Improving Economies for Stronger Communities (IESC)
2000 M Street NW
Suite 250
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: 202-589-2600
Email: iesc@iesc.org
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Capacity Building and Change Management
Summary
The Capacity Building and Change Management Program strengthened Afghanistan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock to provide efficient and effective services to Afghanistan’s most critical sector: agriculture. About 80% Afghans are involved in farming and herding, but after 30 years of war and conflict, agricultural exports lag and millions of people don’t get enough to eat. IESC partnered with the ministry to modernize and streamline its internal systems and improve overall management.
Program details
- Funder: USDA through the Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance
- Duration: 2010 to 2014
- Award: $36 million
Approach
In a complex environment such as Afghanistan, IESC developed an approach that would inspire change from the inside out. The program leveraged about 200 highly skilled, well-educated Afghans to serve as change management specialists. Specialists were embedded throughout the ministry and matched with civil servants to provide on-the-job training and mentoring. Change management specialists shared their knowledge and effectively bridged past institutional knowledge with modern global best practices.
Improved financial management
The program collaborated with the ministry to establish centralized systems for financial management and oversight and improved coordination across a very large ministry.
Improved program management and leadership
The program delivered training and introduced tools to improve program management and leadership at the national and provincial levels to improve operations and services to farmers and herders at the local level.
Results
- 31,648 days of formal training delivered to ministry staff
- 95% of staff surveyed had trust in their supervisor
- 253% increase in internet bandwidth at national and provincial offices
- 5,892 financial transactions completed through centralized system