Who We Are
INTRODUCTION
SPO is one of the leading Pakistani rights-based Civil Society Organizations (CSO) in terms of country-wide presence and outreach. SPO's mission is 'to strengthen and support Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) and public interest institutions
To help achieve and protect the basic human rights of women, children, minorities and other marginalized segments'.
SPO implements a wide range of projects in 43 districts across Pakistan including recently emerged districts of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
In accordance with its stated objectives, SPO advocates protection and promotion of democratic norms, social harmony and gender justice and also provides relief and rescue services besides creating Community Physical Infrastructure (CPI) and livelihood opportunities for the communities prone to nature and human-induced hazards. SPO's most significant strengths lie in its GB, BoD and its full-time staff team comprising over 100 employees, 67 teachers and 3,500 nationwide partners including youth, women and minority organizations/networks, think-tanks, social and political activists and political
leaders.
Realizing the gravity of critical emergency situations that focus communities have in intermittently, SPO also deals with humanitarian emergencies resulting from natural and human-induced hazards including the earthquake, rain-fed floods, cyclones and internal displacement of communities triggered by conflicts.
Over the past 23 years, the initially identified set of values of the new organization named ‘Strengthening Participatory Organization’, have been prudently translated into tangible action through systematic and sustained application. The foundational values of SPO as spelt out at the outset, include:
1. Equality of participation in membership of the GB and BoD of SPO on a voluntary basis from all four Provinces and participation from other areas, e.g. Federal Capital Territory.
2. Representation of membership from diverse disciplines related to development and human rights, gender equality and equity in GB, BoD and staff.
3. Practice of democratic principles and processes.
4. Holding of the individual offices such as the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson in the BoD by rotation between the Provinces while ensuring that office holders have relevant individual capacity to fulfill their specific responsibilities.
5. Maintaining a fine balance between, on the one hand, stewardship and oversight through Policy Guidance by the GB and the BoD without, on the other hand, becoming obstructive and micro-managerial.
6. Enforcing strict compliance of the Code of Conduct by volunteer members so as to prevent possible misuse of facilities and resources.
7. Encouraging participation in the GB, BoD and the management of individuals from religious and ethnic minorities on the basis of merit and competence.
8. Convening quarterly meetings of the BoD, as often as is practical, at locations in all four Provinces rather than only at the National Center of SPO in Islamabad, in order to maintain contact with partner communities and organizations at the grass roots level
9. Inflexible practice of optimal transparency and accountability in all financial aspects of the organization
Over the past twenty years, the practice of the above foundational values has supported the dedicated and capable full-time management team at SPO so as to steadily and successfully expand and coordinate the significant growth of SPO.
Our Values
United we stand strengthening communities and institutions to empower vulnerable sections of society including children, women, religious, ethnic and other minorities…..”
Our Vision
United we stand strengthening communities and institutions to empower vulnerable sections of society including children, women, religious, ethnic and other minorities…..”
Our promise
United we stand strengthening communities and institutions to empower vulnerable sections of society including children, women, religious, ethnic and other minorities…..”