Projects
| CLIENT(S) | PROJECT | DESCRIPTION |
| UNICEF and ILO | Policy Mapping and Analysis Exercise to assess Pakistan’s preparations to join the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions |
Study on social protection and employment generation in Pakistan, to assess Pakistan’s readiness to join the Global Accelerator. The study involves secondary data and policy reviews, a comprehensive mapping of social protection schemes in Pakistan, and primary data collection through key informant interviews with federal and provincial government officials |
| Secours Islamique France (SIF) | Preparation of technical proposal | Prepared a technical proposal for SIF for submission to the EU’s ECHO funding facility. The proposal dealt with disaster preparedness and anticipatory action in two provinces of Pakistan, and had to be prepared in accordance with specific requirements of the financing body. |
| International Labour Organization (ILO) | Mapping of Initiatives Aimed at Reducing Informality in Enterprises | Led a study on issues facing informal enterprises in Pakistan in their transititon to formalization. The objective was to document issues faced by informal SMEs and trading enterprises specifically regarding registration and tax filing, and to assess why enterprises choose to operate in the informal sector. |
| GIZ/Abacus Consulting Technology | Scaling up of DfS Methodology for Multipliers | Project Director for this long-term project implemented by Abacus Consulting for GIZ. Abacus implemented GIZ’s approach of 'Dialogue for Sustainability' (DfS) to develop the capacities of multiple consulting and training partner organizations to deliver commercial services to the private sector. These organizations, known as “multipliers”, used the DfS methodology to play the role of service providers to industry to help them meet the environmental and social standards required for exports to the European Union. |
| UNICEF | Sociolinguistic Survey in Balochistan | Partook in a team that analyzed data for and wrote a report on a sociolinguistic survey conducted in Balochistan. This work assessed language diversity in the province from the point of view of learning and schooling issues, focusing on identifying which languages children speak at home, in their extended families, in their social circles and in school. The purpose of the survey was to advise the Government of Balochistan on the use of their mother tongue as a medium of instruction in primary school. |
| World Bank | Study on Productivity, Inclusion and Connectivity Enhancement in Sindh Secondary Cities | Research study on five secondary cities (with population of around 100,000) in Sindh, focusing on the local economy and employment. Instruments were designed for primary data collection through interviews with local businesses and trade organizations, followed by the analysis of primary and secondary data to draw a picture of how local economies work in small urban centers. |
| Government of KP | Preparation of Social and Environmental Framework Documents for KP Rural Investment and Institutional Support Project (RIISP) | The work involved preparation of social and environmental framework documents, particularly the Labor Management Practices, Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) and Resettlement Framework for this $300 million World Bank funded project |
| Asian Development Bank | Project preparatory mission, Support to Secondary Education in Punjab | The work involved preparing a detailed sector assessment for secondary education in Punjab, including policy analysis, support to out of school children, and assessing challenges and opportunities in the sector. |
| Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/World Bank | Social Development Specialist: Preparation of Environmental and Social Management Framework Punjab Resilient and Inclusive Agriculture Transformation (PRIAT) | The aim was to upgrade the community water conveyance infrastructure through a series of sub-projects across Punjab. The project also promotes the adoption of climate-resilient irrigation and water saving technologies. Verso was responsible for putting together the ESMF document, and preparing the social assessment and community health and safety plan for the project. |
| Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/World Bank | Social Development Specialist: Preparation of Environmental and Social Standards Framework documents for the Punjab Urban Lands System Enhancement (PULSE) project. | The purpose of this project was to improve access to land records and land for development (including housing) in Punjab. Verso prepared the Stakeholder Engagement Plan and Labor Management Procedure for the project. |
| Insan Foundation Trust (IFT) | Lead Consultant: Study on Community Resilience – Social and Economic. | The study assessed how minority communities in Punjab have developed social resilience in the face of ongoing discrimination, and also how they have coped with the economic shock caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| ITAD Ltd. / FCDO | FCDO, CSSF South Asia and Indo-Pacific (SAIP) Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning service | Verso was the research lead for this project. The work included: supporting Itad on the MEL systems review of the CSSF Pakistan portfolio; development of results frameworks and diagnostic assessments of programmes, in addition to providing support as the research lead to country teams across the regional portfolio. |
