Assessing the Ability of the Afghan Ministry of Interior Affairs to Support the Afghan Local Police

RAND researchers assess the ability of the Afghan Ministry of Interior Affairs (MOI) to support the Afghan Local Police (ALP) program; evaluate the range of logistics, personnel management, and training activities essential to the success of ALPs local security mission; and identify lessons from support to the program that might prove useful when undertaking similar efforts to help build local security forces inthe future.This analysis relies primarily on interviews conducted in Afghanistan in 2013 and 2015 with Coalition and Afghan officials involved in the ALP program. To a lesser extent, the analysis draws on quantitative logistics and personnel reporting. While some MOI and Coalition initiatives have fared better than others and some are still a work in progress, our research shows some positive resultsin the form of recruits processed and vetted, equipment received, forces paid, and candidates trainedwith limited Coalition assistance since the end of 2014. However, examples of improved capabilities do not yet equate to an institutional commitment and capacity to sustain the ALP program. Still, for future U.S. government efforts to assist foreign partners in building the capacity of their local security forces, there are important insights that can be derived from the experience of transitioning ALP to full Afghan control.