[1/4/2017 ]

To our stakeholders:

I am pleased to confirm that [ Al Asif Group of companies ] reaffirms its support of the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact in the areas of Human Rights, Labour, Environment and Anti-Corruption.

In this annual Communication on Progress, we describe our actions to continually improve the integration of the Global Compact and its principles into our business strategy, culture and daily operations. We also commit to share this information with our stakeholders using our primary channels of communication.

Sincerely yours,


[ Mohammad Rafi Afghan ]

[ Vice president ]

we are working around Afghanistan with the human right standards of Afghanistan there is gender equality, we are providing good working conditions for our employees as per there request and limit the working hours for our staff with human right standards. we are in plan for our next or upcoming year to provide more qualities and rights to our employees like housing facilitates, private transport, school for the children of employees.

The humanitarian literature offers different (but often only partially exhaustive) definitions of feedback
mechanisms and their scope of work, purpose and benefits. In much of the relevant literature,
feedback mechanisms are not the sole or primary focus; rather, they are discussed together with
complaints handling or as a marginal point in broader discussions
1.1.1 Accountability and rights
Some organisations implement feedback mechanisms to comply with internal (Sameera et al.,
2010: 10; Mahmood and Barech, 2012: 1) or external requirements and standards.
1.1.2 Transparency and trust
Feedback mechanisms offer beneficiaries the opportunity to approach an organisation to ask
questions and receive a response, increasing their understanding of the program
1.1.3 Empowerment
World Vision sees feedback and complaint mechanisms as promoting community empowerment
and participation
Monitoring and evaluation
In a few cases, feedback and complaints mechanisms have been observed to help improve monitoring
and evaluation activities by feeding beneficiaries’ views and perspectives into monitoring,
assessment and reporting practices.
1.1.5 Programme or project improvement
Another of the expected benefits that motivate agencies to establish a feedback mechanism is
that they can provide ‘unique and invaluable sources of information to be used for better project
management and outcomes
Early warning
Feedback mechanisms are also expected to help organisations identify issues and risks early and
address them in a timely manner before they become larger and more difficult and expensive to
manage or resolve

Positive obligations
The Convention is continually being interpreted and developed; it is a set of standards
which evolve with society, rather than setting out fixed standards which reflect the
particular time at which they were enacted.6
Therefore, the Convention can sometimes
impose a positive obligation on the state to protect rights, although this may not be
explicitly stated in the text, such positive obligations are considered necessary for the
effective operation of the right. An example of a positive obligation is the duty to take
reasonable steps to protect the right to life, including by putting in place a legal framework
The duties of public authorities
Under Section 6 of the HRA all public authorities must act in a way that is compatible with
the ECHR. ‘Public authority’ is not properly defined in the HRA, but parliament made clear
that it was to be broadly interpreted. It includes all central and local government agencies,
and includes hospitals, the prison services, and police and social services departments. It
also includes courts and tribunals.
the HRMF evidence base brings together different types
information for human rights analysis and assessments including:
• information about domestic human rights law and treaty ratifications
• information about human rights case law outcomes (i.e. violations/breaches)
• information about the regulatory and public policy framework that protects human
rights
• concerns highlighted by domestic and international human rights monitoring bodies
(for example, the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) and United Nations
treaty monitoring committees)
• findings of investigations, inquiries and reviews
• issues raised by regulators, inspectorates and ombudsmen
• allegations and concerns raised by Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and
other civil society mechanisms such as media reports
• statistical information drawing on a wide range of administrative and social survey
sources.
It is critical to understand that the HRMF is not intended as a violations counting system.

Human Rights Bureau

Goal #1:
Conduct timely impartial investigations of charges of illegal discrimination under state and federal law.
Objective:
Complete case investigations within 120 days for housing charges and 180 days for all other charges in accordance with state statutory time lines.

Goal #2:
Ensure appropriate filing within statutory time lines and jurisdiction of applicable state and federal discrimination statutes.

Objective:
Trained staff will screen complaint inquiries and, when appropriate, prepare written complaints within two weeks of all intake interviews.

Goal #3:
Foster early resolution of charges.

Objective:

Provide voluntary resolution services during the 180 day investigation period, when requested by parties to a case.
Successfully resolve 25% of complaints filed with the Bureau.
Goal #4:
Provide technical assistance and educational outreach to businesses, advocacy groups, and interested citizens.

Objective:

Provide workforce safety education and certification through SafetyFest MT seminars.
Participate in a minimum of ten other workshops and conferences on disability issues, race relations, education, public accommodations, and discrimination issues in the workplace.
Respond to business rights inquiries from the public within two business days.

Labor Standards Bureau

Goal #1:
Issue initial determinations on Wage and Hour complaints in a timely and efficient manner.
Objective:
Maintain at least a 75% completion and strive for a 76% completion within 55 days of receipt.

