Charting the Path to Sustainable Development: Q & A

Desk

[post-views]

Charting the Path to Sustainable
Development: An Interview with KP’s
New Director General SDU (P&D)
Mr. Khalid Zaman

Interview conducted by;
Mr. Ahad Yousaf (Additional Deputy Commissioner – Finance,
District Hangu)
Mr. Shayan Ali (Deputy Director, PMRU, Chief Secretary Office, KP)

These questions have been prepared as part of an exposure visit for the course ‘Attaining
Sustainable Development Goals’ under the MS in Governance and Public Policy
program. The interview has been conducted with the newly posted Director General of the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Unit, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, under the Planning and
Development Department. The questions have been tailored to respect the fact that the DG
is newly posted and currently in the initial days of his assignment.

I. Personal Background and Early Impressions

Sir First of all, congratulations on your new appointment. Could you kindly share
your professional background and how it prepared you for this role?

Thank you for your good wishes. My initial posting was DDOR&E Balakot. Then I
remained AC Balakot. For a brief period of 2 months I also remained SO Budget in
Finance Department. Then, I remained DMO in IMU E&SE Department. After that I
was posted as ADC Finance Malakand. Then Settlement Officer Nowshera, DLR BoR,
DS Law Department, Additional Secretary Health Department, PD Dir Kalam
Settlement Project, DC Upper Chitral & PD CLR Project BoR.

What were your initial thoughts when you were posted to lead the SDG Unit in KP?

I knew it would be a challenging task but I love such challenging assignments. So, I
was very excited to start this assignment.

What does this new responsibility mean to you, particularly at a time when
sustainable development is gaining global urgency?

It means a lot. Even though SDGs have global urgency & that demands an urgency on
our part as well. But apart from that global dimension all the 17 goals outlined in
SDGs must be our focus area.

Though it’s your second day here, what are your early impressions of the
organizational structure and working environment of the SDG Unit?

Frankly speaking, it is not that robust as it should have been. But nonetheless
together with our team we will make revitalize it.
II. Initial Orientation and Vision

Have you been given an orientation or any briefings yet about the current state of
SDG implementation in KP?

Mostly paper work has been completed. For example, SDGs framework has been
finalized, focal persons in the departments have been nominated. Clustering of goal
has been initiated. But on the implementation level there is still a lot to be desired.

Based on your experience so far, what would you consider as your initial priority
areas in the coming weeks?

My priority would be localizing SDGs. For that we would be establishing a constant
channel of communication between departments and district formations. We will
also try to link ADP schemes with SDGs in quantifiable terms.

What is your personal vision for how the SDG Unit should evolve during your
tenure?

It should be the real focal point for SDGs. We need to have a dashboard tracking the
progress on SDGs.

Are there any specific SDGs that you believe deserve urgent attention in the KP
context based on your preliminary understanding?

You pick up any SDG & you realize that it the most important one. But if I were to
summarize the ones related to education, health, gender equality and environment
are perhaps the most pressing ones.
III. Leadership and Strategic Planning

What approach do you plan to take as a leader of a Unit that works in
coordination with multiple departments and stakeholders?

We will not reinvent the wheel. Some mechanisms are there. We only need to
functionalize those.

Do you foresee the need to restructure or re-strategize the Unit’s approach for
better alignment with KP’s development needs?

Yes, we are working on that. It would not be a dismantling of the existing structure
but some reforms within the existing parameters.

How important do you believe it is to localize SDG targets at the district or tehsil
level for more effective implementation?

In my opinion localization of SDGs is directly linked with its actualization. We have
started working on that.

Are there any particular administrative or coordination challenges you anticipate
at this early stage?

Perhaps, the biggest challenge could be non-realization of SDGs at departmental
level. So making them realize importance of SDGs & its subsequent actualization.
IV. Interdepartmental and Governmental Coordination

In your view, what is the best way to ensure that SDGs are integrated into
provincial development planning and budgeting?

Since, budget for the next financial year has almost been finalized, so my endeavor
would be to do an exercise of developing a linkage between SDGs and budgetary
allocation for different

How do you plan to strengthen collaboration between the SDG Unit and other
departments like Education, Health, Environment, etc.?

We will reestablish the coordination by organizing seminars & workshops. Most
importantly, we will share with departments the quantifiable data expected out of
the ADP allocation & expenditure. We will track that progress on regular basis.

Do you plan to engage with District Administrations to enhance grassroots-level
awareness and ownership of the SDGs?

Yes, definitely.
V. Stakeholder Engagement and Partnerships

How do you plan to engage development partners, donors, or international
agencies to support the SDG agenda in KP?

That has already been tasked to UNDP Partners. We intend to engage them once we
have finalized our scheme of things.

Do you believe in involving academia, research institutions, or students in the
policymaking process related to SDGs?

Yes, this is one of our major steps towards localization. All training institutes have
been intimated about SDGs. We will also engage universities.

What role do you see for civil society and youth organizations in advancing SDGs
in KP?

Civil society & youth could contribute in sensitization of SDGs at the society level.
We will engage them to take their input in localization plus actualization of SDGs.

Are there any platforms you intend to develop or strengthen for participatory
planning and feedback from citizens?

We would like to develop a digital platform to interact with citizens.
VI. Data, Monitoring, and Innovation

Though it’s early days, have you reviewed how data is currently collected and
reported for SDG tracking in the province?

Frankly speaking, there is no mechanism as yet. But we have chalked out a
mechanism as explained earlier.

In the future, do you intend to adopt any technological innovations like
dashboards, GIS mapping, or real-time data systems?

Definitely, that is on our agenda of to do list.

How do you think the SDG Unit can improve evidence-based decision-making
using reliable data and research?

As explained earlier, we intend to link ADP allocation plus expenditure with the
aims & objectives of the project in quantifiable terms.
VII. Future Outlook and Opportunities

In the long run, what kind of impact would you like your tenure to have on
sustainable development progress in KP?

I would like to localize SDGs, to institutionalize it by sensitizing the government
formations to consider it their own agenda rather than any global one. We would
also try to focus on digital interventions in data reporting and gauging progress on
different SDGs.