MRRD Principal National Programmes

• NSP: National Solidarity Programme
   
• NABDP: National Area-Base Development Programme
   
• NRAP: National Rural Access Programme
   
• Ru-WatSIP: Rural Water Supply, Sanitation & Irrigation Programme
   
• AREDP: Afghanistan Rural Enterprise Development Programme
   

• CARD-F: Comprehensive Agriculture and Rural Development - Facility

NSP: National Solidarity Programme

The National Solidarity Programme (NSP) was created by the Government of Afghanistan to develop the ability of Afghan communities to identify, plan, manage and monitor their own development projects. Through the promotion of good local governance, NSP works to empower rural communities to make decisions affecting their own lives and livelihoods.

The programme is the primary vehicle used to promote rural development in Afghanistan.  Empowered rural communities collectively contribute to increased human security. NSP lays the foundation for a sustainable form of inclusive local governance, rural reconstruction, and poverty alleviation.

NSP supports local governance and poverty alleviation by:  

• Establishing a national network of community development councils that  empower communities to make decisions;

• Funding priority subprojects that improve access to infrastructure, markets, and services;

• Strengthening community capacities through participatory processes and training; and

• Promoting accountability and wise use of public and private resources.

The flexible and responsive design of NSP has allowed it to be a main conduit of central government poverty reduction and reconstruction policies, permitting local people to actively participate in local administration through the formation of Community Development Councils (CDCs). NSP builds capacity at the community level to enhance the competence of CDC male and female members in terms of financial management, procurement, technical skills, transparency, literacy, and livelihoods training.

Through CDCs, the people of Afghanistan are building on shared vision and values, and on democratically-decided priorities to create a healthy and sustainable nation.

For more information please visit here: www.nspafghanistan.org

NABDP: National Area-Base Development Programme

National Area-Based Development Programme (NABDP) commenced as a joint initiative of the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2002, with the goal of contributing to a sustainable reduction of poverty and an improvement of livelihoods in rural Afghanistan. NABDP Phase-II (originally 2006-2008) focused on support to District Development Assembly (DDA) institutionalization, poverty reduction, and institutional capacity development, whilst linking with Interim Afghanistan National Development Strategy (I-ANDS) and Agricultural Rural Development Sector Strategy (ARDSS) frameworks.

The NABDP Phase-III is a five-year commitment supported by UNDP for MRRD to take the next step in the continuum of national programme development that started with Phase I as a priority recovery and economic regeneration programme in a complex emergency context. NABDP Phase-III will subscribe to its area-based implementation approach with a dual focus on: productive infrastructure that will serve to link rural communities as part of the Government’s broader agricultural and rural development strategy; and ii) continuing its vital work on strengthening and linking District Development Assemblies (DDAs) as another novel manifestation of an area based approach, namely as a conduit for social and economic development planning.

The long-term vision of the agriculture and rural development sector is to ensure the social and economic wellbeing of rural communities, especially the poor and vulnerable. Hence NABDP Phase-III will shift away from the direct construction of schools, clinics, primary roads and WATSIP activities and focus on its own comparative advantage (summarized in Section 2.3 and detailed in the Technical Annexes in Annex 3), whilst ensuring synergies between all MRRD programmes especially the Afghanistan Rural Enterprise Development Programme (AREDP).The NABDP Phase-III strategy is based on the third pillar of ANDS, ‘social and economic development’, and addresses the following main thematic areas:

1. Local Institutional Development:

The capacity development of District Development Assembles (DDAs) is an essential element of area-based development, which requires strong links between villages and incorporation into provincial development planning processes. While moving towards establishing DDAs in all districts, it is envisaged that DDAs will become the hub for community-based profiling, gathering the appropriate information of activities in their respective areas.

Along with support from other sectoral initiatives, these will enable DDAs to play a catalytic development facilitation role at the centre of this process at the district level, promoting the Comprehensive Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) approach with critical engagement of the private sector and links to stabilization and governance programmes and initiatives. The DDA is envisaged as playing a core role in establishing linkages vertically and horizontally to governance and stabilization programmes, thereby offering a multiplier effect for donor funding. It is further envisaged that the DDA would become the hub for community-based profiling, gathering the appropriate information of activities in their respective areas.

2. Productive Rural Infrastructure:

In order to increase and diversify livelihood and income generation opportunities, NABDP focuses on constructing and rehabilitating physical infrastructure linked to agricultural productivity and rural economic development. Completed projects are in 14 diverse sectors, including transportation, irrigation, water supply, health and education facilities, and food storage. These activities also provide strategic opportunities to collaborate with other Ministries, particularly MAIL and MoEW.

3. Natural Resource Management:

With the goal of improving the capacity of communities to manage productive natural resources to support poverty reduction and dispute resolution, and to reduce vulnerability to natural disasters, this thematic area has been newly integrated into NABDP. Given the dependence of rural populations on natural resources, the three interrelated dimensions of economic livelihoods, environmental protection, and security and stability will further contribute to sustainable development and poverty reduction.

4. Rural Energy Development:

In order to tap into Afghanistan’s significant energy potential and provide rural populations with power and alternative fuel sources, rural energy technologies are piloted and implemented across the country through NABDP. The long-term success of these projects is ensured through community participation, as well as partnerships with the private sector.

5. Local Economic Development:

In order to meet the dual objectives of improved rural livelihoods and reduced poverty through economic regeneration and increased production and productivity throughout the rural economy, NABDP has newly added this thematic area to its strategy. By strengthening rural enterprises and opportunities for rural populations to generate licit livelihoods, as well as supporting commercialized rural production and services that contribute to national economy interventions will contribute area-based rural development.

The NABDP phase III, which has a value of USD 294 million, will be executed fully under the leadership of MRRD supported by UNDP under the National Implementation Modality (NIM) within a five year timeframe of July 2009-June 2014.

Cross-cutting Gender issues

Gender

NABDP aims at achieving equitable participation in selecting district representatives and ensuring an equitable voice in development planning, decision-making and project implementation, and gender equity in access to information and training.

For more information: -  www.mrrd-nabdp.org

NRAP: National Rural Access Programme (Formerly called NEEP)

Background

The National Emergency Employment Program (NEEP) was launched in 2002, aiming to increase access to rural infrastructure for local communities and to provide employment opportunities for rural labors. As a result of a joint assessment of NEEP conducted by the World Bank, ILO and the government of Afghanistan in early 2005, the program was reviewed and restructured to make a smooth transition to more development-centred assistance in Afghanistan. To mark the beginning of a new phase, NEEP was renamed the “National Rural Access Program NRAP)” with a more strategic focus on the provision of a rural road access network that will connect households and communities to essential services and markets.

Rationale

NRAP supports enhanced livelihoods by ensuring all rural communities are serviced with access to basic facilities, services, and goods and helps individuals and households, to manage risks through the provision of targeted employment.  The Programme provides the development of quality rural access infrastructure and a mechanism whereby temporary employment will provide a safety net for vulnerable rural people.

Objectives

The objectives of NRAP include:

• Establish a quality rural road network that connects all villages to basic rural infrastructures and services, such as markets, health care and schools. 
• Provide increased employment opportunities through using labour intensive methods and a private sector-led approach for all works.
• Enhance the capacity of communities and the private sector to manage, deliver and maintain public transportation facilities through on-the-job capacity development.

Implementation Strategies

• NRAP is a joint national priority program that is executed by Ministry of Public works (MoPW) and the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation & Development (MRRD).
• Under the two ministries, UNOPS is responsible for implementation. Project works are contracted to the private sector and communities (L1 and L2 contracts).

UNOPS also provides technical support in developing standards and norms for rural roads, surfacing options and maintenance. In addition, UNOPS supports capacity development of the ministries in procurement, contracting, financial management and monitoring.

Summary of Achievements to Date

1. Reconstruction and renovation of rural roads: A total of more then 9,794 km of roads have been rehabilitated in 312 districts of 34 provinces.
2. Construction and rehabilitation of bridges and transportation infrastructures: 108 bridges with total length of 1,568m; 6,396 culverts, washes and retaining walls with total length of 64,936m.
3. Construction and rehabilitation of rural infrastructures: NEEP/NRAP has either constructed or rehabilitated 384 small irrigation schemes, 95 schools, 14 clinics, 44 drinking water storages, and 204 dug wells with hand pumps. Furthermore, NEEP provided shelters to 105 vulnerable families who were living in the caves around the Buddha’s Sculptures in the mountains in Bamyan province.
4. Employment opportunity creation: Through the rehabilitation and renovation of the above-mentioned activities, a total of 14,304,020 million days of wage labour were generated.
5. Training of ex-combatants through NEEP/RAL project: Under NEEP, the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration/Rural Livelihood Support (NEEP-DDR/RLS) project was launched in August 2004 to provide livelihood opportunities to demobilized soldiers. The targeted number of ex-combatants to be trained is 3,270 of which 2,796 persons have completed their training. Presently 325 persons are under training in project management and craft skills.
6. Winterization: During the past winters, 1,129 km road were cleaned of snow to keep the roads open.
7. Capacity Building: 56 technical training sessions has been conducted for 1,450 NRAP and MRRD employees.
8. Preparation of Rural Roads Master Plan and Preparation of IRRIP (Interim Rural Roads Investment Plan): The resources for NRAPMRRD are coming from the international donor community and organizations, but are not sufficient to fund all the necessary projects across the country. To invest the limited available resources effectively and efficiently, the preparation of a rural road network and multi-year investment plan was required. For the preparation of such a rural road network master plan,, PIU-NRAP MRRD prepared a for the preparation of Rural Roads Master plan and preparation of Interim Rural Road Investment Plan (IRRIP). Through the successful conduct of 2-day planning workshops in different provinces it has collected essential information about existing rural roads at the district level. In this exercise NRAP-MRRD considered the connectivity of the rural road network on provincial maps. NRAP-MRRD established a data base for this purpose and computerized the collected data. In addition the communities specified the need for new roads. The planning exercise has been completed in the 34 provinces and entered into the data base. The GIS unit is working on putting the network on the maps and has been able to complete 34 provinces, and they are editing that data. The preparation of mid to long term investment plan is under preparation of the PIU-NRAP-MRRD which would be a very valuable document for the program.
9. National Emergency Rural Access Project (NERAP): is one of the NRAPs new projects which designed by national experts of the program with support of international colleagues. This project is going to be funded by IDA through World Bank and ARTF.

The proposed IDA grant of US$ 112 million will be implemented over three years. The project will co-fund the government’s National Rural Access Program (NRAP) and will continue the WB support to this very important priority program. The expected project presentation to the WB board is November 2007. The proposed NERAP will include the following three components:

• Improvement of secondary roads by MoPW, US$53.9 million
• Improvement of tertiary road by MRRD, US$51.9 million and
• Institutional strengthening, capacity building, project management and program development, US$6.3 million

Plan for 2008 (1387)

The major activities planned for 2007 (1386) include:

• Construction and reconstruction of 1,225 km rural road
• Maintenance of 3,000 km basic roads

 

Rural Water Supply, Sanitation & Irrigation Programme

Background

MRRD has set the goal to provide over 15 million rural people with basic services for water supply (25 litres of safe water per day per person) and sanitation facilities over the next 5 years. To achieve this target, MRRD aims to construct at least 100,000 water points across the country through the Rural Water Supply, Sanitation & Irrigation Program (Ru-WatSIP) projects executed by the MRRD Water and Sanitation Department. Furthermore, 2.5 million households will be educated on water, sanitation and hygiene issues to raise awareness of the importance of safe drinking water and prevention of waterborne diseases.

Rationale

Access to safe water and sanitation is a basic human right. The provision of safe drinking water and hygienic sanitation to households and communities enhances health by reducing death and disease through waterborne diseases, allowing individuals to fully participate and strengthen their livelihood strategies.

Objectives

The objectives of Ru-WatSIP include:

• Provide rural communities with sustainable access to potable water sources and sanitation facilities.
• Strengthen the capacity of rural communities for service delivery, operation and maintenance, and the sustainable use of water supply and sanitation facilities.
• Improve public hygiene and environmental sanitation.

Implementation Strategies

As the lead ministry, MRRD is responsible to ensure that the policies and plans determined under the 5-year national policy framework for the water sector are implemented in a timely manner.  MRRD takes an overall facilitation and coordination role, including policy, planning and development, resource mobilization and allocation, monitoring and evaluation, and information management. Close collaboration is established with other line ministries such as the Ministries of Health, Women’s Affairs, Education and Haj to maximise accelerated coverage, cost-effectiveness and efficiency in delivery of water and sanitation services.

The Water & Sanitation Department of MRRD implements Ru-WatSIP projects. In general, construction of water or sanitation facilities is packaged with community mobilization, health and hygiene education, and repair and maintenance training to maximise health benefits and ensure sustainability. The programme uses local technology and methods. Direct service delivery is outsourced to facilitating partners – NGOs and private sector - who will assist the communities in implementation. MRRD plays a regulatory and facilitating role, supervising and monitoring contractors’ quality of works. MRRD also supports developing and strengthening a strong private sector and NGOs that can serve rural areas through providing water engineer and maintenance training.

Summary of Achievements to Date

1. Establishment of a national framework for the water sector: The 5-year national policy framework was developed and approved. Institutional structures in the government to facilitate public investment in the water sector have been realigned with the national plan and policy. MRRD has played the lead role and strengthened its capacity to manage water and sanitation projects, and develop policies and strategies.
2. Construction of water points/sources: Ru-WatSIP has constructed 11371 water wells and installed 859 hand pumps in rural areas and schools, benefiting over one million people across the country. To date, 59 pipe schemes for water networks have been constructed, benefiting over 1989925 people. In addition, 2578 water reservoirs were contracted or rehabilitated, benefiting approximately 2.6 million people.
3. Sanitation facilities and hygiene education: A total of 23844 latrines have been constructed either in houses or schools, benefiting 167188 people and children. Ru-WatSIP has also provided hygiene education for more than 10 million people across the country.
4. Specialized training on water & sanitation: To ensure that water and sanitation projects meet the needs of the communities and create sustainable impacts on health and environmental sanitation, Ru-WatSIP has provided various trainings for a total of 3500 MRRD staff, as well as representatives from NGOs and private companies. The topics of these training include policy making, planning, management, community mobilization and consultation and hygiene education, as well as the basics of hydrology and water engineering, and construction techniques for water wells.

Plan for 2008 (1387)

• Construct 7852 water points consisting of wells and Pipe schemes to provide rural villages potable water for 1374100 people nation wide.
• 16092 latrines will be constructed and provide hygiene education training for more than 981500 people to enhance sanitation in rural areas.
• Establish water maintenance mechanisms in 217 rural areas to ensure sustainability of water supply facilities.

AREDP: Afghanistan Rural Enterprise Development Programme

 “The state shall formulate and implement effective programs for development of industries, growth of production, raising living standards, and support to craftsmanship.”
(The Constitution of Afghanistan, Chapter 1, Article XIII)

Afghanistan Rural Enterprise Development Program (AREDP) is one of the 6 national programs of the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD). It is the ministry’s lead employment creation and income generation initiative that aims to build on top of previous successful initiatives in promoting local governance and building rural infrastructure.

AREDP Program Development Objective (PDO):  increased income and sustainable employment opportunities for men and women through supporting rural enterprises.

AREDP progress to date:

• In fall of 2007 the President of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan tasked the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) to design and implement a national program that follows in the footsteps of previous achievements and is aimed at reducing unemployment, poverty, and reliance on opium.
• In Fall of 2007the AREDP Identification Mission started by the World Bank and
• Throughout 2008 AREDP preparation process was jointly undertaken by MRRD/AREDP and World Bank.
• The World Bank made available to MRRD/AREDP USD 1.76 million funds for AREDPs Project Preparation Facility (PPF).
•  In April 2009, the final preparation mission for AREDP by the World Bank was convened.
• In Early July 2009, AREDP starts its pilot phase in Jabal Seraj district of Parwan Province aiming to cover 20 communities in the district.
• AREDP Appraisal by the World Bank is scheduled for the 13th August 2009
• The World Bank date for the approval of AREDP is 13th August 2009
• AREDP is planning to start its operation in nine provinces of Parwan, Ningarhar, Bamyan, Balkh, Hirat, Kandahar, Daikundi, Urozgan and Hilmand, by the beginning of 2010.

For more information see:

• Programme Summary
• AREDP Operation Manual
• Environmental and Social Safeguards
• Gender Equality Strategy
• Procurement
• Vacancies
• Contact Us

Comprehensive Agriculture and Rural Development - Facility (CARD-F)

The Comprehensive Agriculture and Rural Development - Facility (CARD-F) is a joint entity established under the auspices of the Agriculture & Rural Development (ARD) Cluster Ministries.  It is administered by the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL), the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD); the Ministry of Counter Narcotics (MCN) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF). This facility is managed by Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) chaired by the MCN and CARD-F is led by an Executive Director who reports to the IMC.

Goals

CARD-F Seeks to:

•    Increase legal rural employment and income opportunities through more efficient markets;

•    Reduce the risk of resurgence in poppy cultivation by creating commercially viable and sustainable alternatives for farmers;

•    Coordinate and integrate Government and donor support to agriculture and rural development;

•    Improve government capacity to deliver provincial and district-level programs 

Mission

CARD-F seeks to build prosperous rural and pastoral communities.  Its aim also reflects the objectives of the ARD cluster of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GoIRA). CARD-F will achieve this by developing Economic Development Packages (EDPs). These involve interventions to improve the performance and sustainability of agricultural value chains through investments in rural infrastructure, rural markets and on-farm and off-farm production.

Strategic Objectives         

• Identify, expedite, coordinate and monitor the deployment of ARD Cluster ministries’ technical expertise so that EDPs can be    implemented.

• Develop CARD-F’s leadership, management, technical and operational capability so that it becomes a recognized centre of excellence within Afghanistan

• Contribute to Government policy on agriculture, infrastructure and market development.

• Improve the quality of development interventions for rural development.

please for further information and details visit the following website: www.cardf.gov.af