IMPACT EVALUATION OFTHE DISTRICTGOVERNORSRECRUITED THROUGH MERIT BASED / PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORM PROCESS IN AFGHANISTAN

An identification of the effectiveness of public administration reform process for District Governors in Afghanistan

 Over the past 5 years, more than 230 District Governors have been recruited through Public Administration Reform Process (PAR). PAR has been rated by the Government as a successful process with wider and positive impacts on the improvement of local governance; however there has been limited nationwide evaluation to determine both the claims and reasons for being successful and or to determine the failures.

The main objective of this study has been to understand how local government has progressed following the introduction of public reforms administration and also to identify and examine the various formal administrative structures operating at the local level. The basic hypothesis about the implementation of the Public Administration Reform is that the process has contributed to improved service delivery, effective and responsive local administration, wider public participation at sub-national institutions.

Successful implementation of the Public Administration Reform and pay & grading system is crucial for the credibility and legitimacy of Afghanistan Government. IDLG as a leading entity of Sub-national governance in Afghanistan begin PAR implementation and pay & grading system at national and sub-national levels enabling the provincial and Districts administration to provide better services to the citizens and to fulfill its commitment on being effective, responsive, transparent and accountable. Since 2010, IDLG with the support of IARCSC recruited 426 civil servants, out of 495 through PAR and pay and grading process at Central level (Kabul) and 5050 out of 6130 at sub-national level.

OEDA was employed by ALGFDP/IDLG to conduct an impact evaluation of Public Administration Reform (PAR) process. The organization was tasked to identify the effectiveness of the District Governors recruited through this process to the targeted Districts across Afghanistan.

The main purposes of this impact evaluation include:

1. To identify the effectiveness of the pay and grading system and PAR implementation process at District level

2. Determine whether Security, Governance, Development and Service Delivery has improved with the PAR process implementation.

3. Examining the functions of accountability, responsiveness, efficiency and transparency after the PAR implementation

4. Identify the capacity gaps of District Governors and their offices

5. Develop a training plan for the District Governors Offices.

The overall objective of this impact evaluation is to identify how good / poor local governance is in the targeted District after implementation of the PAR. Governance is the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented).

Eight major characteristics of local governance are considered in this impact evaluation including; participation, consensus oriented, accountability, transparency, responsiveness, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and follows the rule of law.