Strengthening Participatory Federalism and Decentralization'

Transcription

1 Strengthening Participatory Federalism and Decentralization' Pakistani Federalism and Decentralization

2 BACKGROUND The 18th Constitutional Amendment was nothing short of a legislative revolution, and the most significant move towards the consolidation of democratic federalism in Pakistan's history. Yet, there is a lack of public awareness about this historical constitutional development and few understand what federalism and decentralization mean for Pakistan. Even more alarming is how the core concepts of federalism and decentralization are sparsely taught at the University level in the disciplines of Political Science, Pakistan Studies, Public Administration and Law. Where they are taught, courses are generally tailored around the historical narrative of grievances and lack comparative knowledge about other federally organized countries. In order to address these deficits and explore possibilities for teaching contemporary constitutional federalism the Centre for Civic Education with support from United Nations Development Program (UNDP) organized a five day course for academia. Twenty young scholars and faculty members from various public & private universities from all four provinces of Pakistan and Islamabad participated in the course, bringing with them a diverse set of opinions and experiences to allow for enriching, meaningful interactions and exchange of ideas. The course on Pakistani Federalism and Decentralization is part of UNDP's project 'Strengthening Participatory Federalism and Decentralization' aimed at providing support for the implementation of the 18th Amendment by informing, facilitating, and optimizing the process of transition management at federal, provincial and grassroots levels. It focussed on the concepts, issues and policy options for federalism and decentralization in Pakistan with suggested methodology for embedding these concepts in existing university courses or introducing new courses on the subject at host universities. Renowned academics, policy practitioners and subject specialists 1

3 including Dr. Syed Jaffar Ahmed, Dr. Muhammad Waseem, Dr. Pervez Tahir, Dr. Saeed Shafqat, Ms. Asma Faiz, Mr. Amjad Bhatti, Mr. Shahzad Iqbal, Mr. Zafarullah Khan and Mr. Ahmed Mahmood Zahid formed the faculty for this course. Participants dissected the issues highlighted by the faculty in interactive sessions. SELECTION PROCESS A call to applications was advertised on the HEC website and sent to Political Science, Law and History Departments at public universities all over Pakistan. It was specified that the course is intended for mid-career faculty members at public and private universities in Pakistan, and candidates were asked to send an expression of interest answering the following questions, to demonstrate their interest in the subject of federalism and decentralization in Pakistan: 1. What is your understanding of the current state of federalism in Pakistan 2. Why are you interested in attending this course 3. How do you plan on applying the content of this course to your research/teaching interests Additionally, candidates were asked to fill out an application form, attach a current resume as well as the outline for the courses that they are teaching at their current universities. The call to applications received great interest and the CCEP received 36 applications from interested candidates. The applications were carefully reviewed and weighed to ensure that selected candidates had demonstrated interest in the subject. It was further considered how well the candidates could utilize the course content, and material towards the improvement of the study of federalism and decentralization. Twenty candidates were short listed and invited to Islamabad for participation for this course. In orer to make the group regionally representative along with being representative of the federating units of Pakistan. The final participants represented Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST), University of Baluchistan, Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences, Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai University Khairpur, University of Sindh Jamshoro, Islamia University of Bahawalpur, University of Peshawar, University of Swaat, University of Hazara, Forman Christian College (A Chartered University), Government College University Faisalabad and Lahore College for Women University, Kinnaird College and Fatimah Jinnah Women's University, Lahore University of Management Sciences were invited to attend the course. Care was taken to ensure gender balance among the candidates as well. Together the Participants made amongst themselves a mini-federal university. COURSE DESIGN On August 1st 2013 the C e n t r e f o r C i v i c Education arranged a consultative meeting with potential faculty members, scholars and experts of federalism to discuss ideas for the development of the content of the course. Participants of the meeting deliberated on the selection process for the course and agreed upon a number of workable ideas such as ensuring representation from each federating unit of Pakistan and from Islamabad and further ensuring that not more than two candidates were selected from the s a m e u n i v e r s i t y. Participants also agreed upon making the course content interdisciplinary in its approach, using the " I n t e r - U n i v e r s i t y Consortium for the Promotion of Social S c i e n c e s " a n d collaborating with the H i g h e r E d u c a t i o n Commission (HEC) for the dissemination of the "call for applications", including comparative a n a l y s i s o f o t h e r federally organized countries to the content of the course, making the sessions interactive and contextualizing Pakistani federalism by giving a historical perspective. 2

