Progress report strengthening the national statistical system of the islamic republic of afghanistan

Conclusion

It was concluded at the end that from the KU side this issue does not have any problem provided that CSO staff do really have 14 years of education and are eligible for two years of study that needs to be discussed with the MHE and after submission of their resolution KU will be able to organize it for CSO and line-ministries staff members.

Annex 5.1

Minutes No 2

of the SRF Meeting with Kabul University held on at the University premises on August 15, 2011 at 12.00 AM
Presented: Mr. Hamin Hamidullah - Chancellor of Kabul University Mr. Rajabekov Safdar - SRF Project coordinator Mr. Bawari Mir Afghan - Head of Learning Center Dep. of CSO Mr. Abdul Raoof Gohari - Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs
Meeting agenda:

CSO collaboration with KU and the possibilities of organizing BS degree course for the 14 years education staff member of CSO and line ministries

Opening remarks

Meeting was opened by Mr. Bawari who mentioned about the approval of the course by MHE and presented its response with regard to the 14 years education students to the KU and asked them on the further action that it required from CSO.

CSO and Kabul University discussion on this matter

Mr. Bawari mentioned that Ministry of Higher Education and namely Mr. Siddiqi has signed the letter and asked to submit it to KU for making the final decision. During the discussion the below presented issues came up:

• 
  CSO intends to submit all the 41 staff members that do have 14 years of education and some of them are in other subjects rather than economics (Bawari);
  
• 
  KU makes it very clear that it will accept only those students that do have all the required documentation proving their 14 years of study is in one of the fields of economy and only then it will make its final decision (Amin);
  
• 
  CSO has some of the staff members that do not have the pointed background and it wants to include them also in the enrollment list for the statistics course (Bawari);
  
• 
  According to the University requirements it is eligible to enroll only those that do have studied in one of the economics departments or have some economic background and do have the basic knowledge in economy, the rest will not be enrolled at all, even if CSO is ready to pay for them (Amin);
  
• 
  CSO does not know at the moment how many staff members do have the economical background, so it will check and submit it to KU. CSO want to know what can be done for the rest of the CSO staff that do not have economic background (Bawari);
  
• 
  There is only one way to deal with them if they will be enrolled from the first year then it might work, otherwise they will not be enrolled at all. This is a rule for all and it is applicable in all Universities all over the World (Amin);
  
• 
  Actually it is correct and all the University staff and those who used to work with this system do know it, and CSO as to accept it and this issue will be accordingly informed to the management body (Rajabekov);
  
• 
  CSO needs to prepare all the required documentation and submits to MHE and after their checking and approval it will be sent to KU and it will prepare according arrangements (Amin);
  

Conclusion

It was agreed that CSO will check all the documentation of its staff and select those members that do have economical background and submit is to MHE and accordingly it will go to KU. KU in its turn will make the required arrangement to establish a statistical group and prepare required documentation for the signing a final contract.

Annex 5.2

Minutes No 3

of the SRF Meeting with Kabul University held on at the Economical Department on August 29, 2011 at 11.00 AM
Presented: Mr. Yadgary Mohammad Ashraf - Dean of Economical Department of KU Mr. Joya Fazal Ahmad - Head of Department of Statistics of KU Mr. Rajabekov Safdar - SRF Project coordinator Mr. Bawari Mir Afghan - Head of Learning Center Dep. of CSO Mr. Gohari Abdul Raoof - Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs
Meeting agenda:

Further discussion on the BC course for the 14 years education staff member of CSO and line ministries.

Opening remarks

Meeting was opened by Mr. Bawari who mentioned about the approval of the mentioned course by KU head office and its final clarification with the Economical Department and preparation of letter of understanding among CSO and this faculty.

CSO and Economical Department discussion on this matter

Mr. Bawari mentioned that during the last meeting head of office of KU agreed with the proposal and mentioned to deal with the problem with the Economical Faculty and prepare the required documentation for the enrollment of the 14 years CSO staff members and it needs to be discussed. During the discussion the below presented issues came up:

• 
  The last meeting with the KU clarified all the issues in regard to the 14 years students and KU asked CSO to approach the Economical Department for finalizing the detail of this particular action (Bawari);
  
• 
  The Department is happy that this issue was already solved with KU and was submitted to the faculty, from the faculty side there are several issues that needs to be pointed out first it needs to be solved with the MHE once more for getting official approval for it which will enable the department to act accordingly at the end of the action when diploma needs to be issued (Joya);
  
• 
  Economical Department understands that there are some fees is involved and it will be given to the KU officially and according to the official procedure it will go to the KU account at the Ministry of Finance. The ministry will not give the teachers any additional payments and the teachers might not accept to deliver the lectures in their spare time free, while they have the possibilities to earn some additional money at any of the private universities. So, if the teachers will not get payments they will simply not show their interest to this course and will not work as it supposed to be required (Yadgary);
  
