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TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ACRONYMS

ADA: Agricultural Development Adviser IFDP: Innovation et Formation pour le Développement ADEPAE : Action pour le Développement Endogène et et la Paix la Pais IfP: Initiative for Peace Building ADF/NALU: Allied Democratic Forces/National Army INGO: International non-government organization for the Liberation of Uganda IRC: International Rescue Committee CARE: Cooperative for Assistance and Relief ISSSS: International Security and Stabilization Support Everywhere Strategy CARG: Rural Agricultural Management Committees LNGO: local non-government organization CBO: Community Based Organization M&E: Monitoring and Evaluation CDR: Community Driven Reconstruction MoFA: Ministry of Foreign Affairs CGA: Community Governance Adviser MSI: Management Systems International CLER: Local committees for road maintenance MYAP: Multi Year Assistance Programme CLPC: Comités Locaux Permanents de Conciliation N2: National Road 2 CLPD: Local Committee for Peace and Development NGO: Non Government Organisation CoP: Chief of Party NRC: Norwegian Refugee Council CODESA: Comité de Santé OCHA: Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs COPA: Comité de Parents d’Elèves PACDEV: Dutch Consortium for Reconstruction Cordaid: Catholic Organisation for Relief and PNC: Congolese National Police Development Aid PMP: Performance Monitoring Plan CSO: Civil Society Organization PRA: Participatory Rural Appraisal CRS: Catholic Relief Services PSCRP: Promoting Stabilization and Community CTC: Joint Technical Committee Reintegration Project in Eastern DRC DFID: Department for International Development SENASEM: National Service of Seeds DRC: Democratic Republic of the Congo SGBV: sexual and gender-based violence DSF: Dynamique Synergie des Femmes SSU: MONUSCO Stabilization Support Unit DVDA: Government Access Road Service STAREC: Stabilization and Reconstruction Plan for EU: European Union War-Affected Zones FAT : Forum des Amis de la Terre TCT: Technical Coordination Team FAO: Food & Agricultural Organization TPO: Dutch NGO for psychosocial support FARDC: DRC National Army UK: United Kingdom FDLR: Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda UN: United Nations FNL: Front National de Libération UNDP: UN Development Program FPJC : Front Populaire pour la Justice au Congo UNICEF: United National Children’s Fund FRPI : Front de Résistance Patriotique de l’Ituri UN-HABITAT: United Nations Agency for Human GDRC: Government of Democratic Republic of Congo Settlements GRF: Groupe de Réflexion sur les Questions Foncières UNHCR: United National High Commission for KM : kilometers Refugees HIV: Human immune-deficiency virus UNSCR: UN Security Council Resolution IDP: Internally Displaced Person USG: United States Government IGA: income generating Activity USAID: United States Agency for International Development VSLA: Village Savings and Loan Association WASH: water sanitation and hygiene WFP: World Food Program ZOA: Dutch NGO for Refugee Care EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Tufaidike Wote (Win/Win) Project Consortium composed of CARE, FAO and International Alert has come together to provide a combined response to the problems of poverty and instability in Eastern Congo. By addressing the interlocking underlying conflict factors of resource conflicts, identity conflicts and power conflicts, the Tufaidike Wote project aims to enhance stable socio-economic recovery in 35 communities in three provinces that may include Ituri District, North and South Kivu Provinces over a four year period. 120,000 people will benefit directly of the project and an additional 120,000 will benefit from community projects and improved livelihood. There will be a special focus on improving the lives of vulnerable women by addressing their primary needs through agriculture and savings groups and their secondary needs by increasing their contribution to public life. The consortium developed a theory of change for the project proposing that peace and stability are fostered by creating spaces, capacities and opportunities for all groups in targeted communities in eastern DRC to participate in a combination of reconciliation and recovery activities. The project uses an innovative combined community- driven approach to support three project pillars of peacebuilding, governance and livelihoods. Crosscutting support will be given on the themes of inclusion (especially of women), conflict sensitivity, good governance principles and participatory monitoring and learning. The intended results in the targeted communities are to develop or strengthen conflict prevention and management capacity (for instance 20% of conflict resolved and/or prevented), strengthen citizens’ participation in good governance (for instance 35 capacity building plans carried out) and improve livelihoods (for instance 60% increase in household revenue on a sustainable basis). With strategic support from the Tufaidike Wote lead implementers, the project will prioritize sustainability and emphasize local capacity building by working with and through local partners who will support community structures (peace committees, community development committees and farmers’ groups). These structures will work together through a Community Forum in which local leaders and officials will participate and discuss matters of concern. The promotion of trust and shared responsibility between citizens and state authorities is a project goal that will be reinforced through the leadership and example set by CARE, FAO and International Alert.

A. BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE AND OVERALL STRATEGY

BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE Nine years after the signing of the Global and All-Inclusive Peace Agreement, and despite increased security in some areas, large populations in Eastern DRC are still struggling to find the security, dignity and resources to raise their families with hope and opportunity. Levels of poverty are still very high (73% of households in North Kivu, 85% in South Kivu).1 There are twice as many poor women as men and the income disparity between men and women is more than two-fold ($189 PPP as opposed to $410 PPP).2 Several armed groups remain active in some areas, resulting in periodic episodes of insecurity that lead to displacement of people. The most affected areas in 2011 have been Masisi, Lubero, Walikale, Fizi, Shabunda and Kalehe and some areas of Beni.3 Very often this security situation is volatile, and episodes of displacement return or instability may happen in neighboring areas or even in the same area. They are complex to predict or explain, and an array of interlinked causes, covering illegal mining, ethnic identity, political power or foreign and local economical interests, remain at the base of a conflict that has shaped a whole generation of Congolese people. The ISSSS Situational Assessment Report from July 2011 states that trends of the two provinces of North Kivu and Ituri district are still not promising. In general, an outside 40 - 50 kilometers (km) radius of the district capital of Bunia and the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu, there is widespread and serious insecurity in large pockets of territory. As an example, at least 80% of the territory of Walikale in North Kivu is still entirely outside state control and armed groups effectively reign supreme there. Likewise the reach of the state’s authority is less and less effective outside the same radius. In North Kivu, parallel institutions exist particularly in Masisi. Return, reintegration and recovery is generally considered problematic by the ISSSS report which is often used by the international community in its planning. The report also responds to continued insecurity and weak state control by recommending that an approach which operates within and then seeks to extend the zones of ‘permissive’ activity with area-based activities will be the most effective. Interestingly, the exception to this is a proposed ‘light footprint’ model which is considered appropriate for local conflict resolution capacities. The return of refugees and IDPs is a strong indicator of and contributor to increased levels of security. Yet the expected return of both refugees and IDPs is already fuelling increased conflict over land in some areas and – in the case of Congolese refugees returning from Rwanda to North Kivu - giving rise to (politically manipulated) fears regarding the national identity of the returnees, which feed both local and provincial power struggles. While the state apparatus in parts of the region has been strengthened, it is still far from being able to deliver minimal services

