OVERVIEW

Led by the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation & Development (MRRD) and the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG), the SIKA-West program is designed to promote stability in key areas of western Afghanistan. The project supports district-level government entities to help improve governance and provide basic services. SIKA – West’s overarching goal is to increase citizen confidence in and support for the Afghan Government.

Project partners work closely with district-level government officials, MRRD, and IDLG to strengthen existing subnational development and governance structures, including Community Development Councils (CDCs) and District Development Assemblies (DDAs). Hiring local work crews and local government supervision are important priorities. Typical grants include construction of irrigation infrastructure, flood-protection, bridges, school rehabilitation, upgrades to roads, and vocational training. SIKA-West works in 16 districts in western Afghanistan.

CURRENT ACTIVITIES

• Training district staff on sources of instability and governance-related remedies.
• Providing district entities and communities with USAID-produced manuals to understand what organizations and provincial authorities work in their communities, the services they provide, and how the public can access these services.
• Training government officials and community members at the local, district, and provincial levels in project management. Through a grants mechanism, district entities are able to deliver better basic services to their communities to build confidence in the Afghan government.

RESULTS

• Over 494 grants funded (total value $10.9 million) were awarded throughout 16 districts.
• Project managers work with district and community-level government to deliver grants that address local population needs and concerns, often through small-scale public works projects.