Assistance to Legislative Bodies of Afghanistan (ALBA) Quarterly Report: July to September 2014

(DAI). The project aims to support the development of the Afghan Parliament to enable it to operate as an independent and effective legislative, representative, and oversight body. The project's overarching Assistance Objective (AO) 1 for Democracy and Governance in Afghanistan is "Improved performance and accountability of governance." Five intermediate results (IRs) comprise this AO, with ALBA supporting the third IR, "Strengthened governance and service delivery at national and sub-national levels." The project focuses on four key areas: Legislative Support, Oversight, Outreach, and Institutional Development of the Parliament, with a major focus on the commissions as a vehicle for many of ALBA's activities. USAID designed ALBA to prepare both Houses of Parliament for greater self-reliance, building on the foundation of USAID's previous programs while expanding support to the Meshrano Jirga (MJ). The approach includes capacity development aimed at immediate and long-term application for practical, on-the-job learning as Members of Parliament (MPs) and staff reduce reliance on embedded advisors and engage in legislative, oversight, and outreach activities alongside government, civil society, and private sector actors. During the report period, which largely coincided with the final weeks of the Spring 2014 legislative session, the Summer 2014 recess period, and the start of the Fall 2014 legislative session for the Afghan Parliament, ALBA provided support to and passage of several key pieces of legislation. The Presidential and Provincial Council elections held in early April 2014 figured largely in this report period, as the crisis related to the Presidential election results delayed the formation of a new Administration and the establishment of the new Provincial councils. This meant that there were periods during which MPs were largely absent from both Houses, preventing quorum from being achieved and forcing the postponement of planned program activities. Under Objective One – Strengthened Legislative Processes, the Commission Support Units formed for the Banking Law and the Procurement Law worked with their Commissions to analyze, discuss, and amend the laws before the Summer 2014 parliamentary recess. ALBA conducted workshops on several pieces of priority legislation for staff of the Secretariats of both Houses, including the Anti-Money Laundering Law and the Law to Counter the Financing of Terrorism, as well as the Procurement and Banking Laws. ALBA's legislative team also began work on the next edition of the Legislative Bulletin, with a focus on legislative analysis. Under Objective Two – Improved Oversight, ALBA continued to support the Parliamentary Anti-corruption Caucus (PACC) as they officially announced the formation of their group and received recognition within both Houses. ALBA supported PACC members to organize and execute activities during the parliamentary recess and following the resumption of Parliament. The PACC began outreach to CSOs on the nascent system of Access to Information. ALBA also engaged the leadership of the Budget and Economic Commissions of both Houses to ensure that there is an effort to oversee the implementation of the initial components of the Anti-Money Laundering / Countering the Financing of Terrorism Laws. Under Objective Three – Increased Outreach, ALBA engaged with a variety of CSOs, including the Afghan Justice Organization and Integrity Watch Afghanistan, to plan joint conduct of activities in the area of anti-corruption involving the PACC. ALBA hired several new members for its outreach team, which will enable ALBA to expand on the successful program of provincial visits for commissions during the upcoming session. In addition, ALBA began joint planning with USAID partners Internews, Counterpart International, and Democracy International on a series of outreach initiatives, including a program to train the cadre of Afghan journalists who regularly cover Parliamentary affairs. Under Objective Four – Increased Institutional Development, ALBA worked extensively with the Speaker of the Meshrano Jirga and his Secretary General to strengthen the capacity of the Parliament. ALBA also supported the development of the Parliament's institutional framework, including the establishment of a new parliamentary committee on anti-corruption. The project's performance monitoring and evaluation plan (PMEP) was also reviewed and updated to ensure that the project is on track to meet its objectives.