaborate with institutions, namely Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Centre for the Study of Labour and Mobility (CESLAM), Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), and Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS). Objectives • To carry out capacity building programmes and provide training with special focus on young researchers in all the member countries of South Asia, • To develop a Migration Portal as a repository of data and evidence on migration and related issues in South Asian countries, • To conduct research at national and regional level in the five South Asian countries to make a comparative study of evidence and practices on labour 42 migration governance, • To review existing policies of various countries to protect their migrants, return migrants and provide policy recommendations to the respective governments for protecting international migrants and their rights, • To ensure sustainability of Knowledge Hub by ensuring long-term institutional involvement, institutional cooperation and financial viability. Role of Knowledge Hub The Knowledge Hub will create a space for governments, civil society, trade unions, private sector, academics and thinks tanks to engage with new research so as to bring broader perspectives and empirical evidence to policy discussions. It will connect researchers and institutions from South Asia working on themes that touch upon labour and mobility and will link to the research agendas identified through state-led regional consultative processes, including the Colombo Process, the Abu Dhabi Dialogue and possibly SAARC. Activities The programme will connect researchers and institutions in South Asia working on labour migration and identify their future areas of work. Besides, it will provide internships and fellowships to young scholars to participate in capacity building programmes. It will identify the important pillars in which the Knowledge Hub should focus on. The key pillars could be, Migration Policies, Gender and Migration, Migration and Health, Migration and Development, and Adverse Drivers of Migration. Under this, data on international migration from various countries of South Asia will be collected and compiled and a migration portal will be developed making it accessible to researchers. To disseminate knowledge, seminars and conferences will be held. Research outputs will be published in the form of newsletter/books/articles/ research papers. To liaison and have MoUs will be signed with institutions at both origin and destination countries especially in the Middle East in order to have a better understanding and research on labour issues. SDPI Team participated in National Consultation of ILO on “Role of Subagents in foreign employment recruitment process”, held in Islamabad. 43 A group photo of participants of a Focal Group Discussion at Pakistani-German Facilitation & Reintegration Centre (PGFRC) Head Office in Lahore. SDPI researchers discuss welfare and protection options, investment facilitation and complaint mechanism for overseas Pakistanis with Commissioner, Overseas Pakistanis Commission, Punjab. Focal Person: Kashif Majeed Salik (kashif@sdpi.org) 44 Agriculture National precision agriculture blueprint study Timeline: November 2022 – August 2023 Introduction The agricultural sector is critical to Pakistan's economic growth, food security, job creation, and poverty alleviation, particularly in rural areas. It accounts for 20% of GDP and employs approximately 40% of the labour force. Despite its significant contribution to the country's overall economy, the agricultural sector's growth rate has been constrained by a variety of factors such as shrinking arable land, climate change, water shortages, and large-scale population and labour shifts from rural to urban areas. Traditional farming methods not only raise costs due to inefficient use of farm inputs, but also make farming unprofitable. Farmers require proper crop scheduling based on technological insight or visibility to soil conditions, weather forecast, suitability of fertilizers/pesticides based on the spatial and temporal requirements through focused interventions. This may help reduce the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, as well as increase sustainable and environment-friendly agricultural practises. Precision agriculture (P-Ag) technologies have the potential to greatly improve economic efficiency and rice crop production. P-Ag technologies such as ICTs, IoT, mobile applications, GPS/GIS, and UAVs, etc. can effectively assist farmers in decision-making in fertilizer and seed application, pest control, irrigation, and machinery operation. SDPI sees this opportunity as part of a broader agenda for agricultural growth in the country as envisioned by the Agriculture Transformation Plan's 'Mechanization' component. It will also help increase agricultural productivity to levels comparable to other regional and developed countries. In this backdrop, it is imperative to conduct a comprehensive study to analyze the prospects of P-Ag in Pakistan. The study is being conduted in collaboration with National Agricultural Space Technology Policy and Applications Centre- Agricultural Cooperation Project (NASTP-ACP) Expected outcome of the study More specifically, the study will provide: • Mapping and analysis of stakeholders (from government, industry, farmers; • supply chain handlers, ICT solution providers, and academia) to be involved in 45 the precision agriculture interventions (Research, Development, Outreach etc.) in agriculture sector of Pakistan; • Avenues for new job opportunities through the introduction of service layer and • • analysis of suitable business model(s) for the service industry of P-Ag; Identification of skill gap and skill development plan for development, operationalization, and maintenance of high-tech P-Ag technologies; Implementation and coordination strategies at provincial level with corresponding economic impact analysis with special consideration to Public Private Partnership arrangements; • Analysis of commercial potential of GreenAI’s indigenously developed components of a P-Ag system; • Comprehensive business plan and Go-to-Market strategy for GreenAI based P-Ag solutions. Focal Persons: Kashif Salik (kashif@sdpi.org) 46 Health and Education Supporting government in establishing policy direction aligned with MPOWER on smokeless tobacco control, GHW/ PHW, and Next Generation Tobacco Products Timeline: March 2021 to February 2023 Introduction Pakistan falls among the top 10 countries in the world where tobacco use is highest. Successful campaigns for reducing tobacco use show that increased taxation, Pictorial and Graphic Health Warnings (PHW/GHWs) on tobacco/cigarette packets increase risk perceptions, reduce the appeal of tobacco use and promote smoking cessation. Major problems in Pakistan include lack of understanding and absence of policy regarding Novel Nicotine & Tobacco Products (such as E-cigarettes, and Heat- no-Burn products). Is the SDPI Partner in the study Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Under this project, SDPI proposes to facilitate the tobacco control policies and laws regarding GHW/PHW, smokeless tobacco, novel nicotine and tobacco products, and tobacco taxation. Working closely with the government, including Tobacco Control Cell (TCC) at the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination on policies related to these four major areas of tobacco control. SDPI will continue its policy efforts in order to assist the Federal Government, the Ministry and its TCCs (national and provincial) for strengthening the tobacco control environment in Pakistan in line with WHO MPOWER guidelines. SDPI will be building capacity of relevant organizations and stakeholders pertinent to policy development and 47 implementation, particularly, on smokeless tobacco, GHW/PHW, and novel tobacco products (E-Cigs, Vapes, HnB ANDS and ENDS etc.), smokeless tobacco products, and taxation. SDPI will be supporting the government efforts at national and sub- national level to curb the challenges, including E-cigarettes/vaping in the post COVID-19 environment through orientations and seminars. Objectives • Assisting the Ministry/TCC to manage existing and emerging challenges, including formulation of Pakistan’s strategic policy direction and guidelines on new novel tobacco and “Smokeless Tobacco Control (SLTC) and new novel tobacco products E-Cigs/ENDS/ANDS/HnBs, etc.” • Collate evidences on the gaps in existing TC framework in line with MPWER of WHO-FCTC commitments by Pakistan, • Facilitating the national and provincial govts in sustainable tobacco control initiative through system strengthening and building capacity of stakeholders in post-COVID-19 environment. Output Under this project, six policy briefs were produced. Their topics included: Graphic Health warnings (GHWs), taxation, vaping/e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and smokeless tobacco. The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has already received the policy recommendations on Taxation. With regard to nicotine products and electronic devices, SDPI commissioned two milestone studies. We have shared the findings of the first study with all the stakeholders and national and international partners. However, the work on the second study is still going on. Impact Every year, we provide our pre-budget policy recommendations to the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination on tobacco taxation. During the fiscal year 2022, the Ministry of Finance, as a result of our recommendations, opted for an overall tax increase of 157% on tobacco products. 48 Focal Person: Syed Ali Wasif Naqvi (wasif@sdpi.org) 49 Partnering with local actors to improve health and education service delivery Timeline: September 2022 - August 2023 Introduction The project aims to improve the quality of health and education services and their access through strengthening local development processes and promoting civic engagement in Upper Dir district. The project will build the capacity of newly- elected local government representatives, health care providers, teachers, members of Parent Teachers Committees (PTCs) and Primary Health Care Management Committees to develop citizen report cards (CRCs) as a tool to identify challenges and collect evidence for informed decision-making, planning and resource allocation for improved health and education service delivery. The study is being conducted in collaboration with Palladium. Objectives • To strengthen civic engagement by creating sustainable opportunity platforms for participatory local development planning for improved health and education service delivery • To develop innovative social accountability tools to identify, prioritize and address gaps in health and education service delivery Activities Activities planned in the 1st quarter, including project launch, baseline survey, consensus building workshops, and establishment of 15 opportunity platforms at Tehsil, Village, and Neighbourhood level have been completed. For the continuity and smooth execution of the planned activities under the project, SDPI engaged MoU between Mr. Rafi Ullah, Chairman Tehsil Dir and SDPI 50 all the stakeholders including Deputy Commissioner Dir Upper, District Health Office, District Education Office, District Population Welfare Department (PWD), Tehsil Municipal Offices and Tehsil Chairmen from the inception of this project. As Tehsil Chairman is responsible for development planning and budgetary allocations for all the Village Councils (VCs)/Neighborhood Councils (NCs) falling within the Tehsil limits, therefore, SDPI has signed MoUs with all the three selected Tehsil Chairmen that is a stepping-stone to implement the project activities smoothly and engage the VC/NC level participants. Similarly, recent notification of Tehsil chairmen about Technical Committees also reflects their ownership to adopt this participatory planning and to sustain this practice even after the project life. Consensus Building Workshop at Chairman Office, Tehsil Wari During a session at its annual Sustainable Deveopment Conference, SDPI engaged the provincial level practitioners, academicians, experts and policy makers to generate discussion around local governance for service delivery. Output Gender inclusion is one of the guiding principles of this project as all the project activities, including the baseline, consensus building workshops, trainings, and opportunity platforms (Technical and Development Committees) are targeting to involve female participants from start of the project to listen their issues and ensure their voices are reflected in needs assessment. Their inclusion in committees at Tehsil and VC/NC level is another effort towards female empowerment as at the end of the project through better skills and capacities, female participants will be 51 able to raise their concerns at the right time and the right forums to be part of the development planning and budgeting at local level. As youth bring innovative ideas to the local issues with the potential to actively participate, this project is taking youth members of the village and neighborhood councils as members of the Development Committees at VC/NC level. From next quarters onwards, these youth members will be trained and will participate in committee meetings. Focal Person: Qasim Shah (qasim@sdpi.org) 52 Sustainability and Resilience Programme Timeline: October 2021 - September 2023 Introduction Sustainability and Resilience Programme caters to the one-programme approach by undertaking research to generate evidence and based on which develop policy and capacity building work and alliances on peacebuilding, community development, countering violent extremism, and community resilience to climate risks/hazards. The programme has built a network of researchers and academia from various universities and think tanks in Pakistan to conduct research as to how the community can develop resilience to violent extremism. During the reporting period, the programme team finalized the already commissioned 29 research papers on various themes of Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) across the country. These papers have been submitted to various research journals (national and international) by the respective authors. The programme also commissioned and published a book of the  Policy Papers on Community Resilience to Violent Extremism. These research and policy papers have been part of SDPI’s research grant initiative under the “Community Resilient Research Network (CRRN)” project. The President of Pakistan, at the inaugural ceremony of the Sustainable Development Conference 2021, officially launched the Policy Papers Book developed under the CRRN project. The President appreciated the work. Programme Activities Based upon the success of CRRN project activities, Sustainability and Resilience Programme has acquired unsolicited funding from the same donor (Creative Learning) as a reward for successful completion of the previous grant and to take up the CRRN programme to the next level ‘Policy Outreach Activity’. The CRRN Policy Senior Researchers Council (SRC) members pose for a group photo.. 53 Outreach Activity (October 2022 – September 2023) focuses on evidence- based P/CVE research influencing national policy. This will be done through well- organized and measurable activities focused on evidence-based policy advocacy and stakeholder mobilization. The policy advocacy and research initiatives would ensure that the publications from CRRN reach policymakers. This time the CRRN also includes some more members from the media, civil society, and local government institutions in addition to the academia. Experts from across the disciplines of Political Science, International Relations, Sociology, Political Economy, Communications, Education, Religious Studies, Psychology, Criminology, Anthropology, and other related fields are invited to join the network. Under the CRRN Policy Outreach Activity, a panel discussion titled: “Perspectives on Community Resilience to Counter Violent Extremism” was organized at SDC 2022. This panel has showcased some of the selected research papers on CVE to learn from the insights and experiences of the research conducted by network members. The researchers from CRRN presented their perspectives on the role of the youth, women, and traditional institutions in building resilience to CVE. CRRN member Dr Hussain Shaheed delivers his presentation on “Perspectives on Community Resilience to Counter Violent Extremism” To look at the available opportunities and challenges for the youth bulge of Pakistan, the Sustainability and Resilience Programme organized a seminar in collaboration with Sardar Bahadur Khan Women’s University on 16th May 2022 at the University Auditorium in Quetta. The theme of the seminar was “Hamara Pakistan: Youth Empowerment Towards Nation Building” (May 2022). Experts from academia, civil society and political representatives shared their thoughts on the subject. The youth (male and female) in a large number with diverse backgrounds attended the seminar. During the event, a debating competition among the students had also been organized in which students from different universities and colleges participated. 54 The programme also has strong working relations with various government departments. To strengthen programme’s collaboration with these institutions, Panelists of the seminar a seminar on “Understanding Corruption and its Prevention from Society” (September 2022) with the Prevention Division of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was held. The objective of this activity was to generate discussion and create awareness on this important subject. A handsome number of people from various organizations had joined the seminar. The panelists included Dr. Bushra Yasmin from Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, Mr Zahir Shah, Deputy Chairman NAB, Dr Kaleem Imam, former IG Police and federal secretary, Mr Majid Bashir, the senior advocate of Supreme Court of Pakistan, Dr Najaf from NAB, and Dr Vaqar Ahmed and Dr Shafqat Munir from SDPI had shared their views on the subject. Deputy Chairman NAB Zahir Shah speaks at a seminar on “Understanding Corruption and its Prevention from Society”. The programme also organized a roundtable on “Inclusive Economic Growth; An Imperative for 'Sustained Economic Development' - Suggested Strategy for Pakistan" in September 2022. The purpose of this activity was to look at some of the major risks and challenges facing the economy and to prepare some workable proposals from the viewpoint of bringing back the focus on inclusive growth which is associated with job creation, agriculture, and rural development, 55 and competitiveness of the small and medium enterprises. Leading scholars with a background in the economy, agriculture, sustainability, resilience, and socio- economic development participated in this activity. Participants of the Roundtable On the climate resilience part, the programme organized two fully-funded panels titled: ‘Building Resilience through Community Engagement for ‘Building Forward Better’ and ‘Adaptive Governance and Technology for Sustainable Development and Disaster Risk Reduction: A Catalyst for Relational Transformation’ at Sustainable Development Conference 2022. The programme team undertook various research activities including a Midterm review of the Sendai Framework in collaboration with NDMA. The SRP team also organized 7 sessions of a risk resilience serious Boardgame called the Hazagora board game at Peshawar University with students from different backgrounds to teach them the concept of risk, vulnerability, and resilience in a practical manner. The students from the same group were invited to participate in another serious game called the Extreme Events game, which teaches the importance of coordination, cooperation, and effective resource management in the face of crisis. The project team also initiated case studies on Budhni Nala, Peshawar, and Nowshera Flooding incidents in 2008 and 2022 using the system dynamics approach and utilizing Causal Loop diagrams to decode complex issues for more understanding. The outputs of the analyses of the Hazagora game and the case studies will be incorporated into research papers and published as appropriate. Dr Khatau Mal Sindhi while presenting at ‘Building Resilience through Community Engagement for ‘Building Forward Better’ session 56 Similarly, the programme has also conducted a review of Pakistan’s National Action Plan on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SDG 12) (October 2021 - April 2022) . Out of this activity, the programme produced three research reports titled: 1) Sustainable Consumption and Production in the Textile Sector of Pakistan, 2) Review Study on the implementation of the National Action Plan of Pakistan on Sustainable Consumption and Production (NAP-SCP), and 3) Mapping of NAP-SCP in SACEP countries. The objective of this review exercise was to assess the national action plan on sustainable consumption and production in terms of implementation, monitoring, and reporting. Also, report the failures and success stories. Furthermore, a way forward has been proposed for improving other phases (Short-term 2017-2020, mid-term 2021-2025, and long-term 2026-2030) in which NAP-SCP may be implemented in Pakistan. Participants of SCP consultative workshop Dr Stephen Langrell, first counselor at the delegation of EU to Pakistan, delivers special remarks. The Sustainability and Resilience Programme has strong working relations with the international organizations working in Pakistan. In this regard, we have organized 57 a research report launching ceremony in September 2022 to share the findings of the Local Adaptation Plan of Action (LAPA) studies conducted in Thatta and Chaman by The International Rescue Committee (IRC). The report launch was followed by a panel discussion on local adaptation plans of action. Around 200 participants hailing from academia, civil society, think tanks, NGOs, INGOs, foreign delegations, UNDP, policy analysts and researchers, and media participated in the event. The expert panelists focused on the importance of local adaptation plans against the devastating effects of climate change. Dr Shakeel Hayat, Research Specialist, at Asian Development Bank, presents the findings of LAPA study. The team also organized a seminar on 22 September 2022 in collaboration with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to share the findings of IRC’s Scoping Brief on Climate financing for WASH and engaged the experts to learn from their valuable insights and experiences on the subject. We invited representatives from the government departments concerned such as the Ministry of Climate Change, National Disaster Management Authority, and Planning Commission along with representatives from the donor agencies concerned such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Green Climate Fund, UN agencies, as well as personnel from embassies and donor communities alike. Panelists of WASH seminar Focal Person: Dr Shafqat Munir (shafqat@sdpi.org) 58 COVID-induced Inequalities: Case of Pakistan Timeline: February 2022-September 2022 Introduction Although the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic remained neutral in a sense that it did not discriminate between low- or high-income countries, the impact has been observed more perilous for the countries with relatively less resources to respond effectively. Difference in diffusion of the pandemic impact remained asymmetric not only across the countries but also within the countries. Pakistan could be taken as a practical example to support this argument. Available resources to respond to pandemic are limited to provide equal opportunities to pull all segments of this society out of this testing situation. Since the start of the pandemic, Pakistan has been prone to two crises at the same time. On the one hand, the economy of Pakistan was not performing well amid high current account deficit and huge circular debt, and on the other, the exposure of the country’s economy to Coronavirus makes the situation even worse. Timely responsive policies of the government were proved to be successful in containing the COVID impact on the economy. However, the policies and measures to diffuse this impact on social indicators are not assumed to be enough for all while leaving no one behind. SDPI conducted the study with the assistance of CAREC Institute. Objectives The project aimed to examine the covid induced inequalities in Pakistan in four key areas including health, education, digital divide, and female labour force participation. The specific objectives of the project are as under. • What are gaps in different sectors across pre- and post-COVID times? • How the pandemic affects the quality in of service providence in health, education, digital access, and female labour force participation? • What impact the pandemic brings in terms of performance quality in selected areas? • What kind of government policies are applied, and which has been successful in tackling diminishing and controlling the negative impact of COVID-19 on these sectors? • Which policy recommendations and government interventions are should be adopted in these selected sectors to deal with pandemic? Findings It was learnt that COVID-19 brought with itself various kinds of inequalities. 