Integrated Regional Support Program (IRSP)

IRSP is a multi-sector development organization (evolved from Pak German Integrated Rural Development Program-IRDP) working on integrated approach to bring sustainable development in the region. The Pak-German IRDP (established in 1984) was a joint venture of Government of KP and German Government (GTZ) that through evolutionary process of its organizational development that gave birth to IRSP. Being established in 1996 and formally registered in 2001; IRSP has now become a resource organization for capacity building in “Community Led Total Sanitation”, “Water Quality Analysis & Monitoring” and “Menstrual Hygiene Management” after these approaches are pioneered by IRSP in the social sector of Pakistan. The Pak-German Integrated Rural Development Program (IRDP) was initiated in 1984 by the joint venture of German Government (GTZ) and Provincial Government of NWFP (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Local Government and Rural Development Department (LG&RDD) to start developmental projects in poppy cultivation districts of KPK. The projects carried out its activities for more than a decade in Mardan district (now Mardan & Swabi). During 1996, the phasing out strategy of the IRDP was started and the project has started shifting the transfer of assets and skills to the newly formed organizations. The local organizations (especially villages organizations & women organizations) were clustered at regional level and seven Regional Development Organizations (RDOs) were formed at regional level as representative organizations of VOs and WOs. The project has decided to hire a consultant to review the IRDP developmental projects before its phasing out in 2000. The evaluation of the program came up with suggestion to establish an apex body for sustainability of the VOs, WOs and RDOs. This gave birth to IRSP. IRSP was formally registered in December 2001 under Societies Registration Act XXI 1860.