SIKA-EAST Weekly Program Update: September 12-19, 2013

The conference provided a forum for program staff to get to know each other better, share successes and challenges, and exchange experience. It also offered an opportunity to discuss ways to strengthen SIKA-East's partnership with the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) and the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG) and improve coordination in the field. The conference featured presentations by senior officials, including Mohammad Tariq Ismati, Deputy Minister of MRRD, and Fareeb Mohmandzai, Deputy Minister of IDLG for Policy and Strategy. They emphasized the importance of community involvement and stability in achieving development goals. The conference also included a question and answer period, during which plans for SIKA-East through the rest of the no-cost extension period and beyond were discussed. Provincial PRRD Directors and heads of SIKA-East's provincial units shared their experiences with program implementation in their areas. Rahwatullah Sarwari, PRRD Director for Logar, noted that SIKA-East has kickstarted the functioning of District Development Assemblies (DDAs) and encouraged better cooperation between the government and community. Jan Mohammad Hekmatjo, PRRD Director for Maydan Wardak, expressed hope that SIKA-East will continue to expand and become a national program. The conference also featured presentations on business ethics, security, and logistics, as well as finance, human resources, and project photography. These were intended to acquaint new hires with SIKA-East policies and procedures and bring longer-standing employees up to date. Approximately 500 SIKA-East staff members from the field and Kabul attended the conference. Institutional Strengthening and Stabilization Unit continued to work on finalizing Category II and III projects, whose goal is to strengthen the capacities and service delivery of governmental institutions and district entities. SIKA-East completed the last round of Advanced Advocacy Training of Trainers, which aimed to prepare district and provincial staff, and PRRD social organizers, to co-facilitate these sessions in the field. The unit also prepared the initial draft of the district profile for Jalrez in Maydan Wardak and worked on the narratives to accompany the District Project Portfolios (DPP) for Laja Mangal, Laja Ahmad Khail, Tani, and Khwaja Umari. Trainings and workshops were conducted in various locations, including Laja Ahmad Khail, Chaki Wardak, Jalriz, Jaji Maidan, Gurbuz, and Baraki Barak. The topics included grant process and application development, coalition building, stakeholder orientation, stability planning process, infrastructure project implementation, negotiation strategy, and governance foundation. A total of 1,144 men and 342 women participated in these trainings and workshops. Grants and Project Management Unit awarded two grant agreements from Chaki Wardak District and one from Saydabad District, with a total value of $103,949. The unit also disbursed 12 payments for first, second, and third milestones to Community Development Councils (CDCs) in Saydabad, Nirkh, Chaki Wardak, Mohammad Agha, and Andar Districts. Engineering Support Group continued to provide support to SIKA-East field and Kabul-based staff. The group's activities included providing technical assistance to the field and Kabul-based staff, conducting site visits, and providing support to the Grants and Project Management Unit.