IDSP-Pakistan

What IDSP-Pakistan does

IDSP-Pakistan (Institute for Development Studies and Practice) is a Pakistani non-governmental organization founded in 1998 by Dr. Quratulain Bakhteari and headquartered in Quetta, Balochistan. The organization operates open learning spaces for marginalized and excluded populations — primarily Afghan refugees, rural women and children, out-of-school adolescents, and youth aged 18–35 — through a six-year learning arc anchored in the proprietary Creating Systems of Learning (CSL) Model and a Freirian-derived Coding/Decoding pedagogy organized around seven thematic areas.

Its product portfolio includes five long-term courses (Transformative Citizenship, Development Studies, Fellowship, Entrepreneurship, and an Associational Model), six professional development short courses (Basic Midwifery, Continuing Medical Education, Film/Documentary Making, Photography, Human Rights, and Leadership Development), and three emerging institutions — the University of Community Development, the Maternal Newborn & Child Health Care Sector (with 400 trained community midwives deployed to native villages), and the Film School for Change — plus a Renewable Energy Program for off-grid communities. All programs are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries, who receive a PKR 1,000 monthly stipend, through a residential eco-friendly campus and village-level community learning spaces.

The business model is donation- and grant-funded: IDSP receives philanthropic contributions (MCB Bank, Give2Asia) and institutional grants from Skoll Foundation, GIZ, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNDP, USIP, British Council, Aga Khan Foundation, Asia Foundation, and the Government of Balochistan. The organization has 72 employees, has completed 67 projects since inception, and reports impacting 201,412 people. Operations are supported by a 15-member Academic Council and an Executive Committee governance structure, with a Karachi office coordinating international partnerships.

Name

IDSP-Pakistan

Legal name

Institute for Development Studies and Practice

Website

https://idsp.org.pk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

IDSP-Pakistan is a Quetta-based non-profit founded in 1998 that delivers free, theory-and-practice education and community midwifery training to marginalized youth, Afghan refugees, and rural women and children in Balochistan using its proprietary Creating Systems of Learning model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-Formal Education and Community Development Services

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAAAEAD

Professional & Applied Skills Noncredit Certificates (Non-licensure)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Continuing Education (Noncredit) & Lifelong Learning Programs

SECONDARYEDAAAFAN

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Community & Public Education Programs (Libraries, Community Centers)

SECONDARYEDAAAEAC

Workforce & Career Transition Noncredit Programs

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Continuing Education (Noncredit) & Lifelong Learning Programs

SECONDARYEDACAIAB

In-Service Professional Development (Workshops/Institutes/Short Courses)

Education/Early Childhood Education/Early Childhood Teacher Training & Professional Development

Keywords

• Community development education
• Non-formal learning programs
• Community midwife training
• Transformative citizenship courses
• Development studies practice

Headquarters

HQ city

Quetta

HQ country

Pakistan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropic Funding: IDSP operates primarily through donations from individuals, philanthropists, and organizations. The organization accepts donations through bank transfers (MCB Bank, Quetta), online platforms (Give2Asia for international donors), and direct sponsorship programs for learners.
2. Institutional Grants and Project Funding: Funding from foundations and international development organizations for specific projects including midwifery training, girls' education, youth leadership, and renewable energy initiatives. Major funders include Skoll Foundation, GIZ, UNESCO, UNICEF, and government bodies.
3. Training and Course Delivery: Revenue generated through providing professional development courses in midwifery, filmmaking, leadership development, and technical-vocational training to partner organizations and government departments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IDSP-Pakistan (Institute for Development Studies and Practice) is a non-governmental organization that provides non-formal, theory and practice-based educational programs and professional development courses for marginalized youth, women, and out-of-school children in Balochistan, Pakistan. Its offerings include the University of Community Development, multi-year courses in transformative citizenship, development studies, fellowship, and entrepreneurship, as well as short courses in midwifery, filmmaking, photography, human rights, and leadership, all delivered free of charge under the Creating Systems of Learning (CSL) Model.

Product overview

IDSP-Pakistan operates as a non-profit educational organization offering a comprehensive learning model through multiple interconnected programs. The core offerings include the University of Community Development (non-formal education institution), five long-term courses (Transformative Citizenship Course, Development Studies Course, Fellowship Course, Entrepreneurship Course, and Associational Model), and six professional development short-term courses (Basic Midwifery, CME, Film/Documentary Making, Photography, Human Rights, and Leadership Development). The organization also runs renewable energy initiatives and houses specialized institutions including a Film School for Change and Maternal, Newborn & Child Health Care Sector. All programs follow the Creating Systems of Learning (CSL) Model, focusing on empowering marginalized youth in Balochistan through theory and practice-based education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• University of Community Development: Non-formal and non-degree awarding open learning institute offering theory and practice-based courses for excluded youth
• Film School for Change
• Maternal, Newborn & Child Health Care Sector

