​​Capacity Building through Partnerships, Project Management, Monitoring & Evaluation ($ 6.796 M)

This component will support HEC in strengthening its core functions of regulation, capacity building, and funding of Pakistan's higher education sector through strategic and targeted Technical Assistance (TA). In addition, it will support the TA required for the implementation of various components and subcomponents and for the achievement of results and PBCs. This component also includes the overall project management and managing critical activities of project.

A Project Coordination Unit (PCU) has also been established under this component to oversee the project planning and management of HEDP. PCU carries out the finance, procurement, communications, environment, and safety, social, contract management and overall management functions of the project. The PCU is also responsible for reporting, stakeholder's engagement and coordination including managing Steering Committee (SC) Meetings.

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The Steering Committee of the HEDP Project is the governing body of the project and provides strategic leadership and governance oversight. This committee monitors progress in project execution, to provide strategic and policy guidance, and to review and approve annual work plans and budgets.

​The Project Steering Committee (PSC) supports the role and functions by Program Coordination Unit (PCU) and serves as the Secretariat of the Steering Committee and prepares working papers, briefing papers and Implementation status/ progress reports and provides all the necessary information and evidence it needs to make recommendations and decisions. PCU is also responsible for yearly Third-Party Validation (TPV) of project that leads to disbursement to government of Pakistan for project activities.  

National Academy of Higher Education (NAHE):

There are several capacity building activities in this component that include trainings for HEC staff, HEIs faculty focusing on women leadership training via NAHE.  Another key activity under this component of HEDP is to support and strengthen NAHE towards its empowerment as independent entity. ​

Women Leadership Program (WLP):

The Women Leadership Program (WLP) is designed to strengthen the leadership potential of women working in public sector universities across Pakistan. It advances equity, diversity, and inclusion by equipping women for key leadership roles within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

"A total of 161 women from 70 public sector universities across all provinces have been trained under WLP. Upon successful completion of the program, the Government drew US $3.98 million from the World Bank".

 Establishment of Regional NAHE Hubs:

Women Empowerment Mentorship Program (WEMP)

The Women Empowerment Mentorship Program (WEMP) was launched in 16 women universities across Pakistan to promote leadership, personal growth, and professional development among female faculty and staff. The initiative is part of HEC’s commitment to gender equity and inclusive excellence in higher education.

A total of 190 mentors guided over 550 mentees, building meaningful, long-term mentoring relationships that foster empowerment and career advancement within academic and administrative roles.

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To support implementation, comprehensive Mentor and Mentee Toolkits were developed, ensuring clarity of roles, structured guidance, and sustainability of the mentoring relationships.

National Outreach Program for Faculty

A four-week National Outreach Program for early career faculty members (Lecturers and Assistant Professors) of public sector universities across Pakistan was developed. The program is being conducted at university campuses, making it accessible and inclusive. A highly qualified pool of expert trainers was selected through a rigorous and competitive process to ensure the uniform quality of the training across different universities. The program aims to strengthen foundational competencies in teaching, research, technology integration, communication skills, academic management, psychological well-being and professional development, empowering faculty to excel in their academic careers.

"This four-week training has been successfully implemented in 38 universities and a total of 1113 faculty members have been trained so far".

Capacity Building for Management of Universities 

A one-week Capacity Building Program specifically designed for university management officers in BPS 17 and 18, focusing on enhancing their leadership, decision-making, financial management, and professional communication skills. Conducted through practical, expert-led workshops, this program addresses administrative challenges to improve institutional effectiveness and equip participants with essential management competencies for better university governance. The training adopts a hands-on approach to strengthen strategic planning, resource allocation, and operational efficiency in higher education institutions.

"The training has been successfully completed in 28 universities and a total of 796 participants have been trained so far".​