Planning Ministry proposes Rs2.9 billion programme for staff training, capacity building

The Ministry of Planning has proposed a new "Capacity Building and Institutional Strengthening" programme worth Rs2.9 billion, aimed at hiring senior consultants, honorary local experts and young development fellows, alongside offering long and short-term scholarships and foreign training to its officers, The News reported, citing top official sources. 

The ministry tabled a concept paper before relevant forums, proposing that officers of BS-17 and above be given access to both domestic and foreign training to sharpen their skills. This provision will not stop eligible officers from availing trainings already offered by other government organizations, donors, or ministries.

All such training cases will be forwarded to a Training Award Committee (TAC) for scrutiny, recommendations, and approval, subject to fund availability. The TAC, to be constituted by the Secretary of the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives (PD&SI), will include representatives from the Technical, Economic, and Admin Wings, as well as project employees. Cases involving training of less than 10 days will be approved directly by the Secretary PD&SI, while longer trainings will require TAC recommendation before final approval.

Officers must obtain an NOC from their section head before applying for any training, and must submit a detailed training report or presentation afterward. The TAC will also determine payment mechanisms for fees, stipends, and travel allowances for trainees and training institutes, in line with government rules.

The proposal also addresses an acute shortage of official accommodation within some sections of the Planning Commission, citing limited recurring budgets for renovation and refurbishment. It calls for a development project to fund major renovations, along with the establishment of a daycare, gym, and other facilities to accommodate additional staff.

A new language programme is also proposed, initially offering Chinese, Turkish, and Arabic courses through recognised universities, with scope to add languages such as German, Spanish, or Korean later. Approval for language programme cases and related university fees will rest with the Secretary PD&SI.

The ministry plans to collaborate with national and international agencies to implement the 5E Framework and URAAN Pakistan, including joint training programmes, workshops, and seminars. The proposal also allocates funds for national conferences, symposia, and official events to support policy formulation involving experts, academicians, and scientists.

Additional provisions cover furniture, equipment, and durable goods on a need-assessment basis, along with transport managed through surplus vehicles from other closed projects within the division.

Under the proposal, consultants and experts will be hired for up to six months on a lump-sum monthly basis: senior specialists up to Rs2.0 million, mid-level experts up to Rs1 million, and junior-level consultants up to Rs0.6 million, to support wing and section heads in policy formulation and technical matters.

The programme also proposes extending the engagement of Young Development Fellows (YDFs), initially planned for 85 fellows over two years, with 40 inducted annually, until project completion, at a revised stipend of Rs100,000 per month. Eight top-performing YDFs will be granted a one-year extension with an enhanced monthly remuneration of Rs120,000, based on performance and supervisor recommendations.