Congo (DRC), Inawezekana ‘It is possible’

Objective:

The programme aims to realize the following long term change:
Reinforced, inclusive and resilient communities with an empowered civil society, positively influence governance and transparency of decentralized entities; they work together with others (CDM) to resolve conflicts and to assure inclusion of youth, women and marginalized groups; they assure inclusive and equitable access to sustainable livelihoods, especially for youth, women and marginalized groups and they will thus stabilize the intervention zone.

In order to achieve the long term change, the following pathways to outcomes need to be reached:
1. Communities deal with conflicts without violence and, with support of Civil Society, constructively engage in dialogue with government to contribute to stabilization
2. Local governments act and behave in such a way that the population develops a positive perception of their performance, services and management of local resources and thereby promote mutual accountability.
3. Empowered and engaged youth and women have improved their livelihoods through better and more equitable access to resources and opportunities.

Intermediate outcomes towards outcome 2:

2.1 Strengthened administrations and local security councils at Territory and Chefferie level (with the involvement of the Provincial level) become more inclusive, responsive, transparent and accountable in their decision making, service delivery and management regarding public security and local development.
2.2 Administrations and local security councils at Territory and Chefferie level (with the involvement of the provincial level) and the population are mutually accountable in the participatory design, budgeting, implementation.

The services delivered by VNG International are:

• Selection and contracting of international and local experts;
• Introduction of the main concepts of the project to key stakeholders at all administrative levels and civil society;
• Setting up/strengthening of existing local security councils (CdS), including representatives of local administration, police, judiciary and civil society at the level of Kalehe Territory;
• Basic training on the functioning of a CdS and on the ‘own roles and responsibilities’ of each of the participants;
• CdS Security Diagnosis, including guidance/training and feedback sessions of baseline findings;
• Support to the CdS for the formulation of Local Security Action Plans;
• Annual revision of Local Security Action Plans on the basis of discussions in CdS;
• Support to the Chefferie of Buhavu and its groupements to develop, monitor and evaluate an inclusive and participatory development plan and annual investment plans;
• Support to the Chefferie of Buhavu and its groupements to develop, monitor and evaluate inclusive and participatory annual budgets;
• Regular Meetings, coaching and training of the administrations at provincial, territorial, chefferie and groupement level and CdS level (individually or in groups) on a variety of issues, tailored to needs;
• Chiefs/CdS training and coaching on conflict management, participatory governance, etc. tailored to needs;
• Administration Capacity Building (training, coaching, technical assistance, exchange);
• Training and coaching of the various stakeholders in fulfilling their own roles and in engaging productively with the other stakeholders;
• Support to advocacy at national level.