State Department's Good Performers Initiative: Status of Seven Completed Projects in Baghlan Province
Abstract
I am writing to inform you of the results of site inspections conducted by SIGAR at seven Good Performers Initiative (GPI) infrastructure projects in Baghlan province, Afghanistan funded by the State Departments Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). GPI provided direct assistance to the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics and off-budget funding to incentivize provincial governors counter narcotics activities. The GPI program was intended to offer Afghan provincial governors a tangible way of demonstrating to their constituents the benefits of reducing poppy cultivation. The seven projects examined in this report were completed at a cost of about $2.28 million. We conducted site inspections as part of our ongoing effort to verify the location and operating conditions of facilities built, refurbished, or funded by the U.S. as part of the reconstruction effort in Afghanistan. This review shows that the INL-maintained location information for the seven infrastructure projects was accurate. In addition, three of the seven projects - Road Structures in Andarab District, the Provincial Conference Hall, and the Provincial Council Administrative Building - appeared to be in generally good, useable condition. However, we observed structural damage or other problems at the other four projects. Specifically, the class-C sports stadium's structure and grounds were in severe disrepair, and, according to the stadium staff member we spoke with, the two staff members who work at the stadium had not received their salaries for the past 16 months. At another site, a portion of the irrigation intake canal was destroyed which hindered its utility. Finally, while structurally sound and in generally good condition, both GPI-funded schools in Baghlan had serious construction design flaws, and one showed problems with electricity and water systems.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 16, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1139388
Entities
People
- John Sopko
- Matthew Dove
Organizations
- Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction