USAID Promote: Women in Government Quarterly Progress Reportpdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00MRWS.pdf · CAA Civil Aviation Authority CAG Content Advisory Group CBR ... SECOND QUARTERLY

April 30, 2017

This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It

was prepared by Chemonics International Inc.

USAID Promote: Women in Government

Quarterly Progress Report

Quarter I1: January 2017 – March 2017

IDIQ No. AID-306-I-14-00012

Task Order No. AID-306-TO-15-00044

April 30, 2017 This publication was produced by Chemonics International Inc. for review by the United States Agency for

International Development. The author’s view expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the

views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.

DISCLAIMER

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.

USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN

GOVERNMENT QUARTERLY REPORT

JANUARY 2017 - MARCH 2017

Contract No. AID-306-I-14-00012, Task Order No. AID-306-TO-15-00044

Cover photo: Interns at Kabul learn how to prepare a recruitment announcement during their

Human Resources Management Training.

USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | I

SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017

CONTENTS Contents ................................................................................................................... i

Acronyms ................................................................................................................ ii

Executive Summary ............................................................................................... 1

Project Overview ................................................................................................... 5

Women’s Entry into Decision-Making Roles in Government Service

Facilitated ............................................................................................................... 7

PIR 1.1: Internship Program Established and Operational .................................................... 7

PIR 1.2 Interns trained in work and life skills ........................................................................13

PIR 1.3: Number of Interns Hired for Full Time Positions in Government Increased .14

PIR 1.4: Professional Development of Women Who Work in Government Enhanced

..........................................................................................................................................................17

Hospitable Environment for Female Staff in Government Encouraged ....... 18

PIR 2.1: Policies that benefit women in government improved and implemented ........18

PIR 2.2: Obstacles in the Workplace for Women in Government Identified and

Solutions Recommended ............................................................................................................23

Local Stakeholder Support for Women in Civil Service Increased................ 24

PIR 3.1: Plan to Communicate with Individuals who may Influence Public or Private

Opinions about Women in Government Designed and Implemented ............................24

PIR 3.2: Champions for Women in Government Identified and Empowered ................25

PIR 3.3: Innovative Media Campaigns to Encourage Behavior Change Designed and

Supported .......................................................................................................................................25

PIR 3.4: Campaign to Recruit Interns Developed and Implemented ................................29

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Activities .................................................... 30

Planned Activities For Next Reporting Period ................................................. 32

Annex .................................................................................................................... 34

USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | II


ACRONYMS

ACSI Afghanistan Civil Service Institute

ALDO Afghan Learning and Development Organization

AGC Afghan Geodesy and Cartography

AMEP Activity Monitoring and Evaluation Plan

AOP Administrative Office of the President

APPF Afghanistan Public Protection Force

BIP/MP Branding and Implementation Plan and Marking Plan

CAA Civil Aviation Authority

CAG Content Advisory Group

CBR Capacity Building for Results

CSO Civil Society Organization

CEO Chief Executive Officer

DM Deputy Minister

DoWA Directorate of Women’s Affairs

EA Equal Access

EAA Equal Access Afghanistan

EPD Equality for Peace and Democracy

GBV Gender Based Violence

GDCLCA General Directorate of Coordination for Local Councils’ Affairs

GIRoA Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

HR Human Resources IARCSC Independent Administrative Reform Civil Service Commission

IDIQ Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity

IDLG Independent Directorate of Local Governance

IPU Internship Program Unit

IVR Interactive Voice Response

MAIL Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock

MCIT Ministry of Communication and Information Technology

MoBTA Ministry of Borders and Tribal Affairs

MoCI Ministry of Commerce and Industries

MoCN Ministry of Counter Narcotics

MoD Ministry of Defense

MoEW Ministry of Energy and Water

MoF Ministry of Finance

MoHE Ministry of Higher Education

MoHRA Ministry of Haj and Religious Affairs

MoIA Ministry of Interior Affairs

MoIC Ministry of Information and Culture

MoJ Ministry of Justice

MoLSAMD Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled

MoMP Ministry of Mines and Petroleum

MoPH Ministry of Public Health

MoPW Ministry of Public Works

USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | III


MoTCA Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation

MoWA Ministry of Women’s Affairs

MRRD Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development

MUDH Ministry of Urban Development and Housing

OAE Office of Atomic Energy

OVATV One Village, A Thousand Voices (radio program)

RSI Rahman Safi Consultancy

ToT Training of Trainers

USAID United States Agency for International Development

WCSA Women’s Civil Service Association

WIE Women in the Economy

WLD Women in Leadership Development

USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 1


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Internship Program

In March, the last remaining intern from the Pilot Cohort has accepted a job offer from

the Upper House of the Parliament, bringing all 16 interns from the pilot group to have

been employed after their graduation from USAID Promote: Women in Government

internship program.

As of the end of the reporting period, more than 1,000 women were actively engaged in

the 12-month internship training that would prepare them for employment in the civil

service. Over 100 university graduates belonging to Cohort One completed the program

in March while two new groups opened during the reporting period: Cohort Three based

at Moraa in Kabul, and Cohort Four based at DoLSAMD in Herat, the first group to start

in the provincial centers. The table below provides a summary of the four current

internship groups undertaking government office practicum and civil service classroom

training.

Table 1. Internship Program

Internship Cohort Training Location End Date No. of Interns

Cohort One Kabul MRRD; various

agencies for practicum 25-Mar-2017 102

Cohort Two Kabul MoLSAMD 30-Oct-2017 342

Cohort Three Kabul Moraa 28-Jan-2018 530

Cohort Four Herat DoLSAMD 4-Feb-2018 140

TOTAL 1,114

Cohort One moved into the final phase of the internship program, which is a three-

month practicum in government offices in Kabul. They have been embedded in 17

ministries and four independent agencies1 since December 2016 and successfully

1 The line ministries and independent agencies host the interns for the three-month office practicum during

the 12-month internship program. These organizations include: Ministry of Counter Narcotics (MCN),

Ministry of Finance (MoF), Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MoCI), Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation

and Livestock (MAIL), Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE), Ministry of Information and Culture (MoIC),

Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled (MoLSAMD), Ministry of Urban Development and

Housing (MUDH), Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT), Ministry of Borders

and Tribal Affairs (MoBTA), Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD), Ministry of

Women’s Affairs (MoWA), Ministry of Public Works (MoPW), Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), Ministry

of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP), Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) and Ministry of Defense

(MoD). The four independent agencies include Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG),

General Directorate of Coordination for Local Councils’ Affairs (GDCLCA), Office of the Chief Executive

Officer, and Independent Administrative Reform Civil Service Commission (IARCSC).



completed the program requirements in March. The 102 graduates were awarded a work

certificate equivalent to one year of work experience, during the Networking Event held

on March 25th. Three interns from this group have found employment in government

agencies as of the end of the reporting period.

Cohort Two, comprised of 342 university graduates based at MoLSAMD in Kabul,

completed the six-month civil service classroom training during March. The project team

prepared for the next phase of their internship program, a three-month leadership training

course that will be conducted by sister program, USAID Promote: Women in Leadership

Development (WLD).

Cohort Three began in January and

started their civil service training at the

Moraa Educational Complex in Kabul. The

530 women belonging to this group studied the fundamentals of civil service and

studied time management, office

management, effective communications

and reporting, records keeping and

archiving, and managing meetings. They

also began to study relevant chapters of

the civil service Law.

Cohort Four, the initial internship group

in the province of Herat, began their

training in February using the facilities of DoLSAMD. This group is comprised of 140

interns. They began their six-month civil service training with basic lessons in time

management, office management, effective communications and reporting, records

keeping and relevant chapters of the civil service law.

During the reporting period, the project continued the groundwork for the expansion of

the internship program to the provinces of Balkh and Kandahar and the opening of

another internship group in Kabul. The groups for Balkh and Kandahar are slated to begin

in April, while the new group in Kabul is set for May.

Relationship Building

The project team continued strengthening relationships with key GIRoA ministries and

independent agencies through regular consultations, meetings and collaborative activities.

Meetings were conducted with senior officials from MoIC, MoWA and MoF to secure

training sites and rally support for the internship program in Kabul, Herat, Balkh, Kandahar

and soon in Nangarhar. To date, the project has facilitated the signing of four MoUs

between USAID and four government ministries, namely MoLSAMD, MoIA, IARCSC and

MoWA. The MoU with MoWA was signed in March. On the 17th of January, the project

team participated as presenters on the topic of harassment of women and children during

an Anti-Harassment conference organized by the Afghan Parliament’s Wolesi Jirga and the USAID-funded ALBA Project. In January, the project also visited 15 ministries, IDLG and

Interns perform a group exercise as their

instructor looks over.



Kabul Municipality to monitor the interns embedded in these offices. In separate meetings,

the project team briefed the MoWA Deputy Minister Technical and Acting Minister of

MoIC on the top reform areas coming out of the Conference on Policy Reform for

Women in Government. Both officials noted the progress that has been accomplished by

the project and vowed to extend support to program goals and in securing buy-in of the

policy reforms from ministries. The team likewise participated in a meeting called by MoF

to discuss GIRoA’s commitments in the Brussels Conference: increasing women

representation in the government by two percent - almost 8,000 positions from 2017

through 2018. The MoF Deputy Minister for Policy cited USAID Promote: Women in

Government as directly helping the government to respond to this commitment.

Policy and Research

On February 12-13, 2017, the project conducted the Conference on Policy Reform for

Women in Government (also referred to in previous reports as Offeror’s Conference)

to identify reform areas that will support hospitable working environments for women in government. The conference was attended by 113 participants including 66 key staff from

22 ministries and 10 independent agencies. The reform areas that were identified were

subsequently conveyed to the MoWA Deputy Minister Technical during a meeting, and

were exhaustively discussed in a workshop during the Networking Event conducted in

March. Ministry officials including Human Resources (HR) Directors, Planning Officers,

heads of Gender Units and the interns proposed and debated different solutions to best

address the reform areas and identified the government institutions that should

implement them. In March, the project completed the collection of data for two formative

province-focused studies – Gender Analysis II and Partnership Assessment II – conducted

in Herat, Balkh, Kandahar and Nangarhar. The Gender Analysis was conducted to

determine how men and women relate to project activities; how local gender norms will

shape project design and implementation; identify opportunities for male engagement. The

Partnership Assessment considered the level of interest of sub-national government

offices to engage in partnership opportunities with USAID Promote: Women in

Government. The second round of these studies will shape the project’s programming as

activities expand to the provinces.

Communications and Outreach

Several outreach activities were conducted by the project during the reporting period. In

February, the Champion Strategy proposal was approved by USAID. The Champion

Strategy is an initiative to identify and empower champions in government and increase

their visibility as models for positive behavior change. Eight program episodes of One

Village, A Thousand Voices (OVATV) were aired during the months of January and February.

Public forums and roundtable discussions were conducted in Herat and Balkh during the

period and film productions of two outreach events in Herat were aired over local TV

stations. As a preparatory step for the launching of the internship program in Herat and

Balkh provinces, the project conducted University Workshops in the two areas.

Deliverables



The project submitted the following deliverables during the quarter: a) the monthly

progress reports and financial reports for January, February and March 2017; b) Success

Stories: How I Became Confident, Herat Female Graduates Welcomed, and Humor Drives

Home the Point; and (c) Champion Strategy.

Challenges and Opportunities

In the early part of the reporting period, the project team encountered delays in the

finalization of the MoU between USAID with MoWA. As a result, the project experienced

a delayed startup of its training program in MoWA’s facility in Balkh province. The MoU

was finally signed by both parties at the end of the quarter.

The project partner MoLSAMD, who is hosting Cohort Two, experienced operational

problems (reliable electricity and adequate security at its Kabul training facility) and the

project team coordinated with MoLSAMD senior management to plan for security

upgrades at the training site.



PROJECT OVERVIEW

➢ Period of Performance: April 21, 2015 – April 20, 2020

➢ Name of Prime Implementing Partner: Chemonics International Inc.

➢ Names of Subcontractors/Sub-awardees:

• Equal Access (EA)

• Afghan Learning and Development Organization (ALDO)

• Equality for Peace and Democracy (EPD)

• Dreshak Hotel Services

• Services International, LLC

• Afghanistan Public Protection Force (APPF)

➢ Geographic Coverage: Afghanistan

Promote is a joint commitment by the United States (US) and Afghan governments that will work to empower 75,000 women between the ages of 18 and 30, and help ensure

that these women are included among a new generation of Afghan political, business, and

civil society leaders. Promote aims to empower women to become leaders alongside their

male counterparts, and ensure that they have the skills, experience, knowledge, and

networks to succeed.

USAID Promote: Women in Government, a task order under the Promote Indefinite

Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract, was designed to increase and advance the

number of women in the Afghan civil service. In close coordination with MoWA, USAID

Promote: Women in Government aims to ensure women are represented at the highest

levels of policy and decision-making in Afghan society and government. This component

of Promote facilitates women’s entry into decision-making roles in government service,

encourages policy reform within the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

(GIRoA) at both the national and regional levels, increases support for women in

government, and establishes an internship program for high school and college-level

female students interested in working within government ministries.

The USAID Promote: Women in Government program has three objectives:

• Facilitate women’s entry into decision-making roles in government service;

• Encourage a hospitable environment for female staff in government; and

• Increase local stakeholder support for women in government.

Through the advancement of these objectives, USAID Promote: Women in Government

aims to achieve the following results:

• At least 3,000 female university graduates and high school graduates complete

the multifaceted internship program;

• 70 percent of Women in Government participants are employed by GIRoA

within 24 months of finishing their internship;

• 75 percent of GIRoA workplace policy reforms benefit and protect female

employees; and



• A 50 percent increase in local stakeholder buy-in for support of women working

outside the home.

The above results will be derived from the planned activities linked to the results

framework shown below in Exhibit 1.

Figure 1: Results Framework



WOMEN’S ENTRY INTO DECISION-

MAKING ROLES IN GOVERNMENT

SERVICE FACILITATED

PIR 1.1: INTERNSHIP PROGRAM ESTABLISHED AND OPERATIONAL

An increasing number of Afghan women are receiving university degrees, yet have limited

access to professional positions within the government due to limited practical work

experience and applicable skills. The multifaceted USAID Promote: Women in

Government internship program is designed to bridge these skill gaps.

1.1.1 Internship Program

Pilot Cohort. This quarter, the last intern from the 16-member Pilot Cohort, was hired

by the Upper House of the Parliament. The other 152 interns were hired by various

government institutions in prior quarters. Of the six interns working with the

Administration Office of the President (AOP), three were holding temporary

appointments, which ended in March, while the other three were engaged by the agency

as regular full time employees from the beginning. Before the contracts of the temporary

workers ended, the project actively coordinated with the HR unit of AOP to find regular

employment within the organization, but there were no available permanent positions

with AOP during the period. The project team will continue to assist the three interns in

finding full time jobs in the civil service. The table below shows the employment status of

interns from the Pilot Cohort.

Table 2. Employment of Pilot Interns in Civil Service

Government Organization Interns Employed

MoF 2

MoIC 1

MoLSAMD 2

MoPW 4

AOP 6

Parliament, Upper House 1

Total 16

2 One of the first women from the Pilot Cohort to be hired left her job at MoF in September 2016 for

personal reasons.



Cohort One. In March, 102 Cohort One interns

successfully completed the year-long internship

program. The group fulfilled all the requirements

of the internship curriculum including the six-

month technical civil service curriculum, the

three-month leadership training that is

conducted by WLD, and the three-month

practicum wherein interns are embedded in

government offices for hands-on office work.

For their practicum, the interns were spread out

among 17 line agencies (MCN, MoF, MoCI,

MAIL, MoHE, MoIC, MoLSAMD, MUDH, MCIT,

MoBTA, MRRD, MoWA, MoPW, MoPH, MoMP,

MoTCA, MoD), four independent directorates

(IDLG, GDCLCA, IARCSC and Office of CEO) and the Municipality of Kabul. The interns welcomed the opportunity to assimilate into

the government office environment and apply their learning in professional workplace

situations. Throughout their practicum, the project team regularly performed monitoring

visits to offices where the interns were embedded, not only to check on the progress of

their training but also to discuss with the HR Directors potential permanent jobs for

them. The Cohort One internship concluded on March 25, 2017 and the MoLSAMD

Manpower Director presented the interns with work certificates equivalent to one year

of professional experience. Before the end of the quarter, three women from this group

had found permanent government employment – two with MUDH and one with MoBTA.

Cohort Two. This group of 342 university

graduates began the internship program on

October 31, 2016, and started with the

six-month civil service training at

MoLSAMD’s Institute for the Disabled in

Kabul. During this period, the interns

completed the comprehensive classroom

training where they studied project

management, financial management,

procurement management, strategy and

policy, HR management, computer

literacy, and basic office management. The

curriculum exposed the interns to the

different facets of civil service functions and

equipped them with basic knowledge to be able to work in any department of the

government. The interns will conclude their classroom training in April, ready to

commence the next phase of the internship, a three-month leadership training to be

conducted by WLD. Midway through the civil service module, in January 2017, the project

team conducted an overall evaluation of the training. The evaluation looked into three

general aspects namely: training logistics, learning modules, methodology, and trainers’ skills and techniques. The result of the study was mainly positive but the project took

Cohort Two interns attend an Obstacles Analysis

Training.

PIR I QUARTERLY HIGHLIGHTS

• 102 new interns graduated

• 4 interns employed

• 2 new internship groups started

with almost 700 women

• Expanded the internship

program to Herat province;

prepared for implementation in

Balkh and Kandahar



note of comments and suggestions to improve the interns’ learning experience such as

integrating more exercises and shortening the time for lectures. A few intern departures

occurred – from 351 at the start of the reporting period to 342 as of the end of March.

