Review of the Afghanistan Program - Annexes

• Annex 1—Summary of Afghanistan's Risks, Constraints & Challenges
• Annex 2—CIDA's disbursements to Afghanistan
• Annex 3—Benchmarking of human and other support services resources available to deliver Afghanistan, Iraq and Haiti Programs
• Annex 4—Persons interviewed
• Annex 5—Documents consulted
• Annex 6—List of Criteria used for Financial Accountability
• Annex 7—List of Donor Countries and Organizations for Afghanistan
• Annex 8—Management Response to the Review of the Afghanistan Program

Annex 1—Summary of Afghanistan's Risks, Constraints & Challenges

Security:

• Ongoing insurgent attacks and coalition operations have slowed and in some cases, prevented programming.
• Insufficient Afghan Security Forces available to provide basic security.
• Focus on police reform is intended to improve local capacity to ensure security.

Absorptive capacity:

• There is a paucity of implementing agencies capable of executing projects. Many have either drawn-down or withdrawn their staff in the current environment
• This remains a perennial problem. CIDA is working with the UN and other such organizations to ensure programming takes place.

Weak Governance:

• Local Afghan administration is very rudimentary, rendering the identification of potential projects, which respond to immediate Afghan priorities problematic.
• Concerns that corruption can be endemic; public confidence is low. Tribal relations are critical
• The Agency is working through the Provincial Development Committees and District Development Assemblies to ensure CDN programming responds to Afghan identified needs. This process, while essential to ultimate success, invariably lengthens the timeframe for project implementation.
• CIDA is also seeking to improve their knowledge base.

CDN Capacity:

• While Canadian capacity to select, plan, implement, monitor, and evaluate projects is growing, it remains limited.
• An increase in project management capacity at the PRT, including through the deployment of CF technical and administrative personnel as well as additional civilian (CIDA) officers, is addressing this challenge.
• The capacity of local officers of international organizations (e.g. UN) has been harnessed to support project planning and delivery.

Financial administration and risk management:

• Accountability and risk management remain key challenges. In particular, the rules governing financial administration of Canadian funding are not conducive to operating efficiently in an insecure environment (e.g. tendering, sole-sourcing).
• CIDA is working with TBS and PWGSC to identify potential measures, which meet CDN accountability requirements but recognise the practical realities of working in Kandahar.
• The Agency is also exploring the application of Canada Fund Terms and Conditions to help address financial administrative issues.

Annex 2—CIDA's disbursements to Afghanistan

Projects with disbursements of $1 million or more during the last 3 years (as of Jan 31, 2007)

Annex 3—Benchmarking of human and other support services resources available to deliver Afghanistan, Iraq and Haiti Programs

Annex 4—Persons interviewed

CIDA, Afghanistan Program, Asia Branch

• Vice President, Asia Branch (CIDA)
• Director General of Afghanistan Program (CIDA)
• Assistant Director, Operations (CIDA)
• Head of Aid, Canadian Embassy at Kabul, Afghanistan (CIDA)
• Assistant Director, Planning (CIDA)
• Senior Development Officer (CIDA)
• Development Officers (CIDA)
• Afghanistan Program Analyst
• First Secretary, Canadian Embassy, Kabul, Afghanistan
• Development Officer, Canadian Embassy, Kabul, Afghanistan
• Strategic Management Division
• Development Officer
• Program Administrative Assistant
• Contracting Officer, Strategic Management Division
• Program Officer, Strategic Management Division
• Head, Accountability and Results Unit
• Project Officer (CIDA)
• Development Officer (CIDA)

CIDA, former Afghanistan Program

• Former Head of Aid, Director Info. & Business Solutions, Business Operations Group,
• Program Manager, Pakistan and Central Asia Division, Asia Branch
• Senior Development Officer, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka Division, Asia Branch
• Development Officer, Mainland South East Asia, Asia Branch
• Program Officer, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka Division, Asia Branch
• Development Officer, Sudan Program, Africa Branch

CIDA, Other

• Policy Advisor, Social Sciences, Asia Branch
• Senior Program Manager, United Nations and Commonwealth Programs Division, Multilateral Programs Branch (Desk Officer for the UNDP)
• Program Analyst, Sudan Program, Africa Branch (Fragile States)

Consultants to the Afghanistan Program, Asia Branch, CIDA

• Evaluation Consultant (for the Rights and Democracy, Free Media, NABDP Projects)
• Gender Consultant.
• Program Monitor.

