Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) Formulation Process: Influencing Factors and Challenges

This paper examines the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS), an ambitious programme which resulted from a complex series of policy interactions. The ANDS is tied to other important documents and processes related to the country’s development, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Afghanistan Compact and the Joint Coordination Management Board (JCMB). It has implications for the Government of Afghanistan, donors and, most important of all, Afghan citizens. After exploring the journey taken to create the ANDS, the paper explores the strengths and weaknesses of the consultation processes involved in the formation of the Strategy.