The programme Promotion of Good Governance in Afghanistan

The programme Promotion of Good Governance in Afghanistan – RCD

Rule of lawHow a new law reforms public procurement for the benefit of citizens

Accountability How an office found its proper place within the administration of Afghanistan

Participation When a female activist advocates more respect of women’s rights

Editorial

Content

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4 // TiTle Closing gaps for more social justice: How a

German development programme promotes good

governance. 14 // PRovinCes And PRojeCTs

employment and health: Agricultural advisors and

partnership problems. 16 Promoting unforeseen potential:

Filling infrastructure gaps reduces sexual assaults.

18 new well and new purchase: Best water for a village,

best prices for citizens. 20 Back to the future: Finally,

school classes for 800 pupils. 22 Between corruption and

opportunities: Rule of law provides future opportunities.

24 disorientation and willingness to reform: From a

dysfunctional to a model office. 26 // GendeR Claiming

rights and overcoming discrimination: A female activist

demands more participation. 28 // GoveRn4AfG

A knowledge platform sees the bigger picture.

30 // insiGHT Member of a learning community.

31 // fACTs & fiGuRes Promoting the rule of law via

trainings and dialogue forums.

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dear reader,

fghanistan is going through a decade of transformation. A year ago, the new development strategy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan 2025 was ratified. The issue of good governance plays a central role in this strategy and the German government supports

the country through the support of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to institutionalise the principles of good governance.

The federal government’s efforts focus on the rule of law, political participation and public administration – areas in which Afghanistan agreed to implement reforms. Part of this drive towards reform is the programme “Promotion of Good Governance in Afghanistan – RCD” that is implemented in Kabul as well as in six provinces in northern Afghanistan by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

The programme aims at improving public services. Therefore, RCD strengthens administrative capacities from the national to the municipal level: training activities provide civil servants with knowledge in terms of planning, budgeting, implementing or maintaining projects that are required for well functioning public institutions and citizen-oriented services.

This magazine will provide more information on the German commitment to the people of Afghanistan. Learn how a fund for regional development became a learning programme by integrating systematically lessons learned into training modules and how the German-Afghan cooperation manages to anchor the principles of accountability in public institutions.

Moreover we describe projects implemented throughout the last three years: we present people, teams and methods that have helped the Afghan people experience more social justice as a result of the cooperative interactions of RCD and its partners.

Finally, on page 26 and 27 you will find information on how women’s rights are integrated in the programme and why a female activist claims more political participation.

We hope you enjoy reading the information provided.

Robert Kressirer, GIZ Country Director

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Transit country Afghanistan: according to the united nations (un),

in 2015 only 17 states worldwide have been less developed than the

country at the foot of the Hindu Kush Mountains.

Closing gaps for more

social justice

A German programme assists the Afghan government to build up public institutions, to institutionalise accountability and to consolidate political participation.

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ince 2001, the federal government of Germany has provided more than two billion euros for the recon- struction of Afghanistan via the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It is the third largest bilateral donor after the USA and Japan. In 2014, the Government of National Unity

committed itself to the implementation of reforms, in order to improve the fragile socio-economic situation.

improving social justiceEven though good governance is embedded in the Afghan development strategy, the state in its current form is not a guarantee for order, social security and future opportunities. Arbitrariness in the judicial system, individual interests within local authorities as well as a lack of citizen participation are unfortunately common in many places. The consequences are limited public services for citizens and a low level of confidence in governmental institutions.

satisfying basic needs Constructive relations between the state and its citizens are the basis for the fight against poverty. “If the performance and accountability of these institutions are successfully improved, the people’s need for justice can be satisfied,” clarifies Sophie Kraume of the BMZ. This could in the end contribute to the country’s stabilisation.

Building capacitiesThe Afghanistan strategy of the BMZ covers five sectors: education and vocational training, energy, promotion of employment and economic development, water supply and, last but not least, good governance. Under the direction of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH the programme “Promotion of Good Governance in Afghanistan – RCD” is active in Kabul as well as in six provinces in the north of the country. Four areas of action focus on topics such as policy advice, capacity development in public administration, political participation

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80 per cent of the Afghans work in agriculture, contributing 30 per cent to the gross national product.

“Good governance is embedded in the Afghan development strategy. We support the government in reaching their goal.” sophie Kraume, BMZ

Created by EliRatusfrom the Noun Project

linking support to reformsIn 1993, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation

and Development (OECD) emphasised for the first time

the importance of good governance. In 2000, the United

Nations (UN) incorporated the concept in the United

Nations Millennium Declaration. In parallel, the Member

States of the EU and the African, Caribbean and Pacific

(ACP) countries embedded it in chapter 9 of the Cotonou

Agreement. Thereby, four key principles are at the centre

of interest:

• Sustainable policy making focused on poverty relief

• Respect, protection and guarantee of human rights

• Democracy and rule of law

• Performance and mandatory accountability of the state

The Accra Agenda for Action 2008 initiated that bi- and

multilateral donors integrate these principles into their

programmes. Since this time, the provision of services

within the context of international cooperation are made

conditional on a willingness to initiate reforms.

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and disaster risk reduction. Optimising processes and the qualification of civil servants in the provinces, districts and municipalities aims to increase efficiency, connect institutions and ensure citizen participation. As a result, the delivery of public services can be improved, ultimately increasing citizen’s confidence in the government.

