Human Resource Development in Pakistan: An Overview

Working Paper
Nadir N. Budhwani,1
Human Resource Development, Suleman Dawood School of Business, Lahore University of
Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
Email: nbglobal@[Link]
Keywords: Corporate sector, Developing country, Education, International human resource
development, Pakistan, Social sector.
Abstract:
Pakistan has been in international news headlines for a variety of reasons other than for its
human resource development (HRD) efforts. Observations suggest that increased international
support and a reverse brain drain phenomenon continue to contribute to the HRD efforts in
Pakistan. This paper provides an overview of HRD in Pakistan’s government and non-profit
sectors.
There has been a significant increase in the application of HRD at community, national, and
regional levels (McLean et al. 2006). The November 2008 conference of the Academy of HRD
in Asia also intends to focus on the role of HRD in sustainable development. Thus, it is
important to examine HRD not only in corporate, but also in government and social settings,
especially in developing countries (Budhwani and McLean 2005).
In Pakistan, HRD is influenced by lack of funds and qualified HRD staff. The government of
Pakistan allocates a small amount of budget for HRD activities (Aftab 2007). However, the
nonprofit
sector, a public-private partnership sector, seems to be more organized in its HRD efforts.
This paper sheds light on HRD in Pakistan and how it can be developed by using local
knowledge and international support and expertise.
The purposes of this paper are to: (1) address HRD in Pakistan’s government and non-profit
sectors; (2) share Pakistan’s HRD resources with the international HRD community; (3) create
awareness among the HRD community about the need to promote HRD by sharing its
knowledge with developing countries; and (4) use this inquiry as a building block for studying
national level HRD in Pakistan.
In this paper, the author plans to show how HRD in a developing country can be as
challenging, if not more, as it is in a developed country. It is hoped this paper will add to the
learning of Pakistani and international HRD communities.
1 Email 2: nadirnb@[Link]
Phone (cell): 0300-2404682
Phone: 042-5722670 (9 lines), extension (W) 2179, (H) 3373
2
Pakistan has been in international news headlines for a variety of reasons other than for its
human resource development (HRD) efforts. Observations and preliminary data analysis suggest
that increased international support and a reverse brain drain phenomenon continue to contribute
to the HRD efforts in Pakistan. This working paper provides an overview of HRD in Pakistan’s
government and social sectors.
Purpose
There are several purposes of this working paper. One is to address HRD in Pakistan’s
government and non-profit sectors. Another purpose is to share Pakistan’s HRD resources with
the international HRD community.
The other purpose is to create awareness among the HRD community about the need to
promote HRD by sharing its knowledge with developing countries. Besides, this working paper
is a building block for studying national level HRD in Pakistan.
Significance
The inquiry is significant because it adds to the limited HRD knowledge and resources
available on Pakistan. Also, South Asia’s emerging economies present many challenges and
opportunities in HRD, which will be highlighted as the study progresses.
Besides, the paper aims to addresses HRD in government and non-profit sectors. In addition,
the inquiry may challenge the negative stereotypes about Pakistan, and its people, values, and
culture.
Limitations and assumptions
There are several limitations of this working paper. First, the author focused mainly on HRD
resources that were accessible electronically. This is because many organizations in various
sectors are trying to reach their clients/customers through the internet.
Second, the inquiry is not representative of HRD in entire Pakistan. Instead, the working
paper is a building block for a national level HRD study. Third, it is assumed that bigger
metropolises have more and better organized HRD resources compared smaller towns.
Fourth, the author is back in his culture after more than a decade and thus, does not have
enough contacts through which he could obtain data. Having contacts is an important factor in a
high-context society like Pakistan where information is shared only after establishing a certain
level of trust. As the study progresses, the author will be able to create a network in various
sectors.
Fifth, the author might be ethnocentric in his approach to understanding and documenting
HRD efforts. It is hoped that the dialog initiated by this inquiry will be a source of constructive
feedback for the author.
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Background of Pakistan
A developing south Asian country, Pakistan became an independent sovereign state in 1947,
after the division of India which was ruled by the British. It is bordered by Iran in the west,
Afghanistan in the north-west, India in the east and south-east, Arabian sea in the south, and
China in the north (see figure 1).
