AKDN: Examples of Collaborative Relations between Civil Society Organizations and Government Institutions in Afghanistan

There are many questions about the relationships between Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Government Institutions in Afghanistan that this report is trying to answer. What is a Civil Society Organization (CSO) and why is it created? What is the difference between non-profit organizations and private businesses that are working for profit? How is the work of government supported by CSOs? What structures has the government created to cooperate with CSOs in certain programmes? How many CSOs have applied for programme support from the government? What are the experiences of CSOs in working with the government institutions and vice versa? Has governmental bureaucracy prevented the CSOs from executing their programs or not? What is the relationship between governmental authorities and CSOs when they meet during work? How focused are the CSOs in executing their projects? The information compiled in this report is the result of AWEC staffs’ visits to twelve provinces. There are many other questions that were answered during the provincial visits and focus group discussions. This report is not trying to give complete answers to all the questions about the relationships between CSOs and government institutions in Afghanistan because it is not possible to generalize the answers for the whole of Afghanistan or to say that this report has supplied all the answers to all questions about CSOs’ support to the government and vice versa. What this report can shed light on is the general relationships existing between CSOs and government institutions.