Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently

Consultant Report

Communications Strategy Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP)

15 January 2010

1Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

This Consultant Report has been prepared by Ahmed Saleem (Communications Consultant, SASHD) and reflects exclusively the views and opinions of the consultant. It has, however, benefitted from the comments of Colleen Gorove (Senior Communication Officer, EXTCD), Karina Manasseh (Communications Officer, SAREX), Dale Lautenbach (Communications Manager, SAREX), Andrea Vermehren (Sr Social Protection Specialist, SASHD), Shumaila Rifaqat (consultant) and Iftakhar Malik (Senior Social Protection Specialist, SASHD).

The consultant would like to thank Ms Farzana Raja, BISP Chairperson as well as the other members of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), for their guidance. This document was prepared on the feedback of the BISP officials, various stakeholders, BISP partner organisations, researchers, and independent observers related to social protection and social development in Pakistan. The opinions of the interviewees/discussants expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the World Bank team or its consultant(s), advisor(s), or staff member(s).

1. Abbreviations and Acronyms

BISP – Benazir Income Support Programme CSOs – Civil Society Organisations EOBI – Employees Old Age Benefits ESSI – Employees' Social Security Institutions FSP – Food Support Program (FSP) GDP – Gross Domestic Product IEC – Information Education and Communications IPC – Inter Personal Communications NGOs – Non-Government Organisations PIC – Public Information Campaign POs – Partner Organisations WWF – Workers Welfare Fund

2Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently Table of Contents

3Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently 2. Executive Summary 1. Over the past couple of years whereby economic growth had reduced poverty in Pakistan, recent economic shocks have likely reversed this trend. Irrespective of the methodology deployed, economic growth reduced poverty between 2001/02 and 2005/06. The official poverty estimates suggest that the national poverty rate fell by more than 11 percentage points in these four years. However, despite these declines in poverty, nearly a quarter of Pakistan's population remains poor.

2. Pakistan's social protection system comprises safety nets, social security and employment promotion and protection. The country's safety net system includes three main federal cash transfer programs: Zakat, the Food Support Program (FSP) and the recently established (2008) Benazir Income Support program (BISP).

3. During the second half of 2008, the Government o f Pakistan launched Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) as its main national social safety net program. The short-term objective o f the program is to cushion the adverse impact o f food, fuel and financial crises on the poor, but its broader objective is to meet the re-distributive goals o f the country by providing a minimum income support package to the chronic poor and those who are highly vulnerable to future shocks.

4. It is very important to ensure effectiveness and efficiency of the government in disbursing the funds and establishing a mechanism to collect recipients’ feedback that they are receiving funds. It is also important to establish BISP as a neutral, transparent, and apolitical institution as well as programme.

5. Though there is reasonable awareness about the programme itself, there is lack of information and/or awareness about the procedural details including availability of forms, qualification criteria, and disbursement schedule. Many potential/existing beneficiaries go to post offices for information about the Programme but post office staffs do not have the required information. So there is need to train the post office front desk staff to deal with inquiries related to BISP. The efforts to ensure that the poor and most deserving are getting the support through an improved targeting system would bring in more credibility to the Programme.

6. There is also a need to address cultural resistance to women as beneficiaries through effective behavioural change communications. There are also issues of cultural sensitivity, including the status of women in remote areas who are supposed to be the main beneficiaries but believe they should not interact with males (be it the post man who delivers the cash or the photographer who pictures them for their national identity card). In some parts, there are difficulties for women to access information and support due to issues related to culture, geography, language, and illiteracy. It would be most appropriate for the BISP management to address these barriers through communications.

7. High levels of illiteracy and insecurity in some areas pose greater challenges for BISP to reach beneficiaries. Some potential beneficiaries have not been able to qualify for the support because of conditionalities like passport or bank account. There is a need to review the

4Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently eligibility criteria for those potential beneficiaries who could not qualify under the poverty scorecard.

8. BISP’s communications function is under-staffed and there is a need to see communications as a real priority in a broader sense, and whether voices from local communities are being heard and addressed appropriately. Staff from BISP also singled out internal communications as an area that needs increased focus. BISP should establish a coherent and unified internal communications system to share information and updates within the organisation at regional, provincial, and district level.

9. BISP is undergoing a transition from a pilot to a nationwide launch starting with the identification of potential beneficiaries through a national Poverty Scorecard Survey. The highest priority at this point of time is to make sure that all communications efforts support the successful implementation of the programme. A separate and independent communications section within BISP to handle day-today communications and implementation of the communications strategy is required on urgent basis.

5Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently 3. Part 1 - Social Protection and Safety Net Environment in Pakistan

During the past couple of years where economic growth had reduced poverty in the country, recent economic shocks have likely reversed this trend. Irrespective of the methodology deployed, economic growth reduced poverty between 2001/02 and 2005/06. The official poverty estimates suggest that the national poverty rate fell by more than 11 percentage points in these four years. However, despite these declines in poverty, nearly a quarter of Pakistan's population remains poor. Aside from low levels o f income, Pakistani households are also subject to income shocks-both aggregate, e.g., the recent global food, fuel and financial crisis and natural disasters and idiosyncratic, e.g., health and unemployment-can impose significant costs on households, particularly for the poor. As a result, the poor often have to reduce their food intake (both quality and quantity), increase labour supply, sometimes by withdrawing their children out o f school. Thus, income shocks can have negative impacts on welfare, particularly for the poor, and also perpetuate inter-generational poverty.

Social Safety Nets Development Program The objective of the Social Safety Nets Development Program in Pakistan is to support inclusive growth through the development and implementation of a fiscally sustainable, efficiently targeted, and well-administered national safety net system in Pakistan. The safety net system will provide the chronic and transient poor with both basic income support and access to opportunities to graduate out of poverty. Specifically, the credit will support the establishment of an appropriate policy framework for an efficient national safety net system, including the development of sound institutions for the effective implementation of the Benazir Income Support Program - Government's new national safety net program.

An effective safety net program can promote human capital development and contribute to inclusive economic growth in Pakistan. First, poor and vulnerable households will receive some relief to cope with adverse income effects of the recent crisis. Consistent with the Government's redistributive goals, the program will also provide basic income support to chronic poor,. Second, Pakistan will have an established safety net system that can be scaled-up in response to future adverse economic or agro-climatic shocks. Third, in the long term, the program can promote access to graduation strategies such as micro-finance, skill development programs, or basic health and education services that can help households accumulate human capital and eventually contribute to economic growth. The institution of an effective safety net system also allows policy makers to undertake much needed structural reform measures (e.g., reduction of subsidies) while protecting the poor and promoting dynamic efficiency.

