Australia's overseas development programs in Afghanistan

Australia's overseas development programs in Afghanistan

16 May 2013

© Commonwealth of Australia 2013
ISBN 978-1-74229-828-3

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Spacer Image
Members of the committee (PDF 462KB)
 
Abbreviations (PDF 70KB)
 
Executive Summary - Recommendations (PDF 820KB)
 
Chapter 1 - Introduction (PDF 155KB)

Conduct of inquiry
Background to inquiry
Key documents
Definition of Official Development Assistance (ODA)
Scope of inquiry
Structure of report
Acknowledgements

 
Part I
Background to development assistance to Afghanistan
Chapter 2  - Background (PDF 496KB)

Recent history of conflict and violence
   Soviet withdrawal
   Rise of the Taliban
Afghanistan
   Taliban and al-Qaeda
   Terrorist attack on US soil
   Interim Administration
   Transitional Authority
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)
Conclusion

 
Chapter 3 - Development assistance to Afghanistan 2001–2010 (PDF 701KB)

International context
   Tokyo Conference 2002
   Paris Declaration 2005
   London Conference 2006 and the Afghanistan Compact
   Paris 2008 and the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)
International assistance and the transition
   London Conference 2010
   Kabul 2010
   Summary of international developments 2001–2010
Overview—Australian ODA
   Funding and priorities before 2001
   Funding and priorities—2001–2005
   Funding and priorities—2006–2009
   Funding and priorities 2010—2012
   Post 2012
Conclusion

 
Chapter 4 - Challenges (PDF 244KB)

Impediments to aid effectiveness in Afghanistan
   Physical impediments
   Magnitude of destruction and displacement
   Aid dependency
   Capacity constraints
   Corruption
   Centralised government, loyalties and alliances
   Security
   Summary
Achieving aid effectiveness
   Ownership
   Alignment and matching priorities
   Coordination
   Managing for results
Conclusion

 
Part II
The effectiveness of Australia's development assistance to Afghanistan
Chapter 5 - Afghanistan's national budget (PDF 244KB)

On-budget support
   Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund
Australia's funding through Afghanistan's core budget
   Benefits of funding through the ARTF
   The National Solidarity Program
   Overall effectiveness
Assessment of funding through government systems
   2012 independent review of the ARTF
Conclusion

 
Chapter 6 - International NGOs (PDF 500KB)

International agencies
Multilateral organisations
NGOs
   Partnerships with the Afghan Government
   Delivering education services
   Delivering health services
   Strategic use of NGOs
Conclusion

 
Chapter 7 - Uruzgan Province (PDF 1410KB)

Background
Australia's engagement in Uruzgan
   Achievements
   Overall progress
   Ownership and alignment
Criticism of Australian development assistance to Uruzgan
   Managing for results—sustainability
   Dynamics of local politics—patronage networks
Conclusion

 
Chapter 8 - Civil/Military development assistance (PDF 212KB)

Winning hearts and minds
Australia's counterinsurgency strategy in Uruzgan
   Blurred perceptions
   Counterinsurgency objectives
   Effectiveness
   Distribution of aid
   Local institutions
   Risk of attack
   Risk to non-military aid organisations
   Defence's perspective on civil-military relations in Afghanistan
   Evaluation
Conclusion

 
Chapter 9 - Case Studies (PDF 201KB)

   AliceGhan
   Tarin Kowt Waste Water Facility
   Visa applications for visiting Afghans
   Australian Leadership Awards Scholarships
General criticism
   Whole-of-government
Achievements
Conclusion

 
Part III
Transition to Transformation
Chapter 10 - Security (PDF 200KB)

Transition to Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF)
Australia's contribution to Afghanistan's national security  
Progress toward the transformation decade
   Transition in Uruzgan
Security in Afghanistan
   Security in Uruzgan
   Post 2014
Conclusion

 
Chapter 11 - Safety of aid workers and Australian civilian personnel (PDF 261KB)

Safety of aid workers—limited access and ability to consult and monitor
   Summary
Safety of Australian personnel
   Closure of PRT
   Summary
Afghans who have worked with Australian aid agencies
Conclusion

 
Chapter 12 - Development assistance (PDF 185KB)

International conferences
   Bonn meeting 2011
   Chicago summit 2012
   Tokyo 2012 and mutual accountability framework
Predictions and international responses
Australia's assistance post 2014
   Commitments—increased funding, accountability
   Protecting the gains
   Focus and priorities
Conclusion

 
Chapter 13 - Protecting the gains—education (PDF 258KB)

Education
   Girls
   Education—a priority for Australia
   Uruzgan
Conclusion

 
Chapter 14 - Rural development and food security (PDF 498KB)

Land use in Afghanistan
   Summary
Australia's contribution 
   Distribution and accessibility
   Train the farmers
   Women in agriculture
Disaster reduction and management—building resilience
Opium cultivation
   Dependency
Mining
   Potential driver of development
Australia's contribution
   Concerns about mining in Afghanistan
   Proposed legislation

 
Chapter 15 - Aid delivery channels (PDF 259KB)

On budget funding
   NGOs
   Summary
   Phasing out of PRTs
   Summary
Civil society including local NGOs
   Civil society monitoring and evaluation
Private sector
Afghan diaspora
Conclusion

 
Chapter 16 - The role of Afghan women (PDF 344KB)

Status of women in Afghanistan  
Australia's aid program and women
   Combating violence against women
   Summary

 
Part IV
Transparency and accountability
Chapter 17 - Evaluating the effectiveness of Australian aid (PDF 290KB)

ARTF
   Mutual accountability
   Importance of monitoring and evaluation
Multilaterals and NGOs own systems
   Effectiveness of aid as delivered and used
   Difficulty evaluating projects in Afghanistan
   Independent evaluation
   ADF projects
Whole-of-government
   Reporting
Parliamentary oversight
Request to Auditor-General
Conclusion

 
Additional Comments - Senator Lee Rhiannon for the Australian Greens (PDF 88KB)
 
Select Bibliography (PDF 151KB)
 
Appendix 1 (PDF 5KB)

Public submissions

 
Appendix 2 - Tabled documents, answers to questions on notice and additional information (PDF 72KB)
 
Appendix 3 - Public hearings and witnesses (PDF 132KB)
 
Appendix 4 (PDF 230KB)

For further information, contact:

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee
Department of the Senate
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia

Phone: +61 2 6277 3535
Fax: +61 2 6277 5818
Email: fadt.sen@aph.gov.au