59 Students lacked access to digital devices during the pandemic, children and women were at higher risk as compared to men. People living in remote areas faced issues due to absence of internet connection, which restricted their access to vital information during the pandemic outbreak. A sudden shift in working pattern after the pandemic created challenges for many employment categories and affect their ability to earn the livings, particularly those low-income households faced major issues that rely on daily wages and manual labour. Impact The Ministry of Finance, and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) agreed that an ex- post assessment of fiscal measures taken during COVID-19 may be initiated. The assessment will help improve the design of ongoing fiscal support for population below the poverty threshold. Focal person: Maaz Javed (maaz@sdpi.org) 60 R E S E A R C H C O O R D I N A T I O N 61 Research Coordination Research Coordination Unit (RCU) serves as programme data repository of SDPI. It maintains all the information in connection with research, advocacy, and capacity building activities undertaken by the respective units. This institutional knowledge helps the RCU team in measuring impact, branding and profiling of SDPI in the policy-practice and larger development community. RCU also actively contribute to enhance SDPI networking with like-minded peer organizations and development partners at national and international level. Besides, RCU manages different platforms for the research staff to present, discuss and finetune their ideas/outputs in a novel way. Three platforms are the Retreats (annual), Policy Research and Advocacy Meeting (biannual) and Brown Bag Research Meeting (monthly). RCU also monitors the progress of research projects viz a viz deadlines agreed with the funding partners to ensure that the deliverables are completed within the agreed timelines. Internal Activities and Support to Staff Annual Retreat and Planning Meeting - 2022 Research Coordination Unit conducted annual retreat and planning meeting for the year 2022. The main objective of this retreat was to prepare SDPI’s broader plan of action (covering both strategic and operational) for year 2022 and beyond for the medium term (three years). Policy Research and Advocacy Meeting (PRAM) July 2022 Policy, Research and Advocacy Meeting (PRAM) is a platform where staff periodically shares the progress on research output, policy outreach, advocacy events and financial report. The Research Coordination Unit (RCU) coordinates and facilitates collaboration among the participating units. All the researchers, advocacy and outreach players, as well as the core units attended the one-day PRAM organized in July 2022. They shared their activities in detail to reflect on successes in achieving medium term plan agreed in retreat and challenges in the attainment of some of the agreed deliverables. Teams also shared updates on the ongoing projects. Working Paper Presentations and BBRMs: In the year 2022, RCU organized three working paper presentations by research 62 staff and six BBRMs. MoUs with National and International Organizations RCU also provided support and organized three Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) with national and international organizations. Those organizations are KSI Strategic Institute for ASIA Pacific (KSI Malaysia), The Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan (ICMA International) and the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC Institute). Other Activities Apart from the above-mentioned tasks, RCU has been actively working with Web Unit to bring improvement to the Institution’s operational activities on the website. RCU, since the launch of the centralized staff database, is managing information for all current and past projects which provide great support in finding most relevant information required to submit new funding proposals. Focal person: Hassan Murtaza Syed (hassanmurtaza@sdpi.org) 63 R E S E A R C H N E T W O R K S 64 Climate Action Network South Asia During the last two decades, the world has witnessed a sharp increase in internal migration because of disasters particularly floods and earthquakes. In 2019, conflict and disasters have triggered 33.4 million new internal displacements across 145 countries and territories. In Pakistan, 100,000 displacements occurred between January 1st and December 31st in rural areas. It is usually observed that when livelihoods of people are devastated by climate change in the rural areas, they migrate urban areas to earn money for their food. In this backdrop, civil society organizations in in the region formed Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA) in 2019. CANSA is a network of more than 200 CSOs working on climate change issue in South Asia. SDPI Executive Director, Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri was elected the co-chair of the network. Objective The purpose of the network is to build solidarity for migrants and displaced communities due to climate through evidence-based research and sensitizing media and policy makers about migration due to climate change in Pakistan. Focal Person: Dr Hina Aslam (hinaaslam@sdpi.org) Renewable Energy Parliamentary Caucus To strengthen the policy support hand to transition towards clean and green energy, SDPI formed “Renewable Energy Parliamentary Caucus”. This caucus aims to bring together all parliamentarians from both Senate and National Assembly to mobilize their rightful role in giving political impetus to Improving legislations and financing for renewable energy, policy oversight, and collaboration and coordination with the government, oversight bodies and organizations promoting the clean energy transition. Focal Person: Dr Hina Aslam 65 Network for Clean Energy Transition in Pakistan Partner: European Climate Foundation Energy and climate change are the core challenges for Pakistan. If not addressed properly, they can easily jeopardize sustainable development in the country. Pakistan has an estimated annual adaptation need of $6-14 billion for the clean energy transition whereas it would require a total of $101 billion by 2030. Considering these issues, the NCET is envisioned to bring along all the visionary stakeholders to address the risks posed by climate change and deliver a smooth transition to a low- carbon economy. Objectives To engage and facilitate stakeholders in Pakistan’s clean energy transition debate pertinent to uptake of Variable Renewable Energy sources (solar and wind), energy efficiency and conservation, Transmission and Distribution networks, off-grid systems, and decarbonization in (and beyond) the power sector. • To identify the key elements missing from Pakistan’s near and long-term energy sector planning. • To build capacity around the challenges and opportunities for corporate sector in setting their net-zero targets and mainstreaming sustainability into their development agendas. • To identify the green financing opportunities & consult on development priorities for green infrastructure in Pakistan. • To identify the technically and economically feasible solutions for renewable energy uptake in Pakistan. Market barriers along with renewable energy adoption challenges that can be addressed through the support of policies and regulations • To promote technical knowledge on policy planning for cleaner, accessible, and reliable energy while advocating gender equality and social inclusion • To summarize key findings and insights on technology transfer for curbing greenhouse gas emissions to fight climate change • To develop and propose a framework to share the newly emerging green technologies, practices, and low carbon solutions • To increase sectoral, inter-provincial, & international collaborations to reduce the electricity cost and secure the grid • To do green financing on green bonds, sustainable finance instruments, and tools to stimulate and enhance private sector investments to support our efforts to a green economy of Pakistan. Focal Person: Dr Hina Aslam Dr Hina Aslam (hinaaslam@sdpi.org) 66 National Network of Economic Thinktanks – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chapter Partner: National Network of Economic Think Tanks The project kicked off in 2018. In continuation of the network, a provincial chapter for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was created and nominations were called from public sector universities along with stakeholders from public and private sector. For the initial year, a survey will be conducted, which will pave the ways for the future direction of the project, leading to provision of evidence-based advocacy on the better business regulatory environment in Pakistan. The programme will be conducted in a tailored international good and best practices of the public private dialogue (PPD). The practices have been developed based on the recommendations of the network members. Objectives • To provide a platform for the Public & Private Sector to demonstrate increased engagement on issues related to better business regulatory framework in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. • The key-focus is on “Better Business Regulatory Environment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” in terms of research and advocacy. • Establishment of the network of economic think-tanks- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chapter. • Creation of evidence on better business regulatory environment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa • Division-wise Public-private dialogues in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including special focus on marginalized communities, Afghanistan-Pakistan trade, and newly merged districts. • Capacity building of small business associations. Output The network is providing a continued support to Peshawar Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry in their capacity building in research. Besides, the network has a collaboration with members from government, private sector, and academia. Focal Person: Ahad Nazir (ahad@sdpi.org) 67 Community Resilience Research Network The concept of Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) alongside peace, development and resilience has emerged as part of a modern approach to counter extremism and terrorism. Through CVE, we can cope with the threats to peace and security paving the way for a prosperous and resilient society. Community Resilience Research Network is a network of researchers and academics based in the Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad, who seek to advance knowledge on how to build community resilience to counter violent extremism. One of the measures for countering violent extremism is holding dialogue in the form of both theory and practice followed by research. Objectives To strengthen research activities and build sustainable networks of researchers and thought leaders focused on building community resilience to Violent Extremism (VE) in Pakistan. Network Structure The network has three bodies, i.e. Project Advisory Board (PAB), Senior Research Council (SRC) and three Local Chapters (LCs), one each in Islamabad/Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh. The PAB oversees the