VZCZCXRO9341
RR RUEHDBU RUEHPW RUEHSL
DE RUEHBUL #2102/01 2101249
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 291249Z JUL 09 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0426
RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE

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