LAHORE - The Punjab government has decided to formalise, systemise, strengthen, improve, expand and automate the “Second Annual Capacity Building Plan 2016-17” under the Continuous Capacity Building and Professional Development (CCPD) Wing of the Punjab Local Fund Audit Department.

Official sources told The Nation that the importance of the capacity building would become many-fold in the wake of the upcoming local government setups. They further said that the same was held during 2015-16.

As per the documents, under the Directorate’s Policy dated 30-06-2015 an Ex-officio Continuous Capacity Building and Professional Development (CCPD) Wing of the Local Fund Audit Department Punjab was established.

An officer of the Finance department said that the First Annual Capacity Building Plan 2015-16 was prepared besides issuing an SOP for the same and almost fifteen days Capacity Building and Professional Development Workshop Sessions have been held successfully at all the Divisional Directorates during the financial year 2015-16, where the concerned Divisional Heads and their teams merit special recognition and appreciation.

“To encourage key performers during the process of capacity building they are being graded and ranked by the respective Divisions and are considered for the award” the officer added. The government of the Punjab has allocated a token sum of Rupees One Million to the Local Fund Audit department during the current financial year, whereas a sum of Rs. 8,81,000/- has been distributed to 136 members of Local Fund Audit during the last financial year, he held.

Now in consideration of the feedback of the First Annual Capacity Building Plan 2015-16 and its Sessions held last year, it has been decided to formalize the same in the form of “Second Annual Capacity Building Plan 2016-17” and so on for future under the Continuous Capacity Building and Professional Development (CCPD) Wing of the Punjab Local Fund Audit Department.

Sources further said that it has also been decided that two full day sessions a month shall be held first for all the officers and then for all the officials of the Local Fund Audit Department tentatively on 5th and 20th of each month respectively at all the Divisional Directorates.

All other concerned officers and officials of the TMAs, Development Authorities, and Autonomous Bodies, which are benefiting from the services of the Local Fund Audit members, shall also be invited to attend these sessions, at the decision of the Divisional Directors concerned. Monthly, quarterly, half yearly and annual evaluation and grading of the program and the participants shall be made and willful non-compliance or unauthorized absence of any official of Local Fund Audit shall be regarded as indiscipline, inefficiency, and misconduct for proceeding further.

Participation in these sessions shall also become part of the “Training Received” for the purpose of the PERs of the concerned officials for the respective year. Annual Seminar of the Punjab Local Fund Audit Department shall be held on 10th December each year like in the last year i.e. 2015 it was the “First Annual Seminar”.

In the last session of each financial year in the month of June, there shall be an addition to the recap, feedback, evaluation and grading of that whole year besides devising a comprehensive and Improved Annual Plan for the next financial year.

All the Divisional Directors are authorized to select the

Honorary Resource Persons, get the presentations prepared and delivered embedded with the practical exercises to their full satisfaction and comfort and also of the participants besides properly and formally ‘minuting’ the same under report to the Provincial Directorate.

All the Divisional Directors shall forward soft and hard copies of the Notices, minutes. Presentations and Photographs etc. of these sessions to the Provincial Directorate for information, record, evaluation, gradation, dissemination to the media and social media and up-loading on the website of the Local Fund Audit department, Punjab for learning, grooming and exposure of all concerned. All these steps shall be automated as an SOP by all the Divisional Directorates. The Provincial Director himself will visit and also cause other members of the Provincial Directorate to visit these sessions as an observer at his convenience and as per schedule approved by him.