project implementation strategy, SRC develops guidelines and ensures the strategic development of activities besides acting as academic supervisors, peer-reviewers, and mentors for the members of their chapters. Chapters comprise the academics and researchers to participate in CVE discussions. Focal Person: Dr Shafqat Munir (shafqat@sdpi.org) 68 P O L I C Y A D V O C A C Y & O U T R E A C H 69 SDPI’s Twenty-fifth Sustainable Development Conference Sustainable Development in Unusual Times: Building Forward Better 5 – 8 December 2022 Islamabad, Pakistan 70 Recap of Silver Jubilee Sustainable Development Conference Sustainable Development Conference is the mega event of SDPI which is held annually in December. This year, the Institute held its Twenty-fifth Sustainable Development Conference (25th SDC) from 5 – 8 December 2022 in Islamabad. The overarching theme of the Silver Jubilee Conference was Sustainable Development in Unusual Times: Building Forward Better. The mega event was held in a hybrid format where speakers/audience were able to join in person as well as online. Alongside SDC 2022, SDPI also hosted UNESCAP’s Sixth South and South-West Asia Forum (SSWAF) on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This mega- event was jointly co-hosted by SDPI and the Ministry of Planning Development & Special Initiatives. The Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) is an inclusive regional intergovernmental forum, which supports the preparations for the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) 2023. ESCAP resolution 73/1 indicates that the theme of the APFSD is aligned with the theme of the HLPF and supported an in-depth discussion of the cluster of SDGs under review at the HLPF. The focus of HLPF 2023 include SDG 6 (Clean Water & Sanitation); SDG 7 (Affordable & Clean Energy); SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure); SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities & Communities); and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The 25th SDC and UNESCAP’s Sixth South and South-West Asia Forum was attended by 345 panellists from 21 countries/region. Speakers joined the sessions from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, the UK, and the USA. All the sessions had a keen and interactive audience. The President of Pakistan, H.E. Dr Arif Alvi, was the chief guest at a special plenary on the last day of the conference. Altogether a total of 46 sessions were organized of which 11 were plenary sessions while 35 were concurrent sessions. An audience of over 5,000 attended the four-day hybrid conference. The latest SDC Anthology titled “Beyond the Pandemic: Leaving No One Behind”, jointly published by SDPI and Sang-e-Meel, was also launched on the occasion of the SDC 2022. The anthology is available for download at https://sdpi.org/sdconference/ sustainable-development-in-the-unusual-times-building-forward-better/publications Each SDC is about reaching policymakers and stakeholders to share with them key policy recommendations. As done so in the previous conferences, policy recommendations from the panels and plenary sessions were communicated to the decision-makers. Key policy recommendations can be viewed at https://sdpi.org/sdconference/sustainable-development-in-the-unusual-times- building-forward-better/policy-recommendations 71 SDC 2022 Overarching Theme After the COVID-19 pandemic, it was expected that the world will be in a state of ‘New Normal’, however, a plethora of crises has become a hallmark of that new normal. These crises can be best described as ‘triple-C crises’, i.e. • • • Conflict (within and across borders) Climate Change; and Consequences of COVID-19 The cumulative effect of these crises has led to multi-decade high inflation, recession, and food and fuel predicaments. Although the world escaped a recession during the pandemic, economic slowdown left scarring effects on low- and middle- income countries. Post-pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, political turmoil in many developing countries and tension between the United States and China have also reshaped the world order. Furthermore, climate breakdown has exacerbated the socioeconomic crises in the form of extreme meteorological events, which are ultimately becoming disasters. While the pandemic is phasing out, the world is now passing through ‘Unusual Times’ with issues that are no longer a future problem, rather they are happening now and demand immediate action. As the international community struggles to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as per Agenda 2030, it is important to address these challenges and work out solutions through collective wisdom to ‘Build Forward Better.’ The multidimensional, multifaceted issues mentioned under the overarching SDC 2022 theme discussed the following streams during the Silver Jubilee: SDC 2022 Thematic Streams Stream 1: Economic Meltdown The hopes of post-COVID-19 economic recovery have been shattered by the Russia- Ukraine war, which is plunging the world into a recession. Owing to faster than expected recovery from COVID-19, global commodity prices were already increasing because of high demand. However, the war magnified energy and food prices, thus leading the world into inflation. South Asian countries have directly faced the tidal effects of this conflict because the countries were still recovering from the pandemic when they were pushed towards record levels of inflation. During COVID-19, many South Asian countries including Pakistan, introduced social protection reforms to support people during the lockdowns and help them recover from the economic crises. However, due to the shockwave of the Russia-Ukraine war, the region is experiencing slower growth and high inflation. The SDC 2022 aims to bring together experts, academics, and 72 development partners from South Asia and beyond to discuss these issues and propose practical and viable solutions. This stream was especially important because it also recapped the major achievements and lessons learnt in Pakistan and India that are celebrating 75 years of independence. Stream 2: Achieving SDGs amidst Unusual Times The interlinkages and integrated nature of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are of crucial importance in ensuring ecological well-being and socioeconomic development in the world. Environmental deterioration eventually affects economic growth, thus amplifies socio-political crises. Climate change has placed compounded stress on environment, economy and societies and has increased extreme weather events like heat waves, droughts, water scarcity, food, and energy insecurity. Hence, it is vital to accelerate progress towards the SDGs. Keeping this in view, the 25th SDC highlighted the need for global solidarity for taking action to mitigate climate change and shared struggle for achieving the SDGs. SDPI’s 25th SDC provided a platform to re-assess and discuss the gaps in policy, research and development and how global communities can act together in these testing times to improve the status of SDGs for achieving Agenda 2030. Stream 3: Striving for a Common Future in a Polarised World The world has become polarised following the war between Russia and Ukraine. However, there are also conflicts not only across borders but also within borders. The socioeconomic and climatic instabilities in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and other countries in the region are due to lack of regional cooperation. Amid this situation, multilateral development lenders have warned of a long recession. Our common future is under threat. However, the multipolar world has negatively affected the efficiency and effectiveness of global governance. Experts at the Silver Jubilee SDC explored options for adopting a minimalistic agenda through collaboration and partnerships for achieving sustainable development. Speakers discussed global governance issues, including conflict, peace, and security, Besides, they highlighted how countries are coping with the recession and how they are aiming to rebound. During COVID-19, social protection policies were introduced to address poverty and other socioeconomic crises. Social Protection was, therefore, an important part of the debate during the 25th SDC. 73 SDC 2021 Anthology: Book Blurb Beyond the Pandemic: Leaving No One Behind For every think tank, providing quality policy inputs through informed research, objective analyses and dialogue is raison d ’ e t r e . T h e S u s t a i n a b l e D e v e l o p m e n t Policy Institute (SDPI) is no different and its annual Sustainable Development anthology encapsulates all the areas on which SDPI has worked during the year and the key policy directions needed on national, regional, and global issues affecting Sustainable Development. Policy imperatives that have been the main impetus of all the chapters in this volume include (but are not limited to) the need to: Develop a digital economy and a Digital Silk Road in Pakistan under a whole-of- government framework. Adopt a robust public-oriented green policy to enhance adaptation capacity of vulnerable communities to prepare them for climate-induced risks. Commit public sector financing to green infrastructure through robust valuation of biodiversity and climate risks. Create a national ‘Social Protection Council’ & initiate social protections schemes around the inclusion and participation of local communities. Improve food system resilience in South Asian countries through the digitalization of food supply chains, social safety nets for farmers and better access to farm credit and storage facilities. Add a chapter in the Constitution of Pakistan that provides a detailed explanation of devolving powers to the lowest tier of local government & reform the Local Government System so that voices of the marginalized are heard. Re-envision nano and micro finance structures in urban and rural areas. Focus on financial inclusion of youth for economic empowerment through skills development, vocational training, entrepreneurship support & political participation. 74 Invest in strengthening labour emigration and migrant protection policies to be able to respond more effectively to major external shocks. Adopt a multistakeholder approach to make the public policymaking process gender inclusive. Execute existing laws to tackle Gender-Based Violence rather than designing new ones. Address policy gaps around issues such as violence & extremism through a multistakeholder engagement approach. Implement the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). Integrate intersectionality approaches in humanitarian response programmes to identify and support the most marginalised sections of society. Have a broader focus on Research and Development (R&D) and joint learning through inter- country coordination to achieve the United Nations Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. SDPI’s Silver Jubilee Sustainable Development Conference was held in partnership with: Focal Person: Uzma T. Haroon (uzma@sdpi.org) 75   Advocacy and Outreach Programmes Advocacy and Outreach unit is one of the basic pillars of SDPI programming as well as other campaigning and lobbying activities. Its role has a primal importance in disseminating policy research and other activities of the institution. It also contributes to creating a positive impact on the society by initiating thoughtful debates on matters pertaining to sustainable development such as environment and climate change, food security, energy, economy, poverty alleviation, countering violent extremism, etc. Event(s) Monday Seminars Webinars Project Seminars Conference Roundtables Training workshops Distinguished Lectures Book/Report Launches Living Legend Award (Nasreen Kasuri) MoUs (signed with NIMA, ICMA, EDGE, KSI) Miscellaneous Events* Number 14 15 13 1 4 4 4 6 1 4 12 During the year 2022, the Advocacy Unit organized around 70 hybrid seminars, webinars, workshops, distinguished lectures, books & reports launches, contemporary issues of public interest, including agriculture and food security, climate change and environment, education, etc. The table below gives a glimpse of the events organized during the year 2022. *These events were organized