The Stability in Key Areas (SIKA) program is comprised of four regional projects designed to promote good governance and service delivery in targeted districts, with the intended effects of reducing the impact of the insurgency, increasing confidence in the Afghan Government, and paving the way for a peaceful security transition.  SIKA delivers assistance in two ways: building the capacity of sub-national government structures and delivering community grants to for small scale, community and government-endorsed projects.  SIKA partners closely with the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) and the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG) to strengthen existing sub-national development and governance structures, including Community Development Councils (CDCs) and District Development Assemblies (DDAs).  SIKA supports both top-down and bottom-up linkages between the Afghan Government and local development and governance entities, helping identify sources of instability and address needs and grievances identified by targeted communities.  While SIKA is a stabilization program, its direct partnership with MRRD and IDLG, as well as its emphasis on promoting Afghan Government sub-national structures, makes it uniquely placed to help prepare SIKA-targeted districts for transition.