Thinking beyond-thinking holistically: Sustainability at Scale in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan

The Pakistan Reading Project (PRP) is a US$ 165 million initiative funded by the United States Agency for International Aid (USAID). Through close collaboration with all provincial and regional governments across Pakistan, PRP... [ view full abstract ]

The Pakistan Reading Project (PRP) is a US$ 165 million initiative funded by the United States Agency for International Aid (USAID). Through close collaboration with all provincial and regional governments across Pakistan, PRP has successfully introduced reading reforms in the primary education sector. PRP’s holistic approach encompasses teacher professional development, integration of teaching of reading courses within Pakistan’s pre-service curricula, development and distribution of high-quality reading materials, advocacy for reading standards and assessments, the provision of supportive technologies, and the engagement of stakeholders to formulate policies specifically for promoting continuity and sustainability. While various social, political, and economic realities differ from province to province, across Pakistan PRP has evinced significant progress as measured in baseline scores.

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) is one of the regions that has demonstrated the best results. It has introduced a comprehensive and sustainable teacher continuous professional development (CPD) model – that embraces both innovative policy and robust field-level implementation. This paper analyses how the AJK government led the ownership, resource allocation, and overall creation of an enabling environment for the execution of the reading project. We reveal the groundwork that was laid around the CPD framework, the process which cultivated broad-based consensus, and the way in which the government operationalized its plans.  Finally, our study also discusses the non-conventional opportunities that were sought by the project to better scaffold the government in its efforts to sustain teacher development activities, while balancing limited public resources and the limitations imposed by traditional donor funding.