Goal #2:
Conduct timely dispute resolution and settlement of Wage and Hour complaints.

Objective:

Maintain the level of 4% or less of cases forwarded to formal hearings processes.
Resolve at least 70% of the contested employment law cases through mediation prior to hearing.
Goal #3:
Foster alternative dispute resolution methodologies.

Objective:
Actively participate in Interest Based Bargaining contract mediation and grievance mediation as requested.

Goal #4:
Conduct on-site visits on public construction and non-construction projects subject to the Montana Public Works Contract Law.

Objective:

Perform on-site visits of at least 40 different public works projects.
Review payroll records of at least 85 contractors.

Safety and Health Bureau

Goal #1:
Assist employers in complying with workplace safety and health standards.
Objective:

Assist 175 public sector employers with safety and health.
Conduct 200 safety compliance visits with state agencies, cities, and counties.
Conduct inspections on Montana's six coal mines.
Conduct annual sand and gravel inspection.
Utilize the OSHA Consultation Program to reach out and provide safety and health services to 175 private sector employers around the state.
Goal #2:
Provide educational outreach and technical assistance to Montana employers, workers, students, and interested organizations.

Objective:

Provide business outreach presentations throughout the state.
Participate as an exhibitor promoting Safety & Health Bureau and SafetyFestMT four times per year.
Provide OSHA 10-Hour Courses targeted to young workers 40 times per year.
Provide SafetyFestMT seminars in partnership with WorkSafeMT, four times per year to 1,400 workers.
Develop needed safety educational materials.
Goal #3:
Provide mine training courses for Montana employers.

Objective:
Schedule 20 training sessions on Part 48 the state to conduct new miner training/refresher training.

Claims Assistance Bureau

Goal #1:
Provide timely monitoring and regulatory services for the workers’ compensation industry and claimants.
Objective:
Process 100% of orders within 14 days of receipt. This typically requires issuance of determinations on 2,000 orders annually.

Goal #2:
Provide timely Stay at Work/Return to Work assistance for injured workers, employers, and healthcare providers.

Objective:

Mail a postcard to 100% of injured workers who file a report of injury to notify them of the assistance program.
Refer 100% of requests for assistance to the insurer or vocational rehabilitation provider within three days of receipt.
Raise awareness of the assistance program through education and outreach to employers.
Goal #3:
Provide timely, impartial, and equitable dispute resolution of benefit issues between claimants and insurers.

Objective:

Maintain at least a 75% resolution rate for all workers’ compensation mediation petitions filed. This typically requires conducting mediation conferences and issuing recommendations on 1,300 disputes annually.
Complete the mediation process on 100% of cases within 90 days of receipt of a petition for mediation. The timeframes may be extended by request and agreement of the parties.
Goal #4:
Enhance the electronic collection, quality, production, and sharing of workers’ compensation information and data.

Objective:

Complete the annual report by July of each year.
Prepare at least one special study to be made available to the workers’ compensation community each fiscal year.
Goal #5:
Develop reviews of Utilization and Treatment Guidelines and Medical Fee schedules including internet based information and technical assistance for the medical community, insurers, adjusters, employers, workers, and the public.

Objective:

Review and update of workers’ compensation medical fee schedules on an annual basis including ongoing support and communication.
Review and update of Utilization and Treatment Guidelines on an annual basis including ongoing support and communication.
Goal #6:
Respond to independent medical reviews (IMR), subsequent injury (SIF) reimbursements and petitions to reopen medical benefits closed by the 60-month closure in a timely manner.

Objective:

Completion of the IMR requests within the statutory guidelines.
Complete SIF reimbursement requests in a timely manner.
Complete medical reviews and issue medical benefits reopening determination within the statutory guidelines.
Goal #7:
Provide technical assistance, public service announcements, and educational outreach to the public about the Workers’ Compensation Act.

Objective:

Correctly answer public inquiries. Public presentations are accurate and knowledgeable of the laws.
Develop educational outreach for the Utilization and Treatment Guidelines, Fee Schedules, and IMRs.
Participate in a minimum of ten workshops and conferences annually to provide information about the programs administered by the bureau.

Workers’ Compensation Regulation Bureau

Goal #1:
Provide technical assistance, public service announcements, and educational outreach to the public about Title 39, Chapters, 8, 9, 71, and 73, MCA.
Objective:

Correctly answer public inquiries in an accurate, professional, and timely manner. Public presentations are accurate and knowledgeable of the laws.
Use resources and knowledge to educate employers and the public about workers’ compensation requirements in Montana.
Visit construction sites to verify compliance with the workers’ compensation coverage and construction contractor registration.
Participate in home shows and fairs across the state.
Use 15% of Contractor Registration revenue to fund educational outreach.
Goal #2:
Respond to applications and renewal requests in a timely manner.

