TAHIR AMIN

ISLAMABAD: The World Bank–supported Strengthening Social Protection Delivery System in Sindh project, with a revised cost of USD213.12 million, continues to show “moderately satisfactory” progress in both implementation and achievement of development objectives, according to the Bank’s latest Implementation Status and Results Report.

However, key systems integration reforms are still in progress. The development of a unified beneficiary registry and an integrated management information system for Sindh’s social protection programmes is yet to be completed and is expected to be finalized by the project’s closing date in December 2027.

The establishment of data-sharing protocols between Sindh’s social protection system and the National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER) is still pending, which will enable improved targeting and coordination between provincial and federal social assistance programmes.

The project, financed through the International Development Association (IDA), aims to strengthen Sindh’s social protection service delivery systems and enhance access to maternal and child health services in selected districts across the province. The overall risk rating for the project remains “moderate,” while key risk areas such as political and governance factors, macroeconomic conditions, and institutional capacity were assessed as substantial or high.

The report noted steady growth in enrollment under the Mother and Child Support Programme (MCSP), with the number of pregnant and lactating women registered under the conditional cash transfer (CCT) scheme increasing from about 725,000 to 900,000 over the past six months.

A major development during the reporting period was the completion of project restructuring, which enabled expansion of the programme to additional districts and adjustments in performance indicators. The project has now expanded to seven additional districts, bringing the total number of districts covered to 22.

The initiative focuses on improving maternal and child health outcomes by providing cash incentives to pregnant and lactating women linked to health service utilization, including antenatal visits, institutional deliveries, and child growth monitoring.

According to the report, 93 percent of MCSP payments are currently being made to beneficiaries in a timely manner in accordance with programme guidelines, exceeding the project’s end target of 75 percent by December 2027.

Health service utilization indicators also showed improvement.

Institutional deliveries in primary and secondary health facilities in intervention districts increased to 48.95 percent compared

to a baseline of 34.95 percent.

Meanwhile, 67.1 percent of programme beneficiaries are complying with at least half of their scheduled maternal and child health visits.

Programme implementation at the health facility level has also strengthened significantly.

Around 96 percent of qualified and participating health facilities now have an operational conditional cash transfer system in place, surpassing the end target of 75 percent.

Training and capacity-building efforts have also yielded results.

About 83 percent of staff working at participating facilities demonstrated adequate knowledge of the programme following training, measured through post-training assessments.

Community engagement activities have expanded substantially as well.

Outreach efforts now cover 72.73 percent of potential beneficiaries within catchment populations, moving closer to the project’s target of 80 percent by 2027.

The project is also contributing to the strengthening of Sindh’s broader social protection infrastructure.

More than 5.6 million people are currently benefiting from social safety net programmes through the improved delivery system supported under the project, including more than 2.8 million women and about 211,000 youth.

Institutional reforms are also underway to enhance the coordination and integration of social programmes in the province. A grievance redress mechanism has been established to handle beneficiary complaints, while all hardware and equipment procured under the project meet energy efficiency standards.

Financial data shows that USD59.72 million has been disbursed so far, representing about 28 percent of the revised project financing.

The World Bank project, approved in December 2022 and effective since January 2023, is scheduled to close on December 31, 2027, and aims to improve efficiency and transparency and the reach of social protection programmes while strengthening maternal and child health outcomes across Sindh.