1 UNDP Profile resume par province March 2009 2 2009 Human Development report 3 CARE internal strategic planning document July 2011 to the population, nor is it capable of mediating disagreements, facilitating consensual and peaceful policymaking, or preventing violent conflicts arising over a number of issues between different social groups. Despite enormous agricultural opportunity in the DRC, production levels are in steady decline; markets are increasingly inaccessible due to impassable roads, insecurity and illegal check points; and over 75% of the total population is chronically undernourished4 or food insecure. In less than 10 years, Congolese agricultural exports plummeted from US$334 million in 1995 to only US$4.3 million in 2003. Even though the agriculture sector employs the highest proportion of population (approximately 50 million people), the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (GDRC) has only allocated 2% of its budget to agricultural development. Moreover, many of the people considered “employed” in the agricultural sector are not earning a living from this activity, but essentially securing subsistence and are not formalized farmers or herders per say. Underlying food unavailability and poverty is causally linked to the following factors: lack of agricultural infrastructure, lack of capital, low productivity/yields, challenging land access (especially for female farmers), soil degradation, underdeveloped farmer skills and capacities, weak organizational capacity, significant loss of production (up to 30-40%), minimal incentives to sell farm products as well as disincentives such as illegal taxation. As a result, many farmers are net-food purchasers (about 68% of income is spent on food).The situation is further complicated in areas with military presence as communities seek to avoid targeting by maintaining low levels of organization, have no place to store crops for fear of looting, and are often subject to illegal taxation from militias or the Police National Congolese (PNC). Continued violence, human rights abuses and impunity wreak deep and widespread suffering at all levels, particularly for women. Endemic gender discrimination and all forms of violence against women worsened by war were stated as the principal contributing factors when Thomas Reuters Foundation scored the DRC the second worst place to live as a woman in 2011, behind Afghanistan. Yet against this broad picture we know there have been gains, as reflected in a relative (but not irreversible) increase in security in many areas since 2002. 260 km of roads have been rehabilitated and 85 administrative buildings have been constructed.5 There are slowly increasing numbers of spontaneous returns in many areas (even though as noted there are new population displacements too). Particularly at local level, the interventions of both international actors and national civil society groups have improved peoples’ livelihoods and strengthened social cohesion. Research on the underlying causes of conflict has noted the recurrence of three primary conflict factors: resource conflicts (including mining, land ownership and use at the local level), identity conflicts (especially regarding ethnicity and gender), and power conflicts (especially regarding governance and security). Their complex interrelationship needs to be continuously re-examined on a regular basis in each local context in order to correctly identify entry points to build a combined response of peace, good governance and development. For example, resolving a land conflict cannot merely be seen as a judicial matter, but must also be seen as an existential matter, since land access and ownership is intrinsically related to power and identity.6 Though it takes different forms in different places, in terms of political economy, there is a structural link in much of Eastern DRC between claims to land ownership by ethnic communities, and claims to political power. This link is exploited in the inflammatory discourses around ‘indigenous’ inhabitants and ‘foreigners’ particularly in areas of return. The gender dimension of identity is not any less significant, as gender is a core aspect of people’s identity and men and women’s vulnerability to violent conflict is partly determined by gender relations. Many years of conflict have profoundly affected gender norms and relations in DRC. For example, there has been a clear modification in women’s economic role in the household, especially in female headed households. At the same time, the conflict has prevented men from assuming the traditional male responsibility of supporting and protecting their wife and children. In a context which already places women in an exceedingly submissive position in the household, the conflict’s effect on gender norms has tipped the balance to enable and then normalize widespread sexual and gender based violence (SGBV). Existing programming mechanisms to respond to the complex environment described above are frequently inadequate and sectoral interventions are often not based on a broad and deep understanding of the social, political and economic context, without which ‘one-size fits all’ interventions invariably fail. The combined understanding of CARE, International Alert and FAO of the causes of instability and poverty in the region, as well as our experience in addressing these causes has taught us that sustainable strategies for maximizing the opportunities for peace and minimizing the threats of violence in local communities must go well beyond the still prevailing humanitarian and peacekeeping response, to focus on community-based strategies which address the underlying local causes. Sustainable stabilization requires concerted action to promote reconciliation between individuals and groups, remove the blockages to improving livelihoods, strengthen the community’s voice in structures of governance and reach mutual commitments between citizens and decentralized state actors. This project aims to make such an impact in 70 communities in Ituri District and North and South Kivu Provinces.

OVERALL STRATEGY: A NEW COMBINED COMMUNITY-DRIVEN APPROACH

4 2010 UNDP Human Development Index 5 International Security and Support Stabilization Strategy. Quarterly Report. April-June 2011. 6 Haki na Amani and Pax Christi: Analysis of the resurgence of land conflict in Ituri since 2000. 2009 Led by CARE, FAO and International Alert have formed a dynamic consortium that adds value to each organization’s sustained commitment (a combined total of nearly 50 years) to developing quality program responses, by sharing and enhancing their work through an integrated, multi-sectoral program based around three pillars: peacebuilding, governance and livelihoods. The consortium proposes the Swahili name Tufaidike Wote which means Win/Win or “Working Together for Everyone’s Benefit” for this project. The key elements of the program strategy, and its distinct added value, are an innovative combined community driven approach, with strong cross-cutting technical support (on gender, conflict sensitivity, good governance principles and participatory research and learning); and complementary activities of the three project pillars that serve to strengthen and reinforce each other. The activities of the pillars themselves draw on each organization’s proven track record: Alert’s specialization in alternative methods of conflict resolution; CARE’s robust experience in community governance, economic livelihood activities, such as the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) methodology, and women’s empowerment; and FAO’s respected value chain approach and depth of knowledge in local agriculture development. Local implementing partners will be carefully selected local civil society organizations (CSOs) who have strong links with community structures and support the goal of strengthening community – state linkages. The local partners will be supported by a strong and well-coordinated project structure and management team. The project goal is to contribute to peace and stability in Eastern DRC at the local level. The overall strategy to achieve this is a response to the interlinked problems of instability and poverty which combines peacebuilding with good governance and improved livelihoods. According to our background analysis the combined response is critical for impact. For example, on the one hand conflict sensitivity can ensure that governance is inclusive and economic opportunities are equitable; on the other hand, socio-economic development becomes a positive incentive for peace, they thereby create a reinforcing cycle of activity. Based on our shared experiences and understanding, CARE, FAO and International Alert have articulated our theory of change: Peace and stability are fostered by creating spaces, capacities and opportunities for all groups in targeted communities in Eastern DRC to participate in a combination of reconciliation and recovery activities.