Pakistan's social protection system comprises of safety nets, social security and employment promotion and protection. The country's safety net system includes three main federal cash transfer programs: Zakat, the Food Support Program (FSP) and the recently established (2008) Benazir Income Support program (BISP). Although Pakistan has earlier implemented public work/workfare programs, no large workfare program is currently in place. To address aggregate economic (price) shocks, until recently, Pakistan implemented a wheat subsidy program. Although no permanent program is in place to help individuals cope with aggregate disasters, Pakistan has used a combination of cash transfers, housing and social care service programs to help those affected, for

6Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently example, by the 2005 earthquake. The country also implements several employment promotion programs, e.g., micro credit programs and skills and training. Pakistan's social security system offers pension benefits to formal sector workers (old age, survivor and disability). Public sector workers are provided civil service pensions, while private sector workers have access to pensions from the Employees Old Age Benefits (EOBI) as well as also province-based pension and non-pension programs such as the Workers Welfare Fund (WWF) and the Employees' Social Security Institutions (ESSI).

Existing publicly financed social protection programmes in Pakistan are limited in terms of adequacy, targeting efficiency, and ability to respond to shocks. Until the introduction of the Benazir Income Support Program, Pakistan's safety net system comprised of two cash transfer programs, namely, Zakat and the Food Support Program administered by the Bait-ul Maal, covering approximately 3.2 million households in 2006/07. Both programs are weakly targeted to the poor: only 46 percent o f total expenditures of Bait-ul-Mal and 43 percent of total Zakat expendituresreached the poorest 40 percent o f the population. Pakistan also implements social security programs for the formal sector workers (largely non-poor), comprising about 10 percent of the labour force, to mitigate risks of income loss in old age, disability and survivorship. Social protection expenditures remained about 3-4 percent of pro-poor PRSP spending between 2004/05 and 2006/07, before sharply increasing to 13.4 percent in 2007/08. However, this recent increase in spending reflects an increase in social security expenditures and a significant increase in food subsidies, both likely targeted to the non-poor. Given that a large share of total social protection expenditures comprise social security spending (75 percent in 2007/08); and the sizeable leakage of safety net benefits to the non-poor, a significant share of social protection spending (excluding food subsidies) in Pakistan likely accrues to the non-poor. 1

1 World Bank (2007) Social Protection in Pakistan: Managing Household Risks and Vulnerability 7Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently 4. Part 2 –Project Background Benazir Income Support Programme

During the second half of 2008, the Government of Pakistan launched Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) as its main national social safety net program. The short-term objective o f the program is to cushion the adverse impact of food, fuel and financial crises on the poor.However, the broader objective is to meet the re-distributive goals of the country by providing a minimum income support package to the chronic poor and those who are highly vulnerable to future shocks. The program will provide cash transfers of Rs. 1000 [$12] per month to the eligible families and is expected to cover 3.4 million families in 2008/2009. The 2008/09 budget allocation of Rs. 34 billion doubles the federal Government's social safety nets spending from 0.3 percent in 2003/04 to 0.6 percent of GDP. The Government intends to increase the coverage of the safety net program, with safety net spending expected to reach approximately 0.9 percent of GDP in 2009/10, and the BISP serving as the national safety net platform for the country. 2

Under BISP, the Government of Pakistan envisages to cover 15% of country’s population. The Programme management is also considering introducing other possible safety net facilities such as employment, skill development training, medical insurance, and food subsidy (APP, 2009). Keeping in view the transparency and in order to streamline the procedures, the Government in collaboration with the World Bank, has decided that identification of beneficiaries will now be undertaken through the Poverty Score Card System. A pilot poverty census, in this regard, is expected to be completed in 16 districts by the end of June 2009. Hopefully, by December 2010, the rollout of the scorecard system in the remaining districts would be completed. The government, so far, has approved 1.2 million beneficiary families for cash transfers and is looking forward to expand the number of beneficiary families to 5 million with the budgetary implications of Rs 68 billion in 2009-10 based on the new Poverty Scorecard System. In 2010-11, there are plans of transferring cash to further 7 million families across Pakistan3.

BISP has so far received US$60 million from the WB as Technical Assistance, and another US$200 million as a loan. The Programme, which also aims to provide facilities like employment, skill development training, medical insurance and food subsidy, is catching attention of other donor agencies including USAID in terms of its utility and benefits to the poorest of the poor in the country.

Government’s Commitment The Government is committed to developing a modern social safety net system as the first step to developing a viable social protection program for the country. The Government's strong commitment to the safety net reform agenda is evident from the rapid introduction of BISP to address chronic poverty and to protect the poor from the adverse impacts o f the recent global economic crisis. The Government's commitment is also evident in the formal adoption of a poverty score card (or Proxy Means Test) as an objective instrument to identify safety net beneficiaries-a first in the South Asia region. Consistent with international best practice, and again for the first time

2 Ministry of Finance, 2008. Review of Economic Situation Jul-Mar 2008-09, Islamabad: Ministry of Finance 3 LOI, Government of Pakistan 2009. Pakistan: Letter of Intent, Supplementary Memorandum on Economic and Financial Policies, and Addendum to the Technical Memorandum of Understanding. IMF [internet] 16 March 2009. Available at http://www.imf.org/External/NP/LOI/2009/pak/031609.pdf [Accessed 16 May 2009]

8Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently in South Asia, the Government is developing a targeting system with separatagencies responsible for the the enrollment and payment processes.. The Government has also included monitoring and evaluation of the program to inform policy as an important element o f the reform agenda. More recently, the Government has shown commitment to the new targeting system by requesting the main eligibility determination agency to no longer accept forms under the old targeting system. The Prime Minister has also publicly requested households to comply with the teams carrying out the door-to-door scorecard census for the new targeting system.

9Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently 5. Part 3 – Summary of General Issues and Perceptions BISP has received substantial media coverage, however, the quality of coverage and the nature of response from various stakeholders reveals: a) a general lack of understanding on what BISP is what it aims to accomplish, b) there is a wide divergence in views among the stakeholders, which merits a communication strategy that addresses the information needs of each group individually. However, although various stakeholders think differently, these perceptions do not imply programmatic or operational gaps BISP;rather, the coverage of news items in the press is a matter related to effective communications, which can definitely be dealt with better, clear, and carefully strategised communications.

