subject: Why Policies and Reforms fail in Pakistan? Recommendations to make Policies and Reforms Successful in Pakistan [print this page] Why Policies and Reforms fail in Pakistan? Recommendations to make Policies and Reforms Successful in Pakistan
Education occupies an important place in every civilized society because it has the potential to bring about a socioeconomic revolution. Unfortunately, the situation in Pakistan is not satisfactory. Over time there has been a gradual decline in the quality of education. According to Hathaway (2005), Pakistan's education system is regularly cited as one of the most serious impediments preventing the country from achieving its potential.
International donor agencies like World Bank and Asian Development Bank have provided additional funds for Pakistan's education sector but their efforts have not been met with much success. The banks' efforts to upgrade the education sector failed because Pakistan's bureaucracy was so corrupt, inefficient and dysfunctional that resources funded through these channels had no chance of achieving the targeted results (Burki 2005).
The objective of this paper is to scrutinize why educational reforms fail in Pakistan. It also seeks to offer some recommendations to make policies and reforms successful in the educational sector of Pakistan by applying the concept of force field analysis, and a change management model to combat corruption.
Why policies and reforms fail in Pakistan?
Asian Development Bank, in a report in 2007, describes Pakistan's education sector as being damaged by corruption. Similarly, the World Bank and a number of donor agencies spent billions of dollars on a "Social Action Program" for Pakistan during the late 1980's through the 90's (Curtis 2007). The program failed because it did not address problems such as corruption and inefficiency within the Pakistani bureaucracy.
A study conducted by Din and Ansari for HRCP in 2008 showed that only one-third of the Parha Likha Punjab funds were utilized by the first quarter of 2007. There were also reports in May 2007 of embezzlement worth millions of rupees in a nationwide presidential reform programme for provision of basic necessities to schools. At least 738 schools in Nawabshah remained nonfunctional because they had been constructed for political reasons in areas where they were not needed. Financial irregularities worth over Rs. 100 million were unearthed in the audit of the Sindh Education Foundation for the year 2005-06.
There were reports in April 2007 that colleges in Islamabad had misused students' fund on fake courses. The Federal Government and the Ministry of Education spent an amount of Rs. 133 million out of student funds for unauthorized expenditure on fake summer courses and for the purchase of vehicles. The staff hired to teach a second shift during the vacations did not in fact teach at all.
These are just a few examples. As corruption leads to inefficiencies and erects barriers to the smooth delivery of services, it is the root cause of most of the problems being faced by the education sector.
What should be done to make policies and reforms successful in Pakistan?
To make policies and reforms successful, we need to curb corruption as this will lead to effective utilization of available resources. Due to the current economic situation and energy crisis prevalent in the country, there is little chance that the government will increase GDP funding to 4% in the near future. Hence, the aim should be to use the available resources as efficiently and effectively as possible.
UNESCO defines corruption as "the systematic use of public office for private benefit whose impact is significant on access, quality or equity in education". It also identifies major practices of corruption in education. These practices include embezzlement, school mapping and equipment, appointment of teachers on basis of favoritism, nepotism and bribes. Likewise existence of ghost schools is recognized as another area encompassing academic corruption.
Unfortunately, Pakistan's education sector possesses almost all the qualities identified as corruption' by UNESCO. An evaluation report by the ADB suggests that a drastic improvement in planning and reform management is required if Pakistan is to meet its millennium development goals (MDGs).
The Force Field Analysis
Force Field Analysis can be used in the field of education in Pakistan to assess the status of corruption and to suggest anti corruption measures for improving the standard of education. The University of Cambridge identifies it as being widely used in change management.
For the desired change to take place, we first need to identify our vision and then assess and analyze the current situation using the force field analysis as a tool. Our vision and desired change in this particular case is to take anti-corruption measures to elevate the standard of education.
Desired Change: Taking anti-corruption initiatives collectively to improve the standard of education
Driving Forces
(Those which currently exist & support or drive the desired change)
Government is aware that deficiencies in education pose a long term risk and the issues demand a fundamental re-orientation.
People are not satisfied with the quality of education provided especially in the public sector.
NGO's and social welfare organizations are working to upgrade the education sector.
International donor agencies realize that their investment will be wasted if corruption is not curbed.
Restraining Forces
(Forces that may inhibit the implementation of the desired change.)