The Combined Community Driven Approach The activities of the three project pillars – peacebuilding, good governance and improved livelihoods - have been designed to intersect as far as possible in order to give leverage to one another and address the underlying causes of conflict in Eastern DRC in a way which will deliver the required community change and project goal.

Figure 1: Tufaidike Wote Project Combined Community Driven Approach

Key: Squares Key intersecting project activities Circles Project Components IR1, 2 and 3 Central triangle Cross-cutting supporting themes (based on lessons learned) Key intersecting project activities

1. Managing Land Conflicts in order to increase access to land for improved agriculture This intersection is important because the crucial starting point for any improved agricultural activity is access to land. In many places land will only be secured through resolving local land conflicts. The disputes commonly take one of several forms: between family members; over succession including between a widow and her late husband’s family; over boundaries between plots; as a result of land grabbing; through the illegal sale of family or community land; between land owners and squatters; or as a result of gifting or other unrecorded transfers. The existence of IDPs, refugees and returnees in all the project areas exacerbates the likelihood of these conflicts. Frequently occurring land used conflicts such as those between farmers and herders will also be addressed. Our local partners have a very successful track record of resolving disputes over land (three peace committees supported by our partner Dynamique Synergie des Femmes (DSF) in South Kivu resolved 114 disputes (including land disputes) between May 2010 and July 2011) and their efforts will be reinforced. Some partners, such as Haki na Amani and Innovation et Formation pour le Développement et la PaixIFDP, already have tools for land-conflict resolution available to share, adapt and use.7 In Eastern DRC, addressing land issues effectively demands a broad, integrated, and inter-disciplinary approach, 8 including linking to governance and agricultural livelihoods activities. Community dialogue and participatory research, which will be undertaken as part of this program, will situate land conflicts within the broader conflict context, and peace committees will be assisted to negotiate agreed community actions to solve these. Where possible and relevant, this will include negotiations and land planning with customary chiefs, to improve accountability and transparency in allocation of and use of community-owned land. 2. Supporting alternative livelihood activities This intersection recognizes the significance of an economic peace dividend as a strong incentive to preserve and strengthen peaceful relations; it provides a stake in peace for communities who benefit from improved livelihoods; and provides ex-combatants and communities affected by conflict with sources of alternative sources of income. For economic development to be sustainable and to promote peaceful relations these activities need to be conflict sensitive and equitable. Although the overwhelming majority of the community is involved in agriculture or animal husbandry (75-80%), an important minority, often including vulnerable groups (such as women, the physically and mentally handicapped, ex- combatants and returnees) depend on other forms of livelihood. These alternative forms can sometimes be agriculture-related, and processing or marketing services by producer groups will be promoted (see IR3). Our local partners will also manage the organization of Village Savings and Loan Associations and other income generating activities for selected groups (see IR3). CARE’s vast experience with VSLAs in DRC and elsewhere is that the formation of VSLA groups and management of its resources is an effective means of building the self-confidence of both individual members and the group as a whole which leads to better participation in community dialogues and in other community governance structures. The VSLA activity is therefore a key component in strengthening citizens’ participation in governance. 3. Creating public goods and promoting popular action for peace This intersection brings the community together around managing a common interest and in doing so fostering strong links between community members and those in authority. At the start of the project each community will identify two types of priority need and opportunity: those related to increasing the number of public goods in the community, and at the same time those which will enhance the social conditions for peace in the community (see IR3 and IR1). A combination of small grants packages on the one hand and community actions for peace on the other will be facilitated. These mutually reinforcing activities will be managed by community structures as a means of promoting good governance. The close association of those in authority (local leaders and officials) with the organization and management of the activities will further extend the application of good governance principles to strengthen relationships of trust between the population and their leaders. Key Features of the Combined Community Driven Approach based on Lessons Learned The combined community driven approach we propose draws on the lessons we have learned from previous projects, particularly the USAID funded Promoting Stabilization and Community Reintegration Project in Eastern DRC (PSCRP), and the DFID funded Tuungane project. These projects both used the community driven reconstruction (CDR) approach, and PSCRP attempted to combine it with a conflict prevention and resolution component. The combined approach develops the good practices of both CDR and the principles of peacebuilding but also adapts

