THE EFFECTIVENESS OF EMERGENCY operations depends largely on a variety of factors related to effective partnerships. One of the most important effects of relief interventions can be their contribution to institution building, and the reinforcement of local democratic structures. Adequate representation of the affected population and beneficiaries should be ensured.
Capacity building of local committees to increase their representation and functional capacity for gender mainstreaming is important for the delivery of any emergency operation, and to achieve self reliant and sustainable interventions. Action may be required to strengthen the social and personal resources of participants and stakeholders involved in project planning and implementation processes. This requires an appraisal of the status of consultative mechanisms and whether broad-based support has been developed and representative views of both men and women projected.
BUILDING ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY IN AFGHANISTAN
FAO is helping to build up and strengthen local and national agricultural government institutions, so that Afghans can run their own institutions and play the leading role in restructuring agriculture. Local communities are assisted to develop the skills to resolve their own problems. Locally-based partnerships are created among farm families, officers in Afghanistan responsible for local administration, non-governmental organizations and the private sector (particularly the suppliers of agricultural inputs, transport and marketing) mainly through farmer-based organizations. Educating and training of groups of farmers are becoming the major tools to develop the human resources of rural communities, so that people can make informed choices. Specific activities are directed to women (up to 95 percent of rural women was illiterate in 2003).
Source: FAO, 2004a.
