HUMAN development theory enunciated by Amartya Sen, highlighting on education, healthcare and human well-being: Joseph Stiglitz’s theory of inclusive growth aimed at reduction of inequality through pro-poor policies; Douglass North’s theory of new institutional economics projecting need to strengthen institutions for economic growth, and; Robert Putnam’s social capital theory underscoring need for trust and cooperation for collective development lay the foundation stone for sustainable, inclusive and balanced growth in a society. While analyzing these epoch-making theories in the context of Pakistan, one finds that despite our efforts protracted over more than 75 years, we continue to struggle on all the indices reflected in the theories. Pakistan, despite navigating a complex trajectory since its inception, continues to grapple with challenges in healthcare, education and social protection. The social sector development has been severely affected due to multidimensional challenges; including political instability, security conundrum, economic fluctuations and demographic transitions. Pakistan’s development sector has not been much successful over the decades, in balancing economic growth with social equity and environmental sustainability.
Similarly, wealth inequality in Pakistan is overwhelming. As per World’s Inequality Database Report, the top 10% of Pakistani households earn 42% of the country’s income, while the bottom 50% earns only 13%. Putting it into a different perspective, the richest earn sixteen times more than the average income of the poorest. When it comes to strengthening the institutions, we are still striving to improve governance and accountability, enhance transparency and rule of law, increase investor confidence and attract FDI, promote economic stability and predictability, reduce corruption and rent-seeking behavior, improve human capital and skills development and foster innovation and entrepreneurship. Insofar as trust and confidence building on collective development agenda to secure inclusive and balanced growth, the efficacy of comprehensive poverty reduction initiative, social protection programmes, education and skills development, women empowerment and entrepreneurship and regional development and decentralization is much wanting on all fronts.
The main reasons of the failure on the part of the successive governments in Pakistan are: the non-alignment of the national policies with the fast transforming global economic landscape; characterized by rise of emerging markets, digitization and e-commerce growth, shift to service-based economies, increased global trade tension and climate change and sustainability focus and domestic challenges; high population growth rate, low literacy rate, poor healthcare services, limited access to clean water and sanitation, rising income inequality, low tax to GDP rate, large fiscal deficit, dependence on foreign aid and limited export base. The demographic explosions has led to increased strain on resources, higher demand for housing, infrastructure, and services, pressure on labour markets and employment opportunities and potential for decreased per capita income and poverty. The increased competition for limited resources has led to deforestation, land degradation and habitat loss, increased emission of greenhouse gases, water scarcity and pollution and loss of biodiversity.
The incompatibilities stemming from conflicting policy objectives, inadequate resource allocation, lack of coherence between development and economic strategies, the trade-offs between short-term gains and long-term sustainable development, institutional weaknesses and corruption to deliver effective public services and reconciling competing priorities and interests among different stakeholders are a few challenges which cannot be addressed with conventional practices and traditional processes. Pakistan’ developmental agenda in future must therefore, revolve around management of natural resources, health and nutrition, factoring in environment and climate change in policy parameters, deployment of advanced digital and emerging technologies, restructuring economic infrastructure in line with global value chain and deployment of a robust social protection architecture.
To address persistent challenges, Pakistan must adopt a multi-faceted approach, comprising five components: First, strengthening institutional capacity, ensuring effective governance, and promoting transparency and accountability through innovative institutional reforms. Second, allocating sufficient resources; exploring innovative financing mechanisms and leveraging international partnerships by increasing funding. Third, empowering local governments, enhancing community participation and ensuring context-specific solutions through decentralization and devolution. Fourth, focusing on education, skills development and healthcare to cultivate a productive and resilient workforce, and; Fifth, implementing comprehensive social protection programs, addressing vulnerabilities and promoting inclusive growth.
In order to ensure sustainable growth and development, government needs to focus on developing evidence-based policies through data-driven framework; guarantee effective implementation and monitoring; ensuring community engagement by fostering participation and ownership; developing context-specific innovative solutions, leveraging data for research, analysis and informed decision-making; prioritizing transparency, accountability and good governance, and collaborating with stakeholders and international agencies. These interventions will enhance governments’ visibility, improve transparency and accountability, minimize losses, increase efficiency, boost people’s confidence and raise the service delivery. By leveraging the technology, our policymakers can achieve improved project planning and management, enhanced collaboration and communication, increased transparency and accountability, better risk management, improved quality control, reduced costs and timelines, increased citizen engagement and data-informed decision-making. Here are some advanced digital tools and mechanisms to ensure projects at the national and provincial level: One, utilize Project Management Information Systems (PMIS) such as MS Project, Primavera, or Asana to plan, track, and monitor project progress; Two, deployment of Digital Twin Technology by creating digital replicas of physical assets to simulate and analyze project performance; Three, implementation of Building Information Modelling for 3D visualization, clash detection, and construction planning.
Four, leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) for predictive analytics, risk assessment, and optimization; Five, deploying Internet of Things (IoT) sensors for real-time monitoring of project progress, quality, and safety; Six, utilizing block-chain for secure, transparent, and tamper-proof documentation and payment processing; Seven, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for spatial analysis, mapping, and location-based planning; Eight, adopting cloud-based platforms for collaboration, data storage, and scalability; Nine, developing mobile apps for field data collection, inspection, and reporting;
Ten, employing data analytics and visualization tools like Tableau, Power BI, or D3.js to track project performance and identify trends; Eleven, deploying risk management software like @RISK or Riskonnect to identify, assess, and mitigate risks; Twelve, implementing Quality Management Systems (QMS) such as ISO 9001 to ensure quality standards and compliance; Thirteen, use Supply Chain Management (SCM) Software like like SAP or Oracle to manage procurement, logistics, and inventory; Fourteen, utilize collaboration platforms like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Asana to facilitate communication and teamwork, and; Fifteen, implement robust cyber-security measures to protect project data and prevent cyber threats. Pakistan’s development challenges therefore, require a multifaceted approach, leveraging human development theories from Amartya Sen, Joseph Stiglitz, Douglass North, and Robert Putnam. Key strategies include strengthening institutions, allocating resources effectively, empowering local governments, focusing on education and healthcare, and implementing comprehensive social protection programs. Only by embracing technology and innovative solutions, Pakistan can enhance governance, transparency, and accountability, ultimately achieving sustainable and inclusive growth.
—The writer is Adjunct faculty Deptt. of Leadership & Management National Defence University, Islamabad (khanmed1967@gmail.com)
