Draft Speech of Secretary Sb

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent the Most Merciful

Honorable Director General LG&RD, Dr. Masood Representative of UNICEF, Mr.
Ghulam Shabbir Chief Executive Momentum, my colleagues, Ladies and
gentlemen.
Aslam u Alaikum,
I feel honored to be amongst you today for a very noble cause of WASH Human
Resource Capacity Development in the province. As you are well aware that
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene is one of the top priority needs of our province.
We are committed under Sustainable Development Goal 6 to provide clean water
and sanitation services to entire population of the province latest by 2030. The
present status/situation of Water Sanitation and Hygiene in our province is not
satisfactory. We will have to travel a long way to achieve our goals and targets.
We need to put up best efforts and invest considerable resources, both human
and financial, to improve the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene status.
Ladies and gentlemen, I would say and you would agree with me that lack of
awareness about the importance of water, sanitation and hygiene is also a
challenge. Besides, we need to create awareness as well as assess and build the
capacity of our human resource to ensure their effective contribution to address
this WASH related issues effectively and efficiently.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me point out the importance of WASH as well as
capacity building of human resource. Water is a basic necessity, and an important
resource for sustaining life. Clean drinking water, hygiene, and sanitation play an
important part in maintaining health. Approximately 80% of all diseases and 25%
of all deaths in developing countries are caused by polluted water and insufficient
water supply, sanitation and hygiene.
Sanitation is vital for health and development around the world. Sanitation is
important for all. It is especially important for children. Limited access to
sanitation has become such a worldwide problem that 1 in every 4 children suffer
from stunted growth. This leads to “Irreversible physical and cognitive damage."
Our dear Prophet (PBUH) highlighting the importance of Hygiene and Sanitation
said, “ATTHOORU SHATR-UL-IEMAN”.
Access to improved water and sanitation facilities, necessarily lead to improved
health, there is now very clear evidence showing the importance of hygienic
behavior, in particular hand-washing with soap at critical times: after defecating
and before eating or preparing food. Hand-washing with soap can significantly
reduce the incidence of diarrhea, which is the second leading cause of death
amongst children under five years old. In our province Infant Mortality Rate is
very high due to inadequate Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.
For managing human resource within any organization, training is the most
important skill. Training enables the employees to perform better than they are
currently doing; they also get the higher responsibilities for the future. Training is
the planned effort, by an organization, which involves the knowledge, skills,
behaviors for a successful job performance. Training increases the organizational
commitment of the employees. Employees help to achieve organizational goals, if
they are trained and their skills are developed. They can use advance technology.
Moreover, sufficiently knowledgeable staff will increase his/her performance.
The creativity of the employees takes place when they are well -trained, their
skills enhanced and they will be able to deliver quality work, products and
services.
Let me say something about our human resource capacity building needs and
requirements. Unfortunately, our man power has no opportunity or facility for
training, neither pre-service nor in-service or induction training. We need to build
the capacity of our staff in all these important areas i-e. knowledge,
skills/competencies and attitude. The major skills for which capacity building
through training is required are research and planning skills, project formulation
implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills, training in management skills,
IT Skills, and Budget preparation and optimum utilization skills etc. etc.
So far as WASH planning is concerned, I would suggest that based on the need
assessment separate capacity building plans for PHED & Local Govt and Rural
Development human resource should be prepared. These plans should not be
much ambitious rather feasible and implementable keeping in view our resource
constraints. I would also suggest that LG &RD should have its full-fledged training
unit or training academy well equipped with necessary facilities and services
especially a team of capable, committed and dedicated experts to ensure training
and capacity building of our human resource round the year.
At the end let me thank UNICEF, Momentum team of consultants and all others
who are actively participating and contributing for this noble cause.
I assure you full co-operation from our side. We would, Inshallah, make full use
of your sincere efforts and services.

May Allah Almighty help us for this noble cause.

I thank you all.