Most of the departing interns cited family or personal challenges as the primary reason

for leaving. Others left to accept job offers from other international organizations.

Cohort Three: This initial group of 540

university graduates entered the program

on January 28, 2017 and began their

training at Moraa Educational Complex in

Kabul. Their initial trainings focused on

time management, office management,

effective communications and reporting,

records keeping and archiving, and

managing meetings. They also began to study relevant chapters of the Civil Service

Law, introduction and basic concepts of

project management, policy/strategy

development and financial management. At

the end of the quarter, 10 women

departed from the program. Similar to

earlier departures, the majority left due to

family and personal issues, while others

cited job and educational opportunities.

The remaining 530 interns will continue for

three more months with the civil service

module, after which will move on to the

WLD leadership module.

Cohort Four: With 144 new university

graduates, Cohort Four is the first group

of interns from the province of Herat.

They began with civil service training on

February 4, 2017 conducted in training

space provided by Herat DoLSAMD.

Cohort Four’s initial lessons included time

management, office management, effective

communications and reporting, records

keeping and archiving, and managing meetings. The group further studied relevant

chapters of the Civil Service Law. The DoLSAMD Director welcomed the new interns

and enjoined to them to take the training seriously because it will make them competitive

for government jobs.

Monitoring During Practicum Period. The project team regularly monitored the

trainings at the four locations to ensure that the lessons are delivered in accordance with the standards set by the project. During these periodic visits, the project staff gathered

International training

“I am so happy and very excited to be

selected for a training in India!” Soma Majedi

exclaimed when she broke the good news to

the program coordinators of USAID

Promote: Women in Government. In May,

this former intern will be going to India for a

12-day training on Strategic Human

Resources (HR) Management. Soma works as

HR Officer at the Ministry of Finance MoF, a

position she applied for in July 2016 when she

completed the women’s internship program.

“The internship program was instrumental in

my getting this job at MoF and the intensive

training prepared me for the high demands of

my work,” Soma added.

Soma Majedi

HR Officer, MoF



feedback from the interns on the delivery of the training and other logistical concerns,

and consulted trainers for any suggested improvements in the modules and methodology.

They also discussed with office mentors, supervisors and HR officers of the host

organizations to seek their recommendations on the improvement of training delivery and

program management. No substantive issues were noted during these monitoring visits

although the project team took note of the detailed third-party monitoring reports for

specific corrective measures.

Curriculum Revision. In anticipation of expanding internship enrollment to the provinces

like Kandahar where there are relatively few university graduates, the project worked on

revisions to the civil service training curriculum for young women who have only reached

Grades 12-14, the second-tier target group for USAID Promote: Women in Government.

The initially developed curriculum implemented for the earlier intern cohort groups is

intended for university graduates, which covers a comprehensive list of topics and many

technical areas. The revised curriculum continues to present a solid overview of the civil service modules but with certain modifications to better present to Grades 12-14 interns.

During this quarter, MoLSAMD reviewed and concurred with the revised curriculum.

1.1.2 Phased Expansion of the Internship Program in the Provinces

Expansion to Herat. In Herat, the project team met with provincial officials of

DoLSAMD and DoWA to formally introduce the USAID Promote: Women in

Government program and secure their support for the year-long implementation of the

program. The project team also conducted introductory meetings with senior officials of

the local Directorates of Public Health, Information and Culture, Urban Development and

Affairs, Communications and Information Technology, Education, and Energy and Water

to introduce the program and seek support. These provincial offices are potential hosts

for office practicum and employers once the interns graduate. The government officials

were pleased with the plans for capacity building of young women in the province and

offered their support.

The internship program was launched in Herat on February 4, 2017 at the Shah Amanullah

Khan-e-Ghazi Salon. The event was attended by top level officials from the province led

by Herat’s female Parliament Member together with provincial officials including the

Acting Provincial Governor, Directors of DoLSAMD, DoWA and other agencies, the

Deputy Mayor, Provincial Council Members, and the Head of IARCSC. Representatives

from Promote: Women in the Economy (WIE) Program, Afghan Independent Human

Rights Commission and civil society organizations also attended. DoLSAMD is hosting the

Herat group (Cohort Four) for the six-month civil service training.

Expansion to Balkh. The project team conducted meetings in Balkh to formally

introduce the program to provincial ministry directors. The team met with the Gender

Director of the Balkh Provincial Office who welcomed the program and promised to

support its implementation in the province. The director noted that this initiative is a big



boost to the province’s women

empowerment efforts and will help many

female university graduates who are

unable to secure good jobs because they

lack the required professional experience.

The project team likewise met with

representatives of the USAID Promote:

WIE, WLD and Women's Right Groups

and Coalitions (Musharikat) projects in

Balkh to establish relationships and

discuss future program collaboration with

them. The project team participated in

the first coalition meeting of Musharikat.

Introductory meetings with provincial and

directorate officials and representatives were also conducted, including meetings

with the heads of the Education

Directorate and civil service Commission. The two government agencies warmly

welcomed the project, saying they had been eagerly awaiting the implementation of the

internship program and were very pleased to learn that an intensive capacity building

training for the young women of Balkh would soon begin. The two agencies promised to

support the internship program through all its stages. The launching of the internship is

set for April 11 and the DoWA Directorate will provide the venue for the Balkh group

of 150 university graduates (Cohort Five).

Expansion to Kandahar. The project engaged a local subcontractor, Afghan Learning

and Development Organization (ALDO), to administer the internship program in this

southern province. Coordination and introductory meetings with provincial offices of line

ministries, including USAID implementing partner WLD, were undertaken by the project

to mobilize support throughout all phases of the internship program. In March, the project

began publicizing the internship to attract potential applicants and strongly urged women

who have completed Grades 12-14 (high school graduates and those who have taken

diploma or associate courses) to avail themselves of this opportunity. Due to several

factors, primarily cultural restrictions and lesser access to resources and educational

opportunities in Kandahar, there is a small pool of female university graduates in the

province, therefore, the project expanded the criteria to include high school graduates.

Posters were displayed in government ministries, private universities and WLD to reach

a big number of target audiences. The outreach efforts attracted more than 200

applications, from which 80 women will be selected for Cohort Six. The target launch

date for Kandahar is April 22, 2017. Trainings will be conducted at the ALDO office.

1.1.3 Identify, Recruit, and Select Interns

Cohorts Three, Four, Five and Six

The project prepared for the recruitment and selection of more than 900 interns

comprising Cohorts Three and Four that started during the current period and Cohorts

Young women from Balkh Province eagerly await

the start of the qualifying test for the internship

program.



Five and Six that will commence in the coming quarter. A summary of the new training

groups is captured in Table 3 below.

Table 3. Recruitment of New Interns

Internship Group Location Start Date Target Interns

Cohort Three Kabul - Moraa January 28, 2017 540

Cohort Four Herat - DoLSAMD February 4, 2017 145

Cohort Five Balkh - DoWA April 11, 2017 150

Cohort Six Kandahar - ALDO April 22, 2017 80

Total 915

After receiving the applications, the project team verified the documents for

completeness, and supporting documents from qualified candidates were reviewed,

including school credentials, government identification, and parental permission as

needed. The intern candidates then take a qualifying examination and attend a panel

interview, composed of representatives from MoWA, MoLSAMD and civil society, as well

as project staff.

1.1.4: Identify, Recruit, and Select Mentors

In the previous quarter, the project team

identified and trained 17 qualified mentors

for Cohort One interns who began their

three-month practicum in December

2016. One mentor is assigned to five to

seven interns and guides them through

their tasks, demonstrating work processes

and office protocols. Mentors also ensure

that the interns are meaningfully engaged

and receive experience to substantive

office work, not just routine clerical tasks.

The mentors were selected based on pre-

developed criteria and in close consultation

with the HR directors from the

government partners. An initial capacity

building session and a more in-depth

training were conducted by the project team to develop mentoring skills and a mentorship

plan. The mentor’s training course focuses on key concepts such as: introduction to the

concept of mentoring; the Goal, Reality, Options and Will (GROW) model; mentoring

skills; four stages in mentoring relationship; responsibilities of mentors and interns; and

characteristics of a successful mentor. The mentors were drawn from 13 ministries and

three independent agencies: MoLSAMD, MoIC, MRRD, MCIT, MoBTA, MoHE, MoPW,

Staff members from GIRoA ministries and

independent agencies who were designated

mentors attend a training on key skills of

mentoring.



MoMP, MoCI, MoF, MoD, MAIL, MUDH, IARCSC, IDLG and CEO Office. The training

participants gave high marks, with 89 percent of them rating the training as excellent, 11

percent as very good, and one percent as good.

Preparations for the next round of mentors will again begin in the next reporting period

in anticipation of Cohort Two interns moving into office practicum in July.

1.1.5 Continuation Materials

No activities were undertaken during this the quarter.

