Our Strategy

Message from CEO RSPN

Dear Members and Advisors of the RSPN Board

It is an honour to present the RSPN Strategy 2026-2030 – a shared vision shaped by the collective wisdom, experience, and commitment of the entire Rural Support Programmes (RSP) family.

This Strategy is the result of an extensive and inclusive process. RSPN extends its sincere thanks to the RSPN Board Strategy Committee for its strategic guidance, and to the Chief Executive Ofﬁcers and staff of our member RSPs, whose dedication and insights have been central to shaping our priorities. We am equally grateful to our donors and development partners, whose perspectives have supported our approach to be forward-looking and aligned with both national priorities and the evolving global development agenda.

This Strategy reafﬁrms our core mission — to remain people-centric — while setting a clear roadmap for addressing emerging challenges and opportunities.

As we look ahead, we do so with a renewed commitment to partnership, innovation, and impact. RSPN is conﬁdent that, together, we will continue to make meaningful strides towards realising the vision of empowered communities across Pakistan

With warm regards,

Shandana Khan

Chief Executive Officer

Introduction

The Rural Support Programmes (RSPs) are a national asset of Pakistan. The first RSP – the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) – was established in 1982 by the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF). Its success and widespread recognition has led to the establishment of other RSPs across the country. In July 2000, the Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN) was established by the RSPs with financial assistance from DFID (now the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office), to facilitate the growth and development of RSPs in the country. Today, RSPN serves as a strategic platform for nine member RSPs, bringing together over 43 years of knowledge in Community-Driven Development (CDD). RSPN is currently the largest CDD network in Pakistan.
RSPN is proud to present its Strategy for 2026–2030, developed through an inclusive and participatory process. The process included an internal SWOT exercise by RSPN staff in September 2024, followed by a round of consultations with each of the nine member RSPs and then by a Board Strategy Retreat on 13 May 2025. The consultative process included some international donors. This Strategy outlines RSPN’s vision, mission, and priorities for the next five years as we continue to support rural communities in Pakistan to overcome poverty through empowerment and collective action. The document sets a clear direction for RSPN’s role as a catalyst for innovation, a national platform of its nine RSP members, sharing lessons between them, doing advocacy with external stakeholders to improve pro-poor policies and resource mobilisation for the RSPs, while remaining adaptable to emerging challenges and opportunities

Vision

Empowered people realise their full potential for inclusive social and economic development.

Mission

To facilitate RSPs in nurturing people’s social capital through shared learning, innovation, advocacy, and meaningful partnerships.

Our Approach to Community Driven Development

RSPs recognise that poor households in Pakistan — in rural and urban areas — often remain invisible and disconnected from state institutions and the development processes. Without organisation and empowerment, they cannot effectively access public services, opportunities, skills, or entitlements. RSPs bridge this gap by mobilising and organising these house holds in to their own community institutions and groups.
RSPN facilitates RSPs through knowledge creation and documentation, support in strategy and programme development, innovation, partnerships, and policy advocacy, while RSPs foster and connect community institutions with political and administrative systems and support them in implementing programmes. As of June 2025, RSPs have collectively mobilised 8.7 million households into 538,000 Community Organisations, 44,850 Village Organisations and 2,520 union council level Local Support

Organisations in 152 districts of Pakistan. The membership of Community Organisations stood at 9.1 million, of which 56% are women. The RSP approach was endorsed by the SAARC Heads of State in 1993 (Dhaka), who recommended the promotion of social capital strengthening through dedicated support organisations like the RSPs. In Pakistan and India, public endowments to organisations such as the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), the National Rural Support Programme, Sarhad Rural Support Programme, Sindh Rural Support Organisation, Balochistan Rural Support Programme, and Ghazi Barotha Taraqiati Idara validate this institutional approach.
RSPN recognises the need for flexibility in approach, responding to local realities, Pakistan’s diversity and donor requirements. In a fast changing environment where factors like digital literacy are beginning to impact our lives and in areas where security concerns shape our approach locally, RSPN remains flexible to working with and through a variety of local CSOs. The effort remains to link this social pillar to all efforts, for a wholistic approach to community development.

Focus Areas

Knowledge Management and Documentation

Capture and disseminate evidence-based insights and innovations from RSPs.
Promote learning through policy briefs, case studies, thematic papers, and documentation of best practices—especially on social capital, institutional linkages, and people-centred approaches.
Support knowledge-sharing platforms for RSPs and development partners, including lessons from emerging urban contexts.

Capacity Development and Coordination

Provide technical and strategic support to RSPs based on demand or emerging opportunities.
Organise exchanges and peer learning mechanisms among RSPs.
Strengthen coordination across the RSP family on common themes such as M&E, gender, climate resilience, youth, and expanding development models to urban fringes.

Innovation and Strategic Pilots

Act as an entrepreneurial hub to test new development ideas and adapt global best practices to local contexts, including urban settings.
Pilot scalable approaches that address evolving rural and urban challenges.
Support RSPs in scaling successful pilots through sustained engagement with donors and government.

Advocacy and Policy Engagement

Impact policies with evidence from our work, speciﬁcally in areas of community driven development and poverty reduction.
Represent RSPs at national and international platforms, contributing to development policy dialogues.
Advocate for increased public sector investment in community-driven development, including support for growing urban poverty and vulnerabilities.

Strategic Partnerships

Build partnerships with government bodies, donors, academic institutions, foundations, the private sector, INGOs and NGOs.
Help RSPs leverage national and provincial programmes to access resources for both rural and urban communities.
Facilitate joint programming or learning with actors aligned with the RSP approach and adaptive to evolving geographic realities.

Strategic Responsiveness and Adaptive Programming

Maintain strategic ﬂexibility to respond to emergent needs, donor interests, and new development opportunities—including those in peri-urban and urban areas.
Leveraging other networks to access required skills and knowledge, where needed
Use adaptive management to revise priorities as needed while remaining aligned with our long-term goals.

The Way Forward

RSPN will work closely with member RSPs, governments, donors, foundations, international organisations, and the private sector to advance this Strategy. At the core of this work is the strengthening of community institutions and other forms of social capital, promoting inclusive development from the ground up. Through collaborative partnerships and sustained engagement, RSPN and RSPs will continue to empower communities, foster resilience, and enable sustainable socio-economic progress for Pakistan’s underprivileged communities.

View RSPN Strategy 2026-2030