7 Guide sur la Résolution des Conflits Fonciers (Haki na Amani, International Alert 2010). IFDP with the support of CordAid uses what they call a ‘socio-therapy approach’ to land conflict resolution. 8 See Land & Conflict – a Toolkit for intervention, USAID 2005. them out of lessons learned. Key features of the combined community driven approach, based on these lessons learned in the DRC and elsewhere are: In relation to peacebuilding:  Use of a conflict sensitive approach which goes beyond a ‘do no harm’ approach in anticipating risk and providing strategies to mitigate conflict broadly in the community.  Use of participatory assessments (such as participatory rural appraisal (PRA)) to identify conflict sensitivity at the outset of a project.  Use of priority needs assessments to identify key peace factors (and/or key factors for reducing violence) at the start of a community process.  Need for regular monitoring of conflict sensitivity to help avoid the temptation to cut corners in relation to community participation in implementing socio-economic projects. Community participation is an important element in the community’s ownership of good governance principles and hence the overall implementation of a project.  Use of a combination of socio-economic activities which provide material benefits to communities with peacebuilding as a win/win strategy. In relation to governance:  Election or co-option of community committee members (the latter based on their skills and level of respect within the community).  Development of training programs for community structures which focus on technical skills and also attitudes and behaviors. These trainings should be followed up through a learning-by-doing approach.  Development of strategies to strengthen relations between community members and those in positions of influence and authority. These strategies are essential for sustainability and strong impact. In relation to peacebuilding and governance:  Emphasizing good governance principles of participation, accountability and transparency  Inclusion of vulnerable and marginalized groups especially women. In relation to peacebuilding and socio-economic recovery:  Combining a material impact (which increases the number of community goods and strengthens community structures) with a behavioral impact (which builds social cohesion across the community). In relation to implementation:  Use of a partnership approach (with local CSOs). This approach must pay attention to training local partners in the combined community driven approach and getting their buy-in to it at the start of the project (such as developing a code of conduct with them).  Flexibility in allocating the financial package to each community in order to respond to communities’ real priority needs.  Applying a continuous context analysis so that community design and implementation responds better to varying and volatile local situations. One example of this is determining community size according to real geography and not to an artificially fixed population size.  Facilitation of exchange visits, especially between performing and underperforming community structures and groups. This is an effective way in which to use local knowledge to build capacity where gaps exist. Where there are motivational or organizational related challenges, these visits can promote a healthy sense of competition which can spur an underperforming group into action. Project Components IR 1: Conflict prevention and management capacity is developed or strengthened in targeted communities Given the weakness of state structures, peacebuilding interventions often focus on non-state institutions which enjoy a degree of local legitimacy and influence. These institutions favor traditional ideas of reconciliation between conflicting parties which are linked to community notions of justice. Local peace committees (sometimes traditional barazas sometimes newly constituted committees)9 use alternative dispute resolution methods in which a negotiated solution and the restoration of social cohesion are key elements.10