| The Asia Foundation (TAF) | Mass Anxieties Project | Research and practice initiative by Verso to study global majoritarian narratives of exclusion and violence in the public sphere. The project delivers frameworks and solutions for practitioners targeted to manage the public sphere and conduct strategic engagement for peacebuilding. |
| Alcis Holdings Ltd. | INL Crop Control Assessment | Verso was the research lead of Pakistan for this project. Responsibilities included: designing research methodology, being the lead research team in collection and analysis of data in the assessment of the effectiveness of the INL opium poppy crop control program and producing a comprehensive report that objectively describes and analyzes findings, writing conclusions and recommendations. |
| International Republican Institute for USAID | Political Economy Analysis, Inclusive Democratic Processes and Governance (IDPG) Program | Verso was the PEA Lead: The Inclusive Democratic Processes and Governance (IDPG) PEA will assess key drivers of political change in Pakistan by examining the interests, incentives, power relations, and linkages between high-level elements of the Pakistani political and governance spheres. |
| FCDO, CSSF British High Commission, Islamabad | Understanding Online Hate Speech and Disinformation Against Religious and Gender Minorities in Pakistan | Verso was the Team Lead for this project. The research focuses on the political economy of key actors in the public sphere and the role of state institutions in regulating hate speech and disinformation. We conducted a mixed methods study on the use of social media platforms by hate speech and disinformation aggressors in Pakistan. |
| International Republican Institute, Washington DC. | Political Party social media research and training | Verso was the Lead Researcher and Trainer for this project. We trained political party leaders and elected representatives on strategic communications and survey analysis. Previously lead researcher on youth and women inclusion in democratic engagement [August 2018 - May 2019]. The research employed qualitative mixed methods across 9 regions of Pakistan. Strategic Advisory on IRI programs and technical advisory on IRI research and surveys was also delivered. |
| FHI 360 / FCDO | Political economy analysis of climate resilience and shock responsive social protection | PEA Pakistan expert: Designed for an FCDO programme to provide the basis through which the British High Commission can understand the political economy around climate resilience and the political drivers that most influence decisions made around disaster risk reduction, disaster risk management, and social protection in response to climate change. |
| Alcis Holdings Ltd. / CSSF British High Commission | Researching coal and chromite value chains along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border | Verso was the Lead Researcher for this project. Our work involved data collection and analysis on coal and chromite trade volumes, movement trends and pricing along the northern half of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. |
| Adam Smith International / FCDO | Social Inclusion Strategy | Social inclusion and gender sensitivity specialist: Social inclusion strategy for the FCDO financed SEED project, concentrating on economic development and urban development in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. |
| Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy (PCP) | Background paper on Institutional Giving in Pakistan | Carrying out a study to assess the size, scale, and scope of NPOs in Pakistan. |
| The Malala Fund | Research and Advocacy on Issues of Afghan Migrants in Pakistan | Carried out three studies on access to services and economic conditions of Afghan refugees/migrants in Pakistan. The project also includes advocacy on awareness raising on the issues that the migrants face here, and organization of roundtables on possible policy responses. |
| UNDP Bangkok | Philanthropy Mapping | Mapping of philanthropies, corporate organisations, and high-net-worth individuals who would be interested in funding projects or collaborating with UNDP Bangkok in implementing various programmes across the Asia-Pacific region. |
| UN Women | National Report on the Status of Women | Analysis of data from the National Gender Database Portal (NGDP) maintained by the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), and provided a write up on the quantitative date for the final report. |
| Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) | Developing Scalable off-grid Energy Partnerships (SOGEP) | The project works towards alleviating Pakistan’s energy poverty by demonstrating how to scale up off-grid energy provision, by moving towards private sector and community partnership driven models which are commercially viable. Verso is partnering with Paidar Tawanai for the work, and is responsible for the social and community assessments for a range of off-grid power generation schemes, located mainly in Gilgit Baltistan and KP. |
| UN DESA, Division for Inclusive Social Development/ILO | Extending social security coverage to Domestic Workers in the Province of Punjab | The study will support the Punjab Employees Social Security Institution (PESSI) in the design of an implementation framework for the provision of Social Security in the Punjab Domestic Workers Act 2019. |
| Semiotics Consultants through Chemonics International | Project: Diagnostic Study for Restructuring of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Small Industries Development Board | This USAID funded project, the Small and Medium Enterprise Activity (SMEA), seeks to conduct a diagnostic analysis and propose viable recommendations for restructuring of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Small Industries Development Board (SIDB) in order to enhance its ability to promote small and medium enterprises in KP. The work consists of a rapid institutional review of SIDB’s role, structure, operations and functioning and an analysis of where SIDB needs reform, restructuring, and capacity enhancement for business process re-engineering and improved inter-government coordination and delivery mechanisms. |
| Asian Development Bank, Regional Cooperation and Integration (RCI) Division | Working with ADB’s Regional Cooperation and Integration (RCI) department on a report on migration patterns and trends in the Asia-Pacific region | The paper points out knowledge gaps and a role for multilateral development agencies in supporting migration. |
| ITAD | Technical Lead on MEL (Monitoring Evaluation and Learning) supporting FCO CSSF programming for the South Asia region with an emphasis on Pakistan and Afghanistan | Responsible for design and delivery of technical MERL support with a focus on gender and women’s rights. |
| The Asia Foundation/FCDO Research and Evidence Division | TAF/FCDO X (Cross) Border Conflict | Evidence, Policy and Trends (XCEPT) Accountable Grant research on the Afghanistan-Pakistan Border. Our work focused on: 1) Study design on Local Economies, Community Livelihoods, and Resilience in the Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Region; 2) Qualitative research on border securitization and borderland communities in Pakistan; 3) KAP Survey on Covid-19 impact and behaviours in border communities across three border districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. |
| Human Rights Commission of Pakistan for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Government of the UK | Understanding the effect of Covid-19 on religious minorities in Pakistan | A study was conducted by Verso to identify the impacts of the pandemic on religious minorities in terms of employment, access to health services, and access to social protection measures. |
| Human Rights Commission of Pakistan | Assessment of Government of Pakistan’s Response to COVID-19 from a Rights Perspective | Lead authors on the report, with a particular responsibility for assessment of economic response, as well as impacts of COVID on domestic violence and other gender issues; on prison populations, and in education. |
| United Nations Development Programme, Bangkok Regional Hub | Midterm evaluation of the UNDP progoramme in Asia Pacific | For the period of 2018-2020 with a forward-looking set of recommendations, taking into account COVID 19. |
| Trocaire International | Story Harvesting for end of project evaluation | Story Harvesting for end of project evaluation of a multiyear GBV project in Pakistan based on SASA! Methodology and approach. |
| World Bank | Terms of Trade for Agriculture | Research study to calculate the terms of trade for the agriculture sector in Pakistan, with a view to ascertaining whether the sector can contribute more to the economy through taxation. |
| World Bank | Environmental and Social Framework documentation for the Karachi Solid Waste Management project. | Developing a stakeholder engagement plan for the project, covering institutional stakeholders and community groups. |
| Human Rights Commission of Pakistan | Baseline Survey of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) under the Voice and Accountability Project | Conducting a baseline survey of HRDs in Pakistan, using both a quantitative survey instrument and focus group discussions. The baseline focuses on freedom of expression in Pakistan and the issues that HRDs have faced in recent years with regard to highlighting different human rights issues. |
| GIZ | Policy recommendations on social protection in Punjab as per the Core Diagnostic Instruments (CODI) | Verso was commissioned to conduct a workshop on the CODI process for assessment of social protection systems in Punjab, and to draw up a set of recommendations on how to improve implementation of key programs. |
