BISP to ensure error free registry of deserving population

Islamabad

Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is all set to register the first ever dynamic National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER) of the country which will ensure error free registry of deserving population.

The updated NSER Data Analytics mechanism was launched by Federal Minister for Planning Development and Reform Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday at the BISP headquarters. The event was also attended by Minister of State and BISP Chairperson MNA Marvi Memon, Secretary BISP Yasmeen Masood, Member Social Sector Planning Division Asma Hyder, Chief Economist Dr Nadeem Javaid and BISP officials.

The Minister was given a detailed presentation on various features of the technology centric Data Collection mechanisms developed by BISP Management Information System (MIS) team. BISP Principal Technology Advisor Ahmad Farooq apprised the Minister that to register the number one NSER in the world, Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) approach has been adopted instead of Paper Assisted Personal Interviewing (PAPI). The registration application has in built checks and controls capable of identifying errors. Blue tooth based synchronization of the enumerators and supervisors, is a quality control feature that will ensure error free registration.

In order to ensure complete coverage of the population, computer based enlisting with the help of Google maps is also being utilized.  The performance and coverage quality of survey teams is monitored from Headquarter through a Visual Monitoring Coverage Assurance (VMCA) system. The addition of new questions in questionnaire related to rural/urban distribution, agro climatic zones, transgender, chronic diseases, mental disabilities, access to justice, vocational training will enhance the quality of data.

Speaking on this occasion, Ahsan Iqbal said that BISP’s updated NSER through new survey will prove to be a cornerstone for the future policy making as it will ensure universal coverage of the widows, orphans, elderly and the disabled making Pakistan a model welfare country in the world.

“The digital mapping of the data would be an asset for launching targeted subsidies on agriculture, electricity, education, health, nutrition and disaster targeted support to the poor,” he added.

Chairperson BISP said that the previous NSER was a static registry unable to cater to changing socio economic conditions of the population. The technology enabled ongoing survey for NSER update will generate best NSER in the world, making Pakistan clinch the top position, whereas currently Pakistan ranks at number five in terms of targeting and selection.

Briefing on the NSER update through resurvey, Director General BISP Dr. Tahir Noor stated that ongoing door to door survey in 16 pilot districts would be completed by July 2017. It would be followed by national roll out in September 2017 that would be completed by March 2018. He apprised that BISP has also successfully tested the Desk registration in Naseerabad, Sukkar, Haripur and Bahawalpur which has shown tremendous results.

The Planning Minister appreciated the dashboard for monitoring of survey activities and said that synergising through technology will be game changer for targeted interventions.