PIR 1.2 INTERNS TRAINED IN WORK AND LIFE SKILLS

At the start of the reporting period, the interns attended a training to help them develop

effective and professional resumes. The training provided helpful tips and techniques on writing a good curriculum vitae (CV) and a cover letter. Topics included: CV format,

techniques to present skills, abilities and experience, and how to prepare an appealing

cover letter. As a part of the project’s plan to create a pool of intern CVs to share with

government ministries, the participants were asked to prepare their CVs and share it with

the project team, who provided further feedback to improve the CVs. The project team

will continue to collect CVs from future intern cohorts to update the CV bank and share

them with GIRoA ministries and independent agencies for employment opportunities. The

project team likewise Participant feedback was very positive on the training, and one of

the interns stated: “the training was very useful as we learned a lot of new things about

CV writing, the importance of social media and networking.” Interns also recommended

that the project continue to offer similar training sessions to all interns on a regular basis.

1.2.1 Design and launch training and capacity building program

On January 30 and 31, 2017, the project team conducted the second round of ToT

sessions on Professionalism in the Workplace for Gender Directors of five GIRoA

ministries and seven agencies. The training aimed to promote excellence in professional

behavior throughout government agencies. The activity was conducted at MoWA and the

Technical and Policy Deputy Minister officially opened the training. The session employed

participatory methods, brainstorming sessions, practical job examples, and group work to

enable participants to apply theoretical principles and standards to real-life situations.

Nineteen ministry officers attended the training, representing MoBTA, MoTCA, MUDH,

MoD, the Supreme Court, the Office of Atomic Energy (OAE), Kabul Municipality, CEO,

Civil Society Organization (CSO), Afghan Geodesy and Cartography (AGC), Civil Aviation

Authority (CAA), and MoWA. Four project interns who are currently engaged in their

three-month practicum at MOWA also attended the training. The feedback on the training

was very positive. The MoTCA Gender Director said: “The training contents were really

useful and interesting. I will plan to deliver this training for ministry employees, but would

like to suggest that USAID Promote: Women in Government schedule this training for

one day specifically for our ministry staff.”



1.2.2 Upgrade Career Development Center

No activities during the reporting period.

PIR 1.3: NUMBER OF INTERNS HIRED FOR FULL TIME POSITIONS IN

GOVERNMENT INCREASED

1.3.1 Internship Program Linked to Job Placement

Pilot Interns Employment Status. As reported in a previous section (1.1.1 Internship

Program), the last of the 16 interns belonging to the Pilot Cohort accepted an

employment offer during the quarter. However, three interns with temporary work

appointments from AOP had completed their three-month contract in March. The project

team will continue to assist them in finding permanent full time civil service appointments.

Cohort One. As the 12-month training for Cohort One came to a successful conclusion

in March, the project team conducted multiple coordination meetings with government

ministries and independent agencies to usher preferential employment of the project’s

job-ready intern graduates. The primary target employers were the offices where the

interns served as on-the-job trainees and so the project team met with the HR Directors

and Gender Unit heads of these offices on multiple occasions. In these meetings, the

mentors for the interns participated in the discussions and vouched for the quality of

work that the trainees had exhibited during their three-month practicum.

During the Networking Event in March, MoLSAMD officials presented a work certificate

to the Pilot and Cohort One interns. The certificates represent the equivalent of one

year of professional experience when the interns apply for fulltime government

positions. In addition, MoLSAMD committed to provide the women with endorsement

letters to prospective government employers, which will vouch for their qualifications

and skills gained during the intensive year-long training. The ministry officials expressed

appreciation of the internship program. The project mentor at MoMP said that “the

ministry team is surprised at the capacity of the four interns engaged in the MoMP”. She

explained that within 15 days of their work at the Policy and Planning Directorate, the

four interns were able to draft a policy. The HR directors of MoMP and MoCI expressed

their commitment to share job vacancies with the project team, support interns in their

job application process, and ensure that interns are shortlisted for the positions.

Meetings were conducted with top officials, HR Directors, Planning Officers and Gender

Unit Heads of different government entities, specifically MoMP, MoCI, MUDH, MoBTA,

MoE, MoD, MoF and MoEW to follow through on prior recruitment commitments and

find out new job openings in their organizations. The HR Director of MoE committed to

hire 20 interns in his department. The project team also initiated conversations with the

Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MRR), Afghanistan Independent Land Authority

(AILA), and Government Media and Information Center (GMIC) to introduce to them

the internship program as a veritable pool of job-ready employees. The Deputy Minister



of Refugees and Repatriations offered her support to the project’s job placement efforts

and suggested that the project conduct professional development training programs for

current female staff of the ministry. Even though nearly 30 percent of the MRR staff are

female, women are not in decision making roles, except for the Gender Director and

Deputy Minister.

As previously mentioned, three Cohort One interns have accepted job offers from

MUDH and MoBTA in March. In efforts to fast track the employment of the new

graduates, the project team sends job opportunities to the group through email as they

become available. The team also encourages the interns to employ online tools in their

job search, become active within their own networks of likely job leads and utilize relevant

social media. The interns then created a group page on Facebook where they update each

other with job opening information, share interview tips and offer mutual encouragement.

Other Cohort One interns post relevant emails coming from the project for the benefit

of those who do not have regular access to email.

1.3.2 Establish and Launch Database for Alumni Network

In January, the project team developed an alumni plan that includes three phases:

preliminary activities, follow-up employment and professional development. First, the

project team will update intern status and their areas of professional interest in a

comprehensive Internship Management Information System (IMIS) database. The team will

continue to liaise with relevant government officials to secure buy in and increase political

will to facilitate alumni entry into fulltime, permanent positions in the government. Alumni

lists will be shared with partner ministries and independent agencies, while vacant civil

service positions will be shared with the alumni group. In phase two, the project team

will follow up on the alumni recruitment process with GIRoA ministries and independent

agencies and collect employment recruitment documents for the interns. Throughout the

remainder of the project, USAID Promote: Women in Government will continue to

organize networking events, knowledge management platforms, trainings to teach interns

how to draft effective CV and cover letters, interview skills and self-confidence and

sponsor regular networking events for interns and government officials to increase

awareness about prospective civil service career opportunities.

After finalizing the alumni plan and gathering all information needed for an alumni database, the project team conducted a meeting with Rahman Safi International (RSI) Consulting to

discuss the development of the IMIS database. The project team explained the timeframe

and requirements of the database during the meeting and RSI responded with a draft plan

for the project’s review and approval. The target completion date for creating the system

is July 2017. At the close out of the project, the database of interns will be turned over

to MoLSAMD, who will take over the implementation of the internship program.



Networking Event. The

team continued liaising with

relevant government

officials to secure buy-in

and encourage them to

facilitate entry of graduate

interns into permanent

government positions. On

March 26, 2017, the project

conducted a second

quarterly Networking Event

to further foster

professional relationship

building between interns

and ministry officials, encourage job recruitment,

highlight successes and

lessons learned and share information about the project’s policy reform initiatives. A total

of 227 program participants (67 government officials and 160 interns) participated in the

event, during which the government representatives committed to recruit interns while

the HR Directors in attendance shared information about more than 100 job vacancies

to which interns can apply.

The second part of the Networking Event was the presentation of outcomes of the

previously conducted Conference on Policy Reform for Women in Government. The

interns had the opportunity to participate in discussions with participating ministry officials

about important reform areas surrounding women working in the civil service. The

interns worked side by side with ministry officers to expound on the highlighted obstacles

and propose solutions. In the latter part of the event, the Senior Recruitment Specialist

of the IARCSC presented the government’s Capacity Building for Result (CBR) and non

CBR recruitment process. The presentation provided the interns with additional insights

as they prepare to apply for jobs in government. The event was capped with the

distribution of work certificates for the equivalent of one-year’s work experience to the

118 Pilot and Cohort One intern graduates.

Internship Program Unit. In March, the project hired a Program Manager for the newly

created Internship Program Unit under the Manpower and Planning Directorate of

MoLSAMD. The unit will support the USAID Promote: Women in Government project

in managing the placement of interns at different ministries and independent agencies at

the end of project life. The Program Manager is currently working from the project

headquarters but will eventually be embedded in MoLSAMD to liaise with other ministries.

Coordination with Promote Task Orders: In March, the project team held

coordination meetings with WLD and Musharikat to share concepts for the annual

workplan, discuss programming overlap, and identify coordination mechanisms. The project will meet with WIE to coordinate activities in April 2017 and will plan to continue

A Networking Event conducted on March 26th facilitated personal

interaction between interns and government officials, encourages

job recruitment and highlighted the successes of the internship

program.



regional meetings to bring together the provincial USAID Promote program teams to

coordinate training activities. As part of the coordination efforts, the WLD recruitment

team conducted an awareness session for USAID Promote: Women in Government

interns in Kabul to educate them about the WLD internship program. The USAID

Promote: Women in Government Cohort Two interns will attend WLD training after

they complete their six-month civil service classroom training. These coordination

meetings with USAID Promote program partners will continue regularly throughout the

life of the project.