9 Paix a Petits Pas maps 178 local peace initiatives in North and South Kivu and Ituri many of which support such committees 10 Paix a Petits Pas, Helene Morvan, International Alert 2010. Local partners such as DSF and IFDP in South Kivu, Alpha Ujuvi in North Kivu, and Haki na Amani in Ituri will be supported by Alert to continue their work with local peace committees. The project will aim at creating or supporting 35 peace committees (around 1,200 members)11 through training in conflict resolution methods including socio-therapy, mediation and community dialogue facilitation. The peace committees will continue to resolve many types of social conflict but as noted a particular area of priority is land related conflicts. Local peace committees are well aware of the limits of the type of conflict which they can mediate successfully. A further dimension of this activity will be to reinforce the collaboration with other actors in conflict resolution particularly state authorities (including traditional and administrative or judicial bodies) and non-state actors such as UN-HABITAT and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in relation to land conflicts. In addition, peace committees will work with community development committees and farmer’s groups in a Community Forum established with the help of the Tufaidike Wote team in order to promote and practice good governance principles, apply peacebuilding and conflict sensitivity to activities, and ensure that community-driven projects are responsive to identified needs. Activity 1-Mechanisms for conflict prevention and management strengthened: Capacity assessments and strengthening: Alert will lead capacity and needs assessments with peace committees and local partners. Once the results are shared with peace committees and the community, the project will develop and validate capacity building plans designed to strengthen the community’s ability to respond to and resolve conflicts. The peace committees will receive training and support to strengthen their mediation of local conflicts, enable them to continuously analyze the conflict context and build their capacity to facilitate community dialogues on underlying causes of violent conflict. One need already well articulated is to increase knowledge of relevant laws such as the Code Foncier and the Code de la Famille. In order to ensure cross-cutting synergies, local authorities and farmers’ groups will also be trained in conflict sensitivity. We plan to train 2,100 community and local partner members in conflict analysis and context monitoring. The partner organizations in North and South Kivu and Ituri will meet to exchange experiences and tools, for instance producing a joint module on land conflict resolution which will be rolled out to the peace committees across the three provinces. Support for community conflict resolution and reconciliation: Peace committees will lead appropriate and agreed community responses to latent or actual conflicts arising. The committees will be supported to convene community members to discuss and agree actions (in the form of ‘community reconciliation plans’ also linked to development plans drafted under IR2). We plan to support the elaboration of 35 reconciliation plans. We aim at supporting 2,880 mediation meetings and to monitor 600 recorded mediations. Weekly mediation meetings hosted by peace committees will further be trained to monitor, record, and analyze their results. Finally they will be facilitated to organize community dialogues and other actions aimed to reduce the drivers of conflict and strengthen positive linkages with local administrative, customary and political authorities, based on good governance principles. In areas of high IDP return, such as Masisi, these conflicts are particularly complex and the peace committees will collaborate closely with STAREC’s Comités Locaux Permanent de Conciliation (CLPC)12 and other key actors to reduce the factors which might lead to violence. Activity 2-Women’s role in conflict management structures and processes increased: A second area of peace committee activity is the capacity building and inclusion of women in the committees’ management and activities. Their inclusion in conflict management structures is critical step towards creating more sustainable conflict resolution and also in improving opportunities for themselves and other marginalized groups. A first step toward achieving this objective is to provide training to all local project partners on gender sensitivity and diversity. Trainings will include information on how to use UNSCR 1325 and the GDRC National Gender Plan to promote gender equality in the community. This knowledge is an important tool for empowering women to claim their rights and roles in community life. Peace committees will subsequently organize community workshops, meetings, and focus groups to discuss, analyze and challenge gender stereotypes in a safe space that encourages open and transparent dialogue. 600 women members of peace committees will be actively recruited and trained on leadership, communication, and advocacy. Local partners and the Tufaidike Wote team will work to support the reorganization of community structures to ensure democratic and inclusive principles of leadership are upheld. Activity 3-Community-driven social infrastructure projects promote reconciliation and stability: At the start of the project each community will decide on its priorities and (depending on whether these plans already exist in the community) review or develop reconciliation and development plans. Activities to be pursued in a reconciliation plan might include calling an official or member of the security services to account, addressing a local power conflict, or encouraging girls to go to school. Activities to be developed by means of a small grants package might include the rehabilitation of access roads, bridges, water points, solar power for lighting and communications, equipment for schools and clinics. Each of the 70 targeted communities will benefit from an estimated $20,000 small grants package. The community development committee will be trained on goods and financial management and the

11 The exact number will depend on the way they are set up in each selected groupement. 12 Some peace committee members are members of CLPC community forum will oversee overall project management and accountability to the whole population (see details of these mechanisms below). IR2: Citizens’ participation in good governance strengthened in targeted communities

