OVERVIEW

The USAID Initiative to Strengthen Local Administrations (ISLA) project seeks to improve Afghan provincial governance in the areas of fiscal and development planning, citizen representation, and enhanced public service delivery. Major challenges to be addressed include poor integration of provincial priorities in the national government’s planning and budget, and weak top-down and bottom-up information exchanges.

ACTIVITIES

• Provincial Planning: ISLA will strengthen the capacity of provincial actors and administrative offices to plan and coordinate strategically by identifying required inputs, developing a budget, and allocating resources properly.
• Sub-National Institution Building: The project will help institutionalize local government systems and processes.
• Inclusive Advocacy: The project seeks to improve provincial actors’ ability to represent citizens’ interests in planning and service delivery and advocate for local needs in national budgeting and planning. 
• Public Engagement: ISLA will improve provincial authorities’ ability to inform citizens of government decisions and actions and provide general information, while at the same time, soliciting feedback and creating a dialogue to understand citizens’ priorities and needs.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Completed the rapid provincial needs assessment in 16 participating provinces
• Completed the Rapid Capacity Assessment at the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG) and Ministry of Economy
• Completed the baseline assessment in 16 participating provinces
• In coordination with IDLG, developed the IDLG Capacity Development Strategy
• In coordination with the Ministry of Economy, developed the Provincial Planning Guidelines
• In coordination with the Ministry of Finance, conducted the Provincial Budgeting Training for participants from 34 provinces
• Established a Joint Advocacy Working Group
• Updated the IDLG Communication Strategy