Using Theatre as a Research Tool: Troubleshooting and Benchmarking Pakistan's Devolution Plan1
Abstract
One of the key initiatives of the military government that took power in Pakistan in October 1999 was devolving power to the grassroots level. Elections for the lower three tiers (Union, Tehsil, and District) were held, including for the important position of District Nazim (governor). Despite concerns about the suspension of democracy, many civil society groups and donors who had previously supported devolution or decentralization hoped this initiative would improve public service delivery at the grassroots level. While others have conducted benchmarking exercises to evaluate this initiative, it was considered that using theatre as a tool could uniquely complement these efforts.
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