Practice modes
Languages & Literature
Pakistan
World & History
ECNEC, the ECC, the Federal Cabinet, the Planning Commission and other bodies; strategic planning; donors; and policy in health and education.
10 of 10 iv. public policy & planning institutions
Who makes and coordinates policy in Pakistan
Pakistan's federal policy-making and planning system involves the Federal Cabinet, the National Economic Council and its Executive Committee (ECNEC), the Economic Coordination Committee, the Secretaries Committee, the Prime Minister's Office, the Planning Commission, the Finance and Cabinet Divisions, and the federal ministries.
The National Economic Council and its Executive Committee
The National Economic Council is the constitutional body that reviews the national economy and approves development plans; its Executive Committee, ECNEC, approves large development projects.
Collective decision-making at the top
The Federal Cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister, is the supreme executive decision-making body; the Economic Coordination Committee is its most important committee on economic matters.
Steering and coordinating the government
The Prime Minister's Office sets priorities and monitors implementation across the government, while the Secretaries Committee brings together federal secretaries to coordinate administrative matters.
Role in policy and planning
The Planning Commission prepares Pakistan's national plans, the annual development programme (PSDP), and appraises and monitors development projects. It works under the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives.
Managing money, cabinet business and sectoral policy
The Finance Division manages public finances and prepares the budget; the Cabinet Division serves as the Cabinet's secretariat; and federal ministries formulate and implement policy in their respective sectors.
Planning at every level
Strategic planning is the process of setting long-term goals and priorities and allocating resources to achieve them. In Pakistan, it takes place at the federal, provincial and local levels through plans, development programmes and budgets.
The IMF's Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies and beyond
International lenders and donors, especially the IMF, World Bank and ADB, influence Pakistan's public policies through loan conditions. The IMF's Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP) for 2013/14–2015/16 underpinned almost all major economic policies of that period.
Pakistan's health policies, programmes and challenges
Health became mainly a provincial subject after the 18th Amendment. Federal and provincial governments run policies and programmes such as the National Health Vision, the Lady Health Workers Programme, immunization and the Sehat Card health insurance, but outcomes remain weak because of low spending and implementation gaps.
Pakistan's education policies, programmes and challenges
Education is a fundamental right under Article 25A, and mainly a provincial responsibility after the 18th Amendment. Despite many national education policies, Pakistan has one of the world's largest numbers of out-of-school children, because of low spending, governance problems and implementation gaps.