Draft Programme Document CHANGE MANAGEMENT, PUBLIC SECTOR DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRAMME SUPPORT A Programme under the National Agriculture Development Framework APRIL 2009 1
Table of Contents I. Executive Summary 3 II. Programme Objective and Outcomes 4 i. Expected results 4 ii. Sub-Programme A: Change Management Process 4 iii. Sub-Programme B: Public Sector development 4 iv. Sub-Programme C: MAIL Programme Support Network 5 III. Situational Analysis 5 i. The importance of institutional reform in MAIL ii. Key Challenges 6 IV. Programme Structure and Implementation Mechanisms 6 i. Sub-Programme A: Change Management Process 7 ii. Sub-Programme B: Public Sector development 7 iii.. Sub-Programme C: MAIL Programme Support Network 7 V. Activities. Sub Program A: The Change Management Process 8 i. Change Management Entity and analysis process 8 ii. Communication 8 iii. Identification of Organizational and Institutional change 9 iv. Capacity development 9 VI. Activities Sub-Programme B : Public Sector Development 10 i. Review & formulation of policy, legal 1 regulatory frameworks 10 ii. Creation & operation of Policy Analysis and Legal Unit 10 iii. Implementation of organizational and institutional change 10 iv. Human Resources Development and Management 11 VII. Activities Sub-Programme C: Programme Support 11 i. Programme Implementation and Coordination (PIC) Entity 11 ii. Strengthening of Senior Management structures 11 iii. MAIL Information and knowledge management entities 12 iv. Human Resources Development and Management 12 v. Monitoring and Evaluation 13 VIII. Cross cutting issues 13 2
Change Management, Public Sector Development and Programme Support Framework I Executive Summary Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) is embarking on a change management process - an analytical process that defines the future functions of the Ministry and its Provincial Departments, examines the current organizational and institutional framework and the future requirements for implementing the functions and the human resource development requirements. The Process. The Change Management Team will consist of representatives from MAIL Senior Management supported by External Technical Assistance (2-3 Change Management Specialists). It is anticipated that the analytical part will take 6-8 months with the Team working full-time. The analysis will focus on two areas. 1. Public Sector Development; 2. Programme Support Network Development Public Sector Development. Based on the results of the above outlined process and the review and formulation of policy, legal and regulatory frameworks the Ministry will initiate the creation/strengthening of the required structures for it to provide key public sector services. Programme Support Network Development. A strong programme support network is a pre-requisite for the efficient functions of the Ministry and a successful implementation of the National Agriculture Development Programme. The focus will be on the creation and operation of the Programme Implementation and Coordination Entity and the introduction of suitable management systems and procedures The implementation of the recommendations is estimated to last approximately 3 years if sufficient funding can be identified. The Programme will support the process of reaching the overall development objective for the Agriculture Sector Majority of rural households will have improved the livelihoods and level of economic-well being (in the next 10 years), will have achieved food security, and have efficiently contributed to the national economy and reduction of poverty, through developing and improving the efficiency of sustainable agricultural, water, forestry and rangeland resource sub-sector activities, based on sound environmental practices. This Programme is inextricably linked to all institutional, organizational and programmatic structures of the Ministry. It will play a crucial role in establishing an intra-ministerial support network, which will facilitate the prioritization and sequencing of change and ensure that programme implementation and the institutional change process is coherent. 3
II. PROGRAM OBJECTIVE AND OUTCOMES To create a dynamic, well functioning, competent and effective institution through a process of reform and structural adjustment prepared to meet the challenges of the 21 st Century and responding to the needs and demands of the agriculture sector. Expected results Sub-Programme A: Change Management Process The change management process is an analytical process that defines the future functions of the Ministry and examines the current capabilities and future requirements for implementing the functions. It is a fundamental rethinking and redesign of MAIL s functional tasks, functions and processes to achieve tangible improvements in agriculture sector performance and the subsequent development of the associated appropriate organizational structures. The expected results are: A capable Change Management (CM) Team in place. A final MAIL organigram including provincial department structures as per the agreed functions of the Ministry prepared, processed and approved by appropriate authorities. A change management strategy including clear indications of what should be achieved. A specific communication component of the strategy focused on informing staff about: what will change; why it needs to change; who will be affected by the change; and the risks associated with not changing. A road map for the change process of the Ministry developed and implemented. Sub-Programme B: Public Sector Development A structural framework designed that facilitates MAIL meeting its responsibilities for public sector service provision. The review and formulation of all relevant policy and legal and regulatory frameworks completed and processed through the required approval system The Policy and Planning Directorate strengthened, the Policy and Analysis Unit in PPD established including a policy sub-unit for Kuchi related issues Terms of reference for each directorate/department/unit and job descriptions for staff as per defined functions. A comprehensive capacity building programme designed and implemented. The overall result will be an institution that is able to establish policy on a range of urgent agriculture issues and effectively perform essential public services, 4
Sub-Programme C: MAIL Programme Support Network A Programme Coordination and Implementation Entity established and operational with allocated resources Executive management and coordination groups for the Minister s Office and for each of the Deputy Minister offices established and operational MAIL Information and knowledge management systems and entities reviewed and updated as per need. Capacity development programmes developed and implemented for staff of the Programme Support Network entities. Subsequently the Ministry will demonstrate a capacity to develop, manage, coordinate and monitor programmes and projects from core budget and external sources. This would enable MAIL to successfully accelerate and complete the transition from a traditional line ministry to a dynamic institution prepared to meet the challenges of the 21 st Century. III. SITUATION ANALYSIS i. The importance of institutional reform in MAIL Afghanistan s Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) is in the process of transition from a traditional line ministry with direct involvement in production promoting activities, including government farms and delivery of free extension and input provision, into a modern, streamlined ministry providing public sector services and facilitating private sector development in the agriculture sector. This transition includes a process of defining the future functions of the Ministry and designing its programme structure as per the outlined strategic issues in the Policy document of 2004, the Master Plan of 2005 and the Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD) strategy of 2008. Since June 2007 extensive consultations have been conducted with individual MAIL Directorates on the public sector/private sector responsibilities and their future core functions. However, the definition of MAIL s role in implementing the public sector responsibilities has not yet been completed and the public sector service provision by the Ministry is currently limited. There is, therefore a need to accelerate MAIL s transition process and to rapidly transform the Ministry into an institution with a well-defined public sector role and with the ability to establish policy on a range of urgent agriculture issues. In addition, MAIL needs to develop the capability to effectively perform essential public services in key areas of legal and regulatory framework formulation, quality control and veterinary public health. At the moment the overall MAIL programme structure is broken down into a series of related but separately documented agendas with insufficient capacity to coordinate programme and project implementation. This is a clear demonstration of the limited existing capabilities in MAIL to handle comprehensive and holistic programmes. The 5
Ministry needs to develop programme implementation and coordination skills and demonstrate its capacity to formulate, manage, coordinate and monitor programmes and projects from core budget and external sources that directly benefit the farmer community. Thus a Change Management process is required to analyze, plan, manage and monitor the institutional, human resource and physical changes that are necessary for the Ministry s rapid transition. The appointment of a new Minister, who places a high priority on organizational change and reform of the Ministry, the development of the CARD mechanism for implementation of the ARDS Strategy, and the onset of the RIMU project altogether constitute a historical window of opportunity for the transformation of the Ministry. ii. Key challenges Challenges related to the Change Management Process Institutional structure out of date / not in phase with requirements of the agriculture sector Limited staff with technical capacity Resistance to change Challenges related to the determination of MAIL s role in public sector services provision Lack of clarity and consensus on MAIL s core public sector functions and limited capacity to fulfill them Challenges related to the creation/enhancement of the Programme Support Network Matching the capacity development interventions to the personnel and institutional needs as per new functions and structure Ensuring coordination between the various capacity-building initiatives available to support MAIL in developing appropriate institutional structures and capacity (risk of duplication or efforts proposing different strategies) Identifying, recruiting and keeping qualified staff. Poor information management No coordination / supervisory capacity to oversee what is being done in the agriculture sector Difficulty for people involved in agriculture to know where to go and who to approach IV. PROGRAM STRUCTURE AND IMPLEMENTATION MECHANISMS The strategic framework for the change process is the revised programme structure, the identified functions required for the successful implementation of the Agriculture and 6
Rural Development Strategy and the associated Ministry structure (organigram) (November 2008). The Change Management Programme framework includes three subprogrammes i. Sub-Programme A: The Change Management Process The Change Management Process will be implemented through a step-wise analytical process involving the following components: Component a. Change Management team and analysis process Component b. Communication Component c. Identification of required organizational and institutional change Component d. Identification of the capacity development requirements A change management team consisting of key MAIL Senior Management representatives and external technical assistance will drive the process of change in the Ministry. It is anticipated that the review, assessment and analytical process will last 6-8 months followed by an implementation phase of 2-3 years. ii. Sub-Programme B: Public Sector Development Based on the results of the above outlined Change Management process the Ministry will embark on the creation of the required structures for it to provide key public sector services. Component a. The review and formulation of policy, legal and regulatory frameworks Component b. Creation and operation of the Policy and Legal Analysis Unit in PPD including a sub-unit for Kuchi related issues Component c. Implementation of organizational and institutional change related to MAIL s public sector services provision Component d. Human resources development and management iii. Sub-Programme C: Programme Support Network The successful completion of the change management process and the creation of a strong Programme Support Network is a pre-requisite for the efficient functions of the Ministry and a successful implementation of the National Agriculture development Strategy. The establishment of the Programme Support Network will be carried out through the following components: Component a. Creation and operation of the Programme Implementation and Coordination Entity Component b. Strengthening of the senior management structure. Component c. Creation and operation of MAIL information and knowledge management entities. Component d. Human resources development and management 7
Component e. Monitoring and Evaluation V. ACTIVITIES. SUB PROGRAM A: THE CHANGE MANAGEMENT PROCESS i. Change Management Entity and analysis process Planning and establishing the MAIL Change Management (CM) Team. The change management team will be placed directly under the management of the Minister s Office. The requirements include office space, furniture, hard and software. The human resource component consists of 2-3 external contractual short-term TA with extensive experience in change management/institutional development of which one is the key facilitator. In addition the Team will include 3-5 MAIL Senior Management representatives and it will be supported by 2-3 fast-track trained staff 1 and advisers. Terms of References for the Change Management Team and personnel will be prepared. (It is expected that all members of the Team are working full-time on the process). This is a temporary unit. Capacity Development of the CM Team. Assess the composition of the team and identify knowledge, skills and experience gaps. If required add or change members of the team. Organize coaching and training sessions for team members and selected senior management officials as required Development of the Change Management Strategy. This will include: Review and analysis of core functions of the Ministry as per the Agriculture Development Strategy and with specific focus on the future public sector services provision. Review the draft organigram as per the agreed functions of the Ministry and proposal for the final structure of the Ministry in consultation with selected members of Senior Management. Based on the analysis, develop the change management strategy with clearly identified goals established priorities and an outline of the sequence of interventions. The strategy preparation should be guided by the questions What do we want to achieve? Who is affected and how will they react? The change management process will include a gender mainstreaming component to ensure that MAIL s structures and staffing is suitable to address the needs of women farmers and producer oragnisations. (see gender, under cross-cutting issues section, below). ii. Communication Plan and implement the information and communication component of the CM process to ensure that staff is informed about: 1 Medium to higher level MAIL staff that have participated in an intensive capacity development programme covering General Management, Programme Cycle Management, Proposal Writing. Practical M & E, Development Issues, Report Writing 8
- What will change? - Why it needs to change? - Who will be affected by the change? - What are the risks of not changing? Determine target groups and develop communication material. This will include: Analyzing and classifying the target group(s) inside and outside of MAIL as per the required level of information. Preparing the information material and developing the communication strategy for the CM process. Building awareness of the need for change and creating ownership of the process what will change? Why it needs to change? Who will be affected by the change? Implementation of communication strategy. Implementation will include the use of workshops and face-to-face interaction for increased understanding of the process and the risks associated with not changing. An open forum will allow people to express their frustrations and fears and it also reduces the aggressive behaviour and sabotage which can be expected when change is introduced. iii. Identification of Organizational and Institutional change Preparation of the implementation plan for the structural change. Produce a detailed road map for the change process of each of the Units under the Minister s Office and the four planned key structural entities of the Ministry (Programme Coordination; Agriculture; Land & Natural Resources Management; and Finance & Administration). The road maps will specifically detail the requirements and steps of the process considering the functions of each entity. In particular, the question of what is required to prepare for the implementation of public sector responsibilities, programme implementation and administration (including information technology/knowledge and information management systems and Human Resource Development & Management) will be addressed. This is done with the participation of the Management Teams for each of the core entities. Present the structure of each of the core entities based on the priority functions as per the agreed programme structure including organizational and physical resources requirement. Proceed with a consultation process to establish consensus and acceptance. iv. Capacity development Determine the capacity building requirements. Through capacity needs and learning needs assessments determine the educational and skills level of current staff. Identify the gaps between current and required level. Determine who is trainable to meet the requirements and need for recruitment 9