DND

• Senior Official, Canadian Expeditionary Forces Command (CEFCOM)

• Deputy Director, Policy and Advocacy, Afghanistan Task Force

• Senior Official, Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, Kabul.
• Head of the Microfinance Support Facility for Afghanistan, Kabul.
• Head of Parwaz, a Microfinance Institution, Kabul.
• Advisor to the Ministry of Interior Affairs, Kabul.
• Country Director, UNDP, Kabul
• Program Director, Tiri (International NGO, fragile states)

Annex 5—Documents consulted

Pictures

• World Bank. The World Bank Update in Country Update (October 2006)

Previous evaluations by CIDA's monitoring Agent

• Johnson, Harley and Posgate, Dale. Ongoing Review of CIDA Afghanistan Program (January 2007)
• Johnson, Harley. Ongoing Review of CIDA Afghanistan Program (August 2006)
• Johnson, Harley and Posgate, Dale. Ongoing Review of CIDA Afghanistan Program (February 2006)
• Johnson, Harley and Posgate, Dale. Ongoing Review of CIDA Afghanistan Program (July 2005)

National Solidarity Programme (NSP)

• Barakat, Sultan et al. Mid-term Evaluation Report of the National Solidarity Programme (NSP), Afghanistan. Post-war Reconstruction & Development Unit (PRDU), University of York, and Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. (May 2006)
• Altai Consulting. Assessment of NSP Facilitating Partners Common Final Report (August 2004)
• Oversight Consultant Team. Quarterly Report from Jan. 1 to March 31,2006
• Oversight Consultant Team, GTZ. Analysis of Experiences and Lessons Learned in Program Implementation 09/2003 to 03/2006 (March 2006)

Microfinance Investment and Support Facility for Afghanistan (MISFA)

• Nagarajan, Geetha, Henry Knight and Taara Chandani (18 October 2006) Mid-term Review of the Microfinance Sector and MISFA in Afghanistan. Final Report.
• MISFA. Microfinance—Times (October 2006)
• MISFA. Grant/Loan Policies and Procedures (April 2005)
• MISFA. Financial & Administration Policies and Procedures (April 2005)
• KPMG. Financial Statements for the year ended March 31, 2006 (2006)
• KPMG. Auditors' report to the Steering Committee of MISFA, as of March 31, 2005 (October 2006)
• BRAC. Afghanistan Microfinance Program Audited Financial Statement, Year ended December 2005 (2006)

Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) - Budget Support

• ARTF Administrator. ARTF Report to Donors (November 2006)
• World Bank, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Sector Unit. Managing Public Finances for Development—Main Report Vol. 1 (December 2005)
• World Bank. Afghanistan Managing Public Finances for Development—Vol. 1 & Vol 5 (December 22, 2005)
• World Bank. ARTF Fiduciary Controls (August 2006)
• Price-Waterhouse. July 2004 -Monthly Monitoring Report (August 2004)
• World Bank. Report on Internal Control over Fin. Rpt of Trust Funds (June 30, 2006)
• World Bank. Report on Internal Control over Fin. Rpt of Trust Funds (June 30, 2005)

National Area-based Development Program (NABDP)

• Elizabeth Winter. Findings, Conclusions and Recommendations from the Independent Evaluation of National Area-Based Development Programme (Autumn 2004)
• UNDP, NABDP. 2005 Annual Report—from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2005 (2006)

Integrated Alternative Livelihoods Program in Kandahar (IALP)

• MRRD. Technical Assistance—Semi annual Progress report (September 2006)
• MRRD. Progress Update April—Sept. 2006 (December 2006)

Afghanistan Community Renewal Program (ACRP)

• AgaKhan Foundation Canada. Semi-Annual Narrative Report April 1—Sept. 30, 2006 (November 2006)

Women's Rights Fund, Afghanistan (WRFA)