4 VIEW FROM THE CLASSROOM On Friday November 22nd 2013, the course took off with welcome remarks from the Executive Director of Centre for Civic Education Mr. Zafarullah Khan and brief introduction by the participants. Dr. Syed Jaffar Ahmed, Professor of Politics, History and Director at the Pakistan Study Centre, Karachi University elaborated on the theoretical concepts of federalism, the historical roots of federalism in Pakistan and the responses of Pakistan's three constitutions to federalism in two separate sessions. Each session was followed by an interactive discussion where participants dissected various aspects of the lecture. In the final session of the day, participants watched an educational documentary on 'The Challenges of Diversity' in federally organized country. On Saturday, November 23rd 2013, proceedings began with a presentation by Dr. Hidayatullah Khan who had volunteered to recap the previous day's material for the participants. In the first lecture of the day Dr. Syed Jaffar Ahmed covered the treatment of provincial aspirations and centrist tendencies during military and civil rules followed by a question/answer session. The second lecture was delivered by Mr. Amjad Bhatti, National Technical Advisor at the UNDP discussed devolution in Pakistan with regards to local government. He elaborated on the impact of constitutional failure on governance and its contribution to development deficits in Pakistan. He said that the existing local government legislation in all four Provinces is deficient, and not in compliance with the principals of devolution stipulated in Article 140 A of the constitution. During the final session of the day, Mr. Zafarullah discussed federalism in the light of the Raza Rabanni Model of Consensus Building commenting that the 18th Amendment offers hope as it has strengthened federal democratic institutions through which outstanding issues among the provinces can be resolved amicably and past mistakes can be corrected. He said that political reconciliation is the only viable solution to internal conflicts. The lectures were followed by Question/Answers sessions which resulted in healthy debate and a fruitful exchange of ideas. Finally, participants watched a video on the Constitutional Journey of 3

5 Pakistan. On the third day of the course, scholars covered the theme of Political Economy of Federalism in Pakistan. The previous day's course material was summarized and presented to the participants by Mr. Adil Khan, from Hazara University Mansehra. This recap presentation was followed by a lecture by Dr. Muhammad Waseem, Professor of Political Science at LUMS, who discussed the evolution of federalism in a regional perspective and dissected the contents of the 18th Constitutional Amendment. He also discussed federalism from a regional perspective, drawing comparisons between the various types of federations in the region. In the second session of the day, Ms. Asma Faiz, who also teaches Political Science at LUMS discussed social change in Pakistan with regards to federalism. She highlighted the potential of federalism for peaceful management of diversity and also outlined the perils of such a political system. She said that the future of the Pakistani Federation depends on the management of emerging identities, migration, minorities within minorities and the response to demands for new provinces. Participants debated over conclusions and recommendations in interactive sessions following the lectures. The fourth day of the course again began with a recap of the previous day's proceedings with a presentation by Dr. Shahid Hussain Bukhari, a participant from Islamia University of Bahawalpur. Mr. Zafarullah Khan gave a presentation on the governance of federal capitals, incorporating the experience of various federations. He also discussed Pakistan, the choice of capital and its political implications. Finally, he highlighted some issues of governance of Islamabad, with regards to representation, local administration and finances. Participants discussed the issues highlighted in an interactive session following the lecture. In the second session of the day, participants discussed the role of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) after the 18th Amendment with the Senior Joint Secretary for the Ministry of the Interprovincial Coordination Mr. Shahzad Iqbal. Mr. Iqbal said that the 18th Amendment restored the 1973 Constitution in true letter and spirit and empowered the CCI which is now a dynamic body that has been meeting every 90 days and deliberating on key issues. He clarified that through the CCI the constitution has given a say to the provinces over the issues of federal government and not the other way around. He added that the CCI embodies the emergence of spirit of a cooperative federal culture in Pakistan. After lunch the participants were taken on a visit to the Centre for Civic Education's resource centre on democracy and Pakistan. Participants took a tour of the museum at the centre and received some materials that could be used to teach Federalism and Decentralization related topics at their home universities. Later, participants discussed the ways in which Pakistani federalism and decentralization is taught at their institutions and identified deficits. The themes of Fiscal Federalism and Civil and Military Services were covered on the final day of this course. Ex-Secretary Inter-Provincial Coordination Mr. Ahmed Mahmood Zahid discussed the institutional design of federalism with regards to CCI and IPC. He highlighted the importance of the CCI in the post-18th Amendment Pakistan calling for the need to allow the provinces to use this forum as a platform. He also expressed the need for the CCI to be given its constitutionally mandated secretariat. In the second session, Dr. Pervez Tahir who has served as Chief Economist of the Planning Commision discussed the Pakistani experience of fiscal federalism, and took up the case studies of National Finance Commission (NFC) and National Economic Council (NEC). Dr. Tahir said that disregard of diversity in Pakistan has led to economic disparity and while the 7th NFC Award has given accommodation to diversity it is not enough to correct past and prevent future disparity, an institutional architecture that is in line with the spirit of the constitution is needed. He said that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) needs to undergo structural reform which must be supplemented with provincial control over natural resources. Further, Provincial Finance Commissions must be revitalized to prevent disparity at the local level. 4

6 In the final lecture of the course, Dr. Saeed Shafqat, Director of the Centre for Public Policy and Governance at the FCC University Lahore discussed the composition of Military in Pakistan and its impact on civil-military relations. Dr. Shafqat said that the historical patterns of recruitment in colonial times based on the martialrace theory led to the creation of military elite in Northern India. This class also contributed to the creation of new elites in Pakistan's early history, and together they bypassed the provincial and national political leadership in keeping power at the centre, leading to the weakening of democratic federalism. Discussing Post-18th Amendment administrative structures, Dr. Shafqat called for a bottom-up approach to civil service reform in Pakistan. He said that Pakistan needs to see the revival of the spirit of public service and develop a modern, citizen-friendly bureaucracy. Dr. Saeed Shafqat was also asked to distribute certificates among the participants. RECOMMENDATIONS In the final session of the course on Pakistani federalism and decentralization, Mr. Zafarullah Khan and Mr. Amjad Bhatti conducted an interactive session where participants were asked to share ideas about how the study of federalism and decentralization can be improved at Pakistani university. 1. Dr. Muhammad Younas from Forman Christian College (Chartered University) said that he has found most courses that are taught are theoretical in nature and students want practical aspects to be covered as well. He further pointed out that while there are courses which talk about the constitution, very little emphasis is placed on institutional design which is extremely important. He recommended that courses be contemporized, and made more participatory. 2. Mr. Alamzeb Khan from the Hazara University Mansehra suggested that a specific course should be designed to study Local Government as this topic is relevant to the smooth functioning of today's Pakistani democracy. 3. Mr. Adil Khan from Hazara University suggested that students can be assigned provinces in the beginning of a semester and asked to thoroughly research their grievances, natural resource endowments, economic structure and ethnic composition etc. The students could then be asked to participate in mock CCI meetings where they represent the case for their assigned province. This will develop understanding of these issues 5

7 among the students and is be a creative method of studying federalism. 4. Dr. Alia Jawad from the Department of Education at the Fatimah Jinnah Women's University said that Pakistan Studies curriculum should include federalism and constitution history, especially the 18th Amendment. 5. Ms. Zoya Ashraf from Kinnaird College said that she wants to introduce comparative study of contemporary and historical constitutional development in the curriculum for her students. She stressed on the importance of teaching federalism and decentralization to non-political science majors as well. 6. Mr. Zahir Mengal from the University of Baluchistan shared some of the difficulties one faces when teaching political science in a troubled place like Baluchistan but stressed on the importance of teaching contemporary constitutional developments like the 18th Amendment. 7. Mr. Ali Nawaz Soomro from Khairpur University said that the department would be hosting an academic conference and will be including federalism in the agenda. He suggested that other universities should also organize conferences on the topic. Mr. Amjad Bhatti wrapped up the day's proceedings by saying that while courses on federalism are very important, it can be difficult to introduce new courses and so the process can be slow. He said that it must be realized that federalism is an interdisciplinary topic and such a framework is emerging which is very positive. He said that comparative study of laws in the four provinces such as the Right to Information legislation and Local Government legislation is very important and should be taken up by academics. Research is the lifeblood of universities and more people should be encouraged to research on the topics of federalism and decentralization. There should be a focus on collecting original data and preservation of oral history which is being lost. History of ethnic conflict that people remember should be preserved as oral history. Further, the tradition of free inquiry and critical theory must be developed. Mapping on regional languages must be done. Finally, seminars should be organized frequently so that academic study stays up to date. The participants also proposed some research ideas for the future. Mr. Zafarullah Khan thanked the participants for taking out the time to attend this course and expressed the hope that this course will be a catalyst in making the study of political science, law and history at Pakistani universities contemporaneous by including issues of federalism and decentralization in the curriculum as well as constitutional developments such as the 18th Amendment. 6

