06/28/2006

Contacts: Michael McIntyre and Timothy G. Connolly
ri@refugeesinternational.org or 202.828.0110

Local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) continue to have a critical and necessary role to play in the recovery and reconstruction of the affected regions in post-earthquake Pakistan. The skills and experience of these organizations have been severely underutilized by the Government of Pakistan and its international partners. All those involved in recovery and reconstruction need to engage more effectively with local NGOs and civil society groups.

It was clear in the hours and days immediately following the earthquake that the level of devastation and the critical needs of the 3.5 million displaced people would overwhelm existing governmental response agencies. Local non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, the corporate sector, and individuals working on their own all took action to care for the needs of their fellow citizens. The size and scope of this outpouring of spontaneous support were unprecedented in Pakistan, and were instrumental in saving lives during the period when the more formal governmental and external responses were being mobilized.

During this initial crisis phase, the UN and many international NGOs met regularly in a series of task-specific “cluster” groups to coordinate the overall relief effort. Lost in this process, however, were the numerous local and national organizations already working in the affected area. Focused almost exclusively on operations in the field, and lacking the staff to participate effectively in the Islamabad-centered coordination process, these groups were bypassed in a system coordinated by the UN and its international partners. Time and again the leaders of local NGOs reported to Refugees International that with few exceptions they were unaware of or not invited to these coordination meetings. The failure to actively seek out and involve local and community based organizations represented a missed opportunity for the government and international community.

Now, eight months after the catastrophic earthquake, the government and its international partners continue to go beyond the stage of meeting immediate needs and to focus on long-term reconstruction. Field visits and discussions with local NGO representatives in November 2005 and April 2006 revealed that these groups had yet to be integrated into the post-relief planning process. Their comments suggested that the government body coordinating the response, the Pakistan Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA), continued to struggle with information flow, leaving both their own implementing partners and local citizens confused about what policies and procedures were in effect. For example, according to ERRA itself, over 82,000 complaints have been filed against the housing reconstruction compensation program alone, yet no guidelines are in place for their resolution. The lack of clarity is hampering the overall effort to deliver critical services to the populations in need and at risk, and threatens to cause a loss of confidence on the part of those most affected by the disaster.

While international organizations participating in the UN-ERRA Early Recovery Plan were strongly urged to incorporate local and national groups into their implementation strategies, it is unclear how much weight was actually given to their inclusion during the ERRA approval process. Selected local groups were given a significant role in managing integrated recovery efforts, particularly housing reconstruction, through an alliance between the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) and the World Bank. This US$100 million loan program targets thirty-one union councils, and builds upon an existing five-year relationship between the Bank and seven local non-governmental organizations engaged in economic development and micro-finance programs at the community level. Since this remains the only locally-managed recovery effort not under the direction of either the government or the military, RI is concerned that local groups continue to be marginalized in the planning and implementation process.

Organizational challenges continue to plague the recovery effort. While the recent establishment by ERRA of regular general coordination meetings is a positive step, difficulties in effectively communicating its planning and implementation decisions to local, national, and international partners remain. National and local organizations which do not have a presence in Islamabad are often left out of the information flow. The level of information sought from ERRA is often beyond the scope of the general coordination meeting, yet there exists no other forum at which detailed questions about activities in specific sectors, such as shelter, livelihoods, water and sanitation, can be asked and answered.

Responsibility for implementing recovery and rehabilitation programs is currently vested in civil servants at the provincial, district, and union council level. The ability of these individuals to make timely and informed decisions is critical to the overall success of the effort. Yet, as RI reported in a previous bulletin, local governments currently lack the capacity to simultaneously carry out their pre-earthquake responsibilities and be active participants in the reconstruction process, and must therefore be immediately supported with additional staff and training. National and local non-governmental organizations already have significant training capabilities in place at the provincial and district levels. They could marshal these resources to train local officials to deal with the bureaucratic and technical challenges associated with recovery.

There is a strong tradition in Pakistan of local NGOs being engaged in social and economic issues, from land reform to the rights of women to economic development. Many of these groups, though small in resources and staff by international standards, nevertheless have significant experience and capacity in program implementation, monitoring, and training at the local level. While the relationship with the Government of Pakistan and local NGOs has been strained at times, there is a functional foundation and history to build upon. The fact that the local NGOs have in the past confronted and challenged the government is in keeping with their role as local organizations engaged in promoting change, and they should remain strong in this key role. Their demonstrated willingness to confront and challenge the government on behalf of those for whom they advocate makes them uniquely qualified to give voice to the needs of those affected by the earthquake.

Overall, local NGOs in Pakistan are a substantial resource that is being significantly underutilized. In contrast to disaster and recovery situations found elsewhere in the world, the capacity and experience of the local NGOs in Pakistan significantly reduce the need for the more traditional development approach, in which responsibility for recovery is vested in international organizations, only to be transitioned to local control years later. Local and national groups are ready and able to be effective partners now, and a continued failure to engage them in the recovery process would only serve to weaken the overall response.

Refugees International therefore recommends that:

• ERRA and the international community ensure that local and national non-government organizations have a credible and continuous role to play in all aspects of the recovery process and that they not be relegated to a position of reviewing plans and policies developed by others.
• The Government of Pakistan establish a regular and direct coordination process between agencies and organizations and their individual ERRA counterparts in small groups focusing on particular sectors or issues. The results of these meetings must then be reported in the larger regular group meetings and disseminated to all those involved in the recovery process.
• The Government of Pakistan and international agencies redouble their efforts to use local NGO expertise to train and support local and regional civil servants.
• ERRA and the United Nations and its international partners exercise greater care in their hiring practices to avoid stripping local organizations of the leadership and technical expertise that is critical to their success.