The Government of Canada today released a series of benchmarks for the six priorities and three signature projects it is implementing in Afghanistan between now and 2011. Canada's new direction in Afghanistan, which was announced on June 10, focuses on working with the Afghan government to improve the lives of Afghans and, in particular, the residents of Kandahar province.
"In June, we announced our six strategic priorities. The 21 benchmarks we are announcing today will help us better track how we are doing on those priorities," said the Honourable David Emerson, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chair of Canada's Cabinet Committee on Afghanistan. "They will help us clearly report to Canadians the progress being made in Afghanistan. They are all about improving ac countability and transparency in keeping with the recommendations made in the report of the Independent Panel on Canada's Future Role in Afghanistan."
Canada's benchmarks and progress indicators have been identified for each of the priorities and signature projects as a means of assessing the effectiveness of Canada's efforts in Afghanistan. The benchmarks developed in consultation with the Afghan government in some cases provide numerical targets-such as creating 10,000 seasonal jobs as a result of the Dahla Dam project and building, expanding or repairing 50 schools. In other cases, there are qualitative measures that include gauging public perception or asse ssing the implementation of policies and programs, an example being increased dialogue between Pakistani and Afghan officials about border issues. Together these benchmarks, along with the quarterly reports, will help tell the story of how efforts are pro ceeding.
"The repair of the Dahla Dam and its irrigation system, the building and repair of schools, and the eradication of polio are all projects that will improve the lives of the Afghan people, so measuring progress against benchmarks will be important," said the Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation. "Canadians need to know where we are making advances and where the challenges remain. Publi shing these results meets a key commitment of our government to report frankly and frequently to Canadians."
Measuring progress in a conflict zone is not an easy task; the ability to make and report on progress is affected by the security situation, and progress may not always be evident or measurable on a quarterly basis. The Government of Canada will report on progress against benchmarks, challenges and any required adjustments in q uarterly reports to Parliament. The first of these quarterly reports was tabled on June 10. These benchmarks will demonstrate that Canada has strengthened its engagement in Afghanistan since this report, despite a volatile security environment.
"Training and mentoring the Afghan National Security Forces so that they can assume responsibility for operations in Kandahar is a key priority," said the Honourable Peter Gordon MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. "The benchmarks we established for this priority will enable Canadians to follow this progress as we move toward the end of Canada's military mission in 201 1."
"Canada is also contributing to a more secure environment by building the capacity of the Afghan National Police, and supporting efforts for a prison system that respects hu man rights," said the Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety. "Although progress will take time, these benchmarks will help track how we are doing."
Focused f or the next three years on a targeted set of objectives, Canada's engagement in Afghanistan will contribute to a more secure Kandahar that is better governed and can deliver basic services to its citizens, supported by a more capable Afghan national government that can better provide for security, border management and sustained stability and reconstruction over the long term.
A backgrounder on the priorities and signature projects f ollows. For additional information as well as a complete list of the benchmarks and progress indicators, please visit www.afghanistan.gc.ca.
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Backgrounder
Benchmarks
In troduction
On June 10, Canada announced six priorities and three signature projects that it will be implementing in Afghanistan between 2008 and 2 011 in order to bring measurable improvement to the lives of Afghans, and in particular residents of Kandahar province.
Canada's six priorities wi ll help the Government of Afghanistan to:
• maintain a more secure environment and establish law and order by building the capacity of the Afghan National Army and Police, and supporting complementary efforts in the areas of justic e and corrections;
• provide jobs, ed ucation and essential services, such as water;
• provide humanitarian assistance to people in need, including refugees;
• enhance the management and security of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border;
• build Afghan institutions that are central to our Kandahar priorities and support democratic processes such as elections; and
• contribute to Afghan-led political reconciliation efforts aimed at weakening the i nsurgency and fostering a sustainable peace.
Canada's three signature projects will:
• support rehabilitation of the Dahla Dam and its irrigation and canal system, generating Afghan jobs and fostering agriculture;
• build, expand and repair a total of 50 schools; and
• expand support for polio immunization in Kandahar with a view to eradicating the debilitating disease in Afghanistan by the end of 2009.
