Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN), Pakistan
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Who We Are

The Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN) consists of ten member Rural Support Programmes (RSPs) that espouse a common approach to rural development

Social mobilisation

Social mobilisation centres on the belief that poor people have an innate potential to help themselves, that they can better manage their limited resources if they organise and are provided technical and financial support. The RSPs provide social guidance, technical and financial assistance to the rural poor.

Capacity building and policy advocacy

Set up by the RSPs in 2000, RSPN works closely with government, donors and communities to promote the RSP approach to community driven development that has significant pro-poor impacts. The RSPs have a long standing relationship with the Government of Pakistan, this is highlighted by the fact that five of RSPN’s partner RSPs have received substantial support and seed grants from the government, however they are all registered as not-for-profit organisations and are independent.

Rural communities

RSPN’s edge is its vast outreach to rural communities through the RSPs, its strong and influential relationship with government for impacting pro-poor public policy, and its central position that brings together over thirty years of knowledge in participatory development work with Pakistan’s rural communities. RSPs are local, flexible and responsive organisations, RSPs find localised community-based solutions to help take Pakistan’s development agenda forward.

Vision

Realising people’s potential for social and economic development

Our vision represents the basic philosophy of RSPs’ social mobilisation approach to CDD. RSPN’s work therefore aligns itself with RSPs’ work and centres on the belief that poor men and women have an innate potential to help themselves, that they can better manage their limited resources if they organise themselves into their own institutions. Peoples’ own institutions serve as the primary partners in fulfilling the nation’s development agenda by extending outreach to the household level across the country, for it is at the household level that poverty is experienced on a daily basis.

Mission

Strengthen the Rural Support Programmes to foster institutions of the people

Our mission is to further facilitate, enable and provide technical support to member RSPs to foster sustainable institutions of the people. RSPN’s mandate focuses on ensuring that all RSPs follow the core social mobilisation approach, and improving coordination and communication between RSPs network and key development partners especially the government, donor organisations, and civil society.

Objectives

  • To provide strategic support to RSPs to remain relevant to the needs of the poor communities in the field of social mobilisation, social sectors and capacity building
  • To undertake policy advocacy to influence government, donors, private sector and civil society to work through organised communities
  • To undertake research and knowledge management for the RSPs and stakeholders, and for networking amongst RSPs and external stakeholders for cross learning
  • To support gender mainstreaming in RSPs’ strategies, organisations, and programmes
  • To undertake resource mobilisation for RSPs to realise their strategies