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Social Impact Assessment of Microfinance Programmes - weman

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Chapter Seven: National Rural Support Programme<br />

(NRSP)<br />

7.1 Institutional Review<br />

7.1.1 Background and History<br />

The National Rural Support Programme (NRSP), is Pakistan’s largest multi-sectoral rural<br />

development programme, established in 1991 by the Government <strong>of</strong> Pakistan. It is a notfor-pr<strong>of</strong>it<br />

organization registered under Section 42 <strong>of</strong> Companies Ordinance 1984.<br />

NRSP is also the largest Rural Support Programme in the country in terms <strong>of</strong> outreach,<br />

staff and development activities. Its goal is to reach out to 38 million poor people all over<br />

Pakistan through its network and other Rural Support <strong>Programmes</strong> (RSPs). At present, it<br />

is operational in 35 districts, has 110 field <strong>of</strong>fices and 13 Regional <strong>of</strong>fices that reach out<br />

to 62,330 people directly and many more indirectly. Programme districts are selected<br />

according to district poverty ranking from data available from national level surveys<br />

conducted by government and international organizations, and distributed among other<br />

Rural Support <strong>Programmes</strong> (RSPs) like the Sarhad and Punjab Rural Support<br />

<strong>Programmes</strong> (SRSP and PRSP). The poor in the area are targeted according to the local<br />

community assumptions with poor households identified by the communities themselves<br />

in respective localities. NRSP’s main programmes focus on social mobilization,<br />

infrastructure development and micr<strong>of</strong>inance and enterprise development.<br />

Salient features <strong>of</strong> NRSP are:<br />

• It is a home grown organization, registered as a Company Limited as Guarantee<br />

under Section 42 <strong>of</strong> Companies Ordinance (1984);<br />

• Government <strong>of</strong> Pakistan provided seed money to establish NRSP in 1992;<br />

• NRSP’s core operations are managed from the income <strong>of</strong> an endowment fund as<br />

well as from donor funding;<br />

• NRSP is an Not for Pr<strong>of</strong>it Organization;<br />

• NRSP is autonomous and independent;<br />

• NRSP has no preconceived package for delivery <strong>of</strong> services or supplies;<br />

• NRSP is a Gender Sensitive Organization;<br />

• NRSP has no political agenda.<br />

7.1.2 Mission, Vision and Purpose<br />

NRSP's mandate is to alleviate poverty by harnessing people's potential and undertaking<br />

development activities in Pakistan. It has a presence in 35 Districts in all the four<br />

Provinces including Azad Jammu and Kashmir through Regional Offices and Field<br />

Offices. NRSP is currently working with more than half a million poor households<br />

organized into a network <strong>of</strong> more than 29,000 Community Organizations. With sustained

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