Taking into account learning experiences “Essentially, it is about democratic control,” says Jörg Knocha, RCD manager. He still knows the programme from its previous phase when it was called RCDF, a regional development fund combining investments in constructions with qualification activities, in order to close infrastructure gaps. For this purpose, the skills of engineers of local administrations were built in the areas of planning, construction and maintenance. These engineers were then involved in the implementation of public works such as connecting roads, bridges, health centres or schools.

institutionalising the rule of law Already at this time, Knocha was bothered by the fact that funds were invested in projects without any analysis and that they therefore did not serve the needs of the community due to lack of participation, unclear regulations or contradictory responsibilities. “It is not a secret that only accountable duty bearers act in a citizen-oriented way,” says Knocha. When RCD today supports the construction of buildings these experiences are taken into account. In order to consolidate the rule of law, RCD has conducted 14 training sessions each month over the last three years, imparting institutional, organisational or individual knowledge. “Still, it will take time until the Afghan administration will practice good governance at all levels,” says Knocha. However, progress achieved to date points in the right direction.

Realising accountability standardsThe public procurement law is an example. For years, it has been a hotchpotch. Different regulations or procedures led to blockades on

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Between poverty, illiteracy and unemploymentMore than half of the 32 million citizens of Afghanistan

live in poverty. In the next 10 years, the population will

grow to 47 million people. Two out of three adolescents

are unable to find either a school or trainee position, one in

five is unemployed, only one in two Afghan men and one

in five Afghan women between 15 and 24 years can read

and write. Four out of five Afghans work in agriculture,

contributing 30 per cent to the gross national product. Just

over one in every two people has access to clean water,

only one in three has access to sanitary facilities, three

quarters of the households and businesses have restricted

access to electricity. Three quarters of the Afghan

population has mobile phones, but only six per cent have

access to internet services.

Sources: HDI report 2015 / UNDF / World Bank / IMF


every year 400,000 young people join the Afghan labour market, but only 16,000 find a formal training.

“Unfortunately, the needs at grassroots level are not always taken into account when constructing schools or hospitals.” jörg Knocha, RCd manager

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all levels at the expense of citizens. In 2015, a major reform started. Through training offers, RCD provided information on the new rules of submitting tenders and explained legal issues. Today, executive bodies act more in accordance with the law. The state can better monitor procedures, optimise services and meet obligations to provide accountability.

Progress has also been achieved in the area of political participation. Governmental presence at subnational level is a precondition for a close relationship between a state and its citizens. But how are decisions made on the construction of hospitals or libraries? Certainly, so far, these decisions have been made without great consideration for the needs at grassroots level.

Consolidating decentralised authoritiesToday, Provincial Development Committees (PDC) involve authorities and civil society in the process of assessing the need for public infrastructure. The processes that have been developed with the support of RCD guarantee not only that their needs are integrated in the political dialogue and projects are therefore initiated bottom-up, but also that budgetary resources are used efficiently.

Collecting dataAnother topic is public administration. One reason for the insufficient delivery of public services is the fact that often those services aren’t provided based on solid data. Instead, officeholders have had wide discretionary powers. If data is missing, projects and budget allocations remain questionable. Good governance does not work without collecting data regularly and exchanging information between authorities.

standardising the exchange of informationA credo motivating RCD activities of a whole field of action. Today, representatives of the government and media spokesmen inform citizens in the districts about activities and answer to their questions. Since the data on the district development plans are collected more

systematically, and the persons in charge report also to the people, the feedback loop within the hierarchies has continuously improved. “The institutionalisation of communication channels and procedures enables the ministries to receive information from subordinate authorities necessary for accountability,” explains RCD public relations expert Jamshid Wafaaq.

Another example is the Public Registration Office whose key function is to register births. However, only few are able to do so. RCD has helped in the restructuring of several offices, because their role is crucial: if the number of births is well-known, not only can the need for future educational services be calculated but also strategies in terms of employment creation can be drafted.

involving civil societyAccountability is not one-dimensionally limited to state bodies. Also, civil society needs to know the ways in which the government, political parties or civil servants can be held to account. In every democracy, citizens have the right to ask questions about government actions and to receive information. “We support the civil servants in facing the public and engaging in the dialogue,” says RCD manager Markus Haake. Furthermore, RCD practices this with government employees in seminars discussing the role of the media, the right to information and how public relations can contribute to more transparency.

Respecting civil and human rightsGood governance manifests itself in governmental actions that respect civil and human rights. “Mandatory accountability allows for the evaluation of government services that are either confirmed by re-election or punished by deselection,” mentions Jörg Knocha. Here, functional enforcement authorities play a crucial role. The more than 100 employees of RCD will continue to close gaps together with their partners, in order to stabilise the country via increased social security and justice working towards a more positive outlook for Afghan people.

Closing infrastructure gaps is a prerequisite for more employment and prosperity in the transit country Afghanistan.

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networkingActivities in the field of action A connect national authori-

ties with the province and district level through consul-

tations, advise and trainings focussing on the clarification

of processes, as well as the imparting of knowledge on

laws, policies and regulations.

legal conformityOffers in the field of action B strengthen capacities in the

areas of budget planning, repair and maintenance of public

infrastructure as well as the application of national

policies and guidelines.

feedback from citizensActivities in the field of action C such as public hearings

or women’s shuras allow the participation of citizens and

civil society in the assessment of social services’ needs.

disaster risk reductionTrainings and infrastructure projects implemented in

the field of action D, help to reduce the impact of natural

disasters such as earthquakes or avalanches.

idlG: independent directo-rate of local Governance

Drafts reforms, strengthens subnational entities and the position of the Provincial Governor Offices (PGO) or the District Governor Offices (DGO) respectively to identify infrastructure needs.

iARCsC: independent Administrative Reform and Civil service Commission

In charge of the qualification of civil servants on all evels and responsible for training offers that are developed based on analysis conducted by the Civil Service Commission (CSC).

