The National Solidarity Programme was
created by the Ministry of Rural
Rehabilitation and Development of the
Government of the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan to develop the ability of Afghan
communities to identify, plan, manage and
monitor their own development projects. NSP
empowers communities to make decisions and
manage resources during all stages of the
project cycle. The program lays the
foundation for a sustainable form of
inclusive local governance, rural
reconstruction, and poverty alleviation.
The report concludes the project has
empowered local communities through the
establishment of a village-level
consultative decision making mechanism. It
has used representative local leadership as
a basis for interaction within and between
communities on the one hand, and the
administration and aid agencies on the
other. It has financed local-level
reconstruction, development, and capacity
building through block grants.
“This report
demonstrates that NSP is making tangible
inroads in helping reduce poverty and
strengthen local governance and community
empowerment in Afghanistan,”
said HE Mohammad Ehsan Zia, Minister of
Rural Rehabilitation and Development.
“The
progress to date and the great deal of work
that still lies ahead demonstrate the value
and the need for continued international
support so that NSP and local communities
may complete the impactful work we have
begun.”
Throughout the life of the NSP 1 ─ from
December 2003 to March 2007 ─ the program
made significant achievements despite high
security risks, lack of professional
capacity in rural Afghanistan, and delays in
funding availability. Between December 2003
and March 2007, some 16,502 Community
Development Councils (CDCs) had been elected
through secret ballot by both men and women,
establishing the outreach of NSP to
two-thirds of Afghanistan’s estimated 24,000
villages. A total of 22,458 sub-projects
submitted by 12,270 CDCs have been funded
with an average US$23,121 grant disbursement
per CDC.
“The NSP has for the first time in
Afghanistan’s history introduced an
institutionalized framework for inclusive
consultative decision-making at the village
level as part of the state governance
system,” said Mariam Sherman, World
Bank Country Manager for Afghanistan.
“Before NSP, women were not permitted to
participate in rural institutions, thereby
excluding half the population from any
recognized voice in community affairs. With
the introduction of CDCs, equal
representation for women is actively
promoted, and on average, 35 percent of the
CDC representatives are female.”
The major strengths of the program design
are the transfer of funds directly to
communities, enabling a strong sense of
ownership of the program, and democratic
elections through secret ballots, which
ensure that poor and marginalized peoples
are included in decision-making processes,
commented a group of Facilitating Partners.
The World Bank is the main source of
financing for the NSP by contributing US$306
million. Other sources include the
Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund
(US$216 million), the Japanese Social
Development Fund (US$21 million), and
several bilateral contributors.
The Implementation Completion Report is
prepared at the time of project completion
and marks the transition from implementation
to project operation. It assesses the degree
to which the project achieved its
development objective and outputs as set out
in the project documents; other significant
outcomes and impacts; prospects for the
project's sustainability; and World Bank and
borrower performance, including compliance
with relevant World Bank safeguards and
business policies. It also provides the data
and analysis to substantiate these
assessments, and it identifies the lessons
learned from implementation. Copies of the
report are available via the World Bank in
Afghanistan website: www.worldbank.org.af.
For more information about the Ministry of
Rural Rehabilitation and Development
activities, please visit
www.mrrd.gov.af/nsp
For more information about the World Bank
operations in Afghanistan, please visit:
www.worldbank.org.af
# # #
Media Contacts:
Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and
Development (MRRD)
Ajmal Paiman (93) 700652860
apn@mrrd.gov.af
World Bank
In Kabul:
Abdul Raouf Zia (93) 702
80800
In Washington:
Erik Nora (202) 458 4735
enora@worldbank.org
