Quarterly Program Performance Report – Jul to Oct 10 2016: Assessment & Strengthening Program

The program aims to strengthen the capacity of government departments in Pakistan, particularly in the areas of financial management, human resource management, and internal audit. The program's quarterly performance report for July to October 2016 highlights several key achievements. The ASP successfully completed the internal audit function in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, with the development of department-specific toolkits and the completion of pilot audits for the Irrigation and Irrigation departments. A high-level workshop was also conducted in Peshawar, marking the close-out of this strategic initiative with 11 departments in KP. The ASP also conducted two new project design activities during the quarter, which are future partnership avenues amongst USAID and government institutions in the health sector. The program developed two project documents (PC-Is) for USAID-assisted projects in partnership with the Ministry of Health Services and the Health Services Academy at the federal level. Capacity building support to provincial Public Procurement Regulatory Authorities (PPRAs) of Balochistan and KP also concluded during the quarter. The ASP provided training to 162 officials in KP and 182 officials in Balochistan on procurement and financial management. The Management Information System (MIS) for both KP and Balochistan PPRA has been deployed on local networks, with customization based on discussions and feedback from relevant users. The ASP also provided technical assistance to the KP and Balochistan PPRAs in the development and finalization of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) reports. The reports highlighted the performance of procuring agencies and the authorities, with a positive change in terms of Procurement Governance Index and other outcomes-level indicators. In addition, the ASP conducted two training sessions on the Assignment Account/Revolving Funds Account for USAID Islamabad, and a three-day workshop on "Audit Management" was held in partnership with the Department of Auditor General of Pakistan. The workshop aimed to develop a common procedure for audits and audit resolutions of USAID projects in Pakistan. The program's progress on the results framework indicators is also reported. The first intermediate result, "Improved Management Systems implemented," includes two sub-intermediate results: understanding institutional capacity gaps and implementing management systems. The ASP successfully completed a pre-award assessment of the Aga Khan Planning and Building Services (AKPBS) and developed ten capacity building plans, with two approved during the current quarter. The second intermediate result, "HR enabled for enhanced performance," aims to enhance the on-job performance of individuals through two sub-intermediate results: enhancing skills and knowledge through training and developing HR policies and procedures. The ASP provided training to officials in KP and Balochistan on procurement and financial management, and developed HR and financial modules for the KP and Balochistan PPRAs.