MoeC: Ministry of economy

Ensures adherence to policies, procedures and regulations in budget planning. Its branches (DoEC) serve as PDC offices for selecting projects for the development plans at the provincial level.

MRRd: Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and development

Implements political strategies at the subnational level. The Directorates of Rural Rehabilita-tion and Development (DRRD) are active in the identification of projects at the provincial level.

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political support donor alignment financing / technical support

organisational reforms elaboration of policies

public dialogue PDP coordination communication capacity building

Information transfer and gathering of statistical data

budgeting

MoF

PDC DRRD CSCPGO

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MoEC MRRD IARCSCIDLG

Identification of needs in terms of capacities / infrastructure

Community Development Committee (CDC) / District Development Assembly (DDA)

enhancing capacities and participation

successful bilateral cooperation: from a manual to a guideline

RCd standardises the process of selecting development projects with partners All projects need to be listed in development plans, to find their way into political decision making processes. They go through a standard

process starting with a local analysis of requirements and ending with budgeting in the Ministry of finance (Mof).

identifying

Representatives of the Community development Committee (CdC) discuss the need of projects with citizens who can voice suggestions and criticism too.

Prioritising

The district development Assembly (ddA) selects projects for approval by the District Governor and elabo-rates a project list. The list thereafter will be returned to the DDA.

Budgeting

In the Provincial development Committee (PdC), heads of authorities, provincial councils and civil society prioritise DDA projects according to criteria, such as needs and regional balance. These projects are included in the Provincial Development Plan (PDP) and submitted to the MoF for budgeting.

work. The analysis was conducted in dialogue with the IARCSC in Kabul. Through this iterative process, checklists were developed that link defects through cross-references to single items and explain – using text and pictures – what to take care of when doing repair work. This enables even employees who are not technically skilled to fix faults. Furthermore, they are enabled to identify requirements and can thereby facilitate budgetary requests of their authority.

Application in the focus provinces

In mid-2016, the IARCSC approved the use of the manual in the form of a political guideline. A special training ensures the transfer of knowledge to all those who work in facility management: RCD uses a training of trainer approach by providing training for engineers in using the manual who then function as master trainers within their institutions. It is their task to train staff at all levels to use the manual, right down to a caretaker working at a village school.

Partners – roles – tasks

Mof: Afghan Ministry of finance – Host of RCdCoordinates all donor activities, raises taxes and controls public budgets as well as payments to the government.

Throughout the development of a manual for facility management RCD supported the managing processes to promote the collaboration of national and subnational authorities. Today, the manual and a policy for maintenance are available.

Whether flood protection wall or vocational training centre – in recent years, RCD(F) completed dozens of projects. At the point of handing the projects over to the user, they became responsible for the maintenance. This resulted in problems because there was insufficient knowledge of what facility management means and how to budget for it. Bottom up information flow

For RCD and its partners at all levels, one thing was clear: if public property is to last in the long-term, a tool is needed to close knowledge gaps. This was the start of the collection of data from technical training and experience gathered by engineers during their daily maintenance

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Employment and health

Provinces and projects

successful commitmentIn 2015, the time had come: after farmers had, over years, built their capacities in the field of production and marketing of their products, the first value-adding chain was established with the commissioning of the poultry farming in Gawswaran as well as the sales rooms in Pol-e Khomri and Dushi. “Our protégés reap the fruits of their labour,” explains manager, Christoph Franke.

The model of cooperation between RCD, the GIZ programme, Sustainable Economic Development and Employment Promotion (SEDEP) as well as the Afghan partners had proved its operability. In 2011, RCD started (as RCDF) the first activities in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock production (DoAIL).

unique model of cooperation“The most urgent problem was to equip the authority in Pol-e Khomri with technical infrastructure, to be able to carry out its mission in 15 districts,” explains Abdel Wahab, Director of DoAIL. A library was

BaghlanAreaDistrictsVillages PeopleRCD office Pol-e Khomri

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Cases of illness, pregnancy consultation and disaster relief – every day 50 patients come to see the doctor in this unusual hospital to seek advice.

Agricultural extension services: correct methods in sowing seeds and irrigation generate surpluses.

also necessary, enabling agricultural advisors to acquire knowledge, and to further develop it through seminars on subjects such as ecologi-cal agricultural technology and pest control.

On the spot, they perfected techniques to correctly prune fruit trees and bushes, to fertilise fields in a targeted way over the growing season or to irrigate vegetables drop by drop. “Somebody who has never worked in agriculture cannot explain to an experienced farmer that correct methods in sewing seed, fertilising and irrigation can generate surpluses,” explains SEDEP manager Franke.

success factor: Being on siteBut how to give the farmers an idea ofthe offers? “Travelling to Pol-e Khomri was simply too costly for farmers,” says the agricultural advisor Ajmal Osmani. The advisors have motorbikes to travel to the districts, however, staying there overnight was a problem. The solution: DoAIL offices in the districts.

After providing the building sites and once the communities had paid their contribution, RCD took care of the construction of offices in Baghlan-e Jadid, Dushi and Banoo. The field offices became true knowledge incubators after completion. To date, 350 dairy farmers, 200 cereal farmers and 100 vegetable farmers as well as 500 employees of the local administration in total have been trained and qualified.

impulses for employment“Proximity, and being on site, really contributed to the development of the value-adding chains in terms of dairy, cereals, vegetables and poultry,” summarises Wahab. Furthermore, new jobs in bakeries, cooperatives and other small businesses have been created.

