State Department's Good Performers Initiative: Status of Two Completed Projects Kunduz Province
Abstract
I am writing to inform you of the results of site inspections conducted by SIGAR at two Good Performers Initiative (GPI) infrastructure projects in Kunduz province, Afghanistan, which were 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 two projects examined in this report, a public library and a sports complex, were completed at a cost of about $738,301. We conducted the 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 there construction effort in Afghanistan. We found that INLs reported geospatial coordinates for the two projects were within half a kilometer from the actual project location. Additionally, we found that both of the projects were in usable condition, with no apparent structural deficiencies, and that they both had access to power and water. However, at the sports stadium, we found: the facility and grounds already showed serious wear and tear; clear indications of poor workmanship; a lack of maintenance; and, that the facility was not being used as intended. To determine why the sports stadium is not being used as intended and to make better use of INLs $498,047 investment, we suggest that INL (1) inform the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics of the sports stadiums underutilization, and (2) request that the ministry develop an action plan detailing the reasons for the underutilization and identify what can be done to ensure that this facility benefits the local population.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1139402
Entities
People
- John Sopko
Organizations
- Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction