Afghan villages must not be treated all the same when designing, implementing and evaluating interventions, argue the authors of this report. This briefing paper summarises the findings of a study on variations in performance of customary village government in Afghanistan. It suggests five key factors that could play a vital part in grouping villages that are similar so as to tailor more effective interventions; highlights the importance of paying more attention to the ways in which new structures are incorporated into older customary arrangements; and explores how village elites need to be worked with in different ways according to whether they work towards the common good or not.