| International Republican Institute | Focus Group Discussions on Youth Engagement in Democratic Processes | Qualitative enquiry into youth perceptions and attitudes towards voting, political participation, protests and violent agitation across 9 research sites in Pakistan. Methodology includes narrative analysis on key messages. |
| Save the Children International | Assessment of Operational Feasibility | - |
| Trocaire International | Assessment of Operational Feasibility | - |
| UN Resident Coordinator’s Office/DFID KPMD Support Programme | Conflict Sensitivity Analysis and conflict sensitivity mainstreaming across five UN agencies on the DFID-funded KP Merged District Support Programme | Delivered: • Strategic response options the overall programme based on political economy context and local conflict typology of each target location to address local conflict and exclusion dynamics. • A traditional (brief) narrative analysis of the local context, the exercise sharpens focus on key themes aligned with the requirements of the programme. • A schedule of briefs, trainings, and workshops (including monitoring and strategic communication tools) to mainstream the CS approach into programming. • Qualitative research on grievance redressal and referral mechanisms and GRM concept for complex programmes. |
| World Bank | Social Assessment for the Balochistan Human Capital Investment Project | Carried out a social assessment focusing on access to health and education services amongst refugee communities and host communities in Balochistan. The assessment focused on understanding issues pertaining to social exclusion, gender, community mobilization, citizen engagement and grievance redress. |
| Asian Development Bank (ADB) | Chapter of ADB’s country diagnostic study on labor markets and human capital | - |
| HelpAge International | Mapping of Social Protection schemes for people aged 65 and above | For the Government of Sindh and the federal government. |
| OPM/Department For International Development (DFID) | Political Economy Analysis (PEA) | For least developed districts in Punjab. |
| World Bank | Functional Review of three government bodies | Ministry of Commerce, National Tariff Commission and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan that are a part of the World Bank’s Pakistan Goes Global project. |
| World Bank | Environmental and Social Framework for Pakistan Goes Global | Verso’s work included preparing the Labour Management and Stakeholder Engagement plan for the project, along with the e-waste management plan. |
| DAI/DFID Research and Evidence Division | Literature review and political economy analysis | Of citizen engagement in development projects in Pakistan. |
| The Asia Foundation, Pakistan/DFID Research and Evidence Division | Research design and concept note | For local economies, community livelihoods and resilience in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region. |
| International Republican Institute (IRI) | Strategic advising on IRI programmes | Technical advisory on IRI research and surveys. |
| The Asia Foundation, Pakistan | Community and key stakeholder focused study | In the Rashakai SEZ under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) |
| World Bank, Pakistan | Lessons Learned from Pakistan’s Experience Hosting Refugees – Economic Assessment. | - |
| Insan Foundation Trust and Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands | Women’s Economic Empowerment | Access to Skills and Finance |
| Benazir Income Support Programme, Government of Pakistan | Operational Review of BISP National Socio-economic Registry Update | - |
| Small and Medium Enterprise Activity, SMEA, USAID | Diagnostic Study for Restructuring of the Sindh Small Industries Corporation (SSIC) | - |
| World Bank, Pakistan | Lessons Learned from Pakistan’s Experience Hosting Refugees – Social Assessment | - |
| Coffey International | Political Economy of Local Governance in Five Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. | - |
| International Republican Institute | Strategic advisory on programs and research focused on women’s political participation | - |
| Oxfam GB | Context Analysis and Development of Theory of Change for Effective Citizenship and Responsive Local Governance in Pakistan | Development of stakeholder and situation analyses, field consultations with communities and local government functionaries on citizen engagement, and consultative workshops to develop a theory of change. |
| Insan Foundation Trust | Women’s Political Participation | A Qualitative Inquiry. |
| World Bank, Washington DC | Kenya Social and Economic Inclusion Project | The project required the development of an economic and financial analysis for a $250 million credit in Kenya, which aims to strengthen the country’s social protection systems and introduce a set of graduation programs. |
| European Union (EU) Delegation, Pakistan | Identification and formulation mission | For assistance to cooperation mechanisms at Federal and Provincial levels in provinces of Balochistan and Sindh, Pakistan. |
| DAI Consolidating Democracy in Pakistan (CDIP) Project/ DFID | Mapping and Analysis of Female Voting Patterns | - |