Objective:

Conduct timely compliance investigations for all new applications and renewals for Independent Contractor Exemption Certificates, Contractor Registrations, Self-Insurance, Professional Employer Organizations, Subsequent Injury Fund, Extraterritorial (E.T.) Certificates, and Managed Care Organizations.
Complete contractor registrations within seven days of receipt.
Complete independent contractor exemption certificates within ten days of receipt.
Goal #3:
Identify uninsured employers and act to bring them into compliance with worker’s compensation coverage.

Objective:

Conduct at least 450 investigations of potential uninsured employers per year.
Increase the number of penalty case settlements before turning cases over to collections.
Goal #4:
Adjust claims received from injured workers of uninsured employers in a timely manner and pay appropriate workers’ compensation benefits.

Objective:
Respond to all requests, make determinations, and pay benefits within the timeframes in the workers’ compensation act.

Goal #5:
Negotiate with states Montana currently has E.T. agreements with, new updated agreements.

Objective:
To bring outdated E.T. agreements current with states that Montana has reciprocity agreements in place with.

Human Rights Bureau

Goal #1:
Conduct timely impartial investigations of charges of illegal discrimination under state and federal law.
Objective:
Complete case investigations within 120 days for housing charges and 180 days for all other charges in accordance with state statutory time lines.

Goal #2:
Ensure appropriate filing within statutory time lines and jurisdiction of applicable state and federal discrimination statutes.

Objective:
Trained staff will screen complaint inquiries and, when appropriate, prepare written complaints within two weeks of all intake interviews.

Goal #3:
Foster early resolution of charges.

Objective:

Provide voluntary resolution services during the 180 day investigation period, when requested by parties to a case.
Successfully resolve 25% of complaints filed with the Bureau.
Goal #4:
Provide technical assistance and educational outreach to businesses, advocacy groups, and interested citizens.

Objective:

Provide workforce safety education and certification through SafetyFest MT seminars.
Participate in a minimum of ten other workshops and conferences on disability issues, race relations, education, public accommodations, and discrimination issues in the workplace.
Respond to business rights inquiries from the public within two business days.

Labor Standards Bureau

Goal #1:
Issue initial determinations on Wage and Hour complaints in a timely and efficient manner.
Objective:
Maintain at least a 75% completion and strive for a 76% completion within 55 days of receipt.

Goal #2:
Conduct timely dispute resolution and settlement of Wage and Hour complaints.

Objective:

Maintain the level of 4% or less of cases forwarded to formal hearings processes.
Resolve at least 70% of the contested employment law cases through mediation prior to hearing.
Goal #3:
Foster alternative dispute resolution methodologies.

Objective:
Actively participate in Interest Based Bargaining contract mediation and grievance mediation as requested.

Goal #4:
Conduct on-site visits on public construction and non-construction projects subject to the Montana Public Works Contract Law.

Objective:

Perform on-site visits of at least 40 different public works projects.
Review payroll records of at least 85 contractors.

Safety and Health Bureau

Goal #1:
Assist employers in complying with workplace safety and health standards.
Objective:

Assist 175 public sector employers with safety and health.
Conduct 200 safety compliance visits with state agencies, cities, and counties.
Conduct inspections on Montana's six coal mines.
Conduct annual sand and gravel inspection.
Utilize the OSHA Consultation Program to reach out and provide safety and health services to 175 private sector employers around the state.
Goal #2:
Provide educational outreach and technical assistance to Montana employers, workers, students, and interested organizations.

Objective:

Provide business outreach presentations throughout the state.
Participate as an exhibitor promoting Safety & Health Bureau and SafetyFestMT four times per year.
Provide OSHA 10-Hour Courses targeted to young workers 40 times per year.
Provide SafetyFestMT seminars in partnership with WorkSafeMT, four times per year to 1,400 workers.
Develop needed safety educational materials.
Goal #3:
Provide mine training courses for Montana employers.

Objective:
Schedule 20 training sessions on Part 48 the state to conduct new miner training/refresher training.

Claims Assistance Bureau

Goal #1:
Provide timely monitoring and regulatory services for the workers’ compensation industry and claimants.
Objective:
Process 100% of orders within 14 days of receipt. This typically requires issuance of determinations on 2,000 orders annually.

Goal #2:
Provide timely Stay at Work/Return to Work assistance for injured workers, employers, and healthcare providers.

Objective:

Mail a postcard to 100% of injured workers who file a report of injury to notify them of the assistance program.
Refer 100% of requests for assistance to the insurer or vocational rehabilitation provider within three days of receipt.
Raise awareness of the assistance program through education and outreach to employers.
Goal #3:
Provide timely, impartial, and equitable dispute resolution of benefit issues between claimants and insurers.