Centralization of resources
Poor monitoring of programmes
Lack of commitment on part of the government.
Information systems and files not accessible to the public for monitoring.
Lack of accountability by the local community in the functioning of individual schools especially in rural areas.
Capacity of NGO's to design, deliver, manage and monitor schools is insufficient.
Poor monitoring of programmes
Not enough setting of benchmarks for release of funds.
No practical steps being taken to stop drain of resources on ghost schools.
Feudalism and corrupt bureaucracy are a major hindrance in successful implementation of these reforms.
Recommendations
The next phase of change management is to assess and identify the tools needed to curb corruption. Subsequently, the desired change can take place through systematically minimizing the forces against change, maximizing the driving forces and creating some new positive forces.
To meet this goal, international organizations, government, civil society and private sector should work together as a team to eliminate corruption. UNESCO has provided some guidelines on assessing corruption through Corruption Perception Index (CPI). It reflects the perception of business community, academics and risk analysts. This methodology should be carried out regularly and independently to find out the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist amongst the public officials and politicians. The input of mass media in carrying out this survey cannot be ignored. UNESCO recommends the help of Public Expenditure Tracking Surveys (PETS) and multiple indicators (QSDS) to minimize corruption in public sector.
International donors should provide aid only after the relevant departments meet the set benchmarks. They should develop a comprehensive system for monitoring of reforms.
Decentralization of the release of funds system to the local level would ensure their timely release, transparency, as well as greater participation of the local community in monitoring and funding of reforms. This would lead to identification of ghost schools. The revenue saved could be used to improve the pay scale of the teachers.
Political interference should be avoided at all costs. Immediate action should be taken against any organization or individual which tries to prevent or disrupt development or reform initiatives. Media can highlight such irregularities.
The role of media in fighting corruption can not be ignored. It is a powerful tool which can be used to create awareness about educational ethics. It can help the authorities to communicate effectively with all the stakeholders.
Moreover, the monitoring capacity of the educational department at the provincial level should be increased by appointing more staff. The monitoring staff should be provided attractive incentives and facilities for travelling especially to rural areas. This would make it easier for them to manage the change process.
Evaluation of the implemented projects should be carried out by some internal, as well as, external unbiased agencies. Their aim should be to examine the effectiveness of the reforms or changes which have taken place. Evaluation and monitoring of reforms would provide data to the government and the civil society, and empower them to learn from past experiences. They would ensure improvement and accountability.
To ensure the continued success of reforms, information and research system should be updated on a regular basis. Its results should be available to the civil society and all the stakeholders on demand. The individuals and organizations whose performances have been commendable should be publicly acknowledged. Fighting corruption is a long term strategy and requires commitment of the government as well as the civil society.
Conclusion
Only a strong and effective education system free of corruption would help steer Pakistan towards political stability, economic prosperity and development. Pakistan has committed to achieving Education for All goals by 2015. It has prepared a National Action Plan for EFA (2001-2015) which sets targets of bringing 100% children into schools and raising literacy rate up to 86%, by 2015 (Universal Periodic Review of Pakistan by UNESCO, 2007). The major factor which is going to inhibit the achievement of these targets is corruption. Corruption is a major drain on the effective use of resources for education and should be drastically curbed (EFA Dakar, 2000). Against the recommended 4% of GDP, only 2% has been reserved for education sector. We are fortunate that international donor agencies, for whatever vested interests, are willing to generate additional funds. The government should take advantage of these generous offers and do its best to eliminate corruption and improve the framework of education. Changes in the educational sector may be very challenging, but they can be realized through a comprehensive analysis of the as-is situation, the minimization of inhibitors to change and the maximization of the driving forces.
References
Hathaway, R. M. (2005). Education Reform in Pakistan: Building for the Future.
Burki, S. J. (2005). Educating the Pakistani Masses
Din, N. & Ansari, S. (2008). State of Human Rights in 2007.
Hallak, J. & Poisson, M. (2006). Resource Leakage and Corruption in Education.
Curtis, L. (2007). U.S. Aid to Pakistan: Countering Extremism through Education Reform.
UNESCO Islamabad. (2007). Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Pakistan (2007)
Pakistan Education Sector Marred by Corruption - ADB. (2007).
University of Cambridge. Force Field Analysis. Retrieved December 25, 2008 from
