First Quarter Report: Capacity Building Activity

in Afghanistan, with a duration of February 2017 to January 2022. The program aims to improve the education sector in Afghanistan, focusing on six key components: Education Management Information System (EMIS), Teacher Recruitment, Payroll Systems, Internal Audit, Resource Planning, Allocation, and Execution, and Civil Society Oversight. The EMIS component involves customizing the EMIS system, verifying third-party EMIS data, aligning the Annual School Census Questionnaire with EMIS, and providing training to users. The component aims to improve the accuracy and reliability of education data in Afghanistan. The Teacher Recruitment component focuses on increasing the recruitment of female teachers, implementing the Tashkele Strategy, digitizing the SAWANEH system, and providing training to human resources staff. The component aims to increase the number of female teachers in Afghanistan's education sector. The Payroll Systems component involves standardizing payroll forms and templates, generating annual and periodic payroll reports, and developing a standard operating procedure for payroll management. The component aims to improve the efficiency and accuracy of payroll processing in Afghanistan's education sector. The Internal Audit component focuses on establishing a provincial audit system, developing terms of reference for PEDs' internal audit departments, and providing training to internal audit staff. The component aims to improve the internal audit capacity of Afghanistan's education sector. The Resource Planning, Allocation, and Execution component involves developing resource allocation guidelines, reforming the fiscal devolution process, and providing access to the Afghanistan Ministry of Finance's (MoF) Financial Management Information System (FMIS). The component aims to improve the resource allocation and execution processes in Afghanistan's education sector. The Civil Society Oversight component focuses on establishing civil society education oversight committees, mobilizing communities, and providing training to civil society organizations. The component aims to improve the oversight and accountability of the education sector in Afghanistan. During the first quarter of FY2019, the program implemented various activities across the six components, including training sessions, workshops, and meetings. The program also reported on progress against performance indicators, including the establishment of provincial audit systems, the recruitment of female teachers, and the development of resource allocation guidelines. The program received funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and had a geographic focus on Afghanistan, with a specific focus on the provinces of Badghis, Balkh, Bamyan, Kandahar, and Paktia. The program's prime implementing partner was Chemonics International Inc., with the Afghanistan Ministry of Education as the major counterpart organization.