Team Profile

Waqar Ul Shams

Head of Innovation and Information Systems

Mr. Waqar Ul Shams is a skilled professional bringing together the intersections of public policy, legislation, and technology in public institutions. Currently, he is leading Anthro Insights Pvt Ltd as the Head of Innovation and Information, where he has the opportunity to work on a multitude of technology initiatives.

In the realm of policy, Mr. Waqar has provided pivotal technical assistance to several public institutions, including the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, SDGs Secretariat, and Standing Committee on Climate Change of the National Assembly. His focus is on strengthening inter-provincial coordination, addressing grassroots-level issues, encouraging information sharing among national and provincial assemblies, and achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Pakistan. He is deeply involved in organizing consultations with parliamentarians, civil society, thematic experts, and academia to foster informed and robust policy-making.

Mr. Waqar has led the Young Parliamentary Fellowship (YPF) Program for fresh graduates, providing over 200 parliamentarians with technical support in parliamentary business. His work contributes significantly to the scrutiny and improvement of government systems focusing on SDGs and other vital legislative areas.

Technology is a substantial part of his work, where his focus is on developing digital platforms to enhance inclusivity and accessibility for public institutions. He has developed interactive web platforms for multiple parliamentary components including the development of WPC, SDGs, PAC, PRG, and Climate Change websites and digital media campaigns. He has also developed a digital knowledge hub, first of its kind digital platform for connecting national and provincial assemblies with civil society and academia for evidence-based legislation.

Mr. Waqar is also serving as a Program Coordinator for a Malala Funded Project on promoting Girls’ Education. Past experiences of Mr Waqar include working with Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) as Programme Officer and also working on multiple assignments with different international organizations including UNICEF, UNDP, British Council, UNFPA, and UN Women.

Academically, He has earned a Master’s degree in Development Studies, specializing in Peace, Conflict, and Development, and a Bachelor’s degree in Geo-Informatics Engineering from the esteemed National University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Islamabad. He was honored with the NUST Rector’s Gold Medal and the 2nd Industrial Award in his Final Year Project.