CMI REPORT
NORWEGIAN NGOS IN POST-TALIBAN AFGHANISTAN
R 2005: 11
Appendix 2: Terms of reference
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR A JOINT REVIEW OF LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE TO AFGHANISTAN THROUGH TWO NORWEGIAN NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS, THE NORWEGIAN CHURCH AID (NCA) AND THE NORWEGIAN AFGHANISTAN COMMITTEE (NAC).
Background In the last two and half years the Afghan society has witnessed dramatic changes. The replacement of a fundamentalist Islamic regime with a transitional government, recognised and financially supported by the International Community under UN leadership, has created hopes for an end to almost 30 years of continuous war and for a chance to rebuild and develop the country in a peaceful and democratic manner. However, this is an enormous task that requires coordination and cooperation on all levels, nationally and internationally. In the past the two Norwegian NGOs, NCA and NAC, have delivered social services to the Afghan population both directly and through local partners, usually working with little or no presence of national authorities. Today their contributions to reconstruction and development are supposed to take place within the overall policy goals and administrative framework of the Afghan Transitional Government. This represents both opportunities as well as challenges to well-established practices on how they relate to national authorities and local partners in the area.
Purpose The purpose of this review is to assess the experiences made by NCA and NAC project work in Afghanistan since 2000, as anchored in their policy formulations, strategies and project activities. It will also look at how well they adapted to the new political and social environment after 2001. In particular, the review will focus on their cooperation with national and international institutions, their complementary contributions to national development goals and strategies for capacity building of the Afghan civil society. The assessment will have emphasis on lessons learnt, with a special focus on acquired knowledge from working through a period of turbulent transition.
Objectives The objectives of this review are to assess: a. To what extent the Norwegian NGOs have been able to adjust their goals and activities to reflect changes in political conditions and priorities? b. To what extent the Norwegian NGOs have been able to complement the main development actors' efforts towards sustainable development, with particular focus on capacity building and poverty reduction? c. To what extent the Norwegian NGOs have used innovative and effective strategies to support local partners and help to build a sustainable civil society within a national frame? d. To what extent the criteria for support from NORAD (and from MR/HUM in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the extent such funds also were used for the activities under review) have been adhered to during the different stages of the implementation process?
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