Figure 1: Map of Pakistan (Source: USAID Pakistan 2008)
According to the United Nations Development Program report (2007), Pakistan’s human
development index (HDI) is 136 out of a total of 177 countries. The adult literacy is rate is
approximately 50% and thus, there is an acute shortage of trained human resources. Less than
3% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) is allocated to education.
Method
Given this is a working paper, the data collection will be an ongoing process. Data for this
inquiry were obtained by conducting two in-person interviews and reviewing literature from
various HRD resources accessible in print and electronic media. Resources such as electronic
libraries, databases, and websites of various organizations were thoroughly explored. Visits were
also made to the ministry of labor and the Social Enterprise Development Center (SEDC), a
partnership between Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), McGill University,
and the Canadian International Development Agency.
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In addition, the author sought help of Athar Mansoor, an MBA student at LUMS, who is
well-connected with the civil service sector of Pakistan. Athar made few visits to government
departments and obtained relevant HRD literature. Upon seeking feedback from scholars, the
author plans to conduct more interviews using open-ended questions with individuals in
government and non-profit sectors.
Theoretical framework
In Pakistan, HRD is influenced by lack of funds and qualified HRD staff. The government of
Pakistan allocates a small amount of budget for HRD activities (Aftab 2007). However, the
nonprofit
sector, a public-private partnership sector, seems to be more organized in its HRD efforts.
McLean and Budhwani (2002) also addressed HRD in Pakistan’s social sector by applying the
Action Research model to HRD efforts in northern Pakistan.
Also, there has been a significant increase in the application of HRD at community, national,
and regional levels (McLean et al. 2006). The November 2008 conference of the Academy of
HRD in Asia also intends to focus on the role of HRD in sustainable development. Thus, it is
important to examine HRD not only in corporate, but also in social and government settings,
especially in developing countries (Budhwani and McLean 2005). While scholars have addressed
HRD at the national level in various countries, not much has been done within the context of
Pakistan. This working paper sheds light on HRD in Pakistan and how it can be developed by
using local knowledge and international support and expertise. The goal is to contribute to the
limited HRD literature available on Pakistan.
Research questions
As the study progresses, the following research questions will be addressed:
(1) What is the nature of HRD in Pakistan?
(2) What factors influence HRD in Pakistan?
(3) How is HRD addressed by the government sector in Pakistan?
(4) How is HRD addressed by the social sector in Pakistan?
(5) What are the key challenges for HRD in Pakistan?
(6) How can HRD in Pakistan be improved?
Preliminary data analysis
Based on the preliminary data and analysis, the author has been able to focus on HRD in
government and non-profit sectors. This section provides an overview of the following:
- HRD in Pakistan’s government sector
- HRD in Pakistan’s non-profit sector
- Key HRD resources in Pakistan
HRD in Pakistan’s government sector
Preliminary data revealed that HRD in Pakistan’s government is addressed by (1) planning
and development division; (2) ministry of labor, manpower, and overseas Pakistanis; (3) the
National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) and; (4) National Vocational &
5
Technical Education Commission (NAVTEC). The following paragraphs briefly describe the
aforementioned areas.
The planning and development division promotes HRD through the Higher Education
Commission (HEC) of Pakistan by giving scholarships to students, teachers, and scientists.
According to the HEC website (2008), various scholarships are awarded to pursue doctoral
degrees from international universities, individuals are sent to international institutions for
conducting research, and Pakistanis living abroad are offered positions at various universities in
Pakistan. The author of this paper is also working in Pakistan as a foreign scholar. The focus of
HEC is on developing individuals and institutions in social sciences, humanities, engineering,
agriculture, and technology.
The mandate of the ministry of labor, manpower, and overseas Pakistanis is to formulate
policies pertaining to labor administration, human resource planning, and employment
promotion. According the ministry’s website, the ministry’s vision focuses on socio-economic
upliftment of the working people, harmonizing labor management relations, promoting a
productivity-based culture, addressing the dignity of labor, and creating a decent work
environment.
The NCHD was established in 2001 as a federal body. Its focus is on achieving the
millennium development goals through the social sector by improving the public sector delivery
mechanisms. It aims to address areas such as universal primary education, adult education,
gender empowerment, and capacity building at grass-roots level. NCHD works as an incubator
for building capacity and competencies of government and NGO sectors (NCHD 2008).