• 
  CSO and the project do understand this problem and know that it might be an issue for the Faculty of Economics, but we are not able to solve it, although we can address it to the WB and the Ministry. If there is any issues that can be addressed from the Project side it is happy to address and put its action (Rajabekov);
  
• 
  The faculty understands that CSO has big problems with the skilled personalities, but one thing is not quite clear that why it does not employ the faculty graduators that do have the appropriate skills and can work as a professional staff members in different fields of statistics (Joya);
  
• 
  CSO is a government organization and it act according to the Law of Civil Service and every simple position that is announced by the organization will be open for all potential candidates and the University graduators are not exclusion from this law. They need to take the official tests and only then will be employed by CSO which most of the time will not be acceptable for them (Bawari);
  
• 
  It is clear for most of the organization that employment of any simple person nowadays require some kind of relationships despite the level of understanding or obtained skills, which is one of the biggest problem of our society (Yadgary);
  
• 
  CSO has a lot of good specialists that have been working for 10-15 years already and unfortunately do not have the official diploma and that is why cannot be appointed for some higher positions, although CSO has problem with it personnel and most of the Head of Departments are already close to the pension age and will leave the organization soon ( in two-three years). CSO needs to prepare the new generation for these action otherwise it will have bigger problem later on (Bawari);
  
• 
  The department thinks that if the issue of the payment and its clarification with KU will not be solved then most of the teachers will not pay attention to this course and Ku will not be able to force them to do so, as long as it is their spare time and they can use it as they do prefer (Joya);
  
• 
  As for the upgrading temporary courses for CSO staff the Project and CSO can think of an individual contract with every simple teacher which will enable us to pay it directly and every teacher will gain out of it. The project does think that this will be more appropriate for the trainers ( Rajabekov);
  
• 
  If it can be done this way the Department will appreciate it and will make sure that the teachers are available and the course is going according to the agreed plan (Joya);
  

Conclusion

It was agreed that Economic faculty and statistics department will check the agreement and make it clear for both sides who will do what that can be signed by both and accordingly will be followed during the learning period.

Annex 6

Minutes

of the SRF Meeting held on at the MHE on August 14, 2011 at 11.00 AM³
Participated: Mr. Seddiqi - Deputy Minister of Higher Education

Mr. Rajabekov Safdar - SRF Project Coordinator

Mr. Bawari Mir Afghan - Head of the Training Center Department of CSO
Meeting agenda:

1. 
   Opening remark
   
2. 
   Discussion with regard to 14 years educated staff of CSO
   
3. 
   Conclusion
   

1. Opening remark

Mr. Seddiqi welcomed the participants to the MHE and mentioned that he has an urgent meeting at the Government and wants to talk for only a few minutes and asked to come to the point of visit.

2. Discussion with regard to 14 years educated staff of CSO

Mr. Rajabekov shortly mentioned about the SRF project and its intention in the capacity building of the CSO and line ministries staff members and asked Mr. Bawari to outline the problem. During the discussion the following issues were brought the attention of MHE:

• 
  CSO has got a WB project on strengthening the statistical capacity building and in the framework of this project is planned to upgrade the personnel skills through providing them relevant education (Rajabekov);
  
• 
  CSO has at the moment over 41 staff members that already obtained their 14 years of education and the same types of people are in the line-ministries as well that can obtain their bachelor's degree by two years study at any one of the universities in Kabul. Actually it was already agreed with the Kabul University (Bawari);
  
• 
  CSO wants from the MHE to give us the official permission to forward this action further while it is not late (Rajabekov);
  
• 
  I think that there is not a problem from the MHE side and you have come correctly to approach me and I will approve it for you (Seddiqi);
  
• 
  CSO is thankful to you for solving the problem in short notice and SRF project want to mention you that if you do have anybody here at your ministry who is dealing with the statistical issue and do obtained 14 years of education we can enroll him/her into the list of our project (Rajabekov);
  
• 
  It is a very good offer that your project has made and MHE will check and approach you with the name of such a person (Seddiqi);
  

3. Conclusion

CSO has got the permission for the 14 years obtained staff to be enrolled for 2 years course to acquire their bachelor's degree from any Universities in Kabul.

1^ CSO permanent staff at the beginning of 2011 was about 587 (this includes 127 staff at the provincial level as well) and out of those only 60 staff members have been obtained there Bachelor's degree and 10 has got their masters. See the PAD, page. 30 (one person on Masters degree list was included by PICT after appointment of Deputy of President General Mr. Hasibullah Mowahed from Kabul University, who has Master degree in statistics from Japan).

2^ Deputy Minister on Student Affairs of MHE is Mr. Siddiqi

3^ According to the arrangement of Mr. Wajdi PICT have got a call from Ms. Obida Levol - the Senior Manager of Academic Affairs of WB a meeting was arranged with Mr. Seddiqi

Progress report, October 2011 Page