System Capacity Grant to Afghanistan

Context

Afghanistan’s education sector has faced decades of structural challenges, particularly due to conflict, governance, and instability. Due to the severe humanitarian crises, there has been a decline in access to education for boys and girls. Educational inequities have become worse, and institutional capacity has weakened considerably. These conditions demand urgent, coordinated, and responsive planning to restore access and quality.

Solution

The System Capacity Grant (SCG) to Afghanistan, launched in April 2023 and implemented by UNESCO with support from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), responds to this crisis by aiming to build evidence-based and inclusive sector frameworks capable of navigating a highly fragile and politically complex environment. With a grant of $3 million, it aims to strengthen the education system through three windows: improving gender-responsive planning and policy, mobilizing coordinated action and financing, and strengthening implementation capacity and data systems within Afghanistan’s education sector.

Activities included conducting a comprehensive education situation analysis culminating in the Gender- and Crisis-Sensitive Education Situation Analysis Report (GCSESA) and leading the development of the Afghanistan Education Sector Strategic Plan (AESSP) for 2024-2025. These were complemented by a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Plan and the formation of Technical Working Groups (TWGs). Developed through a participatory consultative process involving donors, NGOs, and UN agencies, AESSP serves as a unifying framework to guide policy decisions, restore girls’ education, and address emerging risks. Efforts are underway to develop a database and dashboard to facilitate real-time data access and informed decision-making.

Impact

Although the intervention is still in early implementation, foundational outputs such as the AESSP (Afghanistan Education Sector Support Plan) and GCSESA (Global Coalition to Support Education in Afghanistan) have laid the groundwork for evidence-based planning and sector governance. These tools aim to establish strategic direction of sector-wide initiatives and enable data-driven decision-making across national and subnational levels. While outcome-level changes (e.g., restored access to education or improved learning outcomes) are yet to be measured, potential impacts include stronger cross-actor coordination, enhanced visibility of excluded groups (especially girls and displaced children), and improved targeting of donor investments. Further evaluations and assessments are needed to identify actual outcomes from this intervention that could illustrate the real impact of such programs

This intervention presents a replicable framework for education sector recovery in fragile states. Its strengths lie in its emphasis on gender equity, multi-stakeholder consultation, and the integration of planning with risk analysis and monitoring systems. However, scalability remains contingent on key factors, including the political environment, funding continuity, and institutional readiness at both national and subnational levels. Challenges such as delays in staffing have hindered momentum, indicating the need for robust project management and flexible implementation timelines.