Objective:

Maintain at least a 75% resolution rate for all workers’ compensation mediation petitions filed. This typically requires conducting mediation conferences and issuing recommendations on 1,300 disputes annually.
Complete the mediation process on 100% of cases within 90 days of receipt of a petition for mediation. The timeframes may be extended by request and agreement of the parties.
Goal #4:
Enhance the electronic collection, quality, production, and sharing of workers’ compensation information and data.

Objective:

Complete the annual report by July of each year.
Prepare at least one special study to be made available to the workers’ compensation community each fiscal year.
Goal #5:
Develop reviews of Utilization and Treatment Guidelines and Medical Fee schedules including internet based information and technical assistance for the medical community, insurers, adjusters, employers, workers, and the public.

Objective:

Review and update of workers’ compensation medical fee schedules on an annual basis including ongoing support and communication.
Review and update of Utilization and Treatment Guidelines on an annual basis including ongoing support and communication.
Goal #6:
Respond to independent medical reviews (IMR), subsequent injury (SIF) reimbursements and petitions to reopen medical benefits closed by the 60-month closure in a timely manner.

Objective:

Completion of the IMR requests within the statutory guidelines.
Complete SIF reimbursement requests in a timely manner.
Complete medical reviews and issue medical benefits reopening determination within the statutory guidelines.
Goal #7:
Provide technical assistance, public service announcements, and educational outreach to the public about the Workers’ Compensation Act.

Objective:

Correctly answer public inquiries. Public presentations are accurate and knowledgeable of the laws.
Develop educational outreach for the Utilization and Treatment Guidelines, Fee Schedules, and IMRs.
Participate in a minimum of ten workshops and conferences annually to provide information about the programs administered by the bureau.

Workers’ Compensation Regulation Bureau

Goal #1:
Provide technical assistance, public service announcements, and educational outreach to the public about Title 39, Chapters, 8, 9, 71, and 73, MCA.
Objective:

Correctly answer public inquiries in an accurate, professional, and timely manner. Public presentations are accurate and knowledgeable of the laws.
Use resources and knowledge to educate employers and the public about workers’ compensation requirements in Montana.
Visit construction sites to verify compliance with the workers’ compensation coverage and construction contractor registration.
Participate in home shows and fairs across the state.
Use 15% of Contractor Registration revenue to fund educational outreach.
Goal #2:
Respond to applications and renewal requests in a timely manner.

Objective:

Conduct timely compliance investigations for all new applications and renewals for Independent Contractor Exemption Certificates, Contractor Registrations, Self-Insurance, Professional Employer Organizations, Subsequent Injury Fund, Extraterritorial (E.T.) Certificates, and Managed Care Organizations.
Complete contractor registrations within seven days of receipt.
Complete independent contractor exemption certificates within ten days of receipt.
Goal #3:
Identify uninsured employers and act to bring them into compliance with worker’s compensation coverage.

Objective:

Conduct at least 450 investigations of potential uninsured employers per year.
Increase the number of penalty case settlements before turning cases over to collections.
Goal #4:
Adjust claims received from injured workers of uninsured employers in a timely manner and pay appropriate workers’ compensation benefits.

Objective:
Respond to all requests, make determinations, and pay benefits within the timeframes in the workers’ compensation act.

Goal #5:
Negotiate with states Montana currently has E.T. agreements with, new updated agreements.

Objective:
To bring outdated E.T. agreements current with states that Montana has reciprocity agreements in place with.

BUSINESS STANDARDS DIVISION

Board Management & Professional Licensing Bureaus

Goal #1:
Provide efficient and effective administrative and professional services to assist citizen boards in their duty to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public.
Objective:

Assist boards and programs in establishing appropriate and reasonable requirements and qualifications for licensure and renewal based on industry standards.
Ensure complaints from the public and other jurisdictions regarding practice issues and misconduct are processed.
Enforce board standards and sanctions to promote safe and competent practice.
Ensure continued competency of licensees through maintenance of certifications and continuing education requirements and audits.
Goal #2:
Provide friendly, prompt, efficient, and effective services to our customers.

Objective:

Provide accurate and timely information regarding qualifications and requirements to the public, licensees, business owners and industry leaders and partners.
Provide continuous communication to customers regarding program information and updates via our website and online services.
Goal #3:
License and renew individuals and businesses through proficient, effective, and reliable processes.

Objective:

Review and approve individual and business application requirements and qualifications for licensure and renewal equitably.
Solicit opportunity for the public, licensees, industry leaders, and partners to provide feedback for improvement regarding standards and processes.
Promote online application and renewal processes to achieve efficiencies and enhanced delivery of services.