1.3.3 Provide Technical Assistance to the Women’s Civil Service Association

(WCSA)

No activities were undertaken during this quarter.

PIR 1.4: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN WHO WORK IN

GOVERNMENT ENHANCED

1.4.1 Train Mentors and Supervisors

The USAID Promote: Women in Government project delivered the mentorship training

package for the 17 new mentors from MAIL, MCIT, MoBTA, MoCI, MoD, MoF, MoHE,

MoIC, MoLSAMD, MoMP, MoPH, MoPW, MoTCA, MoWA, MRRD, MUDH and IARCSC.

The mentorship training series, which was conducted from January 15 through March 15,

2017, prepared the designated mentors and supervisors to provide in-office guidance to

Cohort One interns during their office practicum. The training package consists of four

modules: Introduction to Mentoring, Organizational Communications, Giving and

Receiving Feedback, and Professionalism in the Workplace.

In January, the 17 new mentors were provided training to enhance their skills and

knowledge to become effective mentors. They were joined by seven mentors from the

Pilot Cohort who took the modules on Introduction to Mentoring as a refresher course.

Four of the participants were males while the rest were females. In February, the new

mentors attended the two-day Communications and Feedback modules. Aside from

improving communication skills and how to give and receive feedback, these courses were

also aimed to build the capacity of civil servants holding Grade 3 positions and above to

become effective mentors. The third training, Professionalism in the Workplace, was

conducted on March 15th, wrapping up the mentorship training series. Eighteen mentors

(17 from the new group of mentors and one from the previous group) attended the two-

day training and received their certificates of completion. An evaluation was conducted at

the end of each training wherein a big majority of the participants rated the sessions as

excellent (89%, 81% and 85% in the three evaluations, respectively) and the rest rated it

as very good.

1.4.2 Connect to Scholarship Programs as Incentive for Mentors

No activities during the quarter.



HOSPITABLE

ENVIRONMENT

FOR FEMALE STAFF

IN GOVERNMENT

ENCOURAGED

PIR 2.1: POLICIES THAT BENEFIT

WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT

IMPROVED AND IMPLEMENTED

2.1.1 Conduct Phase II of the Gender Analysis

During the reporting period, the project conducted Gender Analysis II focusing on the

provinces of Herat, Balkh, Kandahar and Nangarhar. The provincial-focused study started

in January and data gathering was completed in March. The study seeks to determine how

men and women relate to project activities; how local gender norms will shape project

design and implementation; and to identify opportunities for male engagement. The

findings will inform the project’s programming and implementing strategies for the regions.

Once the report is finalized, the project will translate the document and share it with

MoWA. This is the second Gender Analysis to be done by the project; the first was fielded

in Kabul in 2015.

2.1.2 Conduct Phase II of the GIRoA Partnership Assessment Report

Conducted concurrently with Gender Analysis, the GIRoA Partnership Assessment II

covers the provinces of Herat, Balkh, Kandahar and Nangarhar and is a follow through to

the earlier study that was conducted for Kabul. The assessment investigates the availability

of staff positions in subnational offices of the government, and the level of interest of these

offices to engage in partnership opportunities with USAID Promote: Women in

Government. This is an internal study and will be a key document to inform provincial

strategies. Collection of data, including desk research, was completed in March and a draft

report is expected to be submitted in April. Both studies (Gender Analysis and Partnership Assessment) are being conducted for the project by local partner EPD.

2.1.3 Initiate and Build Relationships with Relevant Partner Government Staff

Robust relationships with GIRoA ministries, independent agencies and implementing

partners are vital to the successful implementation of the project, and therefore the

USAID Promote: Women in Government project ensures that alliances are initiated and

maintained. Of primary interest to the project is strengthening continued support for

program goals, hosting internship training, and providing on-the-job training opportunities

and full time regular employment for interns. To solidify the shared objectives of

empowering women and pave the way for their implementation via a formal agreement,

PIR II QUARTERLY

HIGHLIGHTS

• 10 policy reform areas

identified during Conference on

Policy Reform for Women in

Government

• Facilitated signing of MoU

between USAID and MoWA

• Champion Strategy document

approved by USAID



the project will continue to pursue the

execution of MoUs with more than 20

government agencies. As of the end of the

reporting, MoUs have been signed

between USAID and MoLSAMD, MoIA,

IARCSC and MoWA. The last MoU was

signed in March 2017. The MoUs with

MoPH and MoHRA are in the final stages,

and the rest are in progress. Collaborative

activities continued throughout the

reporting period, as described in this

section.

From January through March 2017, the

team regularly conducted monitoring visits to interns at the practicum sites to ensure

that the program is proceeding as planned.

The visits also provided opportunity for

consultations with ministry officials.

On January 17, the team members

participated as topic discussants in the

Anti-Harassment conference organized by

the Afghan Parliament’s Wolesi Jirga and the

USAID-funded ALBA Project. The project

staff members discussed harassment of

women and children. The activity is of

special interest to the project because the

pending Anti-Harassment Regulation is a

key legal document which supports

women in the workplace. On January 24,

the project team met with the Minister of

MoLSAMD to update her on the upcoming

launches for additional internship cohorts

in Kabul, Herat and Balkh provinces and

the Conference on Policy Reform for

Women in Government conducted in

February. The team also explored opportunities for further collaboration with the

ministry, specifically as to how MoLSAMD might consolidate a listing of all Afghan

government job postings into one publicly accessible online site. The Minister appreciated

all the achievements and expressed her full support for the project.

During February 1 to 9, the project team conducted multiple briefing for the Conference

on Policy Reform for Women in Government for ministry Directors of their respective

Policy and Planning, HR and Gender Units to explain the activities and the objectives of the conference. On February 23rd, the project team met with the MoLSAMD Manpower

“The best and the brightest”

“A project that I’m supporting, which is a

long- term investment and has lasting impact,

is the USAID Promote: Women in

Government. Today’s event is an example of

their work of supporting hospitable

environment for women in government. One

year of investment is made on the interns and

they go through rigorous testing and

interview process – like going through

different security checkpoints – before they

come to you for jobs. Therefore, you [HR

Directors and head of departments] are

required and responsible to give priority to

Project inters in your vacant positions when

you see Promote: Women in Government

internship experience in their CV because

they are the best and the brightest, and the

most prepared applicants”.

Fawzia Koofi, Member of Parliament

Paraphrase of speech, Conference on Policy

Reform for Women in Government

February 12, 2017



Planning Director to discuss the progress on the establishment of the Internship Program

Unit (IPU), finalize intern work certificates and extend possible support to upgrade an

existing centralized website that holds all government vacancies together and link women

to job opportunities through the internet.

Prior meetings with MoWA to work out the details of an MoU came to fruition in March

with the signing of a memorandum between the ministry and USAID. The MoU will solidify

the ministry’s support for key USAID Promote: Women in Government program goals.

The execution of the MoU also paved the way for the project to utilize a MoWA training

venue in Balkh where Cohort Five will conduct the civil service training for six months.

The project also met with the Acting Minister of MoIC to gain his support for the

internship outreach, campaign, placement and recruitment in the key provincial hubs

where USAID Promote: Women in Government will offer internship training. The

meeting further served as an occasion to apprise the Acting Minister on the reform areas

identified during the Conference on Policy Reform for Women in Government. The Minister was pleased with the progress of this initiative and instructed the officers of

MoIC’s Administration Youth Affairs to extend their full support to project activities.

In another meeting with MoWA, the project team briefed the Deputy Minister Technical

of the top reform areas coming out of the Conference on Policy Reform for Women in

Government that were relevant to the ministry. The team solicited feedback from the

Deputy Minister about concepts proposed in the project’s Year Three Annual Workplan.

The Deputy Minister was pleased with the conference outcomes and programming plans.

She also agreed to support the project by seeking a higher-level commitment from other

government officials and undertake an advocacy campaign with key decision makers. She

further committed to work closely with other government entities to encourage them to

own and implement the proposed reforms that fall within their sphere.

Before the end of the quarter, the project team participated in a meeting organized by

MoF to discuss GIRoA’s commitments during the Brussels Conference. The government

committed to increase women’s representation in government by two percent (almost

8,000 positions) in 2017 and 2018. The MoF Acting Deputy Minister for Policy chaired

the meeting and lauded the USAID Promote: Women in Government project’s efforts to

institute concrete activities and policy reforms and recommendations to increase

women’s representation in government. She promised to communicate some of these

reforms to Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, along with a proposal for a presidential

decree support for the identified strategies, such as implementing the quota for all

government agencies to have at least 30-percent women in their workforce and adopting

a positive discrimination strategy to increase women’s representation in the civil service.

