Objectives

The overall goal of the DSSP is to improve people’s education and health, thereby helping to reduce poverty and gender imbalances. The broad purpose is to increase school enrolment, and coverage with health and clear water and sanitation services. These objectives are to be primarily achieved by improving governance and financing of social services; that should result in increased access to basic social services, in particular for women; and improved quality, efficiency, affordability and sustainability of services.

The Program has 5 principal policy outcomes, namely, to (i) further administrative devolution of social services, (ii) improve social sector financing and flow of funds, (iii) promote participation, linkages, and public accountability, (iv) rationalize services and set minimum standards, and (v) encourage public-private partnership.

Scope

The DSSP covers all 16 districts and 102 taluka/town municipal administrations (TMAs) of Sindh for a time slice of 3 years for the program loans and 4 years for the TA loan.

In the education sector, SPG will expand support to school management committees of schools up to class 12 to improve and operate these schools; and provide additional assistance for rehabilitating schools, constructing facilities for functioning but shelterless schools, home schools for girls, textbooks, stipends for girls, and contracting local female teachers on merit.

In the health, nutrition and population welfare sector, SPG will promote the basic package of health services, contract female staff, support the establishment of health board and patients associations to improve the maintenance and operations of health facilities, and introduce financial reforms to improve the quality, affordability, and continuity of health services.

In the drinking water and sanitation sector, SPG will build the capacity of TMAs to conduct infrastructure and consumer surveys and develop master plans; develop interim policies for drinking water, sanitation, and solid waste management; and improve basic water and sanitation services through partnership with communities.

SPG proposes five areas of policy actions focusing on good governance. First, as per Sindh’s Local Governance Ordinance, SPG plans further devolution of administrative and financial powers to local governments (LGs), including preparation of the annual development program, personnel management, and financial authority. It also plans to strengthen delegation within the local governments and adjust the roles of provincial line departments toward providing policy, monitoring and technical support.

Second, SPG proposes to increase social sector financing above the normal social sector share of total revenues; use a needs-based, transparent formula for distributing conditional grants for social sector development; improve the flow of funds; and improve financial management.

Third, SPG proposes to improve participation and accountability by encouraging participatory planning in LGs, implementing the Gender Reform Action Plan, improving public information, and adopting the mechanism of management agreements between the provincial government and LGs spelling out the terms and conditions for grant support to LGs to ensure that funds are well used while maintaining flexibility in the use of funds.

Fourth, SPG proposes pro-poor rationalization of services and setting minimum standards, using the annual planning cycle and access to grants for LG plans. It proposes restrictions on new construction, selective recruitment of female staff, a minimal set of interventions to be considered in all plans, support of CBOs, and proper planning and monitoring procedures. SPG line departments will lead studies on sector policy reforms. Fifth, SPG proposes financial and technical support for CBOs in operating and maintaining social services, particularly expanding support for school management committees in all schools, but also encouraging similar developments in the health and water and sanitation sectors.