<strong>Afghanistan</strong> Research and Evaluation Unit 2011 Authority/ Resource Participate Elect/ Select President’s Office Advise/ Monitor Figure 3: A model of improved local government Supreme Court Courts of Appeal Primary Courts IDLG L<strong>in</strong>e M<strong>in</strong>istries PG Office Prov<strong>in</strong>cial L<strong>in</strong>e Depts. PDC DG Office District L<strong>in</strong>e Depts. NGO D I S T R I C T P O P U L A T I O N Wolesi National Jirga Assemblies Prov<strong>in</strong>cial Council District Council Village Village Council Council <strong>Local</strong> <strong>Governance</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Afghanistan</strong>: A <strong>View</strong> <strong>from</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Ground</strong> 71
<strong>Afghanistan</strong> Research and Evaluation Unit 2011 9. Conclusion The first aspect emerg<strong>in</strong>g <strong>from</strong> this research is <strong>the</strong> need for much greater realism <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> def<strong>in</strong>ition and function of local government. <strong>Local</strong> government is composed of three elements: adm<strong>in</strong>istration, <strong>the</strong> judiciary, and representative <strong>in</strong>stitutions. The operation of adm<strong>in</strong>istration and service delivery is highly centralised and subject to a range of distortions. The judiciary suffers <strong>from</strong> much corruption. The representative <strong>in</strong>stitutions have few rights beyond those of consultation and recommendation. The development of viable and reflexive local government will require political will and action <strong>in</strong> each of <strong>the</strong>se areas. In addition, <strong>the</strong> build<strong>in</strong>g of representative <strong>in</strong>stitutions will require resources to build capacity, provide adm<strong>in</strong>istrative support and supply modest facilities. Fur<strong>the</strong>rmore, <strong>the</strong> Afghan government must address <strong>the</strong>se issues if it is to streng<strong>the</strong>n public support and cohesion. Failure to do so will cont<strong>in</strong>ue to underm<strong>in</strong>e its political base and fur<strong>the</strong>r encourage Taliban recruitment occurr<strong>in</strong>g as a result of official malfeasance. 153 The second important feature is <strong>the</strong> need to develop public understand<strong>in</strong>g of <strong>Afghanistan</strong>’s evolv<strong>in</strong>g state structures and <strong>the</strong> ideas that underp<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>m. It is no longer feasible for communities to be as self-conta<strong>in</strong>ed as <strong>the</strong>y have been <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> past. As <strong>the</strong> state becomes a more established feature, people’s lives will be transformed, as is already start<strong>in</strong>g to be <strong>the</strong> case through education, better health care, improved communication and economic development. However, Afghans are generally cautious and conservative, and with good reason. As noted <strong>in</strong> Section 2.1, <strong>the</strong> public are currently caught between <strong>the</strong> three compet<strong>in</strong>g agendas of <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational community, <strong>the</strong> government and <strong>the</strong> Taliban, and are quite rightly unsure of whom <strong>the</strong>y can trust. This new form of government <strong>in</strong>trudes upon <strong>the</strong>ir lives <strong>in</strong> novel ways, by no means all of which are seen as positive. The degree of corruption is alienat<strong>in</strong>g many. If <strong>the</strong> public is to engage with government <strong>the</strong>re is a need for better public understand<strong>in</strong>g of what government is, what it seeks to achieve and how. While people are well versed <strong>in</strong> understand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>terplay of tribal, ethnic, party and personality politics, <strong>the</strong>re is little knowledge about government hierarchies, <strong>the</strong> notion of democracy, <strong>the</strong> nature of rights and <strong>the</strong> way that programmes are selected and organised. Fur<strong>the</strong>rmore, when set aga<strong>in</strong>st a background of corruption, cont<strong>in</strong>ued <strong>in</strong>security and <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>fluence of foreigners, <strong>the</strong>se features are often seen <strong>in</strong> negative light. Communication and <strong>the</strong> development of public understand<strong>in</strong>g is <strong>the</strong>refore of <strong>the</strong> utmost importance. The establishment of effective local government structures has <strong>the</strong> potential to play a part <strong>in</strong> this, as long as <strong>the</strong>y are given appropriate levels of responsibility and resources. Many found what was happen<strong>in</strong>g opaque and not readily understood by virtue of its complexity. Explanations are needed, and for this to take place communication has to be substantially improved. Thirdly, given levels of political will, resources and public understand<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>the</strong>re is a need for time. If it is to happen, <strong>the</strong> transformation of local governance will not occur overnight. The <strong>in</strong>itial mapp<strong>in</strong>g out of changes to <strong>the</strong> system will be complex and fraught with <strong>the</strong> tension aris<strong>in</strong>g <strong>from</strong> compet<strong>in</strong>g demands and fear of <strong>the</strong> loss of central control. There will be many difficulties that will need to be overcome. However, once a clear, consensual and comprehensible strategy is established, <strong>the</strong>n steps can be taken to build greater capacity and responsive structures capable of generat<strong>in</strong>g public trust. Crucially, noth<strong>in</strong>g can be achieved at <strong>the</strong> pace currently be<strong>in</strong>g dictated by <strong>the</strong> West, which is press<strong>in</strong>g systems beyond <strong>the</strong>ir capacity to respond and deliver. Evidence <strong>from</strong> this study demonstrates <strong>the</strong> existence of a complex social order that has shown itself capable of ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g cohesion through <strong>the</strong> recent waves of development, whe<strong>the</strong>r structured by <strong>the</strong> PDPA, <strong>the</strong> Soviets, <strong>the</strong> Taliban or <strong>the</strong> present phase of external donor support. While governance rema<strong>in</strong>s diffuse, diverse and fragmented, it is by virtue of <strong>the</strong>se features that Afghan society has been able to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> a measure of stability amid frequent changes <strong>in</strong> regime and ideology. Never<strong>the</strong>less, society and expectations are chang<strong>in</strong>g as a result of <strong>the</strong> impact of migration, communications, <strong>in</strong>frastructure development and technology. In <strong>the</strong> context of a modernis<strong>in</strong>g world and whatever <strong>the</strong> outcomes of <strong>the</strong> present conflict, future Afghan governments will require structures that enable <strong>the</strong>m 153 Lakhdar Brahimi and Thomas R. Picker<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>Afghanistan</strong> Negotiat<strong>in</strong>g Peace: The Report of The Century Foundation International Task Force on <strong>Afghanistan</strong> <strong>in</strong> Its Regional and Multilateral Dimensions (New York: The Century Foundation Press, 2011), 65, 78. <strong>Local</strong> <strong>Governance</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Afghanistan</strong>: A <strong>View</strong> <strong>from</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Ground</strong> 72