The following findings constitute a summary of general feedback received from various individuals, representatives of CSOs/NGOs, media professionals, current and potential beneficiaries, informal discussions, international development partners, BISP staff, and opinion makers. Detailed versions of feedback received are enclosed with this document as Annexure.

The Programme stakeholders and beneficiaries have shown concerns about the disbursement of funds through post offices, and there is a need to take quick steps to improve disbursement methods.. During a meeting with potential beneficiaries at BISP offices in Lahore and Karachi, a senior official of the program informed that the Programme was gaining success gradually and would only benefit the deserving poor and will not discriminate on the basis of political affiliation an d favoritism. He noted that “Every poor who meets the criteria set by the government is being given support under this program”.. Following is an account of feedback, which was received from various quarters:

Role Players General Issues and Perceptions Beneficiaries  Alhough there is reasonable awareness about the programme itself, there is a general lack of information and/or awareness about the procedural details including availability of forms, qualification criteria, and disbursement schedule,  Many potential/existing beneficiaries go to post offices for information about the Programme, but the post office staff does not have the required information. Therefore it is suggested thatthe post office front desk staff is trained to deal with inquiries related to BISP.  The BISP management both in Lahore and Karachi mentioned that beneficiaries normally ask a lot of questions about the schedule of disbursement. For instance “When they money is arriving?”, is one of the common questions. There is a requirement to devise a mechanism whereby the recipients could get information in advance about the delivery status of the installments.  During the national survey, a clear message should be delivered that participation in the survey does not guarantee selection for cash benefits. 10Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently Partner  They want to see credibility, utility, and benefits of the Organisations: National programme and International  Maximum transparency in disbursements would be welcomed  Donors and partner organisations would encourage a reliable and research based targeting system Decision Makers:  Alhough the government has taken steps to improve the selection Political Leadership at criteria from parliamentarians to poverty scorecard survey all levels system, there is an urgent need to share this shift as widely as possible  There is also an urgent need to introduce BISP in the context of establishing an effective safety net system in the country  Decision makers and political leadership would like to understand the benefits and utility of such safety nets so that they can share it with their constituencies

Media  There is also a need to bring clarity on on the difference between Zakat, Baitul Maal, and BISP through sharp communication.  Media requires more interaction with BISP management for direct information on success stories and material for various mass media productions  Media also requires sustained flow of information and close coordination with BISP management with regard to project updates

BISP Staff  BISP's management recognizes their limited capacity in terms of addressing communications as a real priority. There is a need to explain government's initiatives on safety nets to the public in general and to beneficiaries in particular.

 Internal communications within the BISP head office, provincial, and regional offices is weak. They are not fully aware of the breadth and width of the programme.  There is an absence of trained spokespersons who could spell out the Programme in its width and breadth for various audiences.  There is no unified mechanism to share project updates and developments internally - within the BISP Secretariat and all its sub-offices across Pakistan.

Civil Society and  There is not adequate awareness on the benefits, objectives, and Opinion Makers development support cycle of a Cash Transfer Programme and a Social Safety Net intervention.  Although the government has taken the step to improve the selection criteria from parliamentarians to poverty scorecard survey system, there is an urgent need to share information on this shift as widely as possible 11Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently Key Communications Challenges It is quite relevant to be conscious of the possible challenges BISP may face with regard to its successful implementation and rollout across Pakistan under the new scorecard system. For the Benazir Income Support Programme, the current reputational challenges will grow unless full efforts are made thorough effective and efficient implementation. Reputational challenges will flow from past actions and perceptions as well as problems from the physical rollout. During the communications need assessment analysis, various opinions and feed back (from media, opinion leaders, researchers, academics, and politicians) pointed out that the Programme needs to invest concerted efforts to establish itself as a non-political, transparent, beneficial, credible, and a long- term support. Public sharing of Information on the the development of effective institutions, and strong monitoring and evaluation systems can gain public confidence and also mitigate misgivings related to the nature and impact of BISP. The consensus across the political spectrum on the need for a safety net programme will also ensure continuity of the programme.

A formative research activity was conducted that utilized situation analysis, communications need assessment, and discussions with stakeholders,to identify the communication lag in BISP operations and also its image. The main communication issues that surfaced as a result of the research exercise are as follows:

Transparency It is very important to ensure effectiveness and efficiency of the government in disbursing the funds and establishing a mechanism to collect beneficiary feedback on the receipt of funds. It is also important to establish BISP as a neutral, transparent, and an apolitical institution and programme

Fairness Information dissemination on BISPs efforts to ensure that the poor and most deserving are getting the support through an improved targeting system would bring in more credibility to the Programme.

Gender & Access There is a need to remove cultural resistance to women as beneficiaries through effective behavioral change communications. There are also issues of cultural sensitivity, especially in remote areas where women cannot interact with males (including the postman who delivers cash, or the photographer for ID card pictures) eventhough they are supposed to be the main beneficiaries of the programme.. In some areas, there are difficulties for women to access information and support due to issues related to culture, geography, language, illiteracy, and even security. It would be most appropriate for the BISP management to address these barriers through communications.

Disaffected Some potential beneficiaries have not been able to qualify for the support because of conditionalities like passport or bank account. There is a need to review the eligibility criteria for those deserving poor who could not qualify under the poverty scorecard.

Organisational Communications Capacity Building

12Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently S BISP staff singled out internal communications as an area that needs increased focus. BISP’s communication function is understaffed and lies low in the internal priority list of the organization. Moreover, grievance registration and addressal systems needs to be streamlined and activated in order record complaints from local communities and resolve them in a timely and appropriate fashion.

13Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently 6. Part 4 – BISP Objectives and Communications Objectives

BISP Objectives4  The broader objective of BISP is to provide the chronic and transient poor with both basic income support and opportunities to transition out of poverty.  The short-term objective is to cushion the adverse impact of food, fuel, and financial crises on the poor; while the long-term objective is to meet the redistributive goals of the country by providing a minimum income support package to the chronically poor and those that are highly vulnerable to future shocks.

