ISLAMABAD: The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and Rural Support Programme Network (RSPN) on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to help graduate people out of extreme poverty in the country.

BISP chairperson Marvi Memon and RSPN chief executive officer Shandana Khan signed the MoU that will allow the two organisations to lay out a broad framework for mutual cooperation, collaboration, data sharing, learning and research using the different poverty-reduction strategies of BISP. They would devise a framework to utilise the beneficiaries of BISP across the country.

It was agreed that BISP would explore possibility to sign separate agreements with RSPN for each of its upcoming programmes that require community outreach.

Ms Memon said that the partnership would lead to strengthening of bond between BISP and its beneficiaries. The data-sharing would help determine right programmes, projects and activities for the poor, leading to their poverty-graduation in a dignified manner, she added.

Ms Khan expressed the hope that the partnership would engage BISP beneficiaries in a befitting manner and assist it in achieving the goals of its poverty graduation strategy.

According to the MoU, RSPN would also share data of the rural support programmes, social mobilisation activities in the country and information about its current and new initiatives/projects on a regular basis.

To ensure security of data, it was agreed that RSPN would take prior permission from BISP for sharing it with any of its implementing partners.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2018