Thematic Area: Poverty Reduction

Progress Report Quarter 1 2009

Annual Report 2008

Progress Report Quarter 2 2008
Progress Report Quarter 3 2008
Progress Report Quarter 1 & 2 2007
Progress Report Quarter 3 2007

[Last Updated April 2009]

Project Start Date: February 2006
Project End Date: December 2009
Project Location: Kabul
Status of the Project: Ongoing

http://www.cphd.af

The core objective of the project is to support long-term capacity for research, advocacy, and teaching on human development in Afghanistan. The project will also propose human development policy recommendations for Afghanistan to build national capacity to formulate and influence people-oriented strategies and solutions. This project seeks to enrich data collection efforts at the national level, including methodologies for data analysis; influencing UNDP programme/project formulation and policy support; and to serve as a platform for action among civil society actors.

The process of developing the Afghanistan National Human Development Report is now poised to contribute to a refinement of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy and National Development Budget by providing an overall human development vision for the country and direction for medium to long-term development building consensus on the development priorities of the government by launching policy debates and advocacy on human development issues and making recommendation for provincial development and identifying regional/provincial disparities.

Major Achievements (2007)

• National consultation conducted in five provinces (Nangarhar, Mazar, Herat, Paktya and Wardak and Ghazni);
• Background papers reviewed and used for drafting of the Human Development Report;
• The Peer review group completed the process of review and the NHDR team incorporated comments received from this group;
• The tem of the NHDR briefed UN team on progress made re the drafting process of the report and the outcome of the consultations with local people at provincial level;
• Special lecture series on policy issues with direct implication to human development of Afghans was conducted featuring high profile speakers such as Barnett Rubin of New York University (NYU), Jonathan Good hand of School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), and Antonio Donini of Tufts University.
• The preparation of Afghanistan Human Development Report (AHDR) 2007 was completed in June 2007;
• The Pashto, Dari and English versions of the report finalized and printed in Islamabad;
• The implementation of the AHDR 2007 outreach and advocacy strategy (which had been finalized in the previous quarter) was initiated during this quarter.
• In July, the report was presented in Rome conference to a number of audience representing donor communities, governments and other organizations working in Afghanistan especially in the area of Rule of Law and Human Rights.
• The AHDR launched on 27 September New York and this event was followed by a well received event in Washington DC at the United States Institute of Peace , organized jointly by CPHD, UNDP’s Liaison Office in Washington DC and the USIP.
• The NHDR launched on 18 November at Kabul University, where the main speakers were H.E. Ahmad Zia Masoud first vice president, Bo Asplund DSRSG, Dr. Sarwar Danish, Minister of Justice, H. E. Azam Dadfar, Minister of Higher Education and Chancellor of Kabul University.

Major Achievements (2008)

• AWP and the budget is developed for 2008
• Guest lectures been conducted at Kabul University in a continuous base.
• To build the capacity of Kabul University, around 20 of its teachers sent to India.
• 6 months Human Development and Research Methodologies course conducted. This course covered 43 teachers of the university and had two parts, 1) Human Development which lasted for 4 months and 2) Research which lasted for two months. CPHD established a network with national and international institutions.
• CPHD developed universities profiles for 11 public universities in Afghanistan.
• Rule of Law, Gender and human development training workshops held in partnership with Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales.
• Board of writers, advisors and editors has been indentified and selected for SERENA Magazine (research Magazine).
• The first volume of the Serrana magazine been published.
• Articles on core concept of Human Development are translated in to two afghan national languages (Pashto and Dari)
• Preliminary works has been started for the next NHDR (2009).
• NHDR Advisory Board designed and started its work.
• During the first three quarters of year 2008, CPHD contacted various institutions for collaborations purposes. Two institutions, Tiri Network and Chr. Michelsen Institute are interested in collaborations with CPHD.
• CPHD in collaboration with the Scientific Research Center of Kabul University undertook an extensive effort to improve the quality of English, Dari and Pashto articles which are included in the first volume of Serrana academic journal.
• A consultation workshop was held with the lecturers of eleven public universities from different parts of Afghanistan. During this workshop the participants voted for three themes of water, livelihood and social exclusion. Subsequently, the NHDR Board, which met on September 18, selected water to be the theme of NHDR 2009. The Board members selected water resource management due to its potentially vital and influential role in agriculture, livestock, poverty alleviation, health, economic, unemployment and energy sector of the country.
• As a result of successful exchange between CPHD and United State’s Peace Institute (USAIP) a workshop on Peace-building and Human Development was held from 09/08/08 to 13/08/08 at Kabul University, Afghanistan. The workshop participants included university lectures from all public higher education institutions in Afghanistan. The programme was designed as a crash-course about peace building concept and its implications within educational institutes. Forty-two university lecturers from eleven universities of Afghanistan participated in this workshop.
The primary purpose of this workshop was to introduce participants to peace building concepts and to help participants develop a sense of relevance and importance of these concepts in their classrooms lessons.

Future Priorities

• Printing of Serrana Magazine
• Recruit consultant to assist the NHDR and CO team;
• Develop a concept paper for the NHDR 2009.
• International Exchange Programme: 12 Kabul University lecturers are going to be sent to India for a training of Human Development and Research Methodologies.
• To expand the capacity building and international exchange programs.
• Involvement of at least one other afghan national university for exchange and capacity building program.
• Involving at least 3 other Afghan Universities in CPHD and create focal points (1-2 people) in each university.

Partnerships and Resources

Target Budget 2006-2007: US$ 1,000,732 UNDP Core
Received Budget (2008 and 2009): US$ 1,457,828
Donors: UNDP core resources.
Shortfall: 2008-2009 US$ 1,153.096

Contacts:

Khwaga Kakar, Project Manager (khwaga.kakar@undp.org)
Mohammad Sediq Orya, Programme officer (mohammad.sediq.orya@undp.org)

Top