Weights and Measures Bureau

Goal #1:
Assure equity in commercial transactions.
Objective:

On an annual basis test, inspect, and certify 80% of all scales, retail and wholesale meters, and liquefied petroleum gas dispensers used commercially in Montana.
Investigate meter and scale complaints from the public.
Obtain National Institute of Standards and Technology recognition for the State Metrology Laboratory and ensure all standards used by registered service providers have up to date certificates of calibration.

Building Codes Bureau

Goal #1:
Protect the health and safety of the public, employees and building owners and residents by administering building construction standards throughout the state where applicable.
Objective:

Adopt through consensus process sensible uniform standards for construction, installation and materials consistent with accepted standards of design, energy efficiency, accessibility, and uniformity for enforcement.
Allow for the use of modern technical methods, devices, and improvements to reduce the cost of construction consistent with reasonable requirements for the health and safety of the occupants or users of buildings.
Provide predictability, fairness, and efficiency to businesses and citizens by removing outdated, restraining, contradictory, and unnecessary building regulations that tend to needlessly increase construction costs or create barriers for business.
Goal #2:
Provide prompt, efficient and effective service to business owners, citizens, design professional, building contractors, and trade persons through effective and responsive transactional methods.

Objective:

Review, process, and approve a variety of permits and construction-related licensing applications in a fast, efficient, and effective manner such that businesses can hire qualified persons and get and keep projects moving.
Meet the ongoing needs of businesses by maintaining an effective online citizen access portal for instant permit-issuance of a variety of permit types. Continue to provide business-requested services such as jobsite-issued permits, off-hours capability, and real-time inspection results delivered directly to smart phones of contractors.
Provide Montana businesses that operate in or around the building environment access to permit and construction activity data to supplement and support their own business forecasting and practices.
Seek to continuously improve to realize additional efficiencies and effectiveness to respond to the needs of Montana’s businesses and citizens.

TECHNOLOGY SERVICES DIVISION
Goal #1:
The department has a centralized organizational structure for Information Technology (IT) that focuses on improving efficiencies and service, while reducing duplicative costs and improving coordination across the entire department and the state enterprise. Standardize or integrate IT applications, resources, and enterprise solutions.
Objective:

Reduce duplication.
Create better integration and streamline applications and software that fit the agency’s business need.
Goal #2:
Develop and train IT staff within a unified organizational structure.

Objective:
Mentoring, collaboration, and cross training.

Goal #3:
Provide IT focused career pathways.

Objective:
To enhance professional development and mentoring of IT staff.

Goal #4:
Provide IT solutions.

Objective:

Leverage current technology and security best practices.
Continue to develop IT Security Program.

Relationship with environmental impact assessment[edit]
For the most part, an SEA is conducted before a corresponding EIA is undertaken. This means that information on the environmental impact of a plan can cascade down through the tiers of decision making and can be used in an EIA at a later stage. This should reduce the amount of work that needs to be undertaken. A handover procedure is foreseen.
. Innovation, Science and Economic Development's (ISED) Strategic Environmental Assessment Policy
The policy will guide the department's implementation of the 2010 Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals (the Cabinet Directive) and supporting Guidelines which outline key government requirements for Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA).

2. Definitions
Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA):
A SEA is a comprehensive evaluation by departments of the important environmental effects (positive and negative) of their Proposals to Ministers. A SEA informs strategic decision-making by the Government through careful analysis of environmental risks and opportunities.
Proposal:
A Proposal is any program, plan or policy presented to the Minister or Cabinet for consideration. A Proposal can include a Deck presentation, Memorandum to Cabinet, Aide Memoire, or a Ministerial Recommendation; a Treasury Board Submission; a Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement; or other planning document for resource allocation, such as a Budget letter.
Proposal Lead:
The lead on developing the SEA is the director responsible for developing the Proposal.
Public Statement:
A public statement indicates the expected environmental effects of a Proposal. The statement may be part of the Government's general announcement on the Proposal or provided as a stand-alone communication by the Minister.
Environmental effect:
Any direct or indirect effect on the environment (i.e., air, water, land and all interacting natural systems) that can be attributed to the Proposal's implementation, including on health and socio-economic conditions, on physical and cultural heritage, on the current use of lands and resources for traditional purposes by Indigenous persons, or on any structure, site or thing that is of historical, archaeological, paleontological or architectural significance.
Direct effect:
An environmental effect that is: a change that a proposal may cause in the environment; or a change that the environment may cause to a proposal. It is a consequence of a cause-effect relationship between a proposal and a specific environmental component.
Indirect Effect:
A secondary environmental effect that occurs as a result of a change that a proposal may cause in the environment. An indirect effect is at least one step removed from a proposal activity in terms of cause-effect linkages. For instance, a river diversion for the construction of a hydro power plant could directly result in the destruction of fish habitat causing a decline in fish population. A decline in fish population could result in closure of an outfitting operation causing loss of jobs. Thus, the river diversion could indirectly cause the loss of jobs.
Important environmental effect:
Important environmental effects are environmental effects that need to be managed because they may affect the achievement of government commitments (e.g., the goals and targets in the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy); reflect public, stakeholder or Indigenous concerns; affect the number, location, type and characteristics of sponsored initiatives; or raise significant risks or uncertainties to the environment that may affect Canadians' health and well being (e.g., application of new technologies).
3. Framework
ISED's SEA policy is based on the following five framework texts:

the Department of Industry Act;
the Federal Sustainable Development Act;
the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy;
the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals (2010); and
the Guidelines for Implementing the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals (2010).
3.1 Department of Industry Act

The Department of Industry Act (S.C. 1995) is the department's founding legislation. The Act mandates the Minister of ISED to "strengthen the national economy and promote sustainable development."

2.1 The Dual Mandate of Governments
2.2 Organizing the State: Centralization versus Decentralization
2.3 Implementing Public Policies
2.4 Implementing Environmental Policy in Developing Countries

3. Obstacles to Policy Implementation in the Creation of Protected Areas

3.1 A Short History of the Evolution of the Concept of Protected Areas
3.2 Categories of Protected Areas
3.3 Costs and Benefits of Protected Areas
3.4 The Framework for Explaining Failed Efforts to Establish Protected Areas
3.4.1 Lack of Political Support
3.4.2 Lack of Funding for Protected Areas
3.4.3 Lack of Institutional Capacity
3.4.4 Lack of Cooperation and Coordination at the Local Level
3.5 Tourism as a Force for Establishing Protected Areas
3.6 Protected Areas in Brazil
3.6.1 Evolution of Environmental Institutions in the Brazilian State
3.6.2 Evolution of Protected Areas in Brazil

4 Overcoming the Obstacles for Policy Implementation: The Case of the Establishment of Protected Areas in Bahia

4.1 Introduction
4.2 The Background of Bahia and Tourism Development
4.2.1 State Tourism Development Program
4.3 Understanding Environmental Policy and APAs in Brazil and Bahia
4.4 Evolution of Environmental Management in Bahia and the Outcome: The Creation of APAs
4.5 Establishment of Protected Areas in Bahia: Obtaining Political, Institutional, and Financial Support
4.5.1 Getting Political Support at the State Level from Pro-Development Actors
4.5.2 Funding APAs by Involving Nonenvironmental Agencies
4.5.3 Competition among Governmental Agencies can Improve Institutional Capacity
4.5.4 Getting Local Support: APAs as Potential Investment Magnets
4.6 The “Bahian Model”: Horizontal Decentralization with Checks and Balances

5. Lessons for Policy Studies

5.1 Learning from the Research: A New Framework of Analysis
5.1.1 Learning from the Case: How to Overcome the Four Obstacles
5.2 Lessons for the Classical Policy Implementation Literature
5.3 Integrating Economic Development and Environmental Protection in the Public Sector
5.4 Horizontal Decentralization for Policy Implementation: Incentives with Checks and Balances
5.4.1 Decentralization without Much Coordination But with Checks and Balances
5.4.2 The Forgotten Type of Decentralization: HorizontalDecentralization
5.5 The Role of Local Actors and Central Governments in Decentralized Policy Implementation
5.6 Learning the Tough Reality of the Development Process
5.7 A New Role for Environmental Agencies?

Environmental education (EE) aims to achieve various goals. They include, for example, environmental knowledge, pro-environmental behaviors, science learning, positive youth development, community development, and better environmental quality. How can we measure whether we achieve our EE goals? Why should we measure them? Designed for professional development of educators, this course considers multiple outcomes of EE, and explores some quantitative and qualitative tools measuring EE outcomes. Participants will map their own “practical theory of change” to clarify which goals they want to achieve through their EE programs. Participant will learn about basic concepts of measurement and explore approaches to measuring outcomes that can occur for individual learners, communities, and ecosystems. The course’s collaborative design will also offer opportunity to strengthen your network of EE educators across various settings. By the end of this course participants will: (1) Describe their “practical theory of change” linking EE activities and outcomes/goals; (2) Know where to find information about measuring concepts such as construct, scale, validity, and reliability; (3) Overview existing quantitative and qualitative measures of different EE outcomes; and (4) Design a measurement tool to evaluate specific outcomes of their own specific EE program.

1. INTRODUCTION
Corruption in Afghanistan is a significant and growing problem that challenges national and subnational
governance, security, development, economic growth and state-building objectives. It is a
pervasive problem that exists in many government institutions, at national and sub-national levels,
and within administrative and political functions. Insufficient controls and enforcement are in
place to prevent or deter these corrupt practices. Corruption hurts the poor disproportionately by
diverting funds intended for providing basic services, promotes inequality and discourages foreign
investment.
Thirty years of conflict have weakened state institutions and their ability to govern effectively. It
has led to a culture of impunity and lack of respect for the rule of law. Under these circumstances,
corrupt practices have become strongly entrenched and widespread, leaving substantial
discretionary power to civil servants at all levels, making abuse of power and position
commonplace, and reducing government’s legitimacy in the eyes of citizens.
Legal Standing
Recognizing the need to address this pervasive problem, the Afghan government, since the Bonn
Conference in 2001 and with the support of the international community and donor countries, has
put in place a number of agencies and commissions, in the executive, legislative and judicial
branches to address the challenges that undermine governmental integrity. The most significant of
these has been the establishment of the High Office of Oversight (HOO) in late 2008. The basis for
the establishment of the HOO is the National Strategy for Anti-corruption and Administrative
Reform, together with the Law on Combating Corruption and Overseeing the Implementation of
the Anti-corruption Strategy. This law was enacted to implement the provisions of Article 7, Article
75 (item 3), and Article 142 of the Afghan Constitution. The establishment of the HOO also
fulfilled, in large part, the Government’s commitment to set up an independent body to oversee
and coordinate implementation of the Government’s anti-corruption policies, per Article 6 of the
United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC).
In addition, a Presidential Decree (farman) was issued in March 2010 that delegated more
authority to the HOO, to conduct preliminary investigations of corruption complaints. This decree
also ordered the Ministry of Interior to cooperate with the HOO by assigning judicial police who
will assist in these preliminary investigations, indicated that the HOO should refer cases where a
corruption crime was identified to the Office of the Attorney General (AGO) for further
investigation and prosecution, and ordered the HOO to implement several commitments made at
the London and Kabul International Conferences on Afghanistan (28 January 2010 and 20 July
2010, respectively). An Executive Order of the President (hukum), also issued in early 2010,
directed the HOO to review and amend the Penal Code to enhance penalties for administrative
corruption (in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice), simplify administrative procedures of
government, review and monitor anti-corruption priorities of government ministries and other
major departments, and work with the Ministry of Finance to reduce corruption in the customs
service. Finally, in late 2010, a revised Law on Administrative Corruption was being drafted and
reviewed to update the mandate and coordination mechanisms of the HOO.
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Mission and Vision
The HOO is the highest authority coordinating and overseeing the implementation of the National
Anti-corruption Strategy and implementing administrative procedural reforms to combat
corruption. Its mission is to lead, coordinate and support national efforts and policy development
to combat corruption effectively. More specifically, the HOO has a mandate to:
• Register and conduct preliminary investigation of complaints from citizens about alleged
administrative corruption and refer cases where a crime was identified to the Attorney
General’s Office.
• Collect, register and verify data on the financial assets of a specified list of government
officials and to make the results open and transparent.
• Identify major vulnerabilities to corruption in ministries and departments of government,
and design and implement reforms in cooperation with these institutions to simplify
administrative procedures and reduce the opportunities for corruption.
• Support government ministries and independent budgetary agencies in developing
meaningful anti-corruption action plans and monitor and oversee their performance in
implementing those plans.
• Develop cooperative relationships with civil society, the mass media and private sector
organizations to promote public education and awareness about the problem of corruption
and the legal rights of citizens to oppose corruption.
In conducting all of these mandated activities, the HOO depends on strong and active cooperation
and information sharing with other government institutions that are also charged with anticorruption
objectives. These agencies include the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice, Attorney
General’s Office, Control and Audit Office, Financial Intelligence Unit, the Civil Service Commission,
and others.
HOO’s Overall Objectives
Overall, HOO’s Strategic Plan is motivated by three principal objectives:
• Pursue a multi-pronged approach. International best practice finds that the most
successful anti-corruption programs are multi-dimensional – they operate across different
agencies of government, across many functions, at national and local levels, involving civil
society, the private sector and the mass media, and using a range of tools to initiate
reforms, impose control mechanisms, generate transparency, and promote integrity. Such
multi-pronged programs involve the three basic anti-corruption pillars: Enforcement,
The HOO’s Vision Statement
A national state with the highest standards of integrity based on the principles of efficiency,
transparency and accountability in the public domain.
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prevention, and public education. Using this methodology, the HOO Strategic Plan is truly
framed as a “whole-of-government” approach with many points of entry to address the
corruption problem.
• Strengthen staff capacity and professionalism. The only way that the HOO will be able to
achieve its mandate is to raise the technical capacity and professionalism of its staff,
develop consistent standards and procedures to accomplish tasks, and take advantage of
international best practices while adapting these approaches to the Afghan context. As a
relatively new institution, the HOO and its supportive partners need to mobilize resources
to ensure that the most qualified staff are recruited and maintained for HOO positions and
that effective training programs are implemented to bring all staff to a high level of
competence.
• Focus on achieving anti-corruption impacts. While it is well-known that achieving anticorruption
goals takes intensive work and extended time, government, the general public
and international partners are often impatient and want to see at least some visible results
of anti-corruption programs in the short term. This Strategic Plan, while laying out the
framework for an anti-corruption agency that will benefit the Afghan state for the long-run,
also understands the need to demonstrate early successes. But given the HOO’s limited
enforcement mandate, it is not reasonable to expect the HOO, by itself, to “fry the big fish”
or produce major declines in the Transparency International index. However, with effective
coordination among all the key government institutions responsible for the national anticorruption
program, important results can be achieved – increased numbers of officials can
be prosecuted for corruption, government administrative procedures can be simplified to
eliminate corruption vulnerabilities, and increased numbers of officials submitting false
asset declarations can be sanctioned or fired, for example. The Plan’s performance
indicators are geared toward monitoring such anti-corruption results and outcomes, not
only simple inputs or outputs.

By endorsing the Anti-Corruption Action Plan for Asia-Pacific, the Initiative's member countries have committed to undertake meaningful reform to bolster their safeguards against corruption. Under the Action Plan's implementation mechanism, countries have committed to "endeavor, in consultation with the Secretariat of the Initiative, to identify priority reform areas which would fall under any of the three pillars, and aim to implement these in a workable timeframe."

Until 2008, reforms under this mechanisms were conducted in implementation cycles. At the beginning of each implementation cycle, each country identified up to three priorities for reform and developed specific reform projects to tackle the identified weaknesses. The implementing projects were discussed during Steering Group meetings to exchange experience with partners that have implemented similar reforms in the past or conduct reforms in linked areas. At the end of each implementation cycle, the countries presented the achievements and difficulties that were encountered in the implementation of the projects to provide feedback to the members of the Initiative and to share the experience gained in the implementation of the projects.

Since 2008, members have continued to report their reform efforts at each Steering Group meeting. Details of these reports are available on the webpages of each Steering Group meeting.

Measuring the progress on GOAL 16: Measuring
the Immeasurable?
Emerging consensus - it is doable:
•Development of the AU’s SHaSA (Strategic
Harmonization of Statistics in Africa - measuring
governance, peace and security)
•Virtual Network of experts on indicators for Goal
16 (Sourcebook: the indicators we want)
•Praia CITY Group on Governance Statistics (under
the auspices of the UN Statistical Commission)
•Pilots in 5 countries (Rwanda, Albania, Indonesia,
Tunisia and UK, will continue till early 2016 – a
report is due soon
•Interagency and expert Group (IAEG): Indicators
will be delivered by March 2016
Indicators for SDGs – brief overview
• Some targets are vague (significantly reduce ..
16.1)
• Multidimensional targets require multiple
indicators
• Global indicators – national indicators – third
party indicators
• Experiences from pilots: Data collection and
disaggregation is both a commitment and a
necessity – but capacity constraints
• Baseline studies are required (but lack of
resources and capacity may hinder efforts)
• Challenges of comparability: Local vs
national vs global indicators (e.g., IDI)
Given various challenges, how we make
most out of the existing indicators?
Background: Mushrooming governance and
anti-corruption indicators
Two main challenges still persist:
1. How do we measure a complex phenomenon
often unpredictable, evolving over time,
could be non-linear and with characteristics
that vary across time, location and contexts
– Many forms - bribery, extortion, embezzlement,
illicit enrichment, abuse of power, patronage,
sextortions, etc.
– Many levels - transnational, national, provincial,
local
– Multiple actors – individuals, businesses, public
officials, politicians
– Complex determining factors – political,
economic, social, institutional
2. Can we use the measures of corruption and
anti-corruption to track the progress of AC
reforms?
Emerging
consensus on
the definition
of corruption,
not on the
measure of
corruption!
[Power,
resources,
trust???]
The use of two different corruption measures
may result into two different conclusions
2013 Financial Secrecy
ranking (by Tax
Justice Network)
2013 CPI ranking by TI
Key observations on corruption and anticorruption
measurements
1. Collective realization that much less evidence of impact
of anti-corruption interventions than expected
2. Change of opinions of what is “most pressing in the
world” (e.g., measuring corruption vs. measuring anticorruption;
emergence of sectoral, thematic, community
level approaches)
3. Shift of focus on precisely measuring corruption to
focus on measuring “around” corruption for good
enough data (e.g., the use of proxy indicators)
Observations (contd.)
• Composite index (CPI, WB
governance indicators, Polity
Index, etc.) good for advocacy but
difficult to interpret in policy
relevant terms.
• National indicators provide robust
information about the local drivers
of change, but doesn’t allow the
cross-country comparison.