in collaboration with Ministry of Climate Change, Planning Commission of Pakistan, Parliamentary SDGs Secretariat, National Accountability Bureau, International Rescue Committee, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), etc. Through an effective engagement strategy during the year 2022, the Advocacy Unit was able to reach out to around 1600 people, including parliamentarians, civil servants, diplomats, development practitioners, researchers, members of academia, students, and youths. Over 3,000 people participated in these events virtually from Pakistan and abroad through Zoom links. Besides many people watched these 76 events live on SDTV and other social media platforms of SDPI. The Advocacy Unit also successfully managed to engage experts from different walks of life, including federal and provincial ministers, parliamentarians, diplomats, development practitioners, and public office-bearers. The Advocacy Unit through strong connections with journalists and media houses, further managed to secure space in leading national and international newspapers and online news websites. From January to December 2022, SDPI reports and press releases were published 376 times in leading newspapers and on news websites. In 2022, Advocacy Unit also produced and disseminated press release of all sessions and plenaries of the 25th Sustainable Development Conference 2022. All these press releases were uploaded on the SDPI website. Details of some of the events organized by the advocacy unit are as under. Adopting Single National Curriculum: Challenges and Opportunities for Pakistan Webinar: January 24, 2022 Pakistan being a heterogeneous society needs a diverse education system backed by reforms to cater for changing societal requirements, said experts. They suggested that the reform agenda must go beyond curriculum development and address the changing needs of the society. They stressed that the educational reforms must be designed in consultation with the stakeholders at policy and administrative level and must enhance the capacity of teachers. 77 • https://islamabadpost.com.pk/pakistan-needs-diverse-education-system- reforms-experts/ • https://www.urdupoint.com/en/pakistan/pakistan-needs-diverse-education- system-refo-1455600.html • https://centreline.com.pk/2022/01/25/pakistan-needs-diverse-education-system- reforms-experts/ • https://dnanews.com.pk/pakistan-needs-diverse-education-system-reforms- experts/ • https://sabahnews.net/english/news/pakistan-needs-diverse-education-system- reforms-say-experts-during-sdpi-webinar/ The Afghanistan Impact - Security Threats to Pakistan Confirmation Webinar: February 03, 2022 Humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, which can undermine the security of Pakistan and will have spillover impact on the region, should be resolved immediately, speakers said. They warned that the lingering crisis may increase refugees influx to Pakistan, cause food shortages and renew militancy especially in Balochistan. “We must proceed with caution within our own country, they suggested and emphasized that the need for engaging some selected people from the previous Afghan government. They also called for holding fair and free elections in Afghanistan, or at least restore Afghan jirga to legitimize the Taliban regime as the representative of the state. • https://pakobserver.net/afghan-humanitarian-crisis-may-pose-security-threat- to-pakistan/ • https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/931220-afghan-crisis-could-be-a-security- 78 threat-to-pakistan • https://leadpakistan.com.pk/news/afghan-humanitarian-crisis-may-be-a- security-threat-to-pakistan-experts/ • https://www.urdupoint.com/en/pakistan/afghan-humanitarian-crisis-can-be- security-th-1463041.html Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow Seminar: (March 08, 2022) Highlighting the widening gender gap in the country, speakers emphasized the need for increasing the capacity of women in labour market and creating an enabling environment for them to protect them from exogenous shocks as a result of climate events and pandemics. They agreed that women are more vulnerable to the shocks, which is evident from reports suggesting loss of employment was doubled for women compared to men during COVID-19. They called for mainstreaming gender response in the agricultural practices to increase their contribution to household income and elevate their financial domestic burdens. They also called for mainstreaming the role and participation of women in all professions, particularly in policy making and leadership. 79 • https://tribune.com.pk/story/2346889/speakers-call-for-giving-more-space-to- womenfolk • https://lahoreherald.com/latest/43432-speakers-demand-for-giving-more-space- to-womenfolk/ • https://centreline.com.pk/2022/03/07/more-space-to-women-needed-for- development-of-society-speakers-%EF%BF%BC/ • https://islamabadpost.com.pk/more-space-to-women-needed-for-development- of-society-speakers/ • https://www.urdupoint.com/en/pakistan/more-space-to-women-needed-for- development-of-1480930.html Illegal Construction in Water Bodies in Peri Urban Areas of Islamabad Seminar (October 03, 2022) Robust monitoring and implementation of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is needed to prevent urban flooding and threat to ecosystems and biodiversity, experts said. They suggested that the authorities concerned must ensure strict adherence to master plans and EIA to ensure that cities expand sustainability and prevent ecological damage. They emphasized that land-use planning and EIAs should not only be restricted to urban centers but also robustly observed in the peri-urban areas to ensure safe and sustainable living for all. • https://www.nation.com.pk/19-Jul-2022/civic-bodies-coordination-must-to-avert- illegal-constructions-encroachments-experts • https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/975347-eia-compliance-vital-to-stop- environmental-degradation 80 • https://newsman.pk/eia-compliance-vital-to-stop-environmental-degradation- experts-assert/ • https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/07/18/civic-bodies-coordination- accountability-must-to-avert-illegal-constructions-encroachments-experts/ Role of population density in exacerbating climate impacts Webinar (October 03, 2022) Climate change discourse is dominated by mitigation and overlooks population growth dynamics in adaptation and resilience, experts said. With one third of Pakistan submerged under water, it must be the last wakeup call and the climate stressors should no longer be ignored. They stressed that 65 million people in Pakistan from poor to extremely poor households live in agro-climate zones, which are severely affected by climate risks. They urged the government to develop climate resilient infrastructure and devise comprehensive policies on climate change and its nexus with population. They also called for increasing awareness to break social taboos and access to quality family planning services for population control, healthier pregnancies, and children. • https://dailytimes.com.pk/1006957/reducing-carbon-by-curbing-population-key- to-sustainable-life-experts/ • https://www.nation.com.pk/04-Oct-2022/cut-in-rising-population-to-help-reduce- carbon-emissions-experts 81 Precision Agriculture and AI technologies in Pakistan: Prospects and Opportunities Panel Discussion (October 17, 2022) Experts agreed that adopting modern technologies and AI systems for data driven interventions by farmers is crucial for sustainable production and consumption of agricultural resources to respond to contemporary challenges. They highlighted that adoption of AI in lower income communities in Pakistan is hurdled by socio- economic constraints, land rights issues and lack of awareness, low skills, and knowledge of modern practices and technologies. Elucidating that AI can potentially reduce global agricultural emissions, lower input costs, and ensure higher nutritional value of produce, they called for government interventions to increase inclusivity and accessibility of these technologies to small farmers through imports and indigenous manufacturing and create self-sustainable profitable market models to ensure this transition. • https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1000410-precision-agriculture-key-to- sustainability-and-food-security 82 Poverty Eradication and Food Security in Pakistan Seminar (October 17, 2022) Triple-C crisis is a threat to food security with four million people are in phase 4 of famine in Pakistan, said experts. “We are in a perfect storm” and must utilize this as an opportunity to reset, reconstruct and rebuild and address all these inequalities and deficiencies,” they said. They urged the international community to support the victims of climate change without causing them indignation as they are essentially victims of actions of the developed countries. To counter the threat of poverty and food insecurity, they called for improving policy for food management, storage and pricing, rebuilding better institutional infrastructures, tailoring farming models, practices and crop types to Pakistan’s climate and local realities and educate farmers on the need to transform the traditional practices. • https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1002290-nation-s-dignity-should-not-be- compromised-while-seeking-aid • https://www.dawn.com/news/1716033 • https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/around-16-pc-people-face-acute-food- insecurity-in-pakistan-fao-official20221021210336/ • https://sabahnews.net/english/news/nations-dignity-should-not-be- compromised-while-seeking-support-for-flood-victims-dr-abid-qaiyum-suleri/ 83   Indus to Sharam ul Shiekh with Dr Adil Najam Special Lecture (October 24, 2022) Discussing the developments in connection with climate change in the backdrop of CoP-26, Dr Adil Najam said that “the global community needs to listen to climate, as climate is no longer a future issue; CoP-26 is a window of opportunity to restrict temperature hike within 1.5 oC. For Pakistan, he said, the issue of climate change is truly existential, economic and ecological. Pakistan must take the role of provider of the climate change agenda and the not receiver, he said, adding that “It is not the lack of financial resources but the will to make substantial effort to reduce emissions particularly by the industrialized and developed countries.” He suggested that Pakistan’s climate diplomacy must move from “additionality to talk on loss and damage, from mitigation outsourcing to climate adaptation as development and from climate assistance to climate justice.” • https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1003647-global-north-urged-to-fulfil-its- commitment-of-carbon-reduction • https://dailytimes.com.pk/1018195/experts-urge-global-north-to-fulfil-its- commitment-of-carbon-reduction/ • https://www.bu.edu/pardeeschool/2022/10/25/najam-delivers-sdpi-lecture-on- climate-change-from-a-pakistan-perspective/ • https://www.bu.edu/pardeeschool/2022/10/25/najam-delivers-sdpi-lecture-on- climate-change-from-a-pakistan-perspective/ 84 Solar Radiation Modification Distinguished Guest Lecture (December 15, 2022) Janos Pazstor, Executive Director, Carnegie Climate Governance Initiative (C2G), said that climate change and its associated risks are increasing in intensity. He said the scientists believe that we are on the trajectory of overshooting 1.5 oC heating target, therefore, scientific ideas for mitigating this crisis must be brought to the agenda of United Nations General Assembly. “While solar radiation management technologies like Surface Albedo Modification, marine cloud brightening, and stratospheric aerosol scattering etc. are not the solutions to climate change and come with their risks, they must be considered as time buying strategies with climate change posing an existential threat.” He emphasized that they could undermine the need for climate action, emission reduction and behavioural changes, therefore, embedding their governance with a multi-lateral institution like United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) can potentially improve their governance as well as compliance to other environmental targets and commitments. 