The government has asked the World Bank for the third time to restructure the $400 million Higher Education Development in Pakistan (HEDP) project. This request aims to facilitate the completion of essential IT and IT-related tasks and to fully meet Performance Based Conditions (PBCs).
Official documents reveal that the Higher Education Development in Pakistan (HEDP) project, now in its fifth year, aims to enhance research excellence, improve teaching and learning, and strengthen governance in the higher education sector. The government has requested an extension until June 30, 2025, to enable the project to achieve its objectives, particularly in developing a robust digital learning infrastructure.
While the overall implementation progress is rated moderately satisfactory, some challenges have been encountered in IT-related procurements under Component 3. These challenges include delays in hiring IT staff, procurement approvals, and addressing capacity issues in the local IT market. Despite this, significant progress has been made, with $278.30 million disbursed from the International Development Association (IDA) Credit as of February 29, 2024.
To address these challenges, the restructuring proposes changes to four Performance-Based Conditions (PBCs) and aims to reallocate funds to new targets, such as supporting continued learning during crises and enhancing financial autonomy for universities.
This restructuring marks the project’s third adjustment. The first, in June 2021, addressed the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, while the second, in June 2023, repurposed unutilized funds to support research initiatives and financial autonomy for universities.
