Mohsin Siddiqui (Chief Reporter)
The World Bank has assessed the overall implementation progress of the Pakistan Community Support Project (CASA-1000) as moderately satisfactory, with progress toward achieving the Project Development Objective (PDO) rated as satisfactory. Approved in 2020 with a budget of $15 million, the project aimed to enhance access to local infrastructure and bolster community engagement in the designated areas.
As of its revised end date on September 30th, the project has achieved or overachieved 85% of the total Intermediate Results Indicators, totaling 23 out of 27. Under Component 1, which focuses on Community Outreach and Communications for CASA-1000, the completion of over 400 community outreach and communication activities surpassed the target, effectively disseminating the benefits of CASA 1000 to the country and the local population.
Component 2, dedicated to Community Mobilization and Capacity Building, successfully established Community Development Councils (CDCs) with active women and youth participation across all villages in the corridor. The development of Community Development Plans (CDPs) prioritized local needs, fostering sustained benefit sharing as the plans were submitted to elected Village Councils.
Component 3, focusing on Community Investments in Small Infrastructure Schemes, saw the completion of 144 out of 165 community infrastructure sub-projects by the CDCs. This aligned with local development priorities identified in the CDPs, showcasing community engagement and contributing to improved access to local infrastructure.
Under Component 4, which addresses Project Management, Implementation, and Monitoring and Evaluation, citizen-centric accountability was emphasized. Participatory Monitoring Committees in each village reported community monitoring in scheme implementation. A notable 94% of these committees conducted Social Audits and Community Scorecards for their sub-projects.
In summary, the CASA-1000 Project demonstrated satisfactory achievement of anticipated results under the theory of change, marking a positive stride in community development and infrastructure enhancement.