8 EVALUATION At the end of the proceedings participants were asked to fill out evaluation forms. Participants were asked a set of questions and given an answer range from 1-5 with 1 representing poor, 2 representing unsatisfactory, 3 as satisfactory, 4 as good and 5 representing excellent. The first question enquired how well the course objectives had been met, and 45% of the respondents said excellent, another 45% said good and 10% said satisfactory. The second question asked the participants to rate the presentations made by the faculty members and 55% of the respondents described them as excellent, 30% as good and 15% said satisfactory. The third question asked how enriching the discussions following the presentations were and 40% found them to be excellent while 60% described them as good. Participants were then asked how much better their understanding is of the post 18th Amendment Pakistani federalism and 55% described it as excellent while 45% said good. The fourth question asked the participants to rate the faculty's knowledge of the subject and 65% described it as excellent, 30% as good while 5% said that it was satisfactory. Finally, the participants were asked to rate the knowledge and expertise of the guest speaker, and 50% described it as excellent while another 50% said that it was good. PARTICIPANTS' VIEWS Dr. Muhammad Farooq Naseer from LUMS said An excellent course, professionally organized and intellectually rewarding. Adil Khan from Hazara University said It was a wonderful experience to be a part of this course. This opportunity greatly enhanced my understanding of core issues of diversity, mechanics of federalism in Pakistan during the sessions as well as informal interactions outside the sessions with the faculty members and fellow participants who had come from all over Pakistan. 7

9 Abdul Basit Khan from GCU Faisalabad said It is a well-designed and productive activity, it will help the faculty and scholars in implementing practical knowledge in relevant classes. Dr. M Mushtaq from Gujrat University said A very useful course relevant for teachers of politics. Shagufta Nargis from Gujrat University said Excellent course which has improved my understanding of federalism. Dr. Alia Jawad from the Fatimah Jinnah Women's University said I enjoyed this course and now I am thinking about ways of incorporating this material in education department courses. Dr. Shahid Bukhari from Islamia University Bahawalpur commented The schedule was too packed and at some points I felt somewhat overburdened. Zoya Ashraf from Kinnaird College said Very well-designed and well-organized course, more such ventures should be taken up to train young faculty members. Ahmed Ali from the University of Peshawar said This course was very informative and opened us up to new dimensions in the study of federalism and its structures in Pakistan. Maria Malik from the Kinnaird College called the course very well organized and planned. Alam Zeb Khan from the Hazara University Mansehra said A great training, grounded in historical knowledge which opened me up to new ideas about the creation and administration of Pakistan. As someone from with a legal background I found it interesting and it gave me new ideas about future research. Wajahat Karim from Kohat University of Science and Technology commented saying Well done CCEP! More such courses should be organized to revise what has been covered during this week. Ali Nawaz Soomro from the Khairpur University said The course should be made compulsory at the metric level in schools so that students can develop an understanding of the political system of federalism at a young age. Shahid Ali from the Swat University said This was indeed a great experience and I gained valuable information with regards to federalism in Pakistan An anonymous comments said This course was really outstanding, a lot of knowledge was provided with analysis and observation. ANNEXES 1. Course Outline 2. Faculty Bios 3. List of Participants 8

10 Course Outline on Pakistani Federalism and Decentralization Objective The course has been designed to impart knowledge of federalism with respect to its theoretical as well as practical aspects. Day One: Day Two: Day Three: Day Four: Day Five: Theme: Concept of Federalism The federal principle; difference between federal, unitary and confederal states Historical roots of federalism in Pakistan Three constitutions of Pakistan and their response to the federal principle Video Presentation: 'The Challenges of Diversity' Participants' perspectives on diversity Theme: Applying Federal Filter to Pakistan Military and civilian rules; centrist tendencies and aspirations of provincial autonomy The third tier of government Federalism A peace perspective Video on Constitutional Journey of Pakistan Participants' perspectives on Constitution Theme: Political Economy of Federalism in Pakistan The 18th Constitutional Amendment, its contents and significance Brief discussion on the evolution of federalism and the pace of acceptance of the system by different countries. Regional focus on developments in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Social change in Pakistan and the dynamics of federalism Importance of diversity and its political expression Theme: Federal Capital Formation of federal capitals: different federations' experiences Pakistan's two federal capitals: Karachi and Islamabad Governance, local administration, finances, etc. Themes: Political Economy of Federalism in Pakistan & Civil and military Services: Perspectives from Federalism Institutional design of federalism in Pakistan; case studies of CCI and IPC Pakistani experience of fiscal federalism (cross-cutting themes of diversity and disparity) Institutional design of federalism in Pakistan; case studies of NFC and NEC Federal civil service Provincial civil service Composition of the armed forces Examining the way federalism is taught at universities Exploring spaces to embed the new contents and methodologies to teach federalism 9

11 ANNEXURE 2 LIST OF PARTICIPANTS Name 1 Zahir Mengal University of Baluchistan, Quetta Institution 2. Abdul Wadood Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences, Quetta 3. Adil Khan Hazara University, Mansehra 4. Ahmed Ali University of Peshawar 5. Shahid Ali University of Swat 6. Alamzeb Khan Hazara University, Mansehra 7. Dr. Muhammad Younas Forman Christian College (A Chartered University) Lahore 8. Abdul Basit Khan Government College University Faisalabad 9. Dr. Farooq Naseer Lahore University of Management Sciences 10. Dr. Muhammad Mushtaq University of Gujrat 11. Dr. Alia Jawad Fatima Jinnah Women's University 12. Zoya Ashraf Kinnaird College University 13. Saadia Rana Lahore College for Women University 14. Ali Nawaz Soomro Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai University, Khairpur 15. Dr. Shahid Hussain Bukhari The Islamia University of Bahawalpur 16. Zahir Wajahat Mengal Karim University Kohat University of Baluchistan, of Science Quetta & Technology Kohat (KUST) 17. Maria Malik Kinnaird College for Women University 18. Imran Ali Noonari University of Sindh, Jamshoro 19. Hidayat Ullah Khan Kohat University of Science & Technology (KUST) 20. Shagufta Nargis University of Gujrat 10

12 FACULTY Dr. Mohammad Waseem Dr. Mohammad Waseem is a Professor of Political Science at Department of Social Sciences, Lahore University of Management Sciences. He was Chairman of the International Relations Department, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad. He has written on ethnic, Islamic, constitutional, electoral and sectarian politics of Pakistan. His books include: Politics and the State in Pakistan (1989), The 1993 Elections in Pakistan (1994) and Strengthening of Democracy in Pakistan (co-authored with S.J. Burki) (2002). He also edited the book Electoral Reform in Pakistan (2002). Professor Waseem was Pakistan Chair at St. Antony's College Oxford from He has been a visiting professor in Sciences Po Paris; visiting scholar in the International Programme for Advanced Studies MSH, Paris; Fulbright Fellow in the New Century Scholars Programme at The Brookings Institution, Washington DC; Fellow of the Ford Foundation at Oxford; DAAD Fellow at the University of Heidelberg; Fulbright Fellow at Columbia University, New York; Fellow of the Indian Historical Research Council, New Delhi; Fellow of the British Council in London; and Fellow of the American Political Science Association in Washington DC. Dr. Syed Jaffar Ahmed Dr. Syed Jaffar Ahmed (Pakistan) is a Professor of Politics, History and Research Methodology and Director of the Pakistan Study Centre, University of Karachi. Dr. Ahmed did his M.A and M.Phil from the University of Karachi in Political Sciences and Pakistan Studies respectively. Later, in 1993, he did his PhD in social and political Sciences from the University of Cambridge, UK. Dr. Ahmed has written extensively on Politics, History and Constitution. Apart from authoring two books including Federalism in Pakistan: A Constitutional Study, Dr. Ahmed has edited three books and has contributed numerous articles in research journals and edited works. Dr. Saeed Shafqat Professor Saeed Shafqat obtained M.A. (Geography) from the Punjab University. He has M.A. (South Asian Studies) and Ph.D. (Political Science) from University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. He is a founder member and former Chairman of the Department of Pakistan Studies established in 1973 at the Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. He has served as Chief Instructor and Warden ( ), Pakistan Civil Services Academy, Lahore. Currently, he is the Director of the Center for Public Policy & Governance at FC College, Lahore. Ms. Asma Faiz teaches Political Science at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). She specializes in conflict and security research. She is a Fulbright fellow and a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), USA. She is also a recipient of RCSS-NTI Award. Her first book India-Pakistan Dialogue: Bringing the Society In was published by Regional Center for Strategic Studies (RCSS), Sri Lanka. Her edited volume Making Federation Work: Federalism after 18th Amendment in Pakistan is currently under review at the Oxford University Press. 11

