Undertaking a Mapping Exercise and Qualitative Needs Assessment to Support the National Diaspora Policy of Afghanistan

By conducting research that will increase the evidence-base, this project aims to support and inform the National Diaspora Policy of Afghanistan, which is due to be implemented in 2018 and currently under development by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GoIRA) as per Presidential decree 1501, signed 30 July 2017. The objective of the National Diaspora Policy of Afghanistan is to put in place effective mechanisms that will promote diaspora participation in national development processes.

Evidence-based policymaking has two guiding principles: to base policy decisions on existing knowledge; and to increase knowledge to better inform policy, and thus this project prioritizes the second approach by aiming to formulate policy according to credible research findings, data, analytics, and evaluation. The project proposes to conduct a diaspora mapping exercise and a qualitative assessment of Afghanistan’s diaspora engagement needs, in order to provide support to the government in areas where information is currently lacking, and to ensure properly informed development of the National Diaspora Policy of Afghanistan. It will also provide a basis for capacity building for government officials to strengthen their diaspora engagement.