2.1.4 Conduct Conference on Policy Reform for Women in Government



The project organized the Conference on

Policy Reform for Women in Government

on February 12-13, 2017 at the Kabul

Serena Hotel. The aim of the conference

was to identify reform areas that will

support hospitable working environments

for women in government. One hundred

and thirteen individuals participated in the

conference, including 66 key staff from 22

ministries and 10 independent agencies

serving as HR, Gender, and Policy and

Planning Directors, together with seven

participants from civil society

organizations. The event was recorded and

filmed by 28 media agencies. The key speakers in the event were the Deputy

Minister of Women’s Affairs; a female

Member of Parliament; USAID Promote:

Women in Government Chief of Party and Government Liaison Lead; and the Executive

Director of EPD. See Annex 1 for the list of participants.

The participants were divided into five groups to discuss previously chosen thematic areas

that include education, recruitment, policies, culture and insecure workplace. The top ten

reform areas emerging from the discussions are as follows:

1. Amendment of laws, regulations and procedures

2. Creating job portals and career development centers for women

3. Fulfillment of 30 percent quota to increase female representation in government

4. Empowering the gender units and providing additional professional development

and advocacy

5. Public awareness and behavior change campaigns

6. Increasing women’s role in leadership

7. Establishing a committee to oversee the recruitment process for women in

government

8. Training and development of women

9. Upgrading or installation of workplace enablers (e.g. health and wellness facilities,

separate toilet facilities for women, physical upgrades to safety and security

facilities)

10. Identifying positions for women in each ministry’s approved list of full time civil

service positions.

The conference participants expressed the need for strong political will to address these

obstacles, adding that a presidential regulation or decree will give teeth to the proposed

policies and achieve the desired percentage of women working in government agencies.

Other suggested reforms included:

• Government rejection of proposed ministry budgets which do not comply with

the quota.

Key officers from 22 ministries and 10

independent agencies participated in the

Conference on Policy Reform for Women in

Government conducted on February 12 and 13,

2017 to identify reform areas that will support

hospitable working environments for women in

government.



• Establish a CV bank for female job seekers where all the HR departments can

easily access to find eligible female candidates.

• Establish a recruitment center exclusively for women at the Baghi Zanana

(women’s garden) in Kabul where female job seekers can access job information.

• Require all applicants to take a civil examination to avoid nepotism and corruption,

promote transparency, and decrease the chance of manipulation and interference

by people in power.

The identified reform areas will be considered for inclusion in the project’s policy reform

plan. In preparation for the conference, the project team held pre-conference meetings with ministry officials to explain the objectives of the conference and ensure their

participation.

In March, the project prepared a comprehensive report describing the top 10 policy

reform areas, recommendations and courses of actions to address the obstacles. The

findings were presented during a Networking Event conducted on March 26th. During

that event, the participants came up with further recommendations and recommended

which government entities might spearhead follow up activities. In addition to the above,

the project team conducted individual briefings to GIRoA partners, as also mentioned in

the preceding section (2.1.3 Initiate and Build Relationships with Relevant Partner

Government Staff).

2.1.5 Solicit, Evaluate, and Select Expressions of Interest from Government

Entities Interested in Policy Reforms that Benefit Women in the Workplace

The Conference on Policy Reform for Women in Government included a specialized

workshop on Proposal Writing and Expressions of Interest to train government staff to

solicit support from GIRoA and donors interested in supporting policy reforms aimed at

eliminating harassment and discrimination against women in the workplace. A total of 46

participants from 35 ministries and independent agencies took part in the proposal writing

workshop, which was conducted on the second day of the conference. Several

representatives from the civil society organizations also participated.

2.1.6 Support IARCSC in Developing Implementation Guidelines for the Anti-

Harassment Regulation

In January, the project facilitated a two-day Training of Trainers (ToT) on Professionalism

in the Workplace for Gender Unit Directors in various GIRoA ministries. The training

aimed to promote excellence in professional behavior throughout government agencies.

This course earned praise from many participants of the ToT and other government

agencies who have previously attended, saying that the training is a “must” in their agencies

and appropriate not just for new hires as orientation material but also for current employees as refresher course. The training has three parts: Professionalism in the

Workplace, Civil Service Code, and Anti-Harassment in the Workplace. Following

repeated requests from government officials to continue this training in their own

agencies, the project team subsequently proposed development of an E-Learning video in

its Year Three Implementation Plan. Like the ToT, the video would cover all three topics.



By doing so, the video could be spread to ministries and their provincial offices that may

want to use the material. The E-Learning video would be a visual tool for government

employees available for use as part of the government’s regular orientation package for

new hires and may be easily delivered by the agencies’ own staff members.

PIR 2.2: OBSTACLES IN THE WORKPLACE FOR WOMEN IN

GOVERNMENT IDENTIFIED AND SOLUTIONS RECOMMENDED

2.2.1 Recommend Solutions to Address Women’s Obstacles (policy, cultural,

and infrastructure) in the Workplace

The Conference on Policy Reform for Women in Government that was conducted in

February built upon the findings of the previously published Workplace Obstacles Analysis

and Recommendation Report. The Report was a formative research conducted in 2016

by the project with MoWA that analyzed the barriers that limit women from working

within the government, such as policy, regulations, culture, and adequate infrastructure. The conference spelled out the policies and reforms that are needed to benefit women

in government. As mentioned in preceding sections of this report, the conference

discussed the obstacles women face in the work place and identify policy reforms to

increase women's participation in government institutions and came up with top ten

reform areas, of which the project has disseminated to partner ministries in various

occasions. The project will take further steps to disseminate the results of the conference

to all concerned government ministries and agencies.

To support these activities, the project is recruiting a short-term consultant with

expertise in law and regulatory reform. The consultant will draft amendment provisions

for the Civil Service Law and amendments to the merit-based appointment procedures,

as well as a new proposal for a positive discrimination government hiring policy.

2.2.2 Train Project Interns to Support Implementation of the

Recommendations from the GIRoA Partnership Assessment Report and the

Workplace Obstacles: Analysis and Recommendations Report

From January 16 -18, 2017, the project team conducted a three-day training for 352

Cohort Two interns to support implementation of the recommendations from the

Workplace Obstacles: Analysis and Recommendations Report. The objective of the

training was to increase the interns’ awareness about barriers in the government

workplace and to learn how to report incidents of harassment. In addition, a research

methodology training was conducted in March for the same group to equip them with

basic research and reporting skills. The research training was likewise one of the final

lessons in the civil service module and will be needed by the interns when they reach the

office practicum phase wherein one of the requirements is a research paper.



LOCAL STAKEHOLDER SUPPORT

FOR WOMEN IN CIVIL SERVICE

INCREASED

PIR 3.1: PLAN TO COMMUNICATE WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY

INFLUENCE PUBLIC OR PRIVATE OPINIONS ABOUT WOMEN IN

GOVERNMENT DESIGNED AND IMPLEMENTED

3.1.1 Hold Stakeholder Workshop

The Stakeholder Workshop was designed to

bring together project stakeholders to develop

key messages for outreach and advocacy

campaigns in addition to identifying a Content

Advisory Group (CAG). Following the start-up

of the project, a series of separate consultations

with stakeholders was conducted during which

stakeholders provided feedback on messaging

needed for further outreach and advocacy. A

CAG was already identified and formed as the

radio series was scheduled to begin. As a result,

the Stakeholder Workshop was put on hold

since the purpose of the workshop was already

in place. Resources for the Stakeholder

Workshop were diverted to other outreach activities.

3.1.2 Establish and Convene a Content Advisory Group

The CAG is comprised of government representatives from the Supreme Court, MoHE,

the Afghanistan Independent Bar Association, United Nations Development Programme

(UNDP), media representatives from the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) and Radio

Azadi, and project partner Equal Access. The group meets to review the content of the

project’s weekly radio drama series, One Village, A Thousand Voices (OVATV), to ensure it

aligns with Islamic law and other national laws. During the months of January and February,

the group reviewed and finalized the scripts of the ongoing weekly OVATV radio program.

3.1.3 Create Interactive Feedback Loop

The project created an interactive feedback loop to receive constant feedback on

messaging via short message service (SMS), multimedia messaging service (MMS), social

media, letters and in-person discussions. This feedback was considered during the design,

production and implementation of various communication tools. During the months of

January and February, interaction happened with the audience of OVATV weekly radio

series in two ways. First, during each Friday segment, the program’s moderator asked

PIR III QUARTERLY

HIGHLIGHTS

• Aired eight episodes of One

Village, A Thousand Voices radio

program

• Conducted roundtable

discussions, public forums and

university workshops in the

provincial hubs of Herat and

Balkh



questions to guest speakers. The audience also called and asked questions to the guest

speaker or provided their points of view during the live discussion. Second, a question

was posed to the audience at the end of each drama and listeners responded through

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) calls. IVR is a mobile technology that allows callers to

interact with an automated system via voice and numeric keypad. The most relevant

questions asked during the broadcasts in January and February related to gender

discrimination and women’s role in the police.