Products and services

• University of Community Development A non-formal and non-degree awarding open learning institute offering theory and practice-based courses for excluded youth, established as IDSP's flagship educational institution.
• Transformative Citizenship Course A two-year practice-based course for children and adolescents aged 9 to 18 at community/village level, focusing on critical thinking and literacy skills through indigenous learning and coding/decoding methodology.
• Development Studies Course A one-year theory and practice-based development studies course at IDSP's regional campus designed for youth aged 18-35, aimed at creating cadres of young community leaders as intellectual and social entrepreneurs.
• Fellowship Course A one-year course designated for IDSP graduates who want to materialize their ideas and carve out a career path, supporting continued practice and mentorship.
• Entrepreneurship Course A two-year course awarding intellectual entrepreneurship or social venture entrepreneurship admission to eligible IDSP graduates, concluding the six-year learning model.
• Basic Midwifery Course Professional development course for community midwives focusing on maternal and neonatal healthcare in Balochistan.
• Continuing Medical Education Course Refresher courses for community midwives and lady health visitors to reduce maternal and infant mortality in Balochistan.
• Film/Documentary Making Course Training youth and community groups in film making to empower them and enable their voices for change through films.
• Renewable Energy Program Pioneering renewable energy initiatives in Balochistan, including solar, wind, and hybrid energy solutions for off-grid and rural areas, with research and policy advocacy components.
• Film School for Change An emerging institution that engages excluded youth, enables their technical filmmaking skills, and helps them raise voices for change through film.

Quantifiable outcome

• 201,412 people impacted since 1998
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Balochistan GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment of Balochistan collaborates with IDSP on various development initiatives and provides institutional support for programs in the province.
• MNCH Balochistan (Maternal, Neonatal & Child Health)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for maternal and child health programs in Balochistan, supporting community midwife training initiatives.
• PPHI Balochistan (Primary Healthcare Initiative)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on primary healthcare initiatives in Balochistan province.
• University of BalochistanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for educational programs and institutional collaboration.
• SBKWU (Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership for academic collaboration and program support.
• NED UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership supporting research learning courses and faculty development programs.
• British Council PakistanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported youth leadership development through democracy, citizenship, and political education courses, and active citizenship and peace building programs.
• Azad Film CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilm industry partnership supporting filmmaking for social change initiatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PRATHAM: India's largest education NGO operating non-formal literacy and youth programs at massive scale. Most directly comparable non-formal youth/adult education model with similar marginalized-population pedagogy.
• The Asia Foundation: International development organization that provided IDSP's founding funding and continues as a partner. Operates overlapping programs in governance, education, and civil society across Pakistan, with similar grant-making and capacity-building approaches.
• Aga Khan Foundation: Pakistan-active foundation running community development, education, and health programs with similar marginalized-population focus. A current IDSP partner, providing direct strategic and operational comparability.

Broad incumbents

• Mercy Corps: Global humanitarian and development organization with comparable programs in youth leadership, conflict-affected community education, and renewable energy in fragile states. Operates at the same tier of international NGO professionalism.
• BRAC: Largest global development NGO combining non-formal education, health worker training (including midwives), and youth livelihoods. BRAC's community-based education model and scale across multiple developing countries makes it a structural benchmark for IDSP's integrated approach.

Regional players

• The Citizens Foundation (TCF): Pakistan's largest education NGO focused on under-served communities, operating a network of purpose-built schools. Comparable in mission and scale, though TCF emphasizes formal K-12 schooling while IDSP emphasizes non-formal youth/adult education.
• Kashf Foundation: Pakistan-based NGO combining women's economic empowerment, microfinance, and education. Overlaps with IDSP's women-focused midwifery and economic empowerment programming in similar geographic contexts.
• National Rural Support Programme (NRSP): Pakistan's largest rural development NGO covering livelihoods, education, and community mobilization across provinces. Comparable in geographic scope and community-based delivery model within Pakistan.
• Indus Resource Centre (IRC): Pakistan-based NGO focused on education, livelihoods, and renewable energy in underserved rural communities including Balochistan. Direct overlap in thematic areas (education, energy access, community development).

Emerging players

• Malala Fund: Global girls' education advocacy and programming organization with active Pakistan presence. Comparable in mission (education for marginalized girls) though differs in delivery model (advocacy + grants vs. direct non-formal education).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCI2hUuWlFbfNZN-XOO3WSrw
• Facebookfacebook.com/Institute-for-Development-Studies-and-Practices-IDSP-147794391898618
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/idsp-pakistan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about IDSP-Pakistan