After more than 30 years of conflict, Afghanistan faces a complex, interrelated set of political, administrative, economic, and social challenges. In 2002, the Afghan Interim Authority took over a public administration that was highly centralized in terms of its structure, but which had been denuded of infrastructure, human capacity, and financial resources, and had non-existent or very weak ties with its provinces.

As of 2010, the administrative structures of the state are basically sound and working. However, government administration is still far from effective, and suffers from a number of systemic problems including fragmented administrative structures, with many overlapping and unnecessary functions; and difficulty in attracting and retaining skilled professionals with management and administrative experience. Despite some priority restructuring and reforms, administrative systems are slow and cumbersome, with limited delegation of authority to decentralized structures or provincial governments. In that light, the role of regional government officials is crucial for the future and the political leadership demonstrated so far has been strong and strategic.