The Joint Interagency Reference Framework (JIRF) was a system-wide initiative designed to help aid actors navigate interactions with the Afghan (de facto) authorities following the Taliban takeover in 2021. Based on extensive consultations with NGOs, UN agencies, donors, and select interlocutors from the Taliban, the JIRF provides a structured reference point to reduce operational risks, clarify permissible interactions, and support more coherent decision-making in a highly constrained political environment.