Afghan National Security Forces participate in pilot class on contracting

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN

09.12.2012

Story by Capt. Monika Comeaux 

13th Armored Corps Sustainment Command (13th ESC)

KABUL, Afghanistan – The Operational Contracting Section under the Deputy Command of Support Operations in NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan held a contracting class for ANSF personnel, Sept. 8 –12 at the Afghan National Army’s Logistics Command.

The class was the first of its kind for the Afghan partners, allowing the instructors to obtain valuable feedback on the Contract Acquisition Advisory Team program of instruction developed by the DCOM-SPO and acquisition advisers from the Deputy Commands of Police and Army under NTM-A.

In February of 2012, an adviser in the Afghan Ministry of Defense Acquisition Technology and Logistics Directorate identified the issue of not having enough transparency in the Afghan contracting systems, said U.S. Army Master Sgt. Saalih K. Muzakkir, the senior enlisted adviser for DCOM-SPO’s CAAT training team. As a result, he received instructions to develop a POI for a contracting overview class.

“Each class represented a different aspect of the procurement process,” said Muzakkir. “We contacted the Afghan Ministries of Interior and Defense and asked them to send some qualified participants to the class, and at the end we had between seven and 12 participants each day, learning the contracting process from identifying the need for a service or item all the way up to supervising the contract once it is awarded.”

“I am very pleased that I got to participate in this training,” said Afghan National Army Junior Capt. Abdul Karim Muttaki through an interpreter. He added that he is happy that the U.S. is transitioning more to the Afghan National Army and he was eager to participate in the training to learn how to handle future tasks. “I am a logistician in my unit, that is why I was chosen,” Muttaki said. His unit expects him to share his experiences with others in his section once he returns to them.

“I have a lot of experience in contracting already,” said Nazim, a civilian employee of the MoD. “What I was able to gain from this class was something unique and new to me. I am going to be able to go back to my office, implement things I learned here and I will become a much better contracting officer,” Nazim said.

Afghan National Police Sgt. Ahmadzai Quadratullah was also happy that he was given the opportunity to participate in the class. He expressed his thanks, starting off his by saying, “If you will allow me please, I would like to thank the instructors for the class.” He, too, is a logistician who is looking forward to using his newly acquired knowledge.

“We are forward looking and forward thinking … and want to improve ourselves” said Nazim. “We are keen on implementing everything we learned here from A to Z.”

Nazim said he was very pleased with the subjects covered in the class. “We started identifying the needs, went through authorities and toward the end discussed the laws and ethical rules governing contracting,” he said.

Muzakkir thinks their training was well-received. He found his students energetic and enthusiastic. They were “really open to the ideal and concepts we were presenting.” Muzakkir hopes that the training they provide in a small way will be beneficial to the Afghan people and economy, moving the country forward, building a better Afghanistan.

NATO Training Mission - Afghanistan, is a coalition of 38 troop-contributing nations charged with assisting the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in generating a capable and sustainable Afghan National Security Force ready to take lead of their country's security by 2014. For more information about NTM-A, visit www.ntm-a.com.

• Date Taken: 09.12.2012
• Date Posted: 09.14.2012 08:11
• Story ID: 94711
• Location: KABUL, AF