• Isla Paterson, CIDA Consultant. Final Assessment Report: Women's Rights in Afghanistan Fund (WRAF) Project, Vol.  1 &  2 (May 2006)

Refugee Return & Integration

• HCR. Global Report for 2003

Mine Action National Development Budget

• UNMACA. Short report on Canadian funding (December 2006)
• UNMACA on behalf of The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Mine Action Program for Afghanistan—1384 Progress Report (October 2006)
• CIDA. Project Approval Document
• UNMAS. UNMAS Annual Report 2004 (2005)
• UNMAS. UNMAS Annual Report 2005 (2006)

Disarmament Demobilization Reintegration (DDR)

• UNDP, ANBP, DDR. 4th DDR Client Satisfaction Survey (July 2004)
• UNDP. Afghanistan New Beginnings Program (ANBP) (2006 Second Quarter Report)
• Vera Chrobok, Bonn International Center for Conversion. Demobilizing and Reintegrating Afghanistan's Young Soldiers: A Review and Assessment of Program Planning and Implementation (May 2005)
• Afghanistan New Beginnings Programme. Final Report for CIDA Grant (February 2005)
• D&R Commission. A Review of Disbandment of Illegal Armed Groups (DIAG) in Afghanistan (November 25, 2006)

Law and Order Trust Fund (LOFTA)

• UNDP. Evaluation Mission of UNDP LOTFA Project, Final Report (May-June 2005)
• The New-York Times. Panel Faults U.S.—Trained Afghan Police (December 2006)

Strengthening rule of Law, AF (IDLO)

• IDLO. Semi-Annual Narrative Report, (October 31, 2006)

Parliamentary Elections

• Margie Cook & 2 consultants for UNDP. Evaluation of Voter Registration 2003 and Elections Projects 2004-05 (May 2006)
• Chief Electoral Officer of Afghanistan & Chairman of the JEMB. National Assembly & Provincial Council Elections 2005 (December 2005)
• UNDP—Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB). 2004-05 Afghan Elections Project PHASE II, second quarter report—April to June 2005 (August 2005)

Support to the Development of Free Media in Afghanistan

• Isla Paterson, CIDA Consultant. Support to the Development of Free Media in Afghanistan Project, Final Evaluation Report (September 2005)

Support to the Establishment of the Afghan Legislature (SEAL)

• UNDP. SEAL Project Evaluation (October 2006)

Making Budgets Work

• Colin Reynolds, consultant. Project Evaluation Draft Report for Comment (December 2006)
• Colin Reynolds, consultant. Evaluation Report, UNDP—MoF Making Budgets Work Project (January 18, 2007)

Afghan Stabilization Program (ASP)

• Altos Consulting. Interim Assessment and Audit—Ver. 3.0 Draft (January 2006)

Counter Narcotics Capacity Building

• UNDP. Support to the Counter Narcotics Trust Fund (CNTF) (1st & 2nd Quarter 2006)
• UNDP. Support to the Counter Narcotics Trust Fund (CNTF)—Reporting Period: Third Quarter 2006

Other Reports and Evaluations Documents

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. A Joint Evaluation—Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan 2001-05 (October 2005)
• GoA, UNAMA, JCMB. Implementation of the Afghanistan Compact: Bi-Annual Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board Report (November 2006)
• US Government Accountability Office (GAO). Report to Congressional Committees on Afghanistan Reconstruction (July 2005)
• Expect MORE US Dept of State. US Dept of State Assessment of UNDP (August 2006)
• CMI - CHR MICHELSEN INSTITUTE. Findings on Education, Environment, Gender, Health, Livelihood and Water and Sanitation (June 2005)
• Social Impact Inc., for USAID. USAID/OTI Afghanistan Program: Final Evaluation (August 2005)
• CIDA. Desk Review of the Integration of Equality between women and men in UNDP Programming, 2002- 2006 (January 2006)
• CIDA. Working Towards the Advancement of Women and Equality between women and men in Afghanistan (June 2006)
• DevTech Systems Inc for USAID. OTI Afghanistan Program Evaluation (Oct 2001-June 2005): Gender Initiatives and Impacts (October 2005)
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Evaluation Department. Peer Assessment of Evaluations in Multilateral Organizations: UNDP (December 2005)
• Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, DfID for the UNDP. Afghanistan New Beginnings Programme: Mission Report (2006)
• Bradford University et al, for DFID. Evaluation of Conflict Prevention Pools: Afghanistan (April 2004)
• Senlis Afghanistan. An Assessment of the Hearts and Minds Campaign in Southern Afghanistan (Autumn 2006)
• Center for Strategic and International Studies for the International Organization for Migration. In the Balance: Measuring Progress in Afghanistan: Summary Report (July 2005)

