Building Institutional Capacity of Public Accounts Committee, Balochistan

The “Strengthening Institutional Capacity of PAC Balochistan” project was initiated with support from the Governance and Policy Project – World Bank, to enhance the institutional capacity of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Balochistan and automate its entire hearing, review, monitoring, recovery, and reporting process. Through this project an institutional capacity building and reform process was initiated that included capacity building of PAC members and officials through trainings, knowledge exchange programs, research and analysis of gaps in current rules of business, development of customized MIS and a public engagement campaign in order to promote a culture of citizen-led accountability in Balochistan and to bridge the trust gap between state institutions and the citizen. 

Over the course of a year, PAC members and officials were provided with comprehensive hands-on training and knowledge exchange program. As a result, PAC Balochistan has implemented key reforms and best practices in order to improve the effectiveness of the committee and also to reduce the processing time of the audit paras.

A customized management information system was developed and deployed, resulting in the complete automation of the PAC processes for improved monitoring, reporting, compliance and recovery. The real-time MIS interface is accessible to the relevant departments and has greatly reduced the processing time and human input necessary to keep processes running smoothly; automated internal and external communication, monitoring of cases, recoveries and reporting. The transition from the manual to the automated environment is expected to significantly reduce the processing time, improve interdepartmental communication, increase monitoring, recovery and reporting and last but not least the automation will greatly promote a paperless and climate-friendly environment in the public sector in Balochistan.

Comprehensive advocacy and outreach campaigns also helped in harnessing the political will for an effective and empowered PAC, resulting in the parliament supporting the reform process and ensuring the sustainability of the efforts by accepting a bill for the amendments in the rules of procedures of PAC in Balochistan.