To support these priorities and projects, the Government of Canada has identified a number of benchmarks and progress indicators that will help to:
• gauge levels of progress being achieved or not, as the case may be;
• identify if and when adjustments to its approach are required, given the complex environment; and
• report results frankly to Canadians.
Benchmarking in Afghanistan is a difficult task with reporting dependent on gathering information while operating in a conflict zone. Many of the benchmarks are clearly defined, but some are still being refined. Where programming is relatively new, for example, indicators are still being developed and baselines or targets have not yet been set. These will all be regularly reviewed and adapted.
Canada alone does not control the outcomes of its objectiv es. They are dependent on the efforts of the Afghan government and the international community. Therefore, the benchmarks are consistent with those already established by the Government of Afghanistan and its partners in the Afghanistan Compact and the Af ghanistan National Development Strategy and have been confirmed through consultation with the Afghan government.
Benchmarking means different things to different people. For Canada's purposes, benchmarks are how the Government will report to Canadians against its objectives.
The development of these benchmarks, and regular reporting against them in quarterly reports, is part of the Government's ove rall commitment to increase accountability and transparency.
The following are highlights of the objectives and benchmarks for each of Canada's six priorities. A complete list of the benchmarks and progress indicators can be found at www.afghanistan.gc.ca.
Priority 1: Train and mentor Afghan national security forces
Canadian efforts in this priority area will be geared toward enabling Afghan nat ional security forces to provide a more secure environment and promote law and order in key districts of Kandahar province. By 2011, with support from International Security Assistance Force allies, Canada expects to see an increased capacity of the Afgha n National Army (ANA) to conduct operations and sustain a more secure environment in key districts of Kandahar. Canada also expects the Afghan National Police to have increased capacity to promote law and order in key districts of Kandahar, supported by c ritical justice-sector and corrections capabilities.
Benchmarks to measure ANA progress are very precise and are consistent with NATO's overall AN A training initiatives. Examples include increasing the number of ANA battalions and their brigade headquarters capable of conducting near-autonomous security operations, and increasing the number of key districts where the ANA is responsible for security .
Canada's police, justice and corrections benchmarks will be measured using quantitative and qualitative progress indicators, including the numbe r of officers trained, the completion of infrastructure and equipment projects, and the capacity of police forces to plan, execute and sustain near-autonomous operations.
A number of external factors will affect the ability to make and track progress in these areas. Insurgent violence deliberately targeting Afghan police has resulted in high rates of death, injury and desertion, which degrades police eff ectiveness and further limits the ability to track the number of trained police officers. It is also important to note that Canada is one of many actors contributing to rule of law reform: Afghan ministries are leading this process and key international p artners are playing critical roles.
Priority 2: Strengthen Afghan capacity to deliver core services and promote economic growth
Canada's efforts in this area will help strengthen the Afghan institutional capacity to deliver core services and promote economic gr owth. By 2011, we expect Kandahar's provincial administration and relevant ministries of the Afghan government to be better able to provide basic services in key districts of Kandahar province.
A number of benchmarks have been established under this priority. The key quantitative benchmark for the education signature project is the building, expansion and repair of 50 schools in key districts of Ka ndahar province. Other benchmarks are less tangible-for example, that more Kandaharis will have confidence in the ability of the government in Kandahar to deliver basic services. This benchmark is based on Afghan perception and will be measured agai nst findings from public opinion research. It is important to note that polling in a complex environment like Kandahar is challenging and results may not always be reliable.
In the case of the Dahla Dam signature project, some key indicators have been established such as the number of seasonal jobs created. Other indicators of progress will continue to be refined as the project moves into the planning a nd implementation stages.
Priority 3: Provide humanitarian assistance for extremely vulnerable people
Helping the Government of Afghanistan to provide humanitarian assistance for extremely vulnerable people, including refugees, returnees and internally displaced per sons, is where Canada will focus its efforts in this priority area. By 2011, humanitarian assistance will continue to be accessible to Afghan refugees and to returnees and internally displaced persons in Kandahar and nationally.
The ability of public institutions to plan and coordinate emergency assistance and support vulnerable populations in Kandahar, a benchmark for this priority, will be measured by a series of quantitative and qualitative indicators, including the capacity of ministries to put in place effective disaster preparedness plans and provide access for vulnerable populations to essential quality health services. No single indicator is compr ehensive enough to provide a complete picture. Considered together, they will help to provide an assessment of progress. This priority also includes Canada's signature project on polio eradication. The benchmarks and indicators for this project are specific and quantifiable: the number of children vaccinated and the number of cases of polio reported.
The challenge for this priority is in the abilit y to report against the progress indicators on a quarterly basis given that evaluations and assessments of this sort are undertaken across longer time frames.
Priority 4: Enhance border security and dialogue
In this priority area, Canada will enhance border security, with a view to facilitating bilateral dialogue between Afghan and Pakistani authorities. The objective is to enhance the dialogue between these two countries, so that by 2011, Afghan institutions, in cooperation with Pakistan, will exercise a stronger ca pacity to manage the border and foster economic development in the border area.
border security and dialogue is ultimately contingent on strong relatio ns between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and on the resolution of some long-standing issues. Canada's benchmarks for this priority include qualitative and quantitative progress indicators such as the completion of training and procurement of key equipme nt, which will help to assess the effectiveness of Afghan and Pakistani border management efforts.
As the border is long, its terrain difficult and its i nfrastructure underdeveloped, obtaining baseline information and establishing targets is challenging. Canada has already begun to work with the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan to identify infrastructure, training and other needs. This information will be essential to refining our baselines and targets in future. Unfortunately, key mechanisms for discussions were suspended by Afghanistan in July 2008.
Priority 5: Help advance democratic development and national institutions
Helping to increase Afghanistan's capacity for democratic governance by contributing to effective and accountable public institutions and electoral processes will be Canada's focus in this priority area. By 2011, national, provincial and local institutions-particularly tho se in Kandahar province-are expected to exhibit an increasing capacity for democratic governance in the deliberation and delivery of public programs, services, and in carrying out democratic elections.
Canada's benchmarks for this priority are consistent with the Government of Afghanistan's own objectives. The first is for Afghanistan to be able to manage the upcoming elections. The Go vernment of Afghanistan intends to hold two elections before 2011: a presidential election and election of provincial councils in 2009, and the election of parliament and district councils in 2010. This benchmark will be measured by identifying the number of registered voters and voter turnout. Another benchmark is for key ministries in Afghanistan to be able to plan, resource, manage and maintain the delivery of services at the sub-national level. Progress indicators for this benchmark will be very quali tative, because for the time being, they will be mostly based on perceptions. However, as Afghan policies and programming evolve, so will the indicators. Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) assessments will also be used as progress indi cators for this benchmark. PEFA is led by the World Bank and supports integrated and harmonized approaches to assessment and reform in the field of public expenditure, procurement and financial accountability using internationally recognized standards.
Canada will actively contribute in this area, but it is important to recall that Canada is one of many actors. The Afghan government is leading, with suppo rt from the international community.
Priority 6: Facilitate political reconciliation
In this priority area, Canada will facilitate Afghan-led efforts toward political r econciliation, in the interest of a sustainable peace. By 2011, Canada expects that national and provincial government initiatives will encourage reconciliation, with timely support from Canada.
Ultimately, only the Afghan government has the authority to pursue political reconciliation; Canada and other international partners will play supporting roles. Progress indicators to measure the benchmark of the Government of Afghanistan's ability to promote reconciliation include identifying Afghan institutions and officials responsible for moving reconciliation forward, and the government's improved ability to communicate with Afghans about reconcil iation.
Afghanistan cannot secure peace or realize its governance and development objectives by military means alone. An Afghan-led, internationally supp orted reconciliation process can serve to foster sustainable peace.
This backgrounder, along with a complete list of the benchmarks and progress indicato rs, can be found at www.afghanistan.gc.ca.