Identify the requirements for capital investment VI. ACTIVITIES SUB-PROGRAMME B : PUBLIC SECTOR DEVELOPMENT i. The review and formulation of policy, legal and regulatory frameworks A team of policy, legal and regulatory expertise covering the key MAIL public sector responsibility areas will be identified and recruited. Working teams will be created for review and formulation of policy, legal and regulatory frameworks which will form the foundation for providing public sector services. Of specific importance is the policy and regulatory functions related to (i) land and water usage and rights for the agriculture sector; (ii) import mechanisms for agriculture inputs (fertilizer, insecticide and new seed varieties etc.,) (iii) strategic reserve during emergency situations; (iv) food safety and quality standards for imported and exported goods (v) enabling environment for private sector and agribusiness development (regulatory frameworks for producer organizations and associations; trade policies), and (vi) Animal health & plant protection. ii. Creation and operation of the Policy Analysis and Legal Unit in PPD including a sub-unit for Kuchi related issues A crucial element of the change management process is the review/formulation of the policy, legal and regulatory frameworks. This exercise should be institutionalized in the Policy and Planning Directorate. A Policy Analysis and Legal Unit will be established creating the entity for a continuous monitoring and evaluation process of the programme implementation (lessons learnt) to detect bottlenecks related to policies, legal and regulatory frameworks. Based on careful situation analysis the entity will subsequently review/formulate policies and modify strategies and implementation plans accordingly. This unit shall work in close collaboration with the relevant technical departments and units, such as the entities working with cereals, horticulture and animal production for food safety, the Natural Resource Management Department for all issues related to protection of natural resources, etc. iii. Implementation of organizational and institutional change related to MAIL s public sector services provision Based on the identified future MAIL functions and the study of different models of organizational structure used in other countries the organizational framework for providing public sector services will be created. The process will include prioritization ensuring that the core functions are urgently addressed. The structural change should be able to accommodate policy and strategy formulation, legal and regulatory framework preparation, quality control and food safety, veterinary public health and plant protection, standards and certification, monitoring and evaluation and the ability to enforce the regulations and standards. Consideration will be given to ensure the staffing and structures are also suitable for MAIL to address the needs of women farmers and 10
producer organizations, which notably entails ensuring female staff are explicitly integrated in the reform process. iiii. Human Resources Development and Management Establish the categories and number of staff required to successfully implement the identified functions. Prepare terms of reference for each directorate/department/unit and job descriptions for staff as per defined functions Develop and implement the capacity development programme as per identified needs, ensuring that both men and women staff training needs are addressed. VII. SUB-PROGRAMME C: PROGRAMME SUPPORT i. Creation and operation of the Programme Implementation and Coordination (PIC) Entity Up till recently the MAIL programme structure consisted of a series of individual projects and related but separately documented agendas with insufficient and inefficient integration and coordination. MAIL realizes that the implementation of a comprehensive and coherent National Agriculture Development Strategy requires a strong programme implementation and coordination entity that will be at the core of the programme support network. It is a priority to establish the structure and build the capacity to manage and coordinate all the programme elements of the national programme. The PIC Entity will be responsible for supporting programme coordination and implementation by working on the following tasks: Mapping of ongoing and new projects to support collaboration between relevant MAIL departments and implementing partners Identification of gaps in the programme implementation, namely with regards to technical areas and geographical regions. Liaison with the Programme Formulation Unit in the Policy and Planning Department to inform the development of new programmes & projects Coordination of emergency interventions to ensure optimal use of resources and coverage, while avoiding negative impacts on regular programmes Collation of relevant M&E data to inform reporting (for Parliament, Government, and donors) ii. Strengthening of Senior Management structures At the centre of the Programme Support Network is the Minister s Office and the entities, units and Directorates directly associate with that Office. These include the Chief of Staff, the Donor Liaison office, Offices of Deputy Ministers, The policy and Planning Directorate, the Communication and Media Unit. In addition the Minister s office will interact closely with the Programme Implementation and Coordination Entity and the 11