An unusual hospitalIn Arakash in the district of Nahrin, the first hospital became operati- onal in 2014, ending an intolerable situation that had existed for

years. Prior to this, the medical care for eight villages and their 9,000 inhabitants took place in a private house.

The Department of Public Health (DoPH) had repeatedly asked the Provincial Development Committee (PDC) to begin the construction of the hospital, as the building had already been part of Provincial Development Plan (PDP). “With a feasibility study in hand and the commitment from a local farmer to provide the building site, RCD became partner,” explains DoPH Director, Abdul Qadir Khurami.

Round table on “considering needs”After laying the foundation stone, Khurami invited the village elders and DoPH representatives to participate in a round table to present the current progress and to gather ideas. It became clear that the hospital should not only be the contact point for acute cases of illness, pregnancy consultation and disaster relief, but should also function as an information centre for general health care.

It was therefore necessary to complement the three-stage training schedule focussing on a) basic knowledge for example in terms of labour and procurement law, as well as b) hospital management competencies and c) technical expertise enabling doctors or nurses to work in the emergency unit. As a direct response to the round table discussions, it was decided to include the topics public health, HIV, public awareness and sensitisation techniques in the training schedule. Contact point for partnership problems “If the curriculum had remained unchanged, the hospital could not have become a centre for health and partnership problems,” says RCD manager, Bashir Ahmad Fayaz. 137 employees of the hospital and the DoPH were further qualified in six training programmes. Complementarily, the US governmental organisation USAID equipped the pharmacy. Today, one female doctor and three nurses take care of an estimated 50 patients every day.

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Promoting unforeseen potentialBuilding bridges for a better lifeToday, people in Khaja Burhan only remotely remember the fate which used to unite 16 villages during the rainy season, namely being cut-off from the provincial centre Balkh for months. As recently as in winter 2014, enormous water masses blocked the only road link to the centre for up to six months. families were torn apartThe only alternative was a detour of six hours with serious conse-quences: farmers lost income, because they couldn’t sell their products freshly on the market, for school or university students, the danger


the result convinces stakeholders and the population: the bridge withstands even extreme flooding in the rainy season.

less criminal offences and acts of violenceFurthermore, trade flourishes, young people can reach their training facilities with ease and throughout the year, sick people can be transported in a timely manner to the hospital to receive treatment and families stay together. Samad’s personal summary: “Indeed, the government gained more trust”. However, equally important to him is the fact that the number of thefts and sexual assaults was considerably reduced.

Knowledge gaps increase unemployment“Books are the source of knowledge for pupils, students and for elder citizens,” explains civil society coordinator, Mohammad Ishaq. Knowledge is however the prerequisite for personal development as well as that of society. Where books are lacking, the educational level decreases, and in consequence the number of illiterate and unemployed persons increases.

45,000 students without a libraryGhulam Rasoul Bani, leader of the DDA knew Ishaq’s position. He had several discussions with him about a library. The issue had priority: in the district, there are three primary schools, and a number of secondary schools or institutions of higher education with a total of 45,000 students, but no publicly accessible learning material. “How can they do their homework or work in general or how could a knowledge culture be established in the province, when the next library is 20 km away in Mazar-e Sharif?” asks Bani.

and cost for transportation increased, for the sick, the way to the hospital became potentially life-threatening. Furthermore, 2,000 families were temporarily torn apart. Enough reasons for the leader of the District Development Assembly (DDA) to invite representatives from the villages to his office, to discuss the construction of a bridge. The tenor: “A bridge positively influences the living conditions of 25,000 citizens,” says DDA leader, Abdul Samad. increasing economic potentialSamad handed the project over to the Provincial Governor, who presented it to the PDC and RCD in the form of a cooperation offer. “The bridge opened up enormous potential for the socio- economic development of the region,” explains RCD employee, Jamshid Wafaaq. The Directorate of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (DRRD) was in charge of the construction and maintenance, the KfW Development Bank financed the project and

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Balkh’s first public library ensures a better access to knowledge for the community.

Closing a profane infrastructural gap leads to a reduced amount of thefts and sexual assaults.

Books for knowledge cultureFurthermore, it would be impossible for young women to go to the library without a male companion. When Bani described the situation in the RCD office he had full support for the construction. “We took over the contract management,” remembers RCD manager, Delair Ahadi. As the whole team liked the idea very much, library staff training was placed as an additional priority. Milestone for more career opportunitiesIn mid-2016, the situation has changed: the library is open, more than 1,800 books are available for reading, not only for students but also for the whole community. “The library is a milestone for us on the way to a higher quality of training and for better career oppor-tunities,” summarises Ishaq. The future operation and maintenance is guaranteed by the municipality.

“We both attend secondary school and we are happy that the library is nearby our school. We come here to do our homework and to read our favourite books.” Mohammad salim, Mohammad saalim, pupils grade 8 and 9

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New well and new purchase

A well for Karta-e MamorinWater as a health risk. In Samangan, 40 per cent of the households get their drinking water from rivers or ponds. The capital Aybak is with three out of five households above the provincial average. Infectious diseases, diarrhea, typhus or even cholera are the conse-quences of contaminated surface water.

Pathogen contaminated drinking water For the 1540 inhabitants of Karta-e Mamorin, chronic diseases were part of daily life. “After consuming the water from a river that is seven kilometres away, people died frequently,” explains the leader of the Community Development Committee (CDC), Haji Khair Mohammad Khurami.

Well construction and water tankIn 2015, the construction of a well finally solved the problem. The Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development as well as the PDC agreed to the planned well and water tank. After the commu-nity provided a site for the construction RCD started the planning and tendering. “The local radio called companies to submit a tender,” states Khurami. Subsequently, the tenders were assessed by an award committee and the best tender accepted.

