KARACHI: The Government of Sindh convened the 3rd Project Steering Committee (PSC) meeting of the Adaptive Social Protection (ASP) project at the Planning and Development Department, Sindh Secretariat, bringing together senior representatives from the Government of Sindh, the European Union, and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
The ASP project is being implemented by GIZ on behalf of the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
The meeting, chaired by Chairman Planning and Development Board Sindh Najam Shah, reviewed overall progress and discussed strategic priorities aimed at strengthening climate-resilient and anticipatory social protection systems across the province.
Officials reaffirmed their commitment to building a more inclusive, scalable, and sustainable social protection framework in Sindh through continued institutional collaboration.
European Union Delegation Head of Cooperation Jeroen Willems emphasized that institutional coordination is essential for success, stating that agencies must reinforce each other’s efforts.
The project team presented progress in key areas including social protection policy development, digital and financial literacy, data system interoperability, disaster preparedness, and climate resilience integration.
Najam Shah noted that stronger coordination among departments and institutional ownership is essential to ensure long-term effectiveness and integration of social protection systems.
GIZ ASP Project Head Johanna Knoess said efforts are underway to finalize a provincial social protection policy and strategy by September 2026, aligned with climate vulnerabilities and provincial priorities.
The meeting also highlighted progress on data interoperability between federal and provincial institutions to support evidence-based policymaking.
Pilot initiatives include an Informal Workers Registry under the Sindh Social Protection Authority, a proposed Women Agricultural Informal Workers programme, and a cash-for-work initiative in Thatta implemented with SPHF and CRS to enhance resilience in flood-affected areas.
Officials said these pilot projects will help guide future scaling and integration into long-term provincial planning and financing frameworks.