Human Resources Development and Management Directorate. Based on the analysis of the change management process the executive management and coordination groups for the Minister s Office and for each of the four Deputy Minister offices will be established and capacity development programmes for staff will be designed and implemented. iii. MAIL Information and knowledge management entities. The absence of reliable databases and systematic coordinated data collection and analysis continuously hampers the decision making in MAIL. The change management process will initiate the review of databases and if required support the creation of the baseline data in key agriculture areas and the knowledge and information management systems will be developed, tested and validated before permanently established in MAIL and its Provincial Departments. Areas that have been identified to date as requiring strong information systems include: - Gender disaggregated Food security surveillance and agricultural production information to inform regular and emergency programming and targeting - Land and water resource mapping - Natural Resource monitoring, namely of water, rangelands conditions and forest cover - Market information (including market trends monitoring, market and value chain assessments) - Input provision service iv. Human Resources Development and Management Following the process of identifying and agreeing to the future functions of MAIL and its Provincial Department and the structures required to execute the functions the required number and qualifications of staff need to be established. The change management process will include a capacity needs assessment and a learning needs assessment to determine the current level of competency, the future needs and comprehensive capacity development programmes will be designed and implemented as per the needs. It is also anticipated that the Ministry will have to recruit new staff with specific qualifications and the Ministry has taken the initiative to create and identify modalities and resources to facilitate targeted recruitment for key positions in the Ministry. In order to implement a targeted capacity development programme with limited duplication and it is particularly important to ensure coordination of capacity-building efforts. v. Monitoring and Evaluation Monitoring of the process for feed-back to reinforce the change and introduce corrective action. Why and how will we know that the change has been achieved? The monitoring and evaluation will be built into the programme implementation processes to ensure that lessons learnt are extracted and best practices/best processes are identified for enhanced impact and improved programme management. Strong linkages to the programme 12
formulation team will ensure that the experiences are utilized to improve programme/ project design. IX. CROSS CUTTING ISSUES Gender. MAIL recognizes the important role women play in the agriculture sector to enhance the living conditions of rural populations and the change management process and the MAIL programmes will promote the employment and training of women candidates in order that gender issues are considered and included in decision making processes. MAIL s overall goal is: To restore Afghanistan s licit agricultural economy by assuring food security and reducing poverty throughout Afghanistan; to assist women and men farmers to increase production and productivity and to manage and protect Afghanistan s natural resource base for sustainable growth; to improve rural physical infrastructure and irrigation systems; to expand markets and develop human resource capacity. One of the policies mentioned in MAIL s Master Plan on Gender Mainstreaming is that: MAIL provides increased opportunities for women to participate in agricultural development processes. Furthermore, gender is a cross cutting theme in the ANDS process. To ensure that gender mainstreaming is part MAIL s change management process in MAIL programs/projects, the following actions are prioritized: Development of a Gender Mainstreaming Strategy Provide capacity development activities for MAIL staff on gender issues Support the establishment of an interactive and innovative gender network within MAIL Establishment of sex-disaggregated data base and M&E system Licit Agriculture. MAIL acknowledges that successful projects/programs undertaken on licit livelihoods cannot be done in isolation. Thus, a new approach as described in the Economic Incentives to Reduce Poppy (EIRP) Report is taking shape under a change management lens. The Economic Regeneration Programme Framework aims to present a more integrated approach to legal economic development whereby agricultural and rural development programmes are integrated with counter narcotics (CN) objectives. This integrated approach will offer a more targeted approach to alternative livelihoods and CN with rapid delivery of funding. This will be facilitated through the CARD Mechanism. The Change Management Team will ensure that the capabilities of analysis using the CN Tool Kit is included in the capacity development programme Anti-Corruption. The objective of establishing a RIMU in MAIL is to establish efficient and effective public administration by implementing the Government of Afghanistan s 13
Pubic Administration Reform Program. One of RIMU s expected outputs is improved organizational structures for the Ministry (at centre, province and district levels) including clear job descriptions and statements of qualifications of staffing that match efficient performance of the core functions of MAIL. The CM Team will work closely with the RIMU project to enhance accountability and transparency in all systems and procedures Capacity Development. Under the change management process, large scale training and capacity building to sustain changes is needed. The scope and type of capacity development will be determined by the Change Management Unit proposed under the Office of the Minister. A feature of the change management tracking system is to assess how MAIL uses new knowledge and skills, how this is maintained and continually improved. Environment. Under MAIL s change management, MAIL s Natural Resource Management Directorate will work closely with Land Management Department is ensuring that collective efforts are enforced in the Afghanistan s mapping, surveillance and land classification. Without this baseline data, program/project targeting anchored on MAIL priorities cannot be achieved. Regional Cooperation. MAIL s human resource development under the change management process will network with formal and non formal academic institutions in the region. Degree and non-degree scholarships will be prioritized for training in technical agriculture subjects as well as training in management and planning with and agricultural focus. India s Academy of Agriculture Sciences has started discussions with MAIL. VII. Finance/Investment Summary a. Global Budget b. Notional budgets of sub programs c. Modular approach with funding prioritization 14
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