Introduction
Linkages for Resilience & Development (LRD) is an emerging for-profit organization created in 2013, and is registered with the Government of Pakistan under Section 32 of the Companies Ordinance, 1984 (XLVII of 1984). Under the umbrella of its mission, LRD is committed to deliver economic and social development on a competitive, innovative and best value basis. Vision
‘A society where
people have appropriate resources, knowledge and skills to nurture their own development’. Mission
‘To support communities, civil society and corporate sector in fostering people-centered, resilient economic growth’. Key Objectives
• To provide technical assistance in developing successful, resilient and replicable value chain models.
• To establish innovative linkages and meaningful partnerships among communities, civil society and corporate sector for effective economic growth
• To provide technical support to institutions to help them attain knowledge, skills and expertise to effectively manage their own development priorities
LRD’s Scope of Work
LRD is not merely a ‘supplier’ of consultants and consulting services. The human resource associated with LRD has a limited set of expertise and skills acquired over the years in different regions and countries. Benefitting from these skills and experiences, LRD provides specific services and intends to develop a long lasting relation with its clients for a two-way traffic of knowledge, learning and innovation.
1. Professional Services
We, at LRD, strongly believe that it is of paramount importance to develop maximum possible clarity with the client over every assignment taken up. Since we also believe that learning is at the core of our work, hence LRD strives to deliver services to its clients in a manner that clients’ teams are directly involved in accomplishing the outsourced tasks. LRD provides technical and management services in the following areas:
a) Knowledge Management
a. Baseline, End Line, KAP Surveys, Market Assessments etc. Monitoring, Validation, Reviews, Evaluations, Impact Assessments, Cost Benefit Analysis etc. b) Program Development
a. Concept Notes, LFAs, Proposals, Budgets for multiple donors
c) Organizational Development
a. Strategic Planning
b. Setting up management, monitoring and operational systems
d) Capacity Building
a. Knowledge Management – Research, Monitoring & Evaluation, Assessments
b. Disaster Risk Reduction & Climate Change Adaptation
c. Humanitarian Assistance / Disaster Management and International Standards
d. Post Disaster Recovery
e. Project Cycle Management
f. Dairy Value Chain Development
g. Best Practices in Agriculture and Livestock Management
2. LRD Community Resilience Modelling
We, at LRD, strongly believe that development in our context is a fairly complex phenomenon but in order to put things into perspective one clear lead is economic growth, particularly in a rich and diverse country like Pakistan which is gifted with all necessary ingredients to become a major food grower in the world. Peoples’ development is entirely dependent on the extent to which they take lead in it and eventually take ownership of the entire process. They cannot lead themselves to resilience and development without economic growth. We also strongly believe that without their own investment into their development, the people lose ownership and the drive needed to accomplish the objectives of development initiatives. LRD, therefore, is currently making efforts to work with partner farmers in Tehsil Hazro, District Attock in order to enhance their knowledge on best practices in dairy farming, agriculture and horticulture. This is part of LRD’s Community Resilience Model, where the farmers will eventually be facilitated in developing value chains and enhancing their capacity, thus reducing their vulnerability and increasing their ability to withstand and recover from shocks without external support.
3. LRD Training Program
Development notion, for LRD, is a faith more sacred than any other notion as it is at the heart of human society and all its belief systems. Positive change and the ambition to encourage and support the same in others, particularly the deprived ones is a cause that LRD stands for under its vision and mission. With this philosophy at its core, LRD strongly believes that the change agents have to be role models for the larger community to learn, adopt and innovate. They need to understand the people and their context before they lead them to development path. LRD also believes that people (employees of development and humanitarian organizations) are at the core of development and humanitarian work. These organizations owe everything to their human resource that represents them and doesn’t shy away from working hard even 24/7 in perilous environments, when needed. Hence it is their prime responsibility to equip their teams with clear concepts, appropriate tools and skills and provide them with an environment where they are motivated and confident to take on this daunting challenge. Realizing this need, LRD is striving to develop an international standard training program that will be based on the following basic principles:
a) Passion, motivation and commitment to learn and deliver
b) Suggest ideas that are practically relevant to the actual work
c) Suggest approaches and strategies out of the actual experience
d) Know the people and their context
e) Know your limitations and your priorities
f) Make things simple and easy
g) Guide them and let them do it themselves
h) Practical, realistic and cost effective
i) Small scale, low cost and local resources
j) Combine local with global
k) Combine quantity with quality
l) Assess using peoples’ lens
m) Promote standardization and structured guidance for the same
n) Contemplation, action, reflection, learning and adjustment
LRD will be organizing trainings on several thematic areas but at the start-up stage it intends to limit itself to a few skills and areas. We aim to bring together excellent and experienced trainers and practitioners both from within and outside the country to provide settings where trainees will be able to benefit from a rich and diverse range of experiences, unfold concepts and learn new ways and skills. LRD training program in the last quarter of 2014 will cover some of the key concepts / areas such as:
a) Knowledge Management
b) Community Resilience
c) Grant Writing and Reporting
d) Fund Raising
LRD Human Resource
Core Team - LRD core team comprises following experts:
Ms. Rubina Zulqarnain has extensive experience in program development and management of multi donor / multi sector programs in conflict and disaster prone / affected areas in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Zulqarnain Iqbal Malik has extensive experience in designing and conducting qualitative and quantitative research and external evaluations. He also has multiple years of national and international experience in program development and management of multi donor / multi sector programs in conflict and disaster prone / affected areas in Pakistan and other countries in the region. Kalim Ullah Hotak has multiple years of experience in managing Education sector development programs in Baluchistan. He has also been extensively engaged in integrated development programs in conflict affected bordering districts of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Talat Mehmood Satti has extensive experience in Livestock management and post disaster recovery programming with a particular focus on Livestock Restocking and capacity building of communities in effective livestock management. Senior Consultants on LRD Panel – Some of the senior consultants on board are:
Phillip Miller has more than 15 years of experience in Asia, Pacific and Africa in developing and managing integrated and sectoral development programs. Working as Country Director in many countries he has lead the setting up of country programs and as a consultant has lead project and program evaluations and studies. Dr. Farman Ali has more than 25 years of experience in research, monitoring and evaluation of livelihoods, agriculture, forestry and natural resource management in and outside Pakistan. He is an agronomist and is heading IBMS and IDS in Agriculture University Peshawar. Mahmooda Jilani has multiple decades of experience in environmental health and behavior change in Pakistan. Dr. Bahadur Nawab Khattak has extensive experience in environmental sciences, sustainable water, sanitation, health and rural development. He is an environmentalist and is heading Development Studies Department in COMSATS Institute Abbottabad. Dr. Jehangir A. Khan, has extensive experience in policy research in primary health care and has been affiliated with Ministry of Health, GoP. Zaffar Abbas Shah is a development economist and has extensive experience in research in rural and economic development in Pakistan. LRD Collaboration Partners
LRD has established strong collaboration and networking with several organizations and institutions across Pakistan that enhances LRD’s outreach and quality of work. Following is a list of LRD’s collaboration partners:
1. ORGNEX Consultants - Australia
2. Center for Research and Development, Quetta, Baluchistan
3. Department of Development Studies / Sustainable Water Sanitation Health and Development, COMSATS Abbottabad, Pakistan
4. Institute of Business and Management Sciences (IBMS) Agricultural University Peshawar, Pakistan
5. Institute of Development Studies (IDS) Agricultural University Peshawar, Pakistan
6. Social Action Bureau for Assistance in Welfare and Organizational Networking (SABAWON), Peshawar, Pakistan