85 Recognizing the contribution of Mrs Nasreen Kasuri for education sector Living Legend Award (June 01, 2022) Continuing its tradition of bestowing Living Legend Award upon visionary individuals, who have achieved excellence in diverse fields, SDPI honoured the services of Mrs Nasreen Mahmud Kasuri for the promotion of quality education in the country. She not only introduced a unique education model in the country that led to the growth of the education sector but also played an integral role in promoting female employment as well. • https://www.dawn.com/news/1692655 • https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/06/01/eminent-educationist-nasreen- kasuri-gets-prestigious-living-legend-award/ • https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/962743-living-legend-award-nasreen-kasuri- awarded-for-her-services-to-education • https://www.brecorder.com/news/40177905/award-conferred-on-beaconhouse- founder Focal Person: Moazzam Bhatti (moazzam@sdpi.org) 86 Stainable Development Television (SDTV) Sustainable Development Television (SDTV) is a web-based television owned by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI). It also provides quality video production facilities to government, non government, international development agencies and corporate sector organizations. Since its inception in 2011, it regularly producing short video packages, documentaries and talk shows on issues related to sustainable development. In a short span of time, SDTV has developed its internal core production facility, which includes a studio, lighting system, cameras, sound mixers, switchers and other essential production equipment. In addition, SDTV also provides live streaming and broadcasting services to its valued customers for greater outreach and advocacy. Through SDTV, the SDPI reaches out to wider groups of public and private sector professionals. Focal Person: Tahir Dhindsa (tahir@sdpi.org) 87 Social Media Sustainable Development Policy Institute uses social media very actively and at a large scale. Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are the platforms with huge following. On Facebook and twitter, we have thousands of followers, while quite a large audience one can see at other platforms as well. Followers include researchers, policy makers, think tanks, private sector, authors, students, teachers, professionals, and business community. More than 2600K impressions we earned on average on twitter. To engage more we have our android and IOS application to keep audience updated with our events, publications and annual sustainable development conference updates. 88 Publications English Publication Unit Following the standard of international research publications, the English Publication Unit is responsible for documenting and disseminating the Institute’s research publications while holding the policy research and policy advocacy together. Besides, it is also responsible for maintaining the research and editorial quality of the publications. The unit also acts as a tool of outreach and advocacy with stakeholders. All the publications, including Research Papers, Working Papers and Policy Briefs are peer reviewed by a panel of researchers and academics, as well as screened through Higher Education Commission’s plagiarism software. After a thorough technical review, all these publications undergo a rigorous editing process. An English Editorial Board has also been set up to supervise the research quality of the research papers., which provides guidelines to authors and referees as well. In addition, the unit is also responsible for an editorial review of the institute’s other publications, including annual reports, project publications, policy documents, etc. Focal Person: Saleem Khilji (khilji@sdpi.org) Urdu Publication Unit Urdu Publication Unit is engaged in translating books, articles, project questionnaires and research papers of the Institute which are published inhouse or in International journals. Moreover, it also publishes Urdu periodicals, including newsletter and Urdu journal in the names of Dharti (Land), and Paidar Taraqee (Sustainable Development). respectively. Urdu publications are meant for wider local awareness raising and dissemination of research at grass roots level. The unit also undertakes translation work from other organizations and individuals as well. Focal Person: Ahmad Salim Journal of Development Policy, Research & Practice ISSN 2522-3410 E-ISSN 2663-3698 Journal of Development Policy, Research & Practice, SDPI’s transdisciplinary scholarly annual journal, recognized by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan under Y category, aims to provide a diverse array of research and working papers, policy briefs, and argumentative essays on issues pertaining to sustainable development. Published since 2017, the Journal’s subject areas include themes from sustainable livelihoods to social sector development; from inclusive economic growth to institutional governance; from energy economics to climate change; from 89 food in/security, water and human security to education; from sustainable industrial growth to resilient development; from religious tolerance to peace and gender equity. All volumes of the Journal may be downloaded from https://journal.sdpi.org/. The latest Journal volume 6 - 2022 features the following papers: • Planning and Economic Coordination C h a l l e n g e s a f t e r t h e 1 8 t h Constitutional Amendment - Pervez Tahir and Nadia Tahir • Decentralization and Quality of Fiscal Management: Empirical Evidence from Pakistan - Asif Razzaq, Rabia Nazir and Sundus Shaheen • R e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n H e a l t h , Education and Labour Productivity in South Asia - Aqsa Mehmood, Hafiz Muhammad Abubakar Siddique and Romila Qamar • Socio-Cultural Capital and Community Resilience: Perception of University Students about Violent Extremism in Pakistan - Adeela Rehman and Malik Ghulam Behlol • Attitude of University Students towards the Teaching Profession in Pakistan: A Case of Public Sector Universities - Misbah Akhtar, Huma Nawaz and Farrukh Munir Impact of Climate Change on Individual and Community Mental Health - Emaan Atif • Editors Editor-in-Chief: Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri Managing Editor: Uzma T. Haroon Managing Associate Editor: Imrana Niazi 90 Ahmed Salim Resource Centre Ahmed Salim Resource Centre (ASRC) serves as an information base for the multi- disciplinary research at SDPI. It is open to general public, students, academia and research scholars in the country and abroad. The center with 35,000 quality books, journals/magazines and other valuable documents is one of the biggest information resources in the entire development sector in Pakistan. In addition, digital files as well as online resources in the different areas of sustainable development, including environment, economic growth, energy, livelihood, gender, agriculture, social development, and the current hot issues like CPEC. There is an exclusive section for government data publications. The Centre also provides the reading facilities of local, regional, and international journals and periodicals to subscribers. It receives more than 110 serials, including journals, periodicals, newsletters and weekly newspapers. Additional resources are available through Inter-Library Loan Programme and Publication Exchange Programme. ASRC strives to provide information and knowledge to library can be accessed for downloading and retrieving research on different themes from across the world through subscription and registration. We are in the process of setting up a library portal (OPAC) Networking To enhance an access to information, the ASRC knowledge bank networks with national and regional thematically coherent organizations. The ASRC’s “Publication Exchange Program” has a fraternity of 100 organizations/universities. Under this programme, SDPI publications are exchanged with books and other materials published by the partner organizations. The ASRC has a formal Inter-Library Loan arrangement with Pakistani libraries in Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore. Besides, ASRC facilitates access to various databases (e.g., HEC Digital Library, got VPN from Comsats Library databases as well as E-Library Punjab, World Bank) and online journals, enabling the researchers to consult and compare their work with that of contemporary researchers of their relevant fields. Ahmed Salim Resource Centre facilitate researchers and development practitioners what want to conduct research on sustainable development issues in Pakistan. It has grown over the years evolving into an effective coherent mechanism of acquisition, processing, organization, creation, and dissemination of information. It undertakes the following tasks: • Select and acquire appropriate resource/research information. • Organize electronically the research information for easy access and use. • Advise and assist people in searching through relevant databases „ • Information dissemination through publications such as periodicals/ E-newsletters, books, papers, etc. • Network with libraries and information/ documentation centers 91 E/Digital/Smart Library To facilitate the academia and development sector in Pakistan, SDPI knowledge bank is going online. Now, the library can be accessed for downloading and retrieving research on different themes from across the world through subscription and registration. We are in the process of setting up a library portal (OPAC) Networking To enhance an access to information, the ASRC knowledge bank networks with national and regional thematically coherent organizations. The ASRC’s “Publication Exchange Program” has a fraternity of 100 organizations/universities. Under this programme, SDPI publications are exchanged with books and other materials published by the partner organizations. The ASRC has a formal Inter-Library Loan arrangement with Pakistani libraries in Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore. Besides,ASRC facilitates access to various databases (e.g., HEC Digital Library, got VPN from Comsats Library databases as well as E-Library Punjab, World Bank) and online journals, enabling the researchers to consult and compare their work with that of contemporary researchers of their relevant fields. Focal Person: Ali Aamir (aliaamer@sdpi.org) 92 Nasir Khan-MIS Web Unit The Web unit of Nasir Khan Management Information System (NK-MIS) has recently revamped its website keeping in view the requirement of modern-day communication. It showcases day-to-day works of the Institute. The unit deals with design, development, management and maintenance of websites and web applications. It also facilitates video conferencing and live streaming during SDPI events. With a vision to become a professional web development and solution- oriented team by effectively utilizing SDPI information, resources, and emerging technologies, it works to empower the institute with result-oriented and quality applications and services. Focal Person: Manzoor Ahmed (manzoor@sdpi.org) 93 C E N T R E S O F E X C E L L E N C E 94 Centres for Learning and Development Centre for Learning and Development (CLD) is one of the high repute learning centre of the institute, which offers different trainings for professionals and leading institutions. These trainings mainly relate to organizational development, future leaders grooming, and emerging trends in sustainable development. The centre was established in 1992 by Brig. Mohammad Yasin (Retired) as the Training Unit to cater for the needs of the young researchers of the institute as well as government officials for their continuing professional development (CPD). Because of its high-quality results and outcomes, later the demand from other institutions goaded on the Institute to launch its training programme regularly. In 1998, a demand-driven training programme was launched for the public sector and civil society organizations. In 2001, the unit was transformed into a full-fledged centre and renamed as centre for Capacity Building (CCB). The center had organized several national-level capacity building programmes for partner institutions, open enrolment, and customized