Capacity Building for the Fata Development Program
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CAPACITY BUILDING FOR THE FATA DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FIRST QUARTERLY REPORT: JANUARY-MARCH 2008 APRIL 2008 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by DAI. CAPACITY BUILDING FOR THE FATA DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM CAPACITY BUILDING PROJECT FATA SECRETARIAT AND FATA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY Quarterly Report: January-March 2008 The authors’ views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. CBP Quarterly Report January-March 2008 I. Inception Mobilization of the team for the new FATA Capacity Building Project was rapid. Contract signature on December 20, 2007, with an effective date of January 1 st , 2008 was followed by arrival in Pakistan by a team from the DAI home office on January 15 th . Brian Brewer led the team, supported by Carmen Lane (home office Project Coordinator), Christopher Stolz (Start-up Specialist) and Jaqui Dupre (TAMIS record keeping). DAI was able to begin rapid mobilization based on the experience and assistance of the Islamabad-based Parliamentary Legislative Support Project. The team initiated contacts with USAID on arrival, and with the support of sub-contractor, Associates in Development (AiD) proceeded to begin initial consultations with the Mission, as well as necessary logistical, banking and personnel arrangements. The Chief of Party, Richard L. Smith arrived on January 18 th , joining in a full week of discussions with USAID, and other US Government agencies operating in Pakistan. This was a week well spent, since many of the activities anticipated for the CBP require close coordination with contracts, health, education, security and military programs now in place. Team members were also able to hold discussions with development managers at the Japanese and Canadian Embassies. The UK High Commission introduced the DFID-supported Capacity Building Project for NWFP and FATA, which is conducting a program closely allied and coordinated with CBP. This meeting served to establish a sound working relationship between the two teams. The new members of the CBP technical team resident in Pakistan joined with the DAI group for a two day work shop in Peshawar (weekend of 25-26 January) to review the requirements of the project. The meeting served as an introduction and team building experience for newly appointed administration and technical staff. All of the new team members were engaged in a review of CBP objectives and implementation mechanisms, with the work shop serving to clarify USAID expectations, the strengths and weakness of FATA institutions, and the evolving security situation. In the week following the work shop, USAID Deputy Director Ed Birgells and CTO Atif Masud joined team members in introductory meetings with the FATA Secretariat and FATA Development Authority. The Additional Chief Secretary for FATA, Habibullah Khan and the DAI Chief of Party had worked together in the 1980s on the USAID Northwest Frontier Area Development Project implemented by DAI and they have re-established cordial relations. Mobilization of the remaining team members to begin work on the project has required a number of “work around” solutions, since sub-contractors had to finalize their agreements with DAI prior to signing employment agreements. Individuals then must give notice to current employers. In a number of cases, individuals nominated in the DAI proposal chose not to actually join the project, requiring a search for replacements and their approval by the USAID Contracts Officer. This can be a protracted process when all sides exercise due diligence. The CBP management team is made up of senior, Pashto speaking Directors, with decades of experience in FATA and NWFP. Director of Institutional Development for CBP, Mr. Khalid Aziz is a former Chief Secretary of NWFP. CBP has been able to operate effectively, even while awaiting arrival of its full staff complement, because of his experience and understanding of the political environment and administrative needs. He and Operations Director Temur Aziz provide deep experience and sensitivity to the area, to provide the Project with contacts, awareness, and ability to operate effectively. The face of CBP is almost entirely local, as intended by USAID and the GOP. It operates in support of government and civil society with the intention of strengthening the decision making process, but not attempting to provide the decisions. Director of Finance and Administration, Noor Wali Khan has worked with DAI on a number of projects since 1983; his grasp of how to operate in this difficult context is unique. The Project has been less fortunate in gaining its full staff complement. Illness claimed our first Communications Specialist, the Education Specialist, and at the end of March the Procurement and Grants Manager. CBP also had to conduct an extensive search for Specialists in Agency Strategies, M&R, Civil Society, and Economics. With the exception of the economist position, individuals for these positions had been identified by the end of March. Economics is a skill area for which the going rate in the free market is beyond the normal pay scales under which USAID projects operate, and this constrains CBP in locating strong candidates willing to work at available USAID rates. The Project has been fortunate in locating an office in a quiet part of University Town in Peshawar. CBP took possession in early March. The location is adequate for hosting meetings for partners and donors, as well coordination with the FATA Secretariat. Project inception paralleled a period of political activity and violence that has effectively constrained access to FATA. With the exception of FR Peshawar, and parts of Khyber, all remaining tribal areas have experienced violent attacks, road blockages and threats from a deteriorating security situation. Toward the end of the quarter, violence related to extremist forces subsided in the Waziristans, while Kurram, FR Kohat, Khyber and Bajaur experienced a major resurgence of sectarian, tribal, and extremist-led fighting. Under the circumstances, project preparatory activities continued through FATA Secretariat, and FATA Development Authority discussions, and contact with government administrators and other stakeholders located in Peshawar. CBP senior management remains very aware of the political environment, and prepared to respond flexibly to new initiatives of the recently elected provincial government. II. Work Plan During February, DAI circulated a draft work plan to both the FATA Secretariat and the FATA Development Authority. This served to familiarize senior staff members of the organizations with the objectives of the Project. At the Secretariat, a result was a formal meeting of leaders of each directorate and the Secretary of Finance, chaired by the Secretary Law and Order and later by the ACS to discuss clarifications, requests for specific assistance, and authorizations for CBP team members to hold direct discussions with staff at all levels of the institution. This discussion was useful input for the revised work plan submitted to USAID on Februray 29 th . The draft work plan circulated to FDA elicited a request that in future FDA be treated separately from the Secretariat. CBP operates on the basis of annual work plans, thus the 2009 plan that will go to USAID will treat FDA separately. III. Institutional Assessments Team members conducted needs assessments with the education, health and livelihoods directorates of FS, as well as with the Secretaries of Finance, and Administration. These formal assessments, for which CBP is indebted to Secretaries, Directors and Deputy Directors, resulted in detailed requirements for both the Peshawar offices, and those they support in Agencies and FRs. The “stock” of personnel with some level of capacity building requirement stands at about three thousand in all grades for which CBP input might be effective. Project sector specialists took these raw lists of requirements and collated them to extract training needs and formulate programs for investing in training courses. In a parallel activity, they visited training institutions in Peshawar, Islamabad and Lahore to assess training capabilities. The first training course for 24 staff members in computer skills begins in April. The activity plan established in March anticipates other courses in financial management, and monitoring and evaluation in the next few months. With the immediate training requirements of the Secretariat assessed and a training program initiated, CBP’s full staff complement also nears completion. This provides the Project with the ability to address communications, IT, and operational capacity building issues resulting from the needs assessments conducted in February and March. The training needs assessment and development of training courses will lead to a broader look at specific activities and plans, and material support for increasing capacity. Since February, management teams from the DFID capacity building project and CBP have met once a month to consult and collaborate for greater effectiveness. Although both projects have similar mandates, they are mutually reinforcing. Both teams see them in that light. The DFID team is preparing detailed specifications for IT networking of the Secretariat to pass to CBP for review, procurement and installation. This assessment will take place in the second quarter of 2008. FDA provided CBP with a detailed