SIKA-West Weekly Bullet Points No. 149: Feb 17-23, 2015

The program is implemented by the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) and the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG), with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Community Development Councils (CDCs) and District Development Assemblies (DDAs) are currently implementing 201 projects valued at AFN 272,751,550, which will serve to improve service delivery to 977,116 residents across the target districts. These projects include infrastructure development, such as the construction of flood protection walls, canals, and water supply networks, as well as capacity building activities, such as training for government personnel and community members. The SIKA-West program has made significant progress in the past week, with several notable achievements. In Farah Province, community gatherings were held to obtain CDCs' feedback on the impact of SIKA-West programming, highlighting the positive role played by the local government in addressing agriculture infrastructure needs and improving access to the Provincial/District Center. In Badghis Province, the Governance Department handed over the mixed Muqur and Qadis Komite Sobate Woleswalis to the respective District Governors, who expressed their appreciation to the MRRD/IDLG SIKA-West program for the past support. In Herat Province, the MRRD DSW, the SIKA-West Engineers and M&E Personnel inspected the work progress of the 110-meter Flood Protection Wall including 110-meter Gabion Mattress Project in Khalifa Rahmat Ulia village, Kushk-e Rabat Sangi District, advising the CDC to correct deficiencies in the construction of the gabion boxes and river stones. The project is expected to safeguard 200 jeribs of farmland and a nearby school from seasonal flood damage. The SIKA-West program has also made progress in capacity building, with the provision of training for government personnel and community members. In Guzara, the DSW and the District Technical Services Manager led Project Management Training for four members of the Rabat Suliman CDC, covering Community Mobilization & Development/Procurement Processes sections. The training was designed to improve the performance of government personnel in their administrative functions. In addition, the program has made progress in monitoring and evaluation, with the provision of M&E training to nine DSWs and government personnel, focusing on Project Site Photography, Measurement Tools and Report Writing. The training was conducted in Kushk-e Rabat Sangi, Lash Wa Juwayn, Muqur, and Qala-Naw, and yielded deficiencies that were in need of correction, such as the use of high-quality wires for gabion boxes in the Mir Ha CDC in Qala-i-Naw. The SIKA-West program has also made progress in advocacy, with the Massow Barakzai CDC successfully lobbying the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to provide the community with water pumps to address shortfalls with their potable water supplies. The community successfully prepared their own Concept Note, outlining their need for water pumps and submitted this to ICRC on August 28, 2014. ICRC responded by providing technical training to the community and how to install and maintain water pumps. On February 16, 2015, the Massow Barakzai CDC received 16 hand water pumps, which were put to immediate use. Overall, the SIKA-West program has made significant progress in the past week, with notable achievements in infrastructure development, capacity building, monitoring and evaluation, and advocacy. The program continues to work towards improving service delivery to residents in the target districts and promoting sustainable development in western Afghanistan.