workshops for academia, civil society, and public sector organizations. With the aim to strengthen the capacities of civil society organizations, academia, and policy research institutions for sustainable development, the centre has imparted trainings in participatory and interactive approaches to mutual learning. It has offered a number of international-level workshops to build institutional capacities, building strategies for transforming human resources, applied research, and good governance to improve quality and systems for durable solutions. The center has given a new trend on on-the-job continuing professional development for individuals and organizational growth. Because of its activity-based learning and CPD approach, the center was converted into the Center for Learning and Development (CLD) to cater to the needs of academia, research institutions, UN bodies, and development organizations and somehow to improve the interaction and interactive skills of the corporate sector professionals. Since its inception, CLD has been working to impart quality learning to ensure a combination of knowledge management and action research through reflective learning experiences. The overall objective of the Centre is to transform organizational and institutional leadership from a traditional capacity development approach to a result-based impact-driven approach. During the years from 1992 to 2022, the centre had conducted more than 1500 workshops for more than 650 public institutions, NGOs, INGOs, academic institutions, and UN organizations on various topics, trained more than 17000 95 professionals’ including men and women, where the women ratio is above 40 percent. SDPI-CLD has joint learning and development ventures with UN, UNESCO, UNODC, UNDP, UNICEF, USAID, and other international agencies like DFID, FHF, USEFP, British Council, USAID, AUSAID, GIZ, and various INGOs. The centre is famous for its research and activity-based participatory learning methodologies. It engages the best international and national resource persons and trainers available in the market to yield high-quality results. To maintain its credible position in the market, an annual survey is also conducted to identify the market needs and design future training workshops per the demand of valuable organizations and clients. The prime focus of the centre is to engage the development, academic, and research organizations, and for this purpose, the centre also provides a number of full and partial scholarships to students and talented individuals; however, some women and transgender scholarships are also provided to engage all segments of the society. The center offers mainly three types of trainings and learning programmes, which are as follows: • Customized workshops and retreats for institutions and organizations • Customized workshops for high-tech professionals • International leadership research study tours and workshops. During the year 2022, CLD conducted the following training programmes: Workshops • Capacity Building of Women Micro-Entrepreneurs: Up-Scaling Leadership Skills through Training Workshops.” • Advanced Training on the “Prospects of a Green Transportation Corridor in Pakistan.” • Tobacco Control - Preparing the Frontline Professionals • Official Correspondence • Fundamentals of Social Media Marketing • Communication and Networking Skills • Writing Skills Workshop • Script Writing Training • Rapporteurs Training Special Lectures • Apolitical Policing & Erosion of State Pillars • Theory of Change and Measurement (These special lectures were designed for the SDPI interns and young researchers to build their capacity and improve their knowledge performance.) 96 Summer Internship Program (SIP) 2022: Every year, CLD offers summer internships to graduates and undergraduates of national universitiesI Initiated in 2014, the internship was transformed into a Summer Internship Program (SIP) in 2016 and is offered to a number of potential students from various higher education institutions. SDPI-SIP has now become a brand, and students await the whole year to do their internship with SDPI. The screening process is very dynamic but challenging. Students from various universities of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, and Karachi join this Internship. After successfully completing the Summer Internship Programs, participants are awarded certificates., SDPI offered the Summer Internship Program 2022, where out of 500 plus applications, 30 students were selected in Group-I one, and 25 in Group-II after a very rigorous process. Students from many universities from all provinces, including AJK, accomplish their internship. This Internship is now a requirement of highly reputable institutions and provides an edge to have practical exposure to working with top-ranked institutions, which helps in job opportunities and higher studies in national and international universities. So far, SDPI has awarded SIP certificates to more than 400 successful students, which actually and successfully performed during their internship. Challenges during 2022 During the year, the center has faced many challenges. The main challenge was the lack of teamwork and the staff shortage. CLD needs proper team members, who could work on the training programmes and others, who handle the logistics and marketing strategies for the capacity-building programmes. New Initiative CLD has introduced technical training on the Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP) model and is also working to introduce some other tools, including Model for Analysis of Energy Demand (MAED) and Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) in 2023 with the collaboration of the SDPI’s Energy Unit. Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP): This platform is used to perform energy supply and demand analysis for any region using a bottom-up modeling approach. Along with energy assessment, LEAP can also be used to develop low emission and investment pathways under different scenarios of economic development. Model for Analysis of Energy Demand (MAED): It is used to evaluate future energy demands from different end-use sectors such as industries, buildings, commercial areas, and transport. The analysis could be performed under different scenarios based on medium to long-term scenarios of socioeconomic, technological, and demographic development. 97 Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) PHPP software is used to assess energy efficiency of different active and passive energy conservation techniques. It involves the use of various numerical techniques and approved calculations for analyzing building heating and cooling load and its primary energy demand. Focal Person: Sadia Satti (sadiasatti@sdpi.org) 98 Centre of Evidence Action Research (CEAR) The use of evidence is of critical importance. This is essentially an era of evidence- based research and policy design as nearly all research calls demand aggregating and commissioning evidence, evidence-based analysis, and generation of impact and outcomes. In this regard, the initiative to establish a centre of evidence at SDPI was taken. The formal launch of “Centre of Evidence Action Research” took place on 8 December 2021. The center of Evidence at SDPI that will generate the evidence deliverables under a holistic framework in the core areas of Financial Inclusion, Education, Social Protection, Health, Governance and Institutions, Public Policy, and Gender. Some of the outputs are: • Evidence Pod Cast • Evidence- Policy Cast (Interviewing policy makers in terms of evidence use in policy) • Evidence Case Studies of Pakistan (which are entirely missing for Pakistan) • Evidence Training Workshop for researchers, and policy makers • Blogs and articles (on multiple topics) • SDPI-Viz Hub: Evidence Info-graphs and Datasets • Evidence Research: Impact Evaluation, Meta-analysis, etc. The centre aims to bridge the evidence gaps in policymaking besides promoting the evidence-based policy design and building a network/alliance for generating evidence. Focal Person: Dr Fareeha Armughan (fareehaarmughan@sdpi.org) 99 Centre for Private Sector Engagement SDPI has been extensively engaged with private sector for the past four years. We have worked with almost all major actors of private sector in the region under our various programmes in collaboration with international partners. Objectives • To conduct research on areas pertaining to private sector, including topics such as various macroeconomic issues and issues pertaining to socio-economic conditions of transgender community, trade reforms, social entrepreneurship, trade facilitation and SME preparedness, etc. • To initiate dialogue through our iterative and structured Public-Private Dialogue (PPD) forum which is now in national reach via the National Network of Economic Think-tanks. • To partner with overlapping themes with the private sector stakeholders • To run the capacity building programmes at strategic, operational and tactical levels. Focal Person: Ahad Nazir (ahad@sdpi.org) 100 Centre for Health Policy and Innovation Center for Health Policy & Innovation serves to address most pressing health issues in Pakistan. Disparities in health care and lack of access to care in inner cities and remote areas result in poor health outcomes. In multiple studies across Pakistan, it is pointedout that there is a lack of informed and fair policy decisions at national level, claiming an immense need to increase the pace of research on health sector. Health has been devolved to the provinces in the 18th Amendment, and in this regard, SDPI’s center liaise with the provincial governments and works in sub- national health policy space. Events arising from COVID-19 pointed towards the need for such dedicated window within SDPI that maintains institutional memory of our work with federal cabinet, ministries, and provincial departments. Objectives • To internalize learning from COVID-19 – impact, response, and relief interventions. • To crystallize the health issues confronting general population and the policy circles. • To act as a knowledge hub regarding innovations in health policy knowledge systems. • To synergize the efforts of the partners and other health organizations, in understanding health market. • To facilitate policy makers in formulation of policies that could effectively address the health industry and prevent the spread of emerging diseases. • To help the government devise a policy for all provinces, especially when health has been relegated as a provincial issue after 18th amendment. Focal Person: Syed Wasif Ali Naqvi (wasif@sdpi.org) 101 Policy Solutions Lab Established in 2017, the Policy Solutions Lab at SDPI has been driving to strengthen informed policy making. Forward-looking in its approach, the Lab has been innovative and advance research solutions to meet the future policy needs of governments, policymakers, and other key stakeholders within the development sector. To do this, it has been analyzing (drawing policy lessons through rigorous research), designing (developing key messages and recommendations) and broadcasting (sharing the findings with stakeholders). Economic Policy: SDPI firmly believes that raising the awareness of policy makers, as well as the public, on matters of economic policy helps shape sounder and more efficient policy design and implementation. Its work mostly relates to monetary policy, fiscal policy, and financial policy. Social Policy: Recognizing the need for social content in macroeconomic policy, SDPI explores areas of financial inclusion, social exclusion, and inequality, as well as how macroeconomic policy shapes related outcomes within these concepts. Additionally, the Lab underpins the need for a strong social policy in a post COVID-19 context, given its centrality to inclusive recovery. Leading the work on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) localization and prioritization, the lab provides data gap analysis down to the third tier of governance: the local governments. It also fosters debates on the integration of SDGs into mainstream economic policy. Evaluating Policy Impact and Feasibility: Utilizing the latest advanced methods in data collection and analysis, the Lab provides high-grade