PCR Event Report | Development in Afghanistan - The National Solidarity Plan and Beyond

For those of you that missed our event with Ehsan Zia, the Afghan Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, audio can be found here. The National Solidarity Program, the development program Zia oversees and spoke about last week, is one of the most impressive examples of its kind that we have seen. Check out the website for the full story, but here's a bit about how it works:

The NSP provides direct Block Grant transfers to a bank account established by the CDCs to support rehabilitation and development activities planned and implemented by the elected CDCs. The funding takes the form of Block Grants which are calculated at US$200 per family with an average grant of US$ 27,000 and maximum of US$ 60,000 per community. Portions of the Block Grant are released for procurement and phased implementation of the approved subproject(s). 

PCR Project Co-Director Rick Barton moderated the event, and took note of the following: In the past 5 years the annual NSP budget has grown to $200 million, though it is usually funded at less than $100 million; The NSP now has the capacity to disperse at the rate of $25 million per month; 60% of the funds go to the villagers directly; 27,000 villages are participating in every part of the country, with 46,000 projects; 15,000 villages have been left out so far; Villages contribute a minimum of 10% of the cost of the project and usually closer to 20%; The US has given $35 million over the past four years to the NSP; It is a totally transparent process of spending; Community development councils are now linking to each other and creating broader, district level activities.