The USDA-funded Change Management & Capacity Building (CBCMP) is a four-year project which began in late November 2010, to build the capacity of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GoIRA) Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation & Livestock (MAIL). CBCMP is implemented under the Volunteers for Economic Growth (VEGA) consortium, with the International Executive Service Corps (IESC) as the prime implementer.
The project involves a team of about 4 long-term expats (not including the Director for Operations) supported by a full-time expat Security Manager provided by a security contractor. In addition to the long-term staff, there will be a number of short-term expat consultants joining the project from time to time.
The project is based in Kabul, with little travel outside the capital in Afghanistan planned. Expat staff, including long- and short-term personnel, is housed in a villa. Expat staff commutes to MAIL five days a week and works a sixth day at the villa. CBCMP has a few small offices at MAIL, including furniture and equipment, for its expat and local staff.
CBCMP seeks to build the capacity of MAIL to provide administrative support to itself and to some extent for CBCMP through its existing administrative departments, policies and procedures. Thus, while CBCMP funds a number of local contractors within the Ministry, as well as training and other events, CBCMP seeks to provide as little direct management support as possible to promote MAIL’s abilities in these areas.