Creation of Senior Civilian Representatives in Afghanistan

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 002102 DEPARTMENT FOR D (LEW),SRAP (HOLBROOKE),S/CRS (HERBST), INL (JOHNSON),SCA/FO, SCA/A, NEA/SCA/EX, PM STATE PASS TO AID FOR ACTING ADMINISTRATOR FULGHAM NSC FOR LUTE DOD FOR UNDER SECRETARY FLOURNOY AGRICULTURE FOR FAS MICHENER DEA FOR ACTING ADMINISTRATOR LEONHART DOJ FOR ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL BREUER CENTCOM FOR COMCENTCOM USFOR-A FOR COMUSFOR-A CSTC-A FOR COMCSTC-A NATO FOR USPERMREP SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AMGT APER PGOV PREL ETRD EFIN AF SUBJECT: Creation of Senior Civilian Representatives in Afghanistan - Responsibilities and Authorities Ref: Kabul 1762 ¶1. Summary. Embassy Kabul has worked with ISAF and USFOR-A to develop a plan that establishes a structured civilian presence throughout the country to achieve both USG and ultimately coalition civ-mil unity of effort, at both the national and sub-national levels. Significantly, we have re-defined the POLAD position at Regional Command-East and established it - and an equivalent position at Regional Command-South - as Senior Civilian Representatives of the Ambassador. Upon the establishment of Consulates in Herat and Mazar-e Sharif, we will likely dual-hat the Principal Officer to fulfill the functions of the Senior Civilian Representative. This cable lays out the responsibilities and authorities of the Senior Civilian Representatives. End summary. Responsibilities of Senior Civilian Representatives -------------- ¶2. The Senior Civilian Representatives (SCRs) will report directly to the Embassy's Interagency Sub-National Program Coordinator, and through her/him to the Coordinating Director of Development Assistance and Economic Affairs. The SCR positions, designed at the Minister Counselor level, will coordinate and direct the work of all USG civilians under Chief of Mission authority within the region, ensure coherence of political direction and developmental efforts, and execute U.S. policy and guidance. S/he will serve as the U.S. civilian counterpart to the military commander in the Regional Command (RC),to senior coalition civilians and to senior local GIRoA officials. ¶3. The SCRs will oversee sub-national civilian staff engagement in USG planning, assessment, program execution and evaluation; direct robust analytical reporting and activities in the RC across all pillars of counterinsurgency; engage with Government of Afghanistan officials, international partners and PRT-contributing countries to improve collaboration at all levels; and provide inputs into USAID priorities implemented through the USAID Regional Program Platform. The SCR will also provide foreign policy and area advice to the commander, and receive security advice from the commander. The SCR will serve as the rating officer for his immediate subordinate(s) under Chief of Mission authority, and the reviewing officer for their immediate subordinates. ¶4. Each of these Senior Civilian Representatives will be supported at the RC level by a team of roughly 20 personnel under Chief of Mission authority, including policy, development and administrative support from several agencies, including USAID, USDA and U.S. law enforcement and other agencies. The USAID Regional Program Platforms, comprised of technical experts from each of USAID's sectoral offices, will be led by a USAID Minister Counselor-level Senior Foreign Service Officer, who will serve as the Senior Development Officer and will support the SCR. In RC-South, the USG personnel supporting the Senior Civilian Representative will include a sub-set of officers assigned to the RC-S Civ-Mil Cell and the Counternarcotics CJIATF, to connect these multi-national structures working for Commander, RC-S, with the Embassy's senior leadership. In RC-E, civilian staff will participate in relevant planning boards and fusion cells to enhance integrated effort. Authorities of the Senior Civilian Representative -------------- ¶5. The creation of SCR positions in the two regions where USG resources will be concentrated will enable civilian agencies to devolve more decision-making authority to the field and will enable civilians to utilize flexible tools and tailor programs to the COIN challenges of each specific environment. The SCR will lead the team to define and set priorities, and monitor and report on the transformative effects. The SCR will elicit and provide feedback into the development programs through the Senior Development Officer. The Senior Development Officer will be granted relevant authorities to manage the USAID program portfolio as appropriate through the USAID Automated Directives System (ADS). As other agencies deploy personnel to the sub-national levels, their personnel likewise must have substantive authority to take decisions KABUL 00002102 002 OF 002 and/or more decisions rapidly to the SCR level. Beyond the Senior Civilian Representative -------------- ¶6. We will explore the creation of similar U.S. Senior Civilian Representative positions in RC-West and RC-North. Once we establish Consulates in Herat and Mazar-e Sharif, we will likely dual-hat the Principal Officer to assume the authorities and fulfill many or all of the responsibilities of the Senior Civilian Representative. ¶7. We will also designate a lead USG civilian representative at each level in the field, to promote increased responsiveness and accountability for USG policy implementation. Selection of a State Department, USAID or other agency lead will depend on the relative experience of the agency representatives and on the operating environment in each specific location. The lead civilian at each level in the field will rate the Chief of Mission employees at that level, and will be rated by the lead civilian at the next higher level and reviewed by the lead civilian another level higher. This evaluation pyramid applies to all employees assigned to the field under Chief of Mission authority. EIKENBERRY