Afghanistan Civil Society Report, 2011

Counterpart International commissioned the 2011 Civil Society Assessment (PDF, 6MB) in order to evaluate the progress made by Afghan civil society organizations (CSOs) since Counterpart’s first Civil Society Assessment in 2005 and to assess the impact of the USAID-funded Initiative to Promote Afghan Civil Society (IPACS) on organizations that have participated in the program.

The three core objectives of the program are: (1) improved civil society accountability and legal and regulatory frameworks; (2) strengthened civil society capacity and sector infrastructure for democratic processes; and (3) increased citizen mobilization and policy engagement.

The development of civil society organizations has progressed significantly since 2005.

A majority of organizations have increased or maintained their geographic reach and funding levels – a significant accomplishment in itself under present circumstances. There has been a substantial increase in the number of CSOs focusing on women as beneficiaries, promoting women’s rights and gender equality, and spending program budgets on projects aimed at women. Almost all CSOs now have written rules about governance and most have procurement and accounting policies, financial policies and procedures, and employee manuals in place.

While there are significant signs of progress over the past five years, efforts to develop civil society in Afghanistan are moving especially slow outside of Kabul and the major cities. Lack of funding, and to a lesser extent security concerns and limited capacity, are factors that hamper the effectiveness of CSOs operating in the country, causing some organizations to either postpone project implementation or halt expansion in  certain provinces or districts.

Read the full report (PDF, 6MB)