13 Ahmed Mahmood Zahid Mr. Ahmed Mahmood Zahid is a law graduate and joined the Civil Services of Pakistan in He has served as both Provincial and Federal Secretary. In addition to his experience as a senior civil servant, his close association with the process of devolution, following the 18th Amendment, makes him a valuable resource on the subject. He was Secretary Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination, as well as being associated with the Implementation Commission of the 18th Amendment. After his retirement, he worked as an expert with the commission till June Amjad Bhatti Mr. Amjad Farooq Bhatti has joined Strengthening Participatory Federalism and Decentralization Project of UNDP, as National Technical Advisor. He holds a Masters Degree in Philosophy from Government University Lahore. Before joining UNDP, he was working as Research & Policy Advisor with Federal Ministry of information and Broadcasting. Prior to that, he worked as Executive Director with School of Political and Strategic Communication (SPSC). His other professional assignments include, Research & Policy Advisor-Federal Ministry of information and Broadcasting, Founder and Policy Advisor- Rural Development Policy Institute, Coordinator with Journalists Resource Centre, Magazine Editor - Daily Ausaf and as Assistant Director (Social Mobilization) with Prime Minister Literacy Commission. based in Islamabad. Mr. Bhatti has authrored, co-authorred and edited a numbers of publications and reports. Some of his recent publications include: Reconciliation, Reforms and Revival: Four Years of Democratic Government ( ), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad. Bridging Development Deficits through Democratic Devolution: Post-18th Amendment Framework for Local Governance in Pakistan, European Union and Rural Development Policy Institute. Operational Manual: Transition Management of Democratic Devolution, Facilitating Federal and Provincial Governments in Implementation of the 18th Constitutional Amendment 2010, Forum of Federation and Centre for Civic Education Pakistan Dr. Pervaiz Tahir Dr. Pervaiz Tahir holds his PhD and MPhil degrees from the University of Cambridge. He has been the Chief Economist of the Planning Commission, Joan Robinson Memorial Lecturer at the Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge, MahbubulHaq Professor of Economics at the GC University, Lahore and Professor and Head of the Department of Economics at the FCC University, Lahore. Dr. Tahir has also served on the Statistical Advisory Panel of the UNDP's Human Development Report. Presently he speaks, writes and researches as a freelance economist.. Zafarullah Khan Mr. Zafarullah Khan is an Islamabad based Political and Media Analyst and a Civic Educator with special interest in federalism and democratic development. Mr. Khan has worked as a journalist for the country's leading newspapers and electronic media. Presently, he is working as Executive Director of the Center for Civic Education Pakistan. Mr. Khan holds a Master's degree in Media and Communication from London School of Economics. Shahzad Iqbal Shahzad Iqbal is the senior joint-secretary for the Inter-Provincial Coordination Division. 12

14 Strengthening Participatory Federalism and Decentralization Centre for Civic Education in Pakistan (CCEP), as part of UNDP's project Strengthening Participatory Federalism and Decentralization is working towards generating knowledge products and to arrange learning events about Pakistani federalism through dialogues, research and training. The CCEP designed and delivered this course. The Centre has also prepared a Digital Reader based on the lectures offered at the course to provide intellectual resource for teaching courses on federalism and decentralization at universities. Contact information 1.Strengthening Participatory Federalism and Decentralization Democratic Governance Unit, UNDP Pakistan. 4th Floor, Serena Business Complex Islamabad Web: http// 2. Centre for Civic Education Pakistan G.P.O Box: 1123 Islamabad Web: