Rafiullah Kakar

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT RAFIULLAH KAKAR

Rafiullah Kakar is a leading public policy specialist and strategy consultant with over a decade of professional experience advising international organizations, government agencies, and NGOs. Mr. Kakar’s expertise spans public sector governance and institutional reforms, social sector development, and the political economy of development and conflict. He has a strong track record of delivering impactful policy solutions for clients including the World Bank, UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, Adam Smith International and Delivery Alternative Inc.(DAI), and other global institutions.Most recently, he served as the Member (Social Sector & Science/Technology) at the Planning Commission of Pakistan, where he spearheaded policy research, identification of strategic priorities for public investment, and the development of short- and medium-term plans for key social sectors such as education, health, youth and women empowerment, poverty alleviation, and SDGs. He oversaw a public investment portfolio of over PKR 700 billion and played a leading role in designing flagship national programs for public investment. Previously, as the founding CEO of the Balochistan Public Private Partnership Authority, Mr. Kakar established the foundational policy, legal, and institutional framework for and developed the project pipeline, facilitating sustainable development and investment opportunities in the region. Additionally, Mr. Kakar also served in the Youth Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, where he, among others, led the technical work on the flagship Global Youth Development Index and Report.Mr. Kakar also teaches short modules to participants of Mid Career Management Course (MCMC), Senior Management Course (SMC) and National Management Courses (NMC) at the National School of Public Policy. He also has a prominent track record in publishing academic articles, book chapters and professional policy reports and papers.Mr Kakar completed two master\'s degrees from the University of Oxford on the prestigious Rhodes scholarship. Currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Cambridge as a Gates Cambridge Scholar, he continues to expand his expertise in the political economy of education provision in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.