Communications Objectives During the next three years, communication initiatives will be taken to address the following objectives:

Establish legitimacy of BISP as a credible safety net programme in Pakistan by:  Strengthening disbursement mechanism and communicate the changes to the wider public  Communicating the complaint redressal mechanisms  Seeking media’s proactive involvement  Sensitizing public sector on the benefits and positive outcomes of the programme  Underlining the importance and value of Poverty Scorecard Survey through a national level public information campaign

Develop conceptual understanding on BISP amongst various audiences and share its achievements, successes and contributions by:  Designing a national level mass media/marketing campaign  Seeking media’s proactive involvement  Streamlining internal communication mechanisms  Strengthening external communications

Achieve maximum beneficiary facilitation by:  Creating consultative mechanisms for enhanced cooperation  Establishing a mechanism for better communications at post office level  Designing and implementing a public information campaign on BISP processes   Availability of information on processes, qualifications, criteria, and disbursement schedules  Educating the potential beneficiaries  Maximizing potential and existing beneficiary mobilization by engaging local non-profits for outreach in remote areas.

Achieve effective coordination, management, and donor facilitation by:  Strengthening donor coordination for effective assistance  Establish an information sharing mechanism between donors, stakeholders, and BISP  Ensuring effective monitoring and reporting channels

4 As per Programme Document of the World Bank 14Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently  Establishing a mechanism for improved result compilation/research on safety nets or BISP, collective review, and dissemination  Establishing information sharing protocols to facilitate research and results sharing with common clients/audiences.

15Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently 7. Part 5 Target Audience During the process of situation analysis, group discussions, and formative research, various sources have been consulted to evaluate the situation and identify stakeholders, who need to be targeted in the overall strategic communications framework. Seven group of target audience were identified during this review process.

Defining the audience is an essential step in developing a communications plan. These audiences were identified as a result of in-depth need assessment and situation analysis meetings. The details are available in Annexes 3 and 4.

 Beneficiaries: Present and Potential  Partner Organisations: National and International (Including CSOs/NGOs)  Decision Makers: Political Leadership at all levels  Media  BISP Staff  Civil Society and Community Based Organisations  Opinion Makers: Intelligentsia, Academia, Community Leaders, Analysts, Columnists, Writers, and Ulema

16Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently 8. Part 6 – How to Reach the Audience

6.1 Beneficiaries: Present and Potential

Issues  Lack of information and/or awareness about the procedural details including availability of forms, qualification criteria, and disbursement schedule  Many potential/existing beneficiaries go to post offices for information about the Programme but post office staff do not have the required information. So there is a need to train the post office front desk staff to deal with inquiries related to BISP  Lack of clarity on the future of the programme  Women are not well aware as to why they are primary recipients

Suggested Messages  Get your Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) / Update your CNIC  BISP also aims at women empowerment and recognition of women as key member of a family  BISP is taking necessary action to make the processes easier and provide related information in a timely and efficient manner  During the national survey, a clear message should be delivered that participation in the survey does not guarantee selection into the programme  BISP is a safety net programme and would stay on  Government is always conscious of social welfare

Medium of Communications  Mass Media: Print and Electronic  Inter Personal Communication: Events, Open Houses, Community Meetings (for Community Mobilisation)

Activities  National level mass media campaign (Radio, Television, Print)  Regional/district level public information campaign ahead of national scorecard survey  Community Mobilisation: University Teachers, Community Leaders, Local Leaders at district, Tehsil, and Union Council level  Production and dissemination of IEC Material  Establishing public information system at District, Tehsil, and Union Council Level

6.2 Partner Organisations: National and International (Including CSOs/NGOs)

Issues  They want to see credibility, utility, and benefits of the programme  Maximum transparency in disbursements would be welcomed from national and international partners 17Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently  Donors and partner organisations would encourage a reliable and research based targeting system and would like to evaluate the impact in 16 districts already mapped by BISP  There is a need to channel collective efforts towards information sharing  More proactive initiatives are required to communicate with all stakeholders including other government departments, other partners, donors, and media  With regard to impartiality and political affiliations there is a need to be more careful

Suggested Messages  Selection criteria and disbursement mechanism is transparent and impartial  BISP is attempting to provide relief to the poorest of poor population against inflation and food shortage thorough cash transfer in the short-term, and in the long term the support will also include health insurance and human capital development opportunities.

Medium of Communications  IPC  IEC/Public Information Material  Events  Email Serve  Internet

Activities  Enhanced interaction with partners and donor organisations for harmonization on program interventions and greater information sharing.Establishing an informal Social Protection Network of NGOs/CSOs working on social protection issues  Quarterly electronic and printed BISP Newsletter  National Mass Media Campaign (Radio, Television, Print)  Improving BISP website

6.3 Decision Makers: Political Leadership at all levels

Issues  Although government has taken the step to improve the selection criteria by transferring from parliamentarian led identification to poverty scorecard survey system, there is an urgent need to share this shift as widely as possible by communicating the rationale behind this shift  There is also urgent need to introduce BISP in the context of establishing an effective safety net system in the country  Decision makers and political leadership would like to understand the benefits and utility of such safety nets so that they could share the information with their constituencies

Suggested Messages  BISP needs your support to raise awareness about the programme among the general public and beneficiaries in your respective constituencies  BISP is different from Zakat and Baitul Maal

Medium of Communications  IPC 18Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently  Events  IEC Material  Face to face communications / One-on-one meetings

Activities  ‘Best Practices Seminars’ to share Social Safety Nets experiences in South Asia and abroad in the context of Pakistani experiences  Advocacy sessions to mobilise political leadership at grass root level  Enhanced information sharing on results and achievements of BISP through newsletter, success stories, and media coverage

6.4 Media

Issues  There is also an urgent need to introduce BISP in the context of establishing an effective safety net system in the country  Media requires more interaction with BISP management for information on success stories and material for various mass media productions  Media also requires sustained flow of information and close coordination with BISP management with regard to project updates  Media is less sensitised and proactive in covering social protection issues/initiatives  Lack of skills, information, and knowledge to write on social protection in Pakistan  There is also a need to bring clarity through communications as to what is the difference between Zakat, Baitul Maal, and BISP

Suggested Messages  Safety net programmes are new initiatives to explore and write upon  BISP is transparent, legitimate and credible  BISP is working at the community level to ensure that poor and vulnerable people can benefit from the program  BISP is an initiative to improve the status of women and empowering them to take economic decisions in the interest of the family  BISP in short term is a safety net to cushion income shocks caused by inflation, and in the long term a safety ladder to transition of poverty with the help of supplementary programs on human capital development.

