BRSP VDP

The population of Balochistan has suffered disproportionately, relative to the other regions of the country. This is due not only to the failure of public policies, poor governance, the geopolitical situation, and presence of Afghan refugees, but also to rising militancy, security issues and abject poverty. Though Balochistan is in a state of crisis, its vast geography, rich mineral and energy resources and untapped human resources potential provides an opportunity to transform the existing situation. But to do so it must support strategic public policy reforms and foster an effective partnership between communities and local authorities. In this context, the European Union (EU) and Balochistan Rural Support Programme (BRSP) launched the Balochistan Community Development Programme (BCDP) in 2013 in 40 Union Councils (UCs) of four districts in Balochistan, namely Zhob, Loralai, Khuzdar and Jhal Magsi. The project enhanced social cohesion and improved social services through social mobilization and capacity development for communities in mutual engagement with local government and local authorities, and other development actors. Now the European Union has scaled up the programme. In June 2017, it launched the Balochistan Rural Development and Community Empowerment Programme (BRDCEP) which extends the earlier programme to an additional 249 Union Councils of eight districts including Jhal Magsi, Kech/Turbat, Khuzdar, Killa Abdullah, Loralai, Pishin, Washuk, and Zhob. The programme, which is implemented by Balochistan Rural Support Programme (BRSP), National Rural Support Programme (NRSP), Rural Support Programme Network (RSPN), and Hulla & Human Dynamics (H&H) builds on the successful three-tier social mobilisation approach to Community Driven Development (CDD) of RSPs in Pakistan. The conceptual framework for this approach was developed by Dr. Akhtar Hameed Khan in the 1950s and 60s in the world famous Comilla Project and refined in the Daudzai Project by Mr. Shoaib Sultan Khan in the early 1970s. The framework was further developed and scaled up by the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) during Mr. Shoaib Sultan Khan’s 12 years of leadership. Mr. Khan continues to inspire and lead the social mobilisation movement in Pakistan, India and several other parts of the developing world.