Tap water for 220 families After six months of construction, in July 2016 the water bubbled for the first time from the well into the tank standing at a height of 25 metres, and providing 220 families with clean drinking water. In return, they pay their share of the pump’s costs. Khurami smiles: “Diseases have been reduced and the social cooperation enhanced,” says the 71-year-old man. The only problem is the


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SamanganAreaDistrictsVillages PeopleRCD office Aybak

daily life in Afghanistan: drinking water supply – using canisters.

New procurement law: the news initially caused trouble, but the communication among stakeholders worked well.

running costs of the pump. However, Khurami already has ideas on how to reduce those.

Reform for best prices and servicesReforming public procurement is part of the efforts made by the government on its way to more transparency. The public procurement law is at the centre of this effort. To guarantee best prices and services for citizens, the law had to be revised, in order to make corruption difficult if not impossible.

Trouble in authorities and companiesIn October 2015, the new law came into effect. Since then, it has to be applied in all authorities and private companies. “The news caused trouble,” says Sediqullah Rohi, manager at the Regional Office for Economy in Aybak. How should officials acquire the skills necessary for applying the new procedures?

Defining training needsAfter months of reflection between the Ministries of Finance and Economy as well as the relevant institutions at district level, a workshop took place during which the appropriate training methodology was developed with conceptual support from RCD. “A method was created that moved from general to specific topics,” says RCD employee, Mouluddin Khuram. This means:

• Generaltrainingonfinancemanagementforheadsofdepartment• Trainingforleadersinfinancialmanagementonbudgeting• Technicalseminarsonprocurementlawformembersofthe award committee • Practicalcoachingoffinancemanagersonprocessesforthe annual state development budget

164 officials from provincial and municipal level participated in five trainings. They are now able to properly monitor the use of budgetary resources, and have the knowledge to apply for budgets in accordance

with ministry requirements. They also contribute to the fact that the drafting of the development budgets is progressing countrywide.

Tools for efficient controlIn terms of public law, the signs point to success: practical advice on modalities for tenders, authorised tenderers and responsibilities within the purchase process have helped civil servants applying the new law more efficiently. In doing so, public funds are responsibly administered for the benefit of all citizens of Afghanistan – for best prices and services.

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Matching contributions with support – the community organised the building site and did the excavation work. In 2015, the school opened its classrooms for 800 pupils.

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Relapse into statelessnessDarqad end of 2015: after fights between the Taliban and the national Afghan security forces, the district fell into the hands of the rebels. For more than 9,000 citizens, healthcare broke down, schools closed and district administration facilities were destroyed.

listening – prioritising – actingThree months later, government forces set an end to Darqad’s plight. Remembering this time, Vice Provincial Governor, Fared Zaki, is left speechless. “In 12 weeks, everything we achieved during the last few years was gone.” He and his chief, Mohammad Yasin Zia, invited the administrators from all sectors, donors and RCD to parti-cipate in a round table. The goal was to discuss possibilities to regain the people’s trust.

Back to the future A commission composed of the Directorate for Rural Rehabilitation and Development (DRRD), the Provincial Governor’s Office (PGO), the Department of Education as as well as the CDC and the village’s council of elders reached agreement. “For settling the dispute, funds for the construction of a school were agreed on,” explains DRRD leader, Raz Mohammed Faiz.

village pays share of the costsThen RCD became partner. “We agreed that the community would bear ten per cent of the costs, to avert a return to the conflict,” adds RCD manager, Sayed Ashraf. A contract was signed and from then on, the project accelerated unexpectedly. The community organised the building site, did the excavation work and made repairs to the street. Following this, the bare brickwork started. After ten months, the school opened for 800 pupils in summer 2015 – now they attend classes inside the building.

finally, teaching in classrooms“As the village community was involved, the people also feel a sense of ownership towards the school and take an active role in maintaining it,” says Faiz. The “cease fire” between the ex-combatants still continues, however, there is bad news: recently there was an attack outside the village causing several victims. The assassins could not yet be identified.

Back to the future“The situation was critical,” says Sayed Ashraf, RCD manager. “But it gave us the opportunity to talk directly about concerns and fears.” So, the round table opted for public hearings. The Provincial Governor and the local working group for public relations immediate-ly started with the preparation of two events: one for women, supported by the Department of Women’s Affairs and the second for men. The location and time were broadcasted via radio.

Priorities: education – health – work500 citizens took the opportunity to name their priorities: reopening of schools and hospitals was in top position and Zia promptly ordered the implementation during the hearing. “At the same time, we became aware that sympathies for the rebels can be fought in the most sustainable way by generating jobs,” says Zaki.

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20 years of outdoor classesKhurmab, in Farkhar district. Hard to believe, but true: since the withdrawal of the Soviet armed forces, the village of 2,000 people has not had any educational establishment. Over 25 years ago, the only school was destroyed. For pupils, this meant attending classes outdoors in the scorching heat of summer, and no classes during the winter months due to freezing cold temperatures.

Why didn’t they rebuild the school? A long-standing conflict between two ex-combatants impeded any progress. The consequence: on average, more than half of the Afghan boys and girls are sent to primary school, in Khurmab it is less than one out of three.

Pupils are victims of long-time feudWhereas the neighbouring villages developed, the village of Khurmab almost went to ruin. The urgency of investment was well known, but all attempts to repair streets or public buildings failed due to the veto of the feuding parties. At the beginning of 2014, a last and finally successful attempt was made.


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Better prospects for the future2013 was not a good year for Ayisha, although she graduated successfully. “After having spent more than 10 months at home doing nothing, I felt useless,” remembers the 24-year-old woman from Badakhshan. Most school leavers and graduates share Ayisha’s fate: as they are insufficiently qualified for the labour market, very few find on-going employment within the first year after graduating.

little cooperation between ministriesThe reason: lack of coordination between the Ministries of Education, Labour and Higher Education complicates the transition of graduates to the labour market especially for women. For Sharif Khan Mobariz, fixing this problem is a matter of the heart. The director of the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission (IARCSC) in Feyzabad constantly reflected on ways to make it easier for women to start a career.

Curriculum including theory and practiceMid-2014, a solution was put forward: why not offer internships combining theory and practice?

Rule of law in practiceBadakhshan between the Hindu Kush and the Karakorum, boarders three countries: Tajikistan in the North, China in the East, Pakistan in the South. The one million inhabitants mostly live on livestock breeding and agriculture. Having a radio is a luxury. “How can information on development success be transferred to people living in this high mountain region?” asks Badakhshan’s Vice Provincial Governor, Gul Mohammad Baidar.

Between corruption and opportunities

information via civil dialoguesWhen security problems are added to this setting, it becomes almost impossible to inform the public or to control authorities. For this reason, the DDA developed the idea of presenting projects to citizens, giving account and providing more information on problems via public events. A novelty.

evidence on corruption from the grass roots levelWith the approval of the PDC and the argument that these events encourage trust in the government, Baidar and RCD quickly reached a consensus: events in nine districts and the provincial capital were organised. Almost 3,000 representatives of authorities, Mullahs, young people, farmers, the media and civil society organisations participated.

RCD joined the project, local media were informed and encouraged to make a callout to local audiences. The callout was successful: 150 applications were received, and after tests and interviews 50 trainees were chosen with the prospect of a permanent position. During the first six months, the trainees studied for example project and staff management as well as other areas. During the following three months, they put their new knowledge into practice in local authorities.

Regular evaluationApproximately one year later, Mobariz could welcome 34 new

administrative officials, among them Ayisha, who is now working for the Department of Higher Education. This method to increase systematically the skills of young women has already inspired others. Today, internships are also possible in Takhar and Balkh. The most important point for Ayisha: “Since the end of 2015, I am able to support my parents, sisters and brothers financially and we have improved our future prospects.”

inspection – investigation – dismissalCriticism and tip-offs were documented. There was a tip-off that tendering and procurement procedures were questionable in five districts. Cases of corruption? Audits in Shuhada, Arghanjkhwa as well as Shahr-e Buzurg and Tagab confirmed the suspicion. Several officials were dismissed following investigations.

Practising the rule of law“For the citizens, the case was a practical exercise in terms of rule of law,” says Baidar. Their tip-offs put an end to the corruption in a state institution. President Ashraf Ghani would like to establish such events nationwide. After all, they enable citizens to directly exert influence in a democracy.

Assessment of future civil servants: 150 young women applied for an internship with the prospect of a permanent position – only 50 were accepted.

“After having spent more than 10 months at home doing nothing, I felt useless. Even though I gradua-ted, I couldn’t find an employment like most of my friends.”Ayisha, civil servant working in the Department of Higher Education

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methodological knowledge,” says RCD manager, Ahmadullah Zahid. Regulations were the contextual basis for the creation of four models. “Only when it is possible to identify who has made a mistake, and at which step of the process, can he or she be held accountable,” explains Hamid.

Regulations and lawsAfter the civil servants learned about the laws on which their work is based, they received three months training in groups on topics such as human resources, followed up by coaching programmes that ensured they were ready for their day-to-day work within the

authority. The method is perfected through regular feedback. “This is how we identify shortcomings and are then able to optimise our work,” summarises Hamid. From the Office of Justice to the Land Registration Office – more than 150 participants from 24 authorities went through the curriculum. By the end of 2016, another 100 civil servants will be qualified in the provinces of Takhar and Badakhshan.

KunduzAreaDistrictsVillages PeopleRCD office Mazar-e Sharif

8080,9 km²10863991000In a chaotic office, people had access to sensitive data or

could obtain advantages via corruption.


From a dysfunctional to a model officeThe Public Registration Office in Kunduz. Housed in one wing of the police headquarters, the registration officials are not easy to identify among hundreds of people. The officials remain apathetic behind their files, react helplessly to questions: they are lost in the chaos of their own office.

Willingness to reformWhen the director of the IARCSC, Abdul Jalil Hamid, remembers the results of the last inspection of offices, his face darkens. “Can you imagine that a missing printer cartridge disabled the function of a whole administration, because the budget for running costs was not used?” he asks.

The printer cartridge’s powerThis example was characteristic for many offices, although vocational job-related training measures provided by the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG) should prevent exactly this situation. Conclusion: remedial action was necessary, if this administrative reform was to be successful. But, how could management and administration knowledge be translated into day-to-day work practice?

Accountability orientationIn cooperation, IDLG, IARCSC and the PDC drafted a curriculum combining training and coaching. “As sparring partner, we were in charge of providing

Disorientation and willingness to reform

When visiting the sister authority in Imam Sahib, Ruhullah Quraishi learned that data on births can also be collected systematically or that citizens can be referred in a friendly way to other departments. Prior to this, RCD had assisted this authority in reorganising its structure.

data theft and corruptionWhat his office needed was a change, he and the IARCSC agreed on. Inefficiency was one of the main problems remembers Quraishi. “But even more controversial was the fact that people had access to sensitive data or could obtain advantages via corruption.” RCD assured project support.

