Expanding fiscal space: SNG programme launches innovation challenge fund to support KP govt

The Sub-National Governance programme (SNG) is launching the first round of the Innovation Challenge Fund (ICF) to support the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in improving public finance management and expanding fiscal space. In this connection, the programme held an orientation for prospective young entrepreneurs and IT experts from Peshawar at the Institute of Management Sciences (IM Sciences) Peshawar.

"Through our ICF component, we aim to solve the complex problems and remove bottlenecks in the government processes, and facilitate the general public in easy access to services," Saleem Khan, provincial team leader SNG remarked at the orientation session. "The first round of the ICF will focus on public financial management and fiscal space for which we have begun interaction with experts, entrepreneurs besides we will soon launch a media campaign to ensure a wider and inclusive participation from all over the country" Salim Khan added.

The orientation session also addressed queries of young IT entrepreneurs and experts. Saeed Khan-innovation advisor from the SNG Programme briefed the participants on the innovation, challenge fund and responded to key questions.

Under the Innovation Challenge Fund, funds are allocated to finance innovative and potentially scalable pilot approaches and conduct action research to build evidence of workable solutions to improved governance resulting in effective service delivery that in particular meet the needs of poor and the marginalised people including women, minorities and persons with persons with disabilities in SNG-II target districts. The ICF funds innovative pilots that will support areas such as public financial management, planning, revenue mobilization, delivery of municipal services, accountability and transparency and other reform areas that may not be possible through a standard TA as it requires additional financial and thinking space.

The Sub-national Governance Programme has been launched in 2019 with financial support from the UK Department for International Development (DFID). The four-year programme supports the Governments of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, as well as local governments in selected districts, to improve the way they are governed and manage their resources for better service delivery. The programme aims to strengthen Pakistan's public financial management and planning systems, assist the government in raising more revenue, allocate money to improve basic services for the poor and excluded and strengthen the local government system through policy reforms.-PR