Other Documents

• World Bank. Japan Social Development Fund Grant (Capacity Building for National Solidarity Program-51247)—Financial Statements and Reports (March 20, 2005)
• World Bank. Japan Social Development Fund Grant (Capacity Building for National Solidarity Program-51429)— Financial Statements and Reports (March 20, 2005)
• World Bank. ARTF Grant Agreement (Micro Finance Fund Project) Financial Statement and Reports (March 20, 2005)
• United Nations—Economic and Social Council. The situation of women and girls in Afghanistan (December 30, 2005)
• United Nations—General Assembly Security Council. Report of the Secretary General: The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security / Emergency international assistance for peace, normalcy and reconstruction or war-stricken Afghanistan (March 7, 2006)
• UNDP. ToRs—UNDP Evaluation Office—Evaluation of UNDP's Transition Assistance in the Immediate Post-Crisis Period (July 2005)
• Islamic Republic of AF—UNAMA. Joint Coordination & Monitoring Board (JCMB) — Facts for Journalists (April 2006)
• CIDA. CIDA Influence in the field.
• Ministry of Finance. Making Budget Work—Advisory & Review Committee (November 9, 2006)
• Ministry of Finance. Concept Paper: Exit Strategy for UNDP Making Budget Works Project, Budget Department, Ministry of Finance (September 2006)
• UNDP. TORs—Making Budget Work Project Evaluation
• UNDP. Annual Report—UNDP / Afghanistan. Reporting period: April 1, 05 to March 31, 06 (April 2006)
• UNDP, ANBP, DIAG. Disbandment of illegal armed groups (DIAG) Project and related projects—Phase 1 Evaluation Report (April 2006)

Annex 6—List of Criteria used for Financial Accountability

Annex 7—List of Donor Countries and Organizations for Afghanistan

Donor codes are derived from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 3166) list of country codes.

Last Updated: June 2004 source: AIMS UNDP

Annex 8—Management Response to the Review of the Afghanistan Program

General

CIDA's management accepts the findings and recommendations of the Review, and is committed to addressing areas identified for improvement.

The Review covers a representative distribution of major program activities, accounting for a majority of program expenditures. We note that additional information was provided by the Review team on the balance of the program portfolio, and we support comprehensive coverage in future exercises.

We understand that difficult local security conditions worked against field visits for the Review team. We do note however that the Review made full use of available documentation from international reviews, including systematic monitoring and independently documented evaluations undertaken with international partners of major projects. We have also worked through such initiatives such as Making Budgets Work to strengthen the capacity of the Government of Afghanistan for accountable management and oversight of its development efforts.

Effective development involves risk, and conditions in Afghanistan—poor security, a weak institutional base, and the legacy of decades of oppression and poverty—will continue to pose unique challenges for some time to come. Set against this backdrop, the generally positive results of the Review are encouraging; although we acknowledge that deep-rooted problems remain. The Review provides a useful summary of accomplishments, and has underlined the importance of high performance programs that we have been supporting, such as the National Solidarity Program and the Microfinance Investment Support Facility.

Lessons identified in the review and the recommendations related to reporting requirements by multilateral organizations are likely applicable to country programs across the Agency, and we are committed to ensuring that lessons learned in Afghanistan are shared across all relevant programs, especially other fragile states.

We also appreciate the specific focus on Canadian partners working with CIDA on the Afghanistan Program. We believe there is much to gain from close working relationships and we are actively seeking ways to collaborate further with partners as their programming evolves.

The following table summarizes: a) the recommendations; b) commitments and action already taken or to be taken to address the recommendations; c) the responsibility centre; and d) the target completion date.