Institute for Development Studies and Practices is an outcome of more than twenty-five years work in community development. The concept of the institute was initiated by Dr. Quratulain Bakhteari in 1996. The concept of IDSP stemmed from witnessing various examples of stark dichotomies between the planning/management level and the field/implementation levels, in which usually the implementers [at the field level] are left without inclusion in the thinking/conceptualization of the development process. Since the planning is not locally grounded, and with the finite life of any development project, a culture of un-sustainability and lack of ownership emerges. IDSP’s idea has been to develop a cadre of effective development thinkers, planners and practitioners at grassroots level (practice) level. This concept paper was shared with different donors and The Asia Foundation agreed to provide the initial funding for testing the concept. The first phase of implementation was piloted in Quetta and Lahore.

These efforts were assessed and evaluated by a third party and strongly recommended that the course in Quetta should go ahead. Based on the recommendations a detailed feasibility across- three years was developed for the institute. The institute was registered in December 1998 with the Social Welfare Department, Government of Balochistan as a national human resource development institute under the Social Welfare Act 1961 (Reg. No. DSW-834).

The feasibility defined five clear areas of programmatic thrusts for IDSP.
* Certificate and Diploma courses in community development
* Synthesizing and applying research
* Initiating process projects
* Initiating Public Debate and Dialogue
* Providing transformatory advisory services