Medium of Communications  IPC  IEC Material  Workshops  Trainings  Web:

Activities  Sharing information with media which BISP’s impact and achievements including beneficiaries voices

19Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently  Preparing media notes that highlight transparency, research based targeting, and effectiveness of the programme  Establish BISP resource centres for media in provincial capitals  Training sessions with media on coverage and reporting on social protection issues and initiatives in Pakistan  Advocacy sessions with media to develop their understanding on the significance and importance of their role in promoting the cause of poverty eradication in Pakistan  Advocacy sessions with media editors for enhanced BISP coverage   Media monitoring and analytical reports on BISP

6.5 BISP Staff

Issues  Internal communications within the BISP head office, provincial, and regional offices is weak. They are not fully aware of the breadth and width of the programme.  There is lack of trained spokespersons who could spell out the Programme in its entirety.  There is no unified mechanism to share project updates and developments internally, and with its field offices across Pakistan.

Suggested Messages  “Shared vision” is must for your own and programme’s success  Know more to contribute efficiently to BISP’s mandate and communicate effectively.  Share more information to build your credibility

Medium of Communications  IPC  Trainings  IEC Materials

Activities  Capacity building of BISP staff on communication strategy, its requirements and their role in achieving its objectives.  Communication training sessions with BISP staff at district, provincial, and national level on media relationing, writing press release, and conducting press interviews.  Establish a communication platform at national level and link it up with BISP offices at provincial, district, and Tehsil level for quick flow of information and connect them with national/private TV and Radio set-ups  Field visits of staff to strengthen feedback mechanism. This would allow staff to get first hand information on programme impact, interact with beneficiaries, and see results of their efforts.

6.6 Civil Society, Opinion Makers, and Community based Organisations

Issues  There is lack of awareness about the benefits, objectives, and development support cycle of a Cash Transfer Programme and Social Safety Net.

20Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently  Though government has taken the step to improve the selection criteria from parliamentarian led identification process to poverty scorecard survey system, there is an urgent need to share this shift as widely as possible.

Suggested Messages  BISP is a transparent programme based on research based targeting and systematic disbursement system  Government is conscious of the difficulties of the poorest population  BISP is different from Zakat and Baitul Maal

Medium of Communications Media Campaign Events IPC Advocacy Sessions

Activities  National and Provincial Seminars to mobilise CSOs/NGOs to observe, monitor, and support BISP  Advocacy with CSOs/NGOs to mobilise communities at grass root level  Advocacy with NGOs/CSOs to provide a platform for civil society support to BISP  ‘Best Practices Seminars’ to share Social Safety Nets experiences in South Asia and relating them to Pakistan’s experience.

21Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently 9. Part 7 – How to Reach Audiences: Activities Matrix Target Issues and Perceptions Suggested Messages Activities Communications Audience/ Medium Group Beneficiaries:  Lack of information  BISP is conscious  National level mass  Mass Media: Present and and/or awareness about of the media campaign Print and potential the procedural details inconvenience and (Radio, Television, Electronic including availability of is taking necessary Print)  Inter Personal forms, qualification action to make the  Regional/district level Communicatio criteria, and processes easier and public information n: Events, Open disbursement schedule provide related campaign ahead of Houses,  Many potential/existing information in a national scorecard Community beneficiaries go to post timely and efficient survey Meetings (for manner offices for information  Community Community about the Programme  During the national Mobilisation: Mobilisation) but post office staff do survey, a clear University Teachers,  not have the required message should be Community Leaders, information. So there is delivered that Local Leaders at a need to train the post participation in the district, Tehsil, and office front desk staff to survey does not Union Council level deal with inquiries guarantee the related to BISP selection into the  Production and programBISP is a dissemination of IEC  Lack of clarity on the Material future of the programme safety net programme and  Establishing public would stay on information system at  Government is District, Tehsil, and always conscious of Union Council Level social welfare  Get your Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) / Update your CNIC

Partner  They want to see  Selection criteria  Enhanced interaction  IPC Organisations credibility, utility, and and disbursement with partners and  IEC/Public : National benefits of the mechanism is donor organisations and Information programme transparent and  Establishing a Social Material International impartial  Maximum transparency Protection Network  Events in disbursements would  BISP is trying its  Monthly electronic  Email Serve be welcomed from level best to provide and printed BISP national and relief to the poorest Newsletter  Internet international partners of the poor  National Mass Media  Donors and partner population against inflation and food Campaign (Radio, organisations would Television, Print) encourage a reliable and shortage thorough Improving BISP research based targeting cash transfer in the  system and would like short term, and website to evaluate the impact in complementy 16 districts already human capital mapped by BISP development programs in the  There is a need to long term. channelise more collective efforts towards information sharing  More proactive initiatives are required 22Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently to communicate with all stakeholders including other government departments, other partners, donors, and media  With regard to impartiality and political affiliations there is need to be more careful

Decision  Though government has  BISP needs your  ‘ Best Practices  IPC Makers: taken step to improve support to raise Seminars’ to share  Events Political the selection criteria awareness about the Social Safety Nets Leadership at from parliamentarians to programme among experiences in South  IEC Material all levels poverty scorecard general public and Asia and relate them survey system, there is beneficiaries in tp Pakistan’s an urgent need to share your respective experience this shift as widely as constituencies  Advocacy sessions to possible by  BISP is different mobilise political communicating the from Zakat and leadership at grass root rationale behind this Baitul Maal level shift  Enhanced information  There is also an urgent sharing on results and need to introduce BISP achievements of BISP in context of through newsletter, establishing an effective success stories, and safety net system in the media coverage country  Decision makers and political leadership would like to understand the benefits and utility of such safety nets so that they could share within their constituencies

Media  There is also a need to  Media can play  Establishing BISP  IPC brining clarity through very important role resource centres for  IEC Material communications on the in social welfare media in provincial the difference between and development capitals  Workshops Zaqat, Baitul Maal, and  Safety net  Training sessions with  Trainings BISP programmes are media on coverage and  Web:  There is also an urgent new initiatives to reporting on social need to introduce BISP explore and write protection issues and in context of upon initiatives in Pakistan establishing an effective  BISP is willing to  Advocacy sessions safety net system in the build your capacity with media to develop country to effectively their understandingon  Media requires more communicate safety the importance of interaction with BISP net programmes in their role in promoting management for more Pakistan the cause of poverty information on success eradication in Pakistan stories and material for  Advocacy sessions various mass media with media editors for productions enhanced BISP  Media also requires coverage sustained flow of  information and close coordination with BISP management on to programme updates

23Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently  Less sensitised and proactive in covering social protection issues/initiatives  Lack of resources to monitor/cover elections in rigging-prone areas  Lack of skills, information, and knowledge to write on social protection in Pakistan

BISP Staff  Internal  “Shared vision” is  Capacity building of  IPC communicationwithin must for your own BISP staff on  Trainings the BISP head office, and programme’s communications provincial, and regional success strategy, its  IEC Materials offices is weak. They  Know more to requirements, and their are not fully aware of communicate role in achieving its the breadth and width of efficiently to BISPs objectives. the programme. mandate and  Communication  There is lack of trained effectively training sessions with spokespersons who effectively. BISP staff at district, could spell out the  Share more provincial, and Programme in its width information to build national level on and breadth your credibility media relationing,  There is no unified writing press releases, mechanism to share and conducting press project updates and interviews developments within the  Establishing a BISP Secretariat or with communication the field offices across platform at national Pakistan. level and linking it up with BISP offices at provincial, district, and Tehsil level for quick flow of information and link it up with national/private TV and Radio set-ups

Civil Society  There is lack of  BISP is a  National and  Media and Opinion awareness about the transparent Provincial Seminars to Campaign Makers benefits, objectives, and programme based mobilise CSOs/NGOs  Events development support on research based to observe, monitor, cycle of a Cash Transfer targeting and and support BISP  IPC Programme and Social systematic  Advocacy with  Advocacy Safety Net disbursement CSOs/NGOs to Sessions  Though government has system mobilise communities taken the step to  Government is at grass root level improve the selection conscious of the  Advocacy with criteria from the difficulties of the NGOs/CSOs for parliamentarian led poorest population providing a platform beneficiary  BISP is different for civil society identification system to from Zakat and support to BISP poverty scorecard Baitul Maal ‘ survey system, there is  Best Practices an urgent need to share Seminars’ to share this shift as widely as Social Safety Net possible experiences in South Asia and relate them to Pakistani experiences

24Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently 25Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently 10. Part 8 – Recommendations BISP is undergoing a transition from a pilot to a nationwide launch, starting with the identification of potential beneficiaries through the national Poverty Scorecard Survey. The highest priority at this point in time is to make sure that all communication efforts support the successful implementation of the programme. In this context the following suggestions are tabled based on the feedback, opinion, and comments from various stakeholders:

Communications Capacity Building  A separate and independent communications section is established within BISP to handle day-today communications, and implementation of the communications strategy. The section would comprise of (1) Communications Specialist, (2) Media Coordinator, and (3) Stakeholder Outreach Coordinator  Bring in communication firms and consultants at various points in the process to supplement the in house capacity and provide expertise on specific elements of the work plan.

Develop Champions and Spokespersons  Cultivate a network of third party voices—credible authorities trusted by stakeholders - who can speak in support of BISP

Develop Input Mechanisms for Stakeholders  Incorporate permanent “input mechanisms” for stakeholder feedback to inform the communication strategy as well as the policy design. These mechanisms can include direct feedback from stakeholder meetings/consultations, media monitoring, and utilizing tools such as focus groups and opinion research to monitor public opinion.

Evidence-Based Communications  Current communications efforts are focusing only on print media and there is an urgent need to expand these initiatives to radio, TV, new media, other non-traditional media.  Website improvements are needed to showcase BISP objectives, program dimensions and processes, program impact, and achievements.  For public information campaing(s), it will be more useful to utilize radio and local cable networks together with community mobilisation.  There should be a unified system to monitor, evaluate, and incorporate lessons from all communication activities like mass media campaign(s), community mobilization, IEC material development, advocacy sessions, media trainings, and PR activities.

PR, Networking, and Public Outreach  There is an urgent need for extensive PR and networking. This will include exercises aimed at building public confidence and establishing BISP as a transparent and credible national programme

Quality of Communications  Devise a mechanism to ensure quality of information’ vis-a-vis media messages, advocacy initiatives, and awareness campaigns

26Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently  Information Education and Communications (IEC) is a specialized field. Special attention should be given to finalise the messages, quality of printing and audio-video productions, and delivery timelines  There is also a need for special focus on gender-based communications by including messages for women who have limited decision making role and low literacy level

Internal Communications  BISP should establish a coherent and unified internal communications system to share information and updates within the organisation at regional, provincial, and district level

Unified Programme Message  BISP will be providing several services under its umbrella. Therefore, it is crucial that one simple message about what BISP is and what it stands for is developed and promoted. Otherwise, there might always be confusion and lack of understanding about BISP’s agenda and operations. It will therefore be useful to develop a simple unified message for BISP as a programme, supplemented by customized messages for specific audiences.

Focusing on the Most Important Audience  Building on the previous point, communication strategy should focus more on its most important audience, i.e. the general population of the country, which is barely literate and has less access to many of the communication mediums. Innovative cartoon characters may be more informing than standard electronic and print ads. Cartoon clips with characters and short story lines that common people can easily relate to can be very forceful in delivering focused messages to the masses.

27Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently 11. Part 9 – Monitoring and Evaluation

In order to monitor the implementation and evaluate the performance of the communication strategy, it is vital that results of the strategy are tangible. In this regard, the criteria for measuring success or monitoring and evaluation will entail the following features:

 Establishing and measuring intermediate and final indicators – indicators that are objectively verifiable;  Evaluating specific events and activities;  Documenting changes based on initial objectives;  Comparing final results with indicators to measure success;  Identifying key factors contributing to policy changes;  Documenting unintended changes; and  Sharing results: publicizing successes in a clear and understandable manner.

28Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently 12. Part 10 – How to Use this Strategic Plan The strategy lays stress on the local contextualization of the implementation plan and believes that the communications work plan will vary subject to regions, traditions, and local resources, and that these would be addressed later in the plans of action.

A national programme that cuts across many diverse audiences requires careful orchestration of activities in order to ensure (1) the delivery of correct and consistent messages for each audience segment, (2) the desired behaviour change outcomes, (3) cost-effectiveness, and (4) sustainability. This strategic plan is meant to bring together communications support for BISP planners and implementing agencies in a concerted effort to change relevant behaviours, and mobilise the partners and audiences.

Individuals or groups involved in BISP communications should first review the goals, objectives, and activities in the present document to determine how their initiatives may be coordinated with BISP in order to avoid programme duplication and encourage collaboration and efficient resource management. The activities are recommended actions supported by the Government of Pakistan and other stakeholders for which individuals and organizations can take ownership. The lists of activities are not comprehensive; individuals or groups at various levels may identify other, more appropriate or manageable steps for achieving specific objectives. It is important to read through all of the activities for each goal in order to understand how the communication, mobilization, and advocacy activities will work together to achieve the specific objectives. There may be some overlap in the objectives or activities for a few of the intended audience groups. Some duplication of messages will serve to reinforce those messages. However, the duplication of materials should be minimal. The usefulness of this document as a roadmap to achieving specific objectives will be evident when BISP communications team implements activities in collaboration and coordination with one another.

29Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently 13. Part 11 – Annexure Annex 1: Proposed Template for Implementation Plan Annex 2: Pakistan Social Safety Net Programme Risks and Risks Mitigation Annex 3: Report on Communications Strategy Meetings with BISP Provincial Management Annex 4: Consultations with Partner Organisations

30Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently Annex 1

Proposed Template for Implementation Plan

A A P Supporting Partner udien ctivity rimar ce y Partn er January 2010 – December 2010 1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr

31Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently 32Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently 33Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently Annex 2

Pakistan Social Safety Net Programme Risks and Risk Mitigation5

Political risks Attaining a sharp reduction in the fiscal and current account deficits will require political leadership and cohesion. The scale and speed of the required economic policy response to the macroeconomic imbalances to improve economic growth and poverty reduction prospects in the long run could intensify social tensions in part of the population. The sustainability of the program could also be undermined by possible differences among Pakistan's main political parties on issues including constitutional reforms and the security situation. The development of a well- governed and targeted safety net could help mitigate the economic and social impact of necessary structural reforms on the poorest segments of the population, in addition to promoting social peace. BISP has been established as an autonomous agency under presidential Ordinance IX o f 2009;Since the Constitution provides for a sunset clause for all Ordinances, Ordinance IX of 2009 will eventually require the Parliament's adoption to remain in force. The chances of the Ordinance being repealed are deemed slim. Nevertheless, the association of the safety net program with the current government could lead to its disbanding under a new and different government in the future. In addition, the involvement of parliamentarians in the initial beneficiary selection could also pose a major risk to its governance, and pose a reputational risk for BISP. The development of effective institutions and strong monitoring and evaluation systems that can provide information on program performance can gain the confidence of the public and mitigate this risk. The consensus across the political spectrum on the need for a safety net program will also ensure continuity o f the program (though the name or institutional home may change).

Economic risks On the external side, a renewed rise in international energy and commodity prices, a reduction in foreign remittances especially from the countries of the Middle East, and a further deterioration in the world economy and international financial markets could weaken the export sector, reduce household transfers, lower capital inflows, limit economic growth and reduce flexibility for policy reforms. Owing to these reasons, the external imbalances may continue to widen despite the short- term measures taken. On the internal side, the inability of Government to restore fiscal and external balance as agreed could reduce business and consumer confidence. This could cause a fundamental shift in market expectations and a loss of confidence at home and abroad, leading to a sudden reversal of financial assets held in Pakistan's stock and bond markets. This could generate a vicious cycle between weakening financial markets, stalling economic activity, and a worsening fiscal position. The IMF Stand-By Arrangement will mitigate these risks by committing the authorities to fiscal and current account deficit targets.

Implementation risks A successful implementation of the reforms will be critical for an effective safety net system. Among the risk factors that would influence reform implementation performance are (i) low administrative capacity o f BISP, which is a newly established organization; (ii) continued enrolments to BISP under the old system; (iii)ambitious roll-out of the safety net system, which might have negative implications on the quality of program implementation; (iv) inadequate financing of the programme that could result in insufficient coverage of the poor; (v) delays in funds release to safety net programs arising from the current fiscal crunch and the need to reprioritize public spending; (vi) fraud and corruption that could undermine the ability of the program to deliver benefits to the poor

5 World Bank Programme Document on Social safety Net Development Policy Credit 34Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently in circumstances of weak internal controls; and (vii) transition to a new targeting system, which may lead to dissatisfaction from beneficiaries of the old system who no longer qualify for the benefit.

The mitigating factors are (i)Bank supported technical assistance to build capacity for the implementation of the reform program; (ii) roll out o f the new targeting system with a strong M&E component to demonstrate its effectiveness; (iii)the use of a pilot enrollment phase to fine tune and adjust program parameters prior to a national roll out; (iv) Government's strong commitment to establishing and implementing a modern safety net system as evidenced by its adoption o f an objective national targeting system; (v) the establishment o f separate agencies for data collection, eligibility determination and benefit payments; (vi) the institution of special purpose independent financial and performance audits o f the BISP program by the Auditor General of Pakistan as well as regular operational audits by third parties; and (vii) the institution of an appeals mechanism and process evaluations of the targeting process during the test phase.

Report on Communications Strategy Meetings with BISP Provincial Management: Sindh and Punjab September 14, 2009

14. Introduction and Background World Bank communications team for BISP is in the process of formulating a communications strategy for the Programme so that the rationale, objectives, benefits, and expected outcomes of the Programme could be shared with various audiences. To prepare an evidence-based communication intervention, the communications team is conducting a qualitative research to understand and capture the communications issues, needs, possible messages, communications weaknesses and opportunities as well. This is in this context that Ahmed Saleem, World Bank’s communications consultant for BISP, visited Sindh and Punjab offices of BISP. He also held a meeting with BISP Chairperson in Islamabad. The objective of these visits were to understand the regional and provincial communication dynamics at grass-root level to learn more and corroborate issues, barriers, and opportunities, and possible messages which would contribute to the upcoming communications strategy. He also held discussions with possible beneficiaries who had gathered at BISP offices in Lahore and Karachi in connection with seeking information on the Programme.

