Afghanistan Capacity Building and Change Management Program

In 2010, the US Department of Agriculture awarded VEGA the $36 million, four-year Afghanistan Capacity Building and Change Management Program (CBCMP) with the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL). The International Executive Service Corps (IESC), as the lead implementer, and five other VEGA members are working in partnership with Afghan leadership to develop MAIL's evidence-based decision making, process improvement, and human resource capacity, which in turn will allow MAIL to provide greater and more meaningful support to Afghanistan's agricultural sector. The program includes two components: one focuses on creating a contracts and grants management services unit to enhance the Ministry's ability to manage international donor funds, and the other focuses on change management and covers leadership development, extension programs, research, and performance management.

An improved MAIL is critical to the development of Afghanistan, and it can make a significant contribution to peace, economic growth, and stability. MAIL's beneficiaries represent more than 70 percent of the population, who derive their livelihoods either directly or indirectly from agriculture.

The success of this ambitious program will ultimately depend on the extent to which the Ministry can play its rightful role in implementing the national development strategy; establish a conducive environment for agricultural trade with its neighbors; provide sound leadership in land management; and contribute substantially to the rapid economic development of rural communities. Sustainable change will only come about if MAIL is properly aligned to achieve these objectives and if it has the human resources and capacity to do so.

CBCMP has already seen success in several important areas. A grants management unit has been set-up and is fully functional, enabling MAIL to begin awarding grants to municipalities, educational institutions, and agribusinesses around the country through the provision of international donor funding. A fully-automated financial management system has also been put into place at MAIL, and it will serve as a model for other ministries. Finally, an automated attendance system is being installed to facilitate attendance tracking for 3,200 employees through a convenient swipe-card system.

VEGA is excited to support ministries and government institutions around the world with similar programs as CBCMP becomes a model for how improved economic governance contributes to sustainable economic growth.