Congo (DRC), ESPER 2 Peace and Security program in East DRC

The ESPER 2 project aims to improve the living and security conditions of the population in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. ESPER 2 targets more than 2,500,000 people, who will benefit from the improvement of the security situation through the action of the authorities and communities supported by the project.

ESPER 2 is the next phase of ESPER, which was implemented between 2020 and 2024. ESPER 2 can be considered as a phase-out of ESPER.

The project seeks to achieve the following objective:

• The various state and non-state actors that have a role in implementation understand and own good governance principles/skills and are committed to their implementation through the transfer of skills;
• Governance mechanisms (including planning, implementation, evaluation) include relevant groups in society (in particular gender, minorities and people affected by insecurity);
• Governance needs at all levels are effectively budgeted, disbursed and spent;
• Quality and appropriate security and judicial services are provided in response to prioritized problems;
• Local conflicts are addressed and sustainably resolved by state and non-state stakeholders;
• Accountability and communication mechanisms between government, community structures and civil society structures for security governance are guaranteed ;
• Hierarchical authorities formalize best practices by being responsive to lobby and advocacy efforts;
• Hierarchical authorities invest and operationalize an accompaniment and evaluation mechanism to guarantee the performance on local security governance.

The results sought by the project are as follows:

• Result 1 : Local security governance mechanisms function in an increasingly performant manner.
• Result 2 : The population is satisfied with the security, judicial and social services provided by the ETD and local structure.
• Result 3 : Best practices and results are capitalized upon by stakeholders with a focus on sustainability.

Locations

The project will be implemented in 7 territories and 10 ETD: Nyiragongo territory (Bukumu), Aru territory (Zaki), Mahagi territory (Walendu Watsi), Djugu territory (Walendu Pitsi), Irumu territory (Andisoma), Kalehe territory (Buhavu), Uvira territory (Bafuliru, Bavira, Plaine de la Ruzizi), Karisimbi commune (Goma), Uvira town.

The services provided by VNG International are:

• Collaboration agreement
• Institutional budget diagnostics (in collaboration with Cordaid)
• Updating local security and operational plans
• Development and dissemination of tools and outreach materials
• Mapping and diagnosis of local community governance structures (with Cordaid)
• Capacity strengthening and skills transfer
• Coaching for hands-on accompaniment for local governance
• Thematic training based on needs identified in diagnostics (organized by VNG International and Cordaid)
• Support to authorities in preparing and analyzing budgets and resource mobilization mechanisms for PAS implementation
• Joint lessons learned workshops
• Institutional support (budget-related)
• Support for CLSP meetings at the ETD level
• Support for CLSE meetings to address ETD security concerns
• Support for implementing specific CLSP/CLSE recommendations
• Updating, developing, and implementing a lobby and advocacy strategy
• Advocacy initiatives at the local, provincial, and national levels
• Benchmarking
• Accountability meetings (authorities vis à vis citizens, PFTs)
• Formalization of best practices
• CPAGS, Comités de Suivi, and Comité de Pilotage

NB: Since the security situation in DRC has been evolving rapidly and a part of the intervention zones have been occupied by the M23 rebellion, the ESPER 2 program will in agreement with the donor seek adaptive measures, focusing on intensification in those areas that remain under control of the DRC government.