assessments on the efficacy and impact of policy interventions across various projects, programmes, reforms, and measures – determining the viability of policy actions proposed or presently underway. Focal Person: Dr Sajid Amin (sajidamin@sdpi.org) 102 China Study Center Launched in August 2018, China Study Centre is a broader initiative of SDPI to bridge the research-policy gap on the issues of global relevance such as trade, technologies, climate change, tourism, business, finance, and Pakistan-China relations. The Centre strives to foster research, knowledge, and expertise on China, profoundly relevant to our engagement with China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). With a large network of universities, government bodies, business and civil society organizations, the Centre aims to promote collaborations, capacity building and technology transfer based on lessons learnt and experiences of China, attributed to their scientific knowledge and policy instruments. This requires a deep insight into Chinese history, culture, and socio-economic contexts. Such an approach is essential to catalyze the active engagement with China to address the economic and development challenges towards achieving sustainable development. China Study Centre focuses on the development of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), particularly aiming to bridge the research-policy gap on the issues of global relevance such as trade, technologies, Environment and climate change, tourism, finance, China-Pakistan relations, and greening BRI. Focal Person: Ubaid Ur Rehman Zia (ubaid@sdpi.org) 103 R E S E A R C H S U P P O R T 104 Finance Unit Finance, in any organization, has its unique place and significance. It is the backbone of any organization, as it helps the organization provide a continuous stream of cash flows, which are necessary for organizational operations. At SDPI, Finance Unit is responsible for ensuring financial sustainability of the organization by putting in place efficient strategies in line with the mission and vision of the organization. Moreover, safeguarding of assets and compliance with applicable laws and regulations is also an important part of the financial management. The unit undertakes the following tasks. • Budget Making • Resource Planning • Variance Analysis • Financial Accounting • Statutory Reporting • Donor specific Reporting • External Reporting • Internal Financial Management Reporting Internal Audit Internal Audit and Compliance Unit is entrusted with internal audit of the organization along with planning and conducting operational, financial and compliance audits and reviews creating synergies among the units. It also covers the strategic, operational, financial and compliance risks to evaluate the effectiveness of internal controls and ensure compliance with legal laws and requirements. Others include ensuring in place the internal control and continuous monitoring of them for efficiencies and effectiveness. It performs functional reporting to the Board of Governors’ Finance and Audit Committee and administrative reporting to the Executive Director. It gives value-added evidence-based recommendations to senior management using Computer-Assisted Audit Techniques (CAATs). Integrated Approach Of Program, Finance & Internal Audits Programme, Finance and Internal Audit Units together changed the approach to deliver timely projects in an efficient and effective manner by working together and creating synergies. All the three units work in close coordination with each other. Finance has standardized the budget making steps using top-down approach as well as bottom-up approach depending on the requirements of the project. Internal Audit Unit plays a vital role in programme by making compliance with donor requirements, therefore, resulting in donor satisfaction. In relation to Finance Unit, it periodically reviews internal controls in Finance Unit for greater transparency and highlighting the potential risks proactively so that proper strategy can be put in place to address those risks. The summary of changes can be observed in the diagram below: 105   Administration & Percurement Unit Administration & Procurement Unit is entrusted with the task of day-today administration as well as resource planning. The smooth running of operations with efficiency is the prime objective and mission of this unit. It provides logistics for day- to-day functions, annual conferences and international events from alpha to mega. The unit is also responsible for providing a conducive environment to the staff not only in the office but also in the field. Provision of logistics to its staff within an organization is the basic responsibility of the unit. Besides, the unit ensures value for money by making purchases through best practices by planning and afterwards implementing various projects. The unit facilitates the research and other staff regarding procurement within and outside the country. The procurement process is guided and monitored by a Procurement Committee at the institute so as to keep the process clean and transparent Nasir Khan- MIS IT Unit Nasir Khan Management Information System (NK MIS) IT Unit is the backbone of SDPI, which provides information technology support and services to all the staff for their smooth working. It not only helps the researchers enhance their output but also facilitates the staff with all the modern tools of working. During COVID-19 pandemic, the bigger challenge before IT unit was to keep up the organization with the global standards and deliver services online. This included auxiliary support services such as arrangements for online and hybrid meetings, seminars/webinars, and how to use research and survey tools. During 2021, the unit achievements are as follows: 106 Online Meetings Online meetings on Zoom, Google Meet, and MS Teams were challenging since most of the staff was not fully familiar with the online functions. In this regard, the regular trainings of the staff were conducted to improve the efficiency of remote working. Overall support with regard to recording of the meetings, extraction of attendance sheets, etc. was also provided. Webinars Owing to COVID- 19 pandemic, in-person events such as seminars were shifted to online webinars, which enhanced the viewership. IT has fully managed and delivered on more than 86 webinars during the last year. The support provided included cloud recording, live streaming on SDTV & Facebook, panelist coordination, and audience support & control. Hybrid Events During the year, hybrid events were introduced in which both the panelists and the audiences were present in person as well as online. Our main challenge was to coordinate, plan, initiate, test, and execute this mode of events. It was, however, successfully implemented and practiced in various cities across the country. This hybrid model enthralled a big online and in-person audience. Layout of website In addition to its IT-related activities, this year the unit gave an attractive outlook to the SDPI website, which is the face of the organization and displays the work done by SDPI team. In this regard, a centralized database of the research was made available online for researchers, policymakers, students, and other users. The details are as under: • Video Packages are updated on the web to screen them through SDTV. • RCU Application modification was provided as required. • Management of Contact Request application and HRMIS Application. • Biometric machine modification and synchronization with Server. • SDC Registration system and Zoom API configuration with user authentication. • Events live streaming on SDTV website and Facebook. Some of the screenshots of the new layout of the website are presented below. Hybrid Sustainable Development Conference: • User-friendly interface of the conference page • Online registration for the conference • More than five thousand can joined online • Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube live 107 Business Development Unit (BDU) In 2010, it was realized that there should be a specialized unit to assist and support fund raising for the research programmes to make SDPI financially sustainable. Resultantly, a Programme Development Unit (PDU) was established to work with research units and develop proposals for fund raising. The unit, with full support from programme teams, finance, and senior management was able to raise institutional funding for undertaking research. Because of the effectiveness of PDU, the management in 2018 upgraded and renamed the unit as Business Development Unit. The unit’s mandate included not only to support research units in fundraising through proposal writing but also donor reporting, identification of partners for proposal development and implementation, and to oversee financial reporting, placement of personnel to deliver the quality output, and overseeing progress in line with agreed timelines. Focal Person: Syed Qasim Shah (qasim@sdpi.org) 108 S D P I S T A F F 109 STAFF MEMBERS AS OF DECEMBER 2022 Abdullah Khalid Project Assistant Abid Rasheed Library Assistant Ahad Nazir Project Coordinator Ahmed Awais Khaver Research Associate Aiman Imran Project Assistant Aimen Zulfiqar Project Associate Ali Aamer Javed Associate Coordinator AS Resource Centre Ali Rehmat Project Assistant Amna Zaidi Senior Project Associate Aqsa Naveed Project Assistant Arham Ahmed NLE Editor Arshad H Abbasi Advisor (Energy) Arslan Barijo Project Assistant Asif Javed Senior Research Associate Attia Irshad Project Associate Ayesha Ilyas Advocacy Coordinator Azka Tariq Reporter/Producer Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri Executive Director Dr Fareeha Armughan Research Fellow Dr Hina Aslam Research Fellow Dr Khalid Waleed Consultant Dr Razia Safdar Advisor (Health) Dr Sajid Amin Javed Deputy Executive Director (Research) 110 Dr. Shafqat Munir Ahmad Research Fellow Dr. Vaqar Ahmed Joint Executive Director Faizan Basharat Assistant Accounts Officer Fatima Muzammil Consultant Ghulam Hassan Driver Hammad Nadir Project Assistant Hamza Baig IT Officer Hassan Assistant Accounts Officer Ijlal Ashraf Internal Auditor Imran Khan Admin Officer Imrana Niazi Senior Coordinator SDC Inderyas Masih Mate Isam Din Security Guard Kashif Majeed Salik Associate Research Fellow Khansa Naeem Project Assistant Khurram Shahzad Manager HR Laraib Kiani Advocacy Officer Maaz Javed Project Associate Mahnoor Arshad Research Associate Manzoor Ahmad Web Coordinator Maria Ali Research Associate Maryum Waqar Survey Coodinator Moazzam Sharif Bhatti Director Advocacy and Campaigns M Awais Umar Research Associate Muhammad Hamza Internal Audit & Compliance Officer Muhammad Idrees Accounts Officer Muhammad Imran Consultant 111 Muhammad Khurshid Driver M Munir Khan Security Guard Muhammad Riaz Driver M Saleem Khilji Senior Editor Muhammad Shaban Director Finance Mujeeb ur Rehman Gardner Naimat Ullah Wazir Project Asssiatnt Nudrat Fatima Research Assistant Rabia Shauket HR Assistant Rabia Tabassum Senior Research Associate Ramsha Mehboob Project Assistant Rana Irfan Rafi Project Assistant Sadia Satti Training Associate Sahar David Executive Secretary Saima Mughal Receptionist Saleha Qureshi Project Assistant Salman Danish Research Associate Shahid Rasul Library Associate Sohail Younis Mate Sonia Iftikhar Mate Syed Adnan Hassan Senior Coordinator NK MIS Syed Ali Wasif Naqvi Senior Research Associate Syed Asim Raza Production Coordinator Syed Hassan Murtaza Research Coordinator Syed Mohsin Ali Kazmi Associate Research Fellow 112 Syed Qasim Ali Shah Deputy Eexutive Director (Ops) Syed Shujaat Ahmad Consultant Syed Sohail Abbas Dgital Media & Marketing Expert Tahir Ahmed Dhindsa Director SDTV Tasawar Hussain Office Assistant Tayyaba Hanif Coordinator, SDC Ubaid-Ur-Rehman Research Associate Umair Hassan Graphic Designer Umar Ayaz Project Assistant Uzma T. Haroon Director SDC Zahra Khalid Communications Consultant Dr Waseem Iftikhar Janjua Visiting Researcher Brig. Muhmmad Yasin (Retired) Advisor Emiritus 113 S D P i I S t a ff p o s e f o r a g r o u p P h o t o o n t h e o c c s a o n o f 2 5 t h S u s t a n a b e D e v e o p m e n t C o n f e r e n c e l l i 114 115 

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