| United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Development Policy Unit, Pakistan | Long term consulting contract on a series of assignments | Focusing on mainstreaming of SDGs, poverty and inequality related policy research, analysis, and work on social protection. |
| United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Pakistan | Political Economy Analysis and Conflict Analysis Toolkit and Training | To all-staff in UNDP Pakistan’s FATA Transition and Recovery Programme. |
| United States Institute for Peace (USIP) | Engaging Stakeholders for Non-Violent Elections | Research and strategic messaging focused on youth and women voters for the upcoming 2018 general election in Pakistan. |
| DAI – AAWAZ Project, Pakistan /DFID | Social Audit of Health and Education | Communities’ assessment of the quality and feasibility of public services. |
| ILO, Pakistan | Government’s Compliance with ILO Recommendation on Social Protection Floors | Mapping of social protection systems provided by the federal and four provincial governments in Pakistan, and preparation of the Government of Pakistan’s submission to the Director General of ILO on Recommendation 202: Social Protection Floors. |
| World Bank, Pakistan | Review of Citizen Engagement Systems in Government | The study examined citizen engagement (consultation, beneficiary feedback and grievance redress) mechanisms within selected departments (Agriculture, Irrigation, municipal services) in the governments of Sindh and Punjab in Pakistan. The purpose was to identify and assess existing systems, advising the ank on how to segue its required citizen engagement systems, which it must incorporate into every project, with the existing mechanisms. |
| World Bank, Pakistan | Social Systems Assessment (SSA) for Punjab Strengthening Markets for Agriculture and Rural Transformation (SMART) | The firm carried out an SSA for a $300 million policy loan. The SSA is a requirement for Bank lending and is done to anticipate and analyze possible social issues that may arise as project implementation proceeds. Issues are analyzed within the context of the Bank’s Core Principles of ensuring that vulnerable communities are not harmed and that no social conflict occurs as a result of implementation. |
| DAI - Access to Justice Project Pakistan (inception phase)/DFID | Political Economy Analysis of the Justice Sector in Pakistan | Focused on demand-side access to justice and rule of law. The analysis included a review of external accountability mechanisms of justice sector institutions in Pakistan across KP, Punjab, and Sindh and a detailed PE review of justice sector actors. |
| United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Somalia | Final Evaluation, Parliamentary Support Project, Somalia | The assignment included a) a review of UNDP’s initial evaluation of it’s assistance to parliamentary development in Somalia including the National Federal Parliament, and sub-national parliaments; b) consultations with key informants; and c) recommendations to the UNDP on mainstreaming political economy and conflict-sensitivity into the programme. |
| DAI – AAWAZ Project, Pakistan/DFID | Modern Slavery Action Research | Oversight of a series of papers analyzing bonded labour and child labour in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab in Pakistan. The research included defining the issue, collecting available secondary data, design and oversight of action research being conducted in the field, and participation in consultations with key stakeholders. |
| Development Pathways, Uganda | Refugee Household Vulnerability and Targeting Study | In West Nile, Mid- West and South Western Uganda Refugee Settlements. |
| Development Pathways, Uganda | Positioning WFP Uganda | Aim to support improved food, nutrition and income security in Karamoja and an inclusive social protection system for Uganda. |
| DAI – AAWAZ Project, Pakistan/DFID | Multiple Identities | Analysis of datasets comprising pre and post training modules, where training recipients were primarily young peace activists working in communities being trained on concepts of peace, justice and diversity and tolerance. The data assessed changes, if any, in attitudes towards other religious and ethnic groups. |
| DAI – AAWAZ Project, Pakistan/DFID | Peer Learning Exercise | The peer learning exercise is an attempt to understand the societal context in which sectarian and inter-faith conflict thrives. It took place in phases: a participatory conflict analysis followed by training of peace connectors in districts, followed by the peer learning exercise in the wider groups. The sessions were based on the themes of Understanding Conflict; Violent Extremism and Hate Speech; and Non-Violent Communication. A survey of participants was carried out before and after the training exercises were conducted, the results of which are analysed in the final report. |
| Government of Punjab and UNDP, Pakistan | Regional Development Plan for South Punjab | Preparation of a preliminary paper on a development plan for the ten poorest districts in the Punjab province, focusing on existing economic activity and resource endowments in the region. |