Over the reporting period, the Government made significant advances in prioritizing the Afghanistan National Development Strategy and putting in place the public financial management and administrative capacity for its implementation ahead of the Kabul Conference. The establishment of three development clusters is focusing the Government efforts on a targeted set of reconstruction and development priorities aimed at supporting economic growth and job creation, particularly for people living outside of urban centres. Exceeding initial expectations at the London Conference, 18 ministries are now engaged in the agriculture and rural development cluster (led by the Minister of Agriculture), the human resources development cluster (led by the Minister of Education), and the infrastructure and economic development cluster (led by the Minister of Mines). A fourth cluster, governance, has also been established but has yet to elaborate a prioritized sector strategy and, as of 1 June, the cluster leadership has not yet been clarified. The cluster approach is demonstrating national leadership and ownership in the formulation of a coherent response to Afghanistan’s development needs. It also brings together ministries in a collaborative effort to define shared objectives, accompanied by priority activities and costed national programmes. UNAMA has played an active role in supporting the development of the clusters and priorities.

All of which sounds encouraging. But look what picture emerges when UNAMA, the U.N. mission in Afghanistan, drills down below the national level:

The ability of the Government to accurately plan, monitor and evaluate development at the subnational level faces capacity and resource limitations. UNAMA, in cooperation with United Nations agencies in the field, carried out a snapshot survey on the capacity of provincial sector working groups to deliver services and to coordinate development activities. The UNAMA survey identified four trends in subnational development. First, the capacity of subnational government to coordinate through the sector working groups is limited in many locations where mechanisms are operating below expectations. Second, coordination and implementation of sector strategies was strongest in health and education and relatively weak in private sector development. Third, in several provinces with significant security challenges, there were no sector working groups or similar
coordination structures. Finally, where capacity-building programmes had been carried out, whether by United Nations agencies or other partners, sector working groups demonstrated improved abilities to plan, coordinate and monitor sectoral activities.

And that’s with the governance sector working group not even fully articulated. Gen. Petraeus has recently been testifying to Congress about getting the “inputs” right, but when it comes to governance, not all the inputs have been clearly established, despite billions in U.S. aid to governance development and the recent “civilian uplift” of non-military advisers.

While my colleague Ari Melber marvels at the “coolness” of the candidate, the fact remains that he hasn’t made many friends in the traveling press corps.  Obama seldom comes to the back of the plane, and his general press availability has been scant.

Obama still receives good press — particularly from me. But that’s been in lieu of his access not because of it.

Should candidate Obama become President Obama, he may have to shed some of his coolness and speak more frankly and often to the members of the “media filter” if he’s to govern effectively. While often maligned, especially by Republicans, as ideologically biased, most journalists are just trying to do their jobs.

And while the “media filter” can put up with much, an Obama administration should be wary of what can happen if the press is continually kept at arms’ length. Throughout the Bush administration’s first term, reporters frequently grumbled about their treatment at the hands of the White House. But they were essentially ignored as the president’s approval ratings soared in the wake of 9/11.

But the moment things began to go awry, those same journalists struck back, which was not helpful to an administration struggling to get its message to the public.

By opening himself up more to the press, Obama can avoid a smiliar fate should his administration encounter political turbulence.