Local Support Organisations: A Case Study of Gilgit, Baltistan and Chitral

This study on “Local Support Organisations: A Case Study of Gilgit, Baltistan & Chitral” provides a review of the evolution of local community organisations and community philanthropy over the years. It highlights the processes with reference to the conceptual framework of civil society; why it is formed, how it works and contributes to the progress of people in the community. Based on an extensive literature review, the report brings to light the concept of civil society and diverse definitions and typologies of NGOs/CSOs/LSOs/GROs/CBOs used in different contexts, representing the aspirations of different interest groups, signifying active civic participation in the development framework, and its impact. The concept of LSOs and its evolution in Gilgit, Baltistan & Chitral (GBC) is examined as one manifestation of the process of participatory governance, civic engagement, and community philanthropy, where communities have accumulated their private energies for the public good, aiming to improve the quality of life of the targeted communities. The objective of the study is to review and analyse the performance of LSOs in terms of governance, management, sustainability and programme efficiency in three areas of Northern Pakistan. In all, 40 LSOs working in GBC were evaluated against 51 parameters in the assessment tool.