Reform driver: qualificationAfter conducting an analysis, one thing was certain: without an electronic database, there would be no reform. Furthermore, civil servants did not know their tasks and just one out of three knew the registration rules. After redefining competences, new job descriptions were drafted and 15 civil servants received training on how to use the electronic database. Whether identity cards have to be issued, renewed or information on people and offences accessed, Quraishi’s staff are now proficient in collecting and managing data. His team is as well able to provide data in the course of enquiries from ministries, for example from the departments of education or justice.

More transparency among institutions“Today, the office fulfils its function within the administration and consequently contributes to transparency,” says Quraishi. Further- more, four out of five civil servants know the rules and the chaos is a thing of the past. In the entrance area, boards provide information on services, department activities and also costs. Stressed citizens, constantly unavailable officials, endless waiting periods – all of this is history in the Public Registration office in Kunduz.

Ready for their day-to-day work – three months of group work and coaching.

“If civil servants can’t be made accountable, how can a whole state be held to account?” Abdul jalil Hamid, director of iARCsC

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WoMen’s RiGHTs? In Afghanistan, women’s rights are still a side issue. The constitution guarantees the same rights for women and men, however, the reality is disillusioning. The country ranks on the penultimate position of the Gender Inequality Index of the UN: in terms of their development potential, women are structurally disadvantaged.

Whereas women take care of the family household and work in the fields, men dispose of the income and thus of economic power. “This distribution of roles doesn’t lead to more autonomy, it consolidates dependencies,” says Razm Ara Hawash, Director in the Department for Women’s issues in Taloqan.

legal entitlement – yes, but …And yet, four articles within the constitution assure that women have rights of access to health, justice and education services. “As long as they don’t know their legal entitlements to overcome discrimination, especially in the labour market, equal rights remain a utopian dream,” explains Hawash.

The goal of the RCD gender strategy is to change this. The strategy is aligned with the National Action Plan for the Women of Afghan- istan (NAPWA). NAPWA focuses on the political participation of women and their protection against sexual violence, which was defined in a law – Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW) – in 2009. In this context, RCD cooperates with authorities on the provincial and local level. A good example is the Department of Religious Affairs in Mazar-e Sharif. “The Quran stipulates which rights

women have and which duties men have towards them,” says Ghulam Jelani, head of the department. Unfortunately, this isn’t mentioned very often. A good reason for him to discuss this topic with religious scholars, the mullahs.

Women’s rights – men’s duties150 mullahs were invited with the support of RCD to study the Quran. They discussed the duties a man has after marriage, a woman’s right to a dowry and the question of whether it is legal for a woman to borrow money when her husband is absent. “Since the mullahs explain in their Friday sermon that women are entitled to the dowry and that a woman has indeed the right to borrow money from relatives in case of a longer absence of her husband, many conflicts could be solved or even avoided,” says Jelani.

Talking about sexual violenceAnother issue is sexual violence. A taboo. In a culture dominated by men, rape is considered a trivial offence and the rapist is generally not punished. Women’s centres like the one in Balkh want to change this: in seminars, women, girls and adolescents as well as men study texts on the EVAW law and learn where they can get medical support or legal aid.

institutionalising political participationBut Razm Ara Hawash wants more: “We need to claim our rights of participation.” Only when women can express their priorities, can they be part of the political process. Looking at the parliament is encouraging: today, there are 28 per cent women in the Upper House, more than the 26 per cent foreseen in the constitution.

In her struggle for more equal opportunities, the activist receives prominent support from the top: “All those involved have to find a common basis. Our gender activists have the historic opportunity to blaze the way to more convergence,” explains President Ashraf Ghani in the preface of the NAPWA.

“Any kind of discrimination and distinction between citizens of Afghanistan shall be forbidden. The citizens of Afghanistan, man and woman, have equal rights and duties before the law.” Article 22 of the Afghan Constitution

Claiming rights and overcoming discrimination

overcoming discrimination

In order to overcome discrimination, gender sensitive

policies guarantee ethnic and religious minorities, as

well as women access to resources and rights. This is a

basic requirement for good governance in terms of:

Parliamentary developmentDoes parliament provide women or other disadvantaged

groups with an appropriate work environment?

Are budgetary procedures gender-sensitive?

electoral systems and processesWhat contributes to increasing women’s turnout as

voters and candidates?

What is the ratio of female to male candidates in

elections?

local governanceAre women appropriately represented in municipal

councils? Do public administrations account for women’s issues?

Public administration

Are there enough job opportunities for women?

What control mechanisms exist?

Gender

Participation of women: only when women can express their priorities, they play a role in the political process.


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The Governance Forum for Afghanistan was initiated in 2015 by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in cooperation with Afghan partners.

Govern4Afg sees itself as a platform for critical dialogue on the subject of good governance and provides support as think-and-do-tank also to the programmes of the German portfolio for good governance.

The goal is to guarantee and increase the efficiency of the German-Afghan cooperation through an optimal understanding of the legal and institutional framework. “We see ourselves as facilitator and multiplicator for the systematic exchange of experiences of all stakeholders in the sector,” explains coordinator, Bernd Messerschmidt.

synthesis of theory and practiceGovern4Afg does not only focus on its own programmes, but sees the bigger picture. “In dialogue events, we bundle the knowledge of representatives from politics, research and science but also from practitioners, who together formulate discussion papers that synthesize the knowledge generated by theory and practice. These can subsequently feed into the political and legislative decision making processes,” says Messerschmidt.

The centre piece of the initiative are discussion forums where previously developed topics are again analysed and discussed critically in terms of relevance and practicability. Results are provided as lessons

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Govern4Afg

Combining knowledge and putting it into practice

Mr. Messerschmidt, why was Govern4Afg initiated?

“I would like to name two reasons: firstly, to facilitate a discussion beyond the individual projects by examining crosscutting issues in the sector and thus to develop solutions stemming from the experiences of international cooperation. Secondly, we wanted to develop specific policy recommendations on selected topics, analyses and studies.”

You also integrate practitioners in the dialogue – which

role does RCD play?

“RCD is a mentoring programme that participates in all phases of the dialogue and that supports its implementation. This starts with selecting topics, continues with selecting experts and ends with participating actively in the discussion forums as well as putting the recommendations into practical action.”

What kind of topics are addressed?

“Every year, six topics are identified in the dialogue with Afghan partners and then further explored and analysed in forums. For 2017, the following is on the agenda: implementing the strategy on subnational governance, good governance in the mining sector,

“Examining crosscutting topics, analysing cooperation together, discussing, learning and developing solutions with all stakeholders in the sector.”Bernd Messerschmidt, BMZ Coordinator

learned in a knowledge management system for stakeholders in the sector. Thus, political opinion-forming processes can not only be successfully influenced, but important topics in terms of good governance can be prioritised, such as:• theroleofAfghancivilsociety

consequences of urbanisation, avoiding migration, ownership structures in agriculture and finally the organisation of the state administration.”

Even though the platform is quite new: What feedback or

results have you obtained?

“It was really appreciated that Afghan and international experts collaborated closely during the analysis of problems. Further results are “issue papers” giving specific recommendations for action in the subnational governance and mining sector. The issues have not only been examined in Afghanistan, but also in Germany together with political stakeholders.”

expanding infrastructure to provide a better use of resources is a key issue in the sector. ©

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• publicadministrationreform• theroleofminingandsocietaluseofnaturalresources• gendersensitivebudgeting• subnationalgovernance• drawingupandexecutionofthebudgetforprovinces

Bernd Messerschmidt is the coordinator for all German government activities in the field of good governance in Afghanistan and in this position, he is responsible for the knowledge platform Govern4Afg.

Insight Facts & figures

Security, justice and future opportunities are central needs of the population. In order to overcome deficits, RCD takes into account the idea of inclusion and offers training programmes regardless of gender. However, most participants in the focus provinces are men. The reason for that is simple: almost no women work in the district authorities.

Commitment to justice and jobs

104

50

179

46

34

82 TakharBadakhshanBaghlanBalkh

KunduzSamangan

495

RCD and partners conducted 495 training and dialogue activities in 34 months. Almost one fifth of these activities were dialogues, the rest were training services. Thereby, statistically 14 events have taken place each month. The average number of participants in training programmes varies from 19 in Baghlan to 71 in Badakhshan, the average number of participants in dialogue services ranges between 41 in Baghlan and 450 in Kunduz. Due to the different methods, there are differences in the numbers: in coaching sessions, the number of participants is smaller than in general training programmes. The situation is similar in terms of dialogue services, which are either attended by selected groups or the general public.

14 trainings or dialogue events every month

TakharBadakhshanBaghlanBalkh

KunduzSamangan

30,368

8,048

7,8873,821

2,922

1,932

5,758

Between January 2014 and October 2016, in total 30,368 women, men, girls and boys participated in RCD training programmes and dialogue services such as public hearings. Statistically, 893 people participated every month in RCD activities in the six provinces of intervention.

Month after month 893 graduates

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

Takhar Badakhshan Baghlan Balkh KunduzSamangan

WomenMen

7,146

902

2,022

900

6,827

1,060

4,166

1,592

2,745

1,076

1,752

180

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Promoting the rule of law via trainings and dialogue forums Member of a learning community

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one goal of the German-Afghan cooperation is to develop the rural

areas of the country.

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Marcus Zwenke (45) is in charge of the management of two of the six provinces of intervention, namely Baghlan and Samangan. He provides a summary as to learning projects, security, team and knowledge transfer.

uring the last three years, we achieved significant changes by conducting learning projects, that enabled the implementation of existing but not applied legislation, hence leading to a higher extent of transparency in state institutions. Of course, the volatile security situation influenced our programme activities. For this reason, we could

not always be present in every district of the provinces. This situation has affected our partners as well as the RCD equally, and we learned to adapt flexibly to changing circumstances.

When we cannot be on site, activities like in Baghlan for example are operated from afar by our partners. Thereby, the operative management doesn’t become easier, but at the same time there are positive side effects. Because in order to implement projects successfully and to achieve positive changes for the population, we had to qualify our provincial teams even more intensively than before.

Ultimately, we became closer as a programme and today connect the teams systematically, so they can exchange experiences. Everybody should consider him-/herself as a member of a learning community. This facilitates knowledge transfer within and between teams, and also with regard to our partners. Being a member of a team must be a daily experience and means more than just a code on an organisation chart.

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Published byDeutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

edited byThomas Pritzl, Obaid ZamanullahGFA Consulting Group GmbH

design and layoutKristine Hetzel, Horst Mügge

Photo creditsGIZ, unless indicated otherwise

Printed byZertani Die Druck GmbH

As from31st October 2016

supplierDeutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbHDepartment 3500 Afghanistan/PakistanPostfach 5180D-65726 Eschborn

Post addresses of the officesDeutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbHFriedrich-Ebert-Allee 36 + 40D-53113 Bonn

Dag-Hammarskjöld-Weg 1-5D-65760 Eschborn

The programme Promotion of Good Governance in Afghanistan

Documents

Transcript of The programme Promotion of Good Governance in Afghanistan