PIR 3.2: CHAMPIONS FOR WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT IDENTIFIED AND

EMPOWERED

3.2.1 Develop and Implement Champion Strategy

On January 26, 2017, USAID approved the project’s Champion Strategy. This initiative

aims to identify and empower male and female champions in government and increase

their visibility as models for positive behavior change by recognizing and rewarding

individuals for their efforts to strengthen a positive image of reformers in support of women in government. Now that the Champion Strategy is approved, the project will

work to identify potential partners to facilitate implementation in the coming year.

3.2.2 Identify, Empower and Reward Champions

After the finalization of the Champion Strategy, the project team will identify deputy

ministers and other senior level government staff who support women’s rights and

encourage them to set clear expectations for their staff on how to treat women in the

workplace.

3.2.3 Promote Male Champions

No activities were undertaken this quarter. This activity is linked to 3.2.1 and 3.2.2 above.

PIR 3.3: INNOVATIVE MEDIA CAMPAIGNS TO ENCOURAGE BEHAVIOR

CHANGE DESIGNED AND SUPPORTED

3.3.1 Identify Local Media Partners to Deliver Messaging

In January, project partner Equal Access selected Asia TV, Aser TV, Taraqi, Elah TV and

Ariana Herat TV to broadcast the public forum and the roundtable discussion both

conducted in Herat on December 2016 and January 2017, respectively. The outreach

events were broadcasted in February. For the outreach events in Balkh province that

occurred in February, Equal Access chose Arezo TV to produce the public forum and

roundtable discussion. The selection and coordination with the stations that will

subsequently air these two film productions was being finalized as of the end of the

quarter. In the first two months of this reporting period, the project continued to work

with national broadcaster Radio Azadi to air the weekly radio series, One Village, A

Thousand Voices.

3.3.2 Develop and Implement a Multimedia Campaign



Please see 3.3.1 and 3.3.4.

3.3.3 Broadcast Nationwide Radio and TV PSAs

Herat Public Forum Broadcast

In January, local TV stations in Herat

province started broadcasting radio

promotions for the Herat public forum,

previously conducted in December 2016.

The purpose of this promotion was to give

brief information, timing and dates of the

broadcast. TV stations Asia, Taraqi, Ariana,

Aser and Eslah aired the public forum on

the first week of February, which were

preceded by seven days of promotional

announcements by each station.

3.3.4 Weekly Interactive Radio Series

Production and broadcast of the weekly

radio series, One Village, A Thousand Voices

(OVTAV) continued in January and

February. OVATV is a popular radio drama series that aims to raise the awareness and

change the perspectives of conservative rural communities to support women working

outside the home and to change negative perceptions regarding women working in

government. Four episodes were prepared and aired across Afghanistan through Radio

Azadi for each month of January and February.

3.3.5 Conduct Workshops and Public Forum

Public Forum

Public Forum in Balkh. The project conducted a public forum in Balkh province on

January 15, 2017. The forum aimed to effect behavior change by addressing key socio-

cultural drivers of persistent gender inequality and existing norms that preclude women

from working in government. Before the actual forum, a full day training was conducted

for 17 people comprised of religious scholars, officials from the Directorate of Haj and

Religious Affairs (DoHRA) and DoWA, academics, civil society activists and local religious

leaders. Five of the participants were selected as panelists. The training focused on forum

guidelines such as answering media questions efficiently, keeping the discussions aligned

with the topic and answering questions responsively.

The forum highlighted the rights of women as important topics in Islam and how most of

religious scholars agree with the need to uphold these rights. Discussions revolved on

three major topics: factors which have precluded women from work in the government;

the role of religious leaders and mullahs in raising awareness and changing negative

perceptions; and finding solutions to challenges that women face. During the discussions,

the panelists agreed that women have the right to work and that society needs the

Actors record an episode of the radio drama

series One Village, A Thousand Voices at Radio

Azadi.



participation of women in all facets of community life. The group also suggested that more

awareness raising activities targeted at scholars and local religious leaders be conducted

through different communication channels such as TV, radio, Friday sermons and public

forums. The forum panelist and participants declared that the forum was the best public

discussion they have attended in Balkh because divergent ideas were aired, the panelists

were cordial and stated their opinions respectfully and the audience was given time to

participate.

The public forum was attended by 107 participants, including five panel members and 102

audience members (66 men and 46 women). The participants were comprised of civil

society activists, local religious scholars, academics, provincial directorate officials, and

university students. The public forum will be broadcasted in April.

Roundtable Discussion

Roundtable Discussion in Herat. USAID Promote: Women in Government sponsored a roundtable discussion conducted by its partner, Equal Access, on January 4, 2017 in

Herat to discuss cultural obstacles to women working, street and workplace harassment,

the perspective of Islam about women’s occupations outside the home and the role of

men in promoting safer workplaces for women. The roundtable was held at Asia TV and

was filmed for later broadcast (see 3.3.3 above). The discussion included four panelists:

representatives from the local Haj and Religious Directorate, the Herat Provincial

Council, civil society and academia. Four topics were discussed: (1) what Islam says about

women’s right to work; (2) challenges faced by women working in the government; (3)

safety of women outside the home; and (4) creating a safe working environment for

women. The panelists discussed the questions from the viewpoint of their professions or

personal opinions but after the roundtable, they all agreed that women’s right to work is

a basic right and no one should prevent them from holding a job outside the home, unless

their safety and security are compromised. The group offered the following suggestions:

create safe and secure working environments for women, raise the general public’s

awareness of women’s right to work through the media, enjoin religious leaders to

actively participate in changing negative public perceptions and continue to promote

women’s role in government.



Roundtable Discussion in Balkh. On February 4, 2017, the project sponsored a

roundtable discussion in Balkh province through its partner, Equal Access. The event was

hosted at the Arezo TV studio. The purpose of the discussion was to bring about positive

behavior change towards women working outside the home and in government, and to

create interest and support for the USAID Promote: Women in Government program

objectives. Four panelists participated in

the roundtable discussion, including a

member of Ulema Council, a religious

scholar, a sharia law faculty lecturer and an

official from the Afghanistan Independent

Human Rights Commission. The main

topic of discussion was the Islamic right of

women to work outside the home and

their role in government and in the

development of the country. Exploring opinions regarding these issues, three

specific items were discussed: 1) challenges

that prevent women from working; 2) the

role of scholars in changing negative

perceptions of people regarding the Islamic right of women to work; and 3) solutions for

problems women face when working outside their homes. The discussion was recorded

on video and will be subsequently aired in local TV stations.

Broadcast of Video

Herat Public Forum and Roundtable Discussion. The public forum in Herat, which was

conducted on December 10, 2016 was broadcasted in four TV stations. The goal of the

public forum was to create awareness of the rights of women to work outside the home

and in the government sector and to create positive behavior change among key

influencers and opinion leaders in the community. In February, the project team scheduled

the Herat roundtable discussion broadcast with five sub-national TV stations (Asia TV,

Aser TV, Ariana Herat TV, Eslah TV and Taraqi TV) starting on February 16 through

February 26, 2017. Before the actual broadcast, each TV channel aired a promotional spot

to describe the forum and provide information on the dates and timings of airing. The

promo broadcast started on February 14, 2017 and continued until February 26, 2017.

Broadcast of Balkh Public Forum and Roundtable Discussion. In March the project

team worked with local TV stations to schedule the broadcast of two outreach events

in Balkh, a public forum conducted on January 15, 2017 and a roundtable discussion held

on February 4, 2017. The telecasts are planned for April and May 2017, respectively.

University Workshop

Herat. The project conducted a university workshop for Herat University students on

December 31, 2016 and January 1, 2017. The workshop offered information and training

to students on the rights of women to work, obstacles to women’s progress in the

workplace, the current Anti-Harassment Regulation and information about how to pursue

The roundtable discussion in Balkh Province was

recorded for future airing in local TV stations.



employment opportunities within the government. The participants included 66 (44

women and 22 men) on the first day and 94 participants (63 women and 31 men) on the

second day. Major discussions during the workshop included the responsibility of the

government to provide hospitable working environment for women; the government

directive requiring all GIRoA entities have at least 30 percent women in their workforce;

and application procedures for government jobs, salary grades and eligibility criteria.

Overall, the activity was successful, based on the pre- and post-tests and from verbal

feedback from participants. In the pre-test, 95 percent of the attendees had no knowledge

about government hiring procedures and after the workshop, all participants have

increased their level of knowledge with 53 percent of them saying their knowledge has

increased significantly. The students were also asked whether they knew how to prepare

a CV and only 35 percent of them answered in the affirmative. Following the workshop,

89 percent of the participants reported that they learned CV drafting skills, 80 percent

reported an increase in job interview skills, and 76 percent learned about networking. At

the beginning of the workshop, 91 percent of the students were not aware of the Anti-Harassment Regulation, and after the workshop, almost all (99%) have acquired awareness

of this regulation.

Balkh. In Balkh, a university workshop like the above was conducted on January 30 and

31, 2017. The event was attended by 80 students on the first day (31 women and 49 men)

and 74 students on the second day (57 women and 17 men). Before the workshop, 95

percent of the participants said they have not heard of the Anti-Harassment Regulation;

after the workshop 98 percent said they now know about this important statute. On their

knowledge of CV preparation, 54 percent said they did not know how to prepare one

and after attending the workshop all of them became knowledgeable on preparing a CV.

Furthermore, 91 percent said they have improved their CV writing skills, 88 percent said

they improved their interviewing skills, and 81 percent said they learned about

networking.

3.3.6 Conduct Media Trainings

As part of the public forum conducted in Balkh in January, the project conducted a training

for 17 of the forum participants and the four panelists a day before the forum was

conducted. The training was conducted to provide tips and suggestion on answering the

media, asking questions that relate directly to the topics being discussed, and keeping

answers short and direct to the point. (See 3.3.5). A similar orientation training was also

conducted for the Herat public forum and was reported in the December 2016 monthly

report.

PIR 3.4: CAMPAIGN TO RECRUIT INTERNS DEVELOPED AND

IMPLEMENTED

3.4.1 Internship Recruitment Campaign

Prior to this reporting period, the project gathered a large pool of applicants for the

internship programs that were to open in Kabul and Herat in January and February,

respectively, and for the program that was opening in Balkh in April. As a result, the

project paused further recruitment campaign activities for the above provinces. The



project team also conducted an internship recruitment campaign in Kandahar to attract

qualified students for Cohort Six, which will be comprised of 80 interns. The campaign

made use of flyers in Pashto to attract applicants – both university graduates and those

who have completed Grades 12-14 – and were distributed at government institutions,

universities, and DoWA and WLD offices. In particular, USAID Promote: Women in

Government worked in collaboration with WLD to recruit graduates from their

Kandahar-based leadership training program to enroll in the project’s new internship

program in that province. The outreach resulted in more than 200 applications for

Kandahar, from which 129 were shortlisted. The internship program in Kandahar will

commence on April 22, 2017.

3.4.2 Identify Key Influencers and Messaging

Great care was exerted in selecting the speakers and panel discussants during the public

forum and roundtable discussions conducted during this reporting period. The individuals

were recognized authorities in their own field, well respected in the local communities, and deemed as gatekeepers and key influencers. For the three outreach events conducted

this period, the project invited government officials, religious leaders, professors and

students, and civil society representatives as members of the panel. Please refer to

preceding relevant sections for the specific composition of the panels.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

(M&E) ACTIVITIES

Focus Group Discussion (FGD)

During the reporting period, USAID Promote: Women in Government conducted an

FGD in Kabul, Herat, and Balkh to help assess the impact of the weekly interactive radio

series OVATV on public awareness and how it has influenced social norms. The FGD was

conducted by partner, Dynamic Vision, and included participation by 60 individuals, 20

from each of three regional hubs: Kabul, Herat and Balkh. Participants included local

representatives from government ministries and agencies; provincial councils; political,

religious and community leaders; as well as university professors and students. The major

findings of the study are as follows:

• Three-quarters of the participants believe that broadcasts of radio dramas such

as OVATV are an effective tool to support women’s participation in government.

• A significant majority (80%) believe that radio dramas and programs are effective

tools to raise the awareness of women in rural areas especially about their roles

and rights in community and government.

• Almost all (93%) of the participants believe that women are a part of

government.

• Almost three-quarters of the participants (74%) believe that radio dramas and

programs can help to change people’s behavior related to harassment of women.



• A significant majority (87%) of the FGD participants think that the working

environment in their community is not favorable for women. More than one half

(64%) said that women’s rights have not improved in Afghanistan.

• Nearly eight out of ten participants (79%) said that the OVATV radio program

should be continued; more than one half (59%) said the program is effective.

The results of the study will feed into the project’s continued outreach programming

and will be factored into the determination of radio program content.

Measuring Progress Towards Program Indicators

Four pre- and post-tests were conducted during the period to measure the progress of

certain program indicators. The results of the studies will be reported in the Year 3

Annual report.

• Pre- and post-test for the heads of Gender Units in government ministries for

Indicator 3.3.1. (Proportion of target population reporting increased agreement with the

concept that males and female should have equal access to social, economic, and political

opportunities). February.

• Pre-test for more than 500 interns for Indicator 1.1.1. (Proportion of female

beneficiaries who report increased self-efficacy at the conclusion of U.S. government

supported training/ programing) and indicator 3.3.1. (Proportion of target population

reporting increased agreement with the concept that males and female should have equal

access to social, economic, and political opportunities). February.

Post-test survey involving 16 mentors for Indicator 1.4.2. (Number of mentors who

participated in professional development growth planning for their interns at the

conclusion of mentor training). March.

• Post-test survey of 102 interns from Cohort One for Indicator 1.1.1 (Proportion of

female beneficiaries who report increased self-efficacy at the conclusion of U.S.

government supported training/ programming) and Indicator 3.3.1 (Proportion of target

population reporting increased agreement with the concept that males and females

should have equal access to social, economic, and political opportunities). March.

Biometric System

In March, the project team met with RSI Consultancy to discuss the finger-print tracking

system for baseline and end-line survey for USAID Promote: Women in Government

beneficiaries. The biometric system is being implemented by all Promote Task Orders.

This tool eliminates duplication of monitoring data as it uses a unique ID for each program

beneficiary. The project team reviewed the baseline questions and offered further

suggestions and additions. The team likewise briefed the interns about the biometric

system in anticipation of future outreach by RSI to verify their personal details before they

are entered the system.

Monitoring Plan

The USAID Promote: Women in Government project team drafted the Year 3 Activity

Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (AMEP) and submitted the same to USAID during March.



PLANNED ACTIVITIES FOR NEXT

REPORTING PERIOD

Project Result 1: Women’s Entry into Decision-Making Roles in Government Service

Facilitated

• Continue the civil service training for more than 1,000 interns from Cohort Two

(MoLSAMD, Kabul), Cohort Three (Moraa, Kabul) and Cohort 4 (DoLSAMD,

Herat).

• Conduct written tests and interviews of 80 eligible candidates for Cohort Six in

Kandahar

• Conduct interviews for internship applicants for Cohort Seven (MoLSAMD,

Kabul).

• Launch internship program in Balkh and Kandahar.

• Participate in USAID-sponsored Women’s Empowerment Fair in Kabul

•

• Continue collaboration with government agencies to gather vacant positions in

their approved list of available civil service job vacancies; promote the employment

of graduate interns by these agencies.

Project Result 2: Hospitable Environment for Female Staff in Government

Encouraged

• Deliver Workplace Obstacle: Analysis and Recommendation training for Cohort

Three interns.

• Review and finalize Phase II of the GIRoA Gender Analysis and Partnership

Assessment Report.

• Meet with MoWA and MoLSAMD authorities to discuss the policy reform and

recommendations.

• Finalize the MoU documents with ministries, especially MoPH, MoHRA and MoE.

Project Result 3: Local Stakeholder Support for Women in Civil Service Increased

• Prepare for the university workshop in Nangarhar.

• Broadcast the public forum and roundtable discussions in Balkh Local TV.

Monitoring & Evaluation Goal 1: A critical mass of women enter the Afghan social

and economic mainstream and influence decision-making

• Conduct pre-test survey for Indicator 1.2.2. (Percentage of target population that

views Gender-Based Violence (GBV) as less acceptable after participating in or being

exposed to USG programming.



• Data entry and analysis of data for Indicator 1.4.2. (Number of mentors who

participated in professional development growth planning for their interns at the

conclusion of mentor training).



ANNEX

Annex 1. Participants of the Conference on Policy Reform for Women in

Government

1. Ministry of Education

2. Ministry of Information and Culture

3. Ministry of Finance

4. Ministry of Interior Affairs

5. Ministry of Municipalities

6. Ministry of Women Affairs

7. Ministry of Justice

8. Ministry of Economy

9. Ministry of Religious Affairs and Hajj

10. Ministry of Communication and Technology

11. Ministry of Defense

12. Ministry of Mines and Petroleum

13. Ministry of Transport

14. Ministry of Public Works

15. Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled

16. Ministry of Higher Education

17. Ministry of Agriculture

18. Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development

19. Ministry of Energy and Water 20. Ministry of Public Health

21. Ministry of Urban Development Affairs & Housing

22. Ministry of Counter Narcotics

23. Administrative Office of the President

24. Supreme Court of Afghanistan

25. Attorney General Office

26. Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority

27. Afghanistan Independent Land Authority

28. Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission

29. Independent Directorate of Local Governance

30. Central Statistics Organization

31. Independent Administrative reforms and civil service Commission

32. Independent General Directorate of Kuchi's



Annex 2 – Success Stories





U.S. Agency for International Development

1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C. 20523

Tel.: (202) 712-0000

Fax: (202) 216-3524

www.usaid.gov

Documents

USAID Promote: Women in Government Quarterly Progress Reportpdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00MRWS.pdf · CAA Civil Aviation Authority CAG Content Advisory Group CBR ... SECOND QUARTERLY