15. Current Situation As per BISP management statements, the programme has 2.2 million beneficiary families at the moment and government aims at providing financial support to 5.5 million families. BISP has so far received US$60 million from the WB as Technical Assistance, and another US$200million as a loan. The Programme, which also aims at providing facilities like employment, skill development training, medical insurance and food subsidy, is catching attention of other donor agencies including USAID in terms of its utility and benefits to the poorest population in the country. The Programme stakeholders and beneficiaries have shown concerns about the disbursement of funds through post offices, and there is a need to take quick steps to improve disbursement methods. The government has taken several initiatives to protect the vulnerable and poorest of the poor from financial depression and launched Benazir Income Support Programme, noted potential beneficiaries of the programme gathered at the BISP offices in Lahore and Karachi. During the meetings, a senior official of the program said, the Programme is gaining success gradually and it would only benefit the deserving poor and there would be no discrimination on basis of political affiliation or any personal favor to anybody. “Every poor who meets the criteria set by the government is being given support under this program”, he said.

16. Communications Issues and Challenges  Though there is reasonable awareness about the programme itself, there is lack of information and/or awareness about the procedural details including availability of forms, qualification criteria, and disbursement schedule,

36Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently  Lots of potential/existing beneficiaries go to post offices for information about the Programme but post office staffs do not have the required information. So there is need to train the post office front desk staff to deal with inquiries related to BISP.  The BISP management both in Lahore and Karachi mentioned that beneficiaries normally ask a lot of questions about the schedule of disbursement. “When they money is arriving?”, is one of the common questions. There is a requirement to devise such a mechanism whereby the recipients could get information in advance about the delivery of installment.  Though government has taken the step to improve the selection criteria from parliamentarians to poverty scorecard survey system, there is an urgent need to share this shift as widely as possible  There is not reasonable awareness about the benefits, objectives, and development support cycle of a Cash Transfer Programmes and that is why people are mixing and comparing BISP with micro-credit scheme  There is also a need to bring clarity through communications as to what is the difference between Zaqat, Baitul Maal, and BISP  Internal communications within the BISP head office, provincial, and regional offices is weak  There is lack of trained spokespersons who could spell out the Programme in its width and breadth  During the national survey, a clear message should be delivered that participation in the survey does not guarantee selection into the programme  There is also an urgent need to introduce BISP in the context of establishing an effective safety net system in the country

17. Recommendations from the Interviewees During the discussion with the BISP team, there were lots of suggestions and recommendations which came up from them. An account of these recommendations follows below:

On Public Information Campaign  BISP public information campaign should also lay stress on the updation of the CNIC along with the requirement of new CNICs, because a lot of problems occur due to outdated or duplicated information  Information materials like brochures and media kits are not available about the Programme. If there is sufficient IEC material available, it will help communicate the message more effectively  Local cable TV networks are very popular in rural areas. It will be worth exploring to utilize these channels when designing the next public information campaign ahead of national poverty survey roll-out  Radio is getting popular in urban areas. There should be greater focus on radio in urban areas  Future PICs should be based on the lessons learnt from the recent PIC in support of the pilot poverty scorecard survey.

On Possible Messages 37Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently  BISP is helping to keep your kitchen running  Government is always conscious of social welfare  Selection criteria is transparent and impartial  BISP is different from Zaqat and Pakistan Bait ul Mal  BISP aims at providing cushion against inflation and food shortage

On Audiences Following are the audiences, which, according to the discussants, should be focused:

 Beneficiaries  Media  Opinion Makers: Academia, intelligentsia, civil society leaders, ulema, community leaders  Politicians  Policymakers (Bureaucracy)  International Development Partners: Donors, bilateral organizations, multilaterals, international organizations, UN

18. List of Interviewees Ms Farzana Raja, Chairperson, BISP, Islamabad Mr Tufail Jumani, Director General, BISP Sindh Prof Ilyas Soomro, Director, BISP, Karachi Mr Mohammed Nawaz, Director, BISP, Sindh Mr Akbar Aleem Shamim, Director General, BISP, Punjab Mr Farooq Azam, Administration Office, BISP, Punjab Mr Khalid Mahmood, Regional Director, BISP, Punjab

Consultations with Partner Organisations on BISP Communications Strategy

19. Key Observations  IEC material i.e. brochures and posters were in limited quantity. All the partner organisations (POs) felt the need for more materials during the survey.

 At fairly large number of places posters were removed by the communities

 There was a general lack of coordination among all the stakeholders with regard to design and implementation of public information activities

 At some places POs experienced that awareness of communities about the programme was above board

 Radio campaign was very thin

 Messages on the posters and brochures were effective

 Banners used by some POs were successful

 Communities are not clear about the continuity or future of this programme

 Communciations should focus more on the audience around the beneficiaries like media, politicians, communities, intelligentsia, civil society, and partner organisations on targeting transparency, and efforts on improving disbursement mechanisms

 There is a need to bring in further clarity on sustainability of this intervention

 The general public around the beneficiaries have a misconception that BISP is a microfinance scheme

 The concept of Social Safety Nets needs to be reinforced in Pakistan

 Further clarity is required on targeting and disbursement mechanisms

 There is need to reinforce the message as to how this monetary support would bring change among poorest of the poor

20. Key Recommendations  Mobile vans mounted with loud speakers and banners were very successful mode of communications among the communities

39Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently  On the recommendations of the communities Cable TV was proposed to be utilised in future communication interventions

 There is a need to focus more on community/social mobilisation techniques through schools, post offices, and other public places. Further to this, the services of ulema (local clergy), school teachers, and social mobilisers could be used

 Radio campaign should be massive in terms of frequency and quality of messages

 There should be some creative ways to reach beneficiaries through non-traditional media because majority of the possible beneficiaries are illiterate

 More focus should be on visuals rather than text

 There is a need to bring clarity on the objectives and future of this programme not only among beneficiaries but also among other audience including media, policymakers, politicians, youth, and civil society

 There is a need to communicate how this programme is different from Zaqat and Pakistan Bait ul Mal

21. Participants

Meeting was held in WB Islamabad office on 26 Aug 2009

Mr Ehsanul Haq, Pakistan Census Organisation Mr Tanvir Hussain, RSPN Ms Shehrbano Burki, GHK (Process Evaluation Company) Ms Sara Mehmood, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund Mr Amjad Zafar, consultant Mr Ahmed Saleem, consultant

40Communications Strategy| Communicating BISP Effectively and Efficiently