In 2006, NAVTEC was established by the government of Pakistan. Its focus is on preparing
HRD strategy, promoting technical education and vocational training, and developing national
occupational skills standards (NAVTEC 2008).
HRD in Pakistan’s non-profit sector
Interview findings revealed that the non-profit sector in Pakistan, also referred to as the
nongovernmental
organization (NGO) sector, seems to be far more organized, experienced, and
committed to promoting HRD than any other sector in the country. International and local NGOs
have played a significant role in promoting HRD in Pakistan (J. Williams, personal
communication, November 15, 2007)
The NGO sector, through public-private partnership, has been able to promote HRD in
various ways such as imparting adult education, designing and delivering training programs,
providing funds through microfinance for economic development, setting up healthcare centers,
and addressing the child labor issue. Presently, the NGO resource center (NGORC) and SEDC
are the two umbrella organizations that have created platforms for various NGOs in Pakistan.
Key HRD resources in Pakistan
This section provides, in a tabular form (see Table 1), an overview of various HRD resources
in Pakistan. Only key organizations in government and non-profit sectors are included.
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The organizations mentioned in Table 1 also publish various HRD related materials. The
published materials include journals, quarterly newsletters, research reports, annual reports,
monographs, case studies, and directories.
Table 1: Key HRD organizations in Pakistan
Organization Year of
inception
Website
HEC* 2002 HRD site:
[Link]
Homepage: [Link]
HRD Network (HRDN)** 1999 [Link]
Ministry of labor, manpower, and
overseas Pakistanis*
1947 [Link]
(accessible through
[Link]
NAVTEC* 2006 [Link]
Planning & development
division**
1958 [Link]
NCHD* 2001 [Link]
NGORC** 1990 [Link]
Sustainable development
networking program (SDNP)**
1992 [Link]
SEDC** 2001 [Link]
Social policy and development
center (SPDC)**
1995 [Link]
South Asian association for
regional cooperation HRD
Center**
2002 [Link]
(*Government, **NGO)
Recommendations
Based on the preliminary data, there are several recommendations for HRD scholars and
practitioners. First, it is recommended that HRD in Pakistan be understood from a holistic and
not from a narrow, ethnocentric perspective. In Pakistan, HRD is more about overall human
development than just training and organization development.
Second, it is recommended that researchers avoid assuming that HRD in a developing
country may not be challenging enough. In fact, it might be the contrary and enhance one’s
current HRD perspectives, thereby opening more avenues for HRD research and practice.
Third, the international HRD community should consider creating collaborative partnerships
with public and private HRD institutions in South Asia, particularly in Pakistan. This is in
addition to building on the current HRD Asia chapter. Starting exchange programs, organizing
field trips for HRD students, and teaching and conducting research at educational institutions are
some of the steps that can be taken to promote collaboration with institutions in Pakistan.
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Also, Pakistan has an acute shortage of HRD researchers and practitioners (Aftab 2007),
which is proving to be a major obstacle in the country’s economic growth. While security and
safety issues can pose a challenge in certain parts of Pakistan, it would be inappropriate to
consider the entire country as unsafe and insecure.
Fourth, as suggested by participants in the December 2006 AHRD conference in Malaysia
(Ismail et al. 2007), the influence of Asia’s current political issues, socio-economic development,
and culture on HRD should be addressed. The same argument can be used for studying HRD in
Pakistan.
Fifth, efforts should be made to create long-term partnerships with the HEC, Pakistan. The
HEC, in its efforts to improve the quality of education in all universities across Pakistan, is
actively seeking scholars in various fields who are willing to work and conduct research in
Pakistan.
Finally, it is recommended that efforts should be made to use technology to promote
collaborative efforts with institutions in Pakistan. Use of technology should not be considered as
an alternative to working or conducting research in Pakistan. Instead, it should be looked at as
one of the ways to initiate a collaborative partnership.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be stated that HRD in Pakistan needs to be studied from a broader
perspective (Budhwani and McLean 2005). While government’s HRD efforts focus on the public
sector, the non-profit sector’s HRD efforts are aimed at the grass-roots level. Also, at the
government level there is a no ministry or division of HRD.
As the study progresses and more data are collected, the author will be in a position to
address the nature and scope of HRD in Pakistan.
References
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organizations of Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Wah Region in Pakistan. International
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