Project Summary

Pakistan faces persistent governance and human development challenges, with progress toward fulfilling its constitutional commitment to the social and economic well-being of its citizens remaining uneven. Addressing these systemic issues requires sustained policy reform, institutional capacity building, and responsive governance.

The Reforms and Innovation in Government for High Performance (RIGHP) project was launched in 2015 to meet this need. Over the last decade, RIGHP has remained at the forefront of institutional reform efforts within the federal government, maintaining momentum for governance transformation despite political transitions. Now in its second phase, RIGHP II builds on this foundation with a stronger emphasis on implementing strategic reforms that improve efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability across public sector institutions. The project is being implemented through two major streams, the National Governance Programme (NGP) and the Sub-National Governance Programme–II (SNG-II), that work in tandem to support federal and provincial governments.

RIGHP II adopts a three-pronged approach that uses: 

• sustained engagement with stakeholders to identify and prioritize reform areas;
• inclusive design and implementation of interventions that address the needs of marginalized communities, including women; and
• capacity building to institutionalize reforms and ensure long-term sustainability.
  Gender equality and digital innovation are embedded as cross-cutting enablers, with targeted efforts to mainstream gender-responsive strategies and promote inclusive digital governance.

Objectives

• Improve policymaking, service delivery, and governance systems at the federal and provincial levels through evidence-based approaches and capacity development.
• Promote digital transformation by designing citizen-focused solutions, encouraging innovation, and strengthening institutional mechanisms for technology adoption.
• Integrate disaster risk reduction and climate resilience into governance systems to strengthen preparedness and adaptive capacity.
   

Outcomes

• Strengthened national coordination and policy coherence through support to the Prime Minister’s Office and key federal institutions, including development of reform roadmaps in energy, climate, and economic planning.
• Improved executive decision-making with the redesign of the Prime Minister’s Task Management System as a centralized digital platform to improve oversight and accelerate implementation.
• Improved climate and disaster preparedness through the rollout of a Risk Governance Framework in Sindh, establishment of a Disaster Risk Reduction Wing, and integration of early warning and data systems.
• Support for national climate commitments through technical input to Pakistan’s updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0) and groundwork for the Long-Term Low Emissions Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) and provincial Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventory systems.
• More transparent and data-driven governance enabled by digital tools, such as the Aid Effectiveness Dashboard for the Ministry of Economic Affairs, improving how foreign assistance is tracked and managed.
• Progressive public sector reforms, including pension system modernization in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab, and the establishment of provincial energy regulators to improve accountability and fiscal sustainability.
• Strengthened provincial capacities to manage resources and deliver services effectively through support for public financial management reforms, Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) assessments, and climate and energy policy development in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab.