PRT guides Nangarhar districts’ strategic planning

Members of the Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team visited the Muhmand Dara and Rodat Districts, May 16, to assist local government members with strategic planning initiatives.

The PRT helped the districts set priorities assisted them in fulfilling their constituents’ needs, said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, PRT Nangarhar commander, from Dallas.

Rodat government officials are focused on largely intangible requests to improve the quality of life for their constituents. According to Hazrat Khan Khaksar, the district’s subgovernor, the top priorities included capacity building initiatives to improve the competency of civil servants, increased communication between rival tribes in the district, and improved documentation on borders to lower instances of land disputes. Overall, the officials present said they believed their population is pleased with its government’s capacity.

“This is truly the people’s government,” said Rodat District Delivery Assembly chairman Malik Rheeulah. “That’s why the people are so happy with it.”

Muhmand Dara, one of the more successful districts in Nangarhar, was already providing a high level of service delivery to its citizenry, said Nor Agha Saranwal, the district’s subgovernor. They produced a prioritized list of their needs including hiring more teachers, expanding clinics and building retaining walls to help protect agricultural land against floods.

“We are implementing our projects, emphasizing both quantity and quality,” Saranwal continued.

The PRT also prepared Muhmand Dara for their upcoming District Delivery Program assessment. The DDP is a national program that involves a visit from a central team from Kabul to discuss local needs with district subgovernors, extension representatives and community leaders, said Ricky Majette, United States Agency for International Development general development officer from Raleigh, N.C.

To present a compelling case to their Kabul-based team, Muhmand Dara must marry its strategic plans and pre-existing infrastructure in a concise format, explained Anderson. The DDP will both provide new resources for the district as well as improve current facilities.

“Just because you have a school doesn’t mean you won’t get money for repairs or supplies the school needs,” said Anderson.

 

Nor Agha Saranwal, Muhmand Dara District subgovernor, discusses his strategic planning initiatives with the Nangarhar PRT at the district center, May 16.

Rodat Subgovernor Hazrat Khan Khaksar, left, describes his vision for his district to Ricky Majette, United States Agency for International Development general development officer from Raleigh, N.C., center, and U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team commander, from Dallas, right, at the Rodat District Center May 16.

PRT, GIRoA discuss solution to Jalalabad overcrowding

Members of the Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team met with Lal Agha Kaker, Jalalabad’s mayor, to discuss the Regional Afghan Municipalities Program for Urban Population and revenue generation at the mayor’s office May 9.

RAMP UP will fund a parking lot for the city aimed at easing concerns related to rickshaw vendors, said Dan Ruge, United States Agency for International Development field officer from Denver and the PRT’s lead on Jalalabad development.

The meeting was the first between Kaker and Ruge, who recently arrived in Afghanistan. Kaker outlined a number of issues in his city, most stemming from overcrowding.

"Jalalabad was built for 50,000, but currently has a population of over 200,000," said Kaker.

This situation created unique problems for the city. One of the more pressing issues is related to rickshaw vendors.

Many of the city’s residents use rickshaws to sell their products, Kaker said. The rickshaws are a heavy source of congestion, responsible for traffic jams as well as clogging up the city’s sidewalks.

USAID proposed to build a parking lot for registered rickshaws to operate, said Ruge.

The rickshaw parking lot will operate as a market similar to a flea market, he continued. The rickshaw owners will have to pay a rental fee to the city, thus creating a revenue source for further development.

The RAMP UP program will be the primary source of funding for the parking lot, said Ruge. If successful, this project will allow RAMP UP to invest more heavily in Jalalabad.

"This is only the beginning of what I hope to accomplish during my first two years here," Ruge said. "This project is very important for the future of Jalalabad, and I’m excited to get started working on it."

"I am happy that Dan has been selected as the lead for Jalalabad," said Kaker. "I look forward to doing good work with him."

RAMP UP is a project designed to build the capacity of the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan officials and deliver small service projects to help the municipality generate revenue and provide services to the citizens of Jalalabad.

Members of the Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team met with Jalalabad’s mayor and his staff in his office to discuss the Regional Afghan Municipalities Program for Urban Population and revenue generation May 9.

PRT, GIRoA partner to increase health service in Nangarhar

Members of the Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team met with officials from the province’s Public Health Directorate at the Behsood District Center May 7 to discuss health issues across Nangarhar and ways to better connect provincial officials with their district counterparts.

Nangarhar’s Public Health Directorate created a strategic plan aimed at improving healthcare over the next five years, said Dr. Gul Abi Norwal.

The plan focuses on key service delivery shortfalls, such as limited access to healthcare, the poor quality of the available care, and determining the role of the private sector in healthcare issues.

However, even with their relatively sophisticated strategy, the Public Health Directorate said they feel disconnected from other levels of government.

Members of the directorate often expressed frustration about the information flow between the provincial and district levels.

During the Provincial Development Council Feb. 27, Dr. Bas Mohammad Shirzad, Nangarhar’s director of Public Health, complained about organizations building health clinics in Nangarhar without his knowledge or supervision. According to U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, Nangarhar PRT commander from Dallas, the May 7 meeting was a substantial step toward solving these communication barriers.

The root of the issue is the province and its subordinate districts often create plans and submit them to the national government without synchronizing their efforts, said Anderson. This is a systemic issue across Nangarhar, not a concern isolated to healthcare.

“We think that one of the main weaknesses within the government is communication,” Anderson explained.

In response to this shortcoming, the PRT created a strategy for connecting the province with its districts through a series of focused meetings, said U.S. Army 1st Lt. Scott Fee, Nangarhar PRT civil military operations officer from Virginia Beach, Va.

The meeting established a schedule and plan of attack for the Public Health Directorate, Fee continued. Future discussions will involve provincial officials explaining their plan to the various districts, followed by discussion regarding shortfalls and needs at the district level.

The strategy was met with enthusiasm by the government officials involved in the plan.

“On behalf of the public health department, I am very glad that we’re having this meeting so we can sit down and talk face to face and solve our problems,” said Norwal.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team commander from Dallas, discusses healthcare issues with representatives from the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan from Nangarhar at the Behsood District Center May 7.

Behsood District Development Assembly Chairman Malik Nehmat Halimi discusses healthcare issues at his district center May 7.