National Consultation Workshop
We attended the National Consultation Workshop on the Draft National Water Conservation Strategy and Stock Taking Assignment for National Water Policy Implementation and the Launch of Water Quality Reports. It was a very informative and new experience for us as students to attend such a professional workshop with all stakeholders. We learned about Pakistan's insights into water issues, the concerns of the stakeholders, and their input into the draft water conservation strategy of Pakistan. The work was divided into three phases. Following the presentation by Ms. Hifza Rasheed, Secretary of PCRWR, the chief guests, including PCRWR Chairman Mr. Muhammad Ashraf, made opening remarks in the first phase. Then the discussion opened, and the guests gave their remarks on the policy and raised points that it lacked in the second phase. The final phase of the workshop was followed by the stock-taking assignment for the draft. This experience was beneficial for us in analyzing a policy or strategy document and gave us insight into how this work is done on a national level. We observed the whole workshop and took minutes of the workshop.
Admin Department (30; January 2023 to 3; February 2023)
Starting with our first department, which was administration, Mr. Mufti Saleem (Assistant Director Admin) briefed about the work and structure of the organization. He explained the functions of the finance department in detail and then we were shown how they do the noting and drafting of office files. Then, the next day, Mr. Ahmed and Mr. Zia-Ul-Haq (staff, admin branch) told us about the parts of an office file: noting, correspondence, and routine. We learned the art of proceeding with a file within an organization. We learned the skill of teamwork while having respect for hierarchy. We learned and watched how the administration department deals with administrative cases, including employee case files. We got to study a few of the case files of PCRWR employees. Our one-week experience in the administration department was full of learning and watching practical work, although we did not have much work to do but had a lot to learn.
Finance department (6; February 2023 to 10; February 2023)
In the finance department, we gained most of our practical experience. In the beginning, we were guided by Mr. Bilal from the Finance Department, who briefed us about the allowances that the employees get and how they are calculated using formulas and procedures and how they make salaries for employees. He also told us about the different pay scales and the grants, allowances, and salaries associated with those scales. The most technical skills that we learned in the finance department were cashbook maintenance and reconciliation by practically maintaining some of their cashbook for the fiscal years 2022–2023. We also learned the art of budgeting for both projects and the organization itself. We worked with Mr. Amir Shehzad (Assistant Accounts) in the finance department for the last two days of our week, and he briefed us on tendering and bidding as well as tax calculation and money codes used in government organizations. Under his supervision, we practically learned how to make contingent registers and write checks. He evaluated our cashbook management, check writing, and reconciliation. This experience was extremely beneficial in terms of learning and developing skills required for project or organizational financial management.
Water management Department (13; February 2023 to 17; February 2023)
In the final week of our internship, we were in the water management department of PCRWR, where Mr. Kashif (Deputy Director Water Management Department) told us about the major activities of this department, including crop water requirements, water conservation, ground water investigations, hydrology modelling and GIS/RS, recharge of depleted aquifers, watershed management, drainage, and land reclamation. They showed us all the models they have applied in the PCRWR building, including lysimeters and water catchment devices such as the Chameleon Moisture Sensor, Chameleon Wifi Reader, and Hydra Ram Pump, as well as the statistics for the lysimeters they have applied all over Pakistan. Mr. Kashif also told us about the procedure for collaborating with different international organizations, including the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Koika, UNICEF, and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). This was a very helpful experience that enhanced our skills in project management and international outreach, as well as communication and coordination. The task that was given to us by Mr. Kashif was to read and do a gap analysis of the National Water Policy of Pakistan. We read the policy document and did gap analyses; our supervisor, Mr. Kashif, appraised our work, and we learned about policy gap analysis.