Good governance principles are at the heart of the project’s combined response and the application of these principles in a cross-cutting manner to the other two project components is a prerequisite for sustainable peace and sustainable development cross-cutting. Good governance is also a project outcome through the practice of promoting citizens’ participation in the project implementation mechanisms, in specific socio-economic activities and in activities which strengthen links between citizens and those in authority. The community scorecard described below is one tool which will be used for this. The practice of good governance also makes reconciliation sustainable through practicing inclusion and encouraging equitable access to economic opportunities. In our experience in the selected zones of intervention, often one or more community committees has been established in the past to oversee a particular project, to identify the community’s needs, or to strengthen local governance. We will work with existing structures where we can, but we will first request the whole community to reevaluate their legitimacy and to adopt principles of good governance for their structure and conduct. The project’s community implementers will be peace committees, development committees and farmers’ groups. This will include at least 40% women’s participation where possible. After analyzing their capacity and formulating a capacity building plan, we will accompany these structures and build their capacity through training and a ‘learning by doing’ approach. In this way they will be able to oversee the management of the resource inputs to the community (that is agricultural inputs, small grants packages, village savings and loans associations and income generating activities).No community structure will directly handle cash or procurement. Their role will include overseeing bidding processes with contractors and service providers, authorizing payments by CARE or the local partners to these intermediaries, and overseeing the recruitment of labor and the quality of work carried out on project sites. Under this result, the Tufaidike Wote consortium has set aside funding for a rapid response mechanism totaling $50,600 ($20,000 per year for the first three years of the project). The rapid response mechanism is a designed to respond to community-based needs such as unpredictable events and conflict mitigation and/or prevention. The technical advisers of the Tufaidike Wote team have the requisite skills and tools to conduct rapid assessments and analysis of communities in need of these funds. Rules and criteria for the rapid response mechanism will be established in the project start-up phase. However, in the event that the security environment deteriorates conducting to mass emergency, USAID may authorize the implementation of activities that respond to emergency needs through a revision to the implementation in targeted areas.

Activity 1-Organizational capacity of community-based and civil society organizations strengthened: The Tufaidike Wote project will conduct an institutional, organizational, and governance assessment of peace committees, farmers’ groups, community development committees in each community. In addition other types of CBO/CSOs may be assessed where needed to reinforce project implementation capacity. Capacity building plans will be developed jointly based on the assessment results and the organizations will be assisted and supported through the implementation process by the project team. The project will support the implementation of 35 capacity building plans for CBOs/CSOs. The goal of the capacity building strategy is to ensure that over time these groups will be able to sustain themselves and become direct recipients of and leading implementers in community development projects. To facilitate this, information on registration as CBOs will be provided as required. Activity 2-Citizens’ participation and advocacy through community governance structures improved or developed: In order for the targeted community groups to be successful, the participation of individual community members, as citizens of that entity, must be improved. The Tufaidike Wote project will apply a two-pronged approach to meet this objective. First, community members will be trained in CARE’s community scorecard system and stakeholder analysis tools. These tools are specifically designed to assist community members in developing transparent and accountable relationships with community and governance structures that exist. Community members will then participate in the priority needs assessment, revision or creation of a development plan and preparation of the small grants package. Once implementation of the grants package has begun, community members will use the scorecard and stakeholder analysis tool to monitor proper implementation. Around 10 members of the population and 10 members of the Community Forum will be trained in the scorecard tool. The analysis and reports will be regularly shared with the community in general assemblies. Second community structures have the potential to be an important liaison with user groups such as the Comité de Parents d’Elèves (COPA) Comité de Santé (CODESA) and water committees. They can be a channel for the community to voice its demand for services, but they can equally assist the chef de groupement to organize community activities such as ‘salongo.’ Part of strengthening citizens’ participation in good governance is to nurture these dual aspects of entitlement and obligation amongst committee leaders and community members. The interface between community structures and local authorities (being put in place through the GDRC’s decentralization policy) is a lynch pin to stability and recovery. Involving local administrative officials such as chefs de groupement in supporting and ratifying development plans and other written agreements is just one way of beginning to establish a ‘social contract’ between citizens and rulers. In other words, it helps take an important step towards defining rights and duties and in identifying mutual commitments between groups based on principles of good governance. To nurture these relationships further, the project envisages building on the pilot work carried out by Alert in training traditional chiefs and CLPC members in North Kivu in principles of managing conflict, by inviting local officials in all groupements of intervention to attend trainings in good governance and conflict management. Activity 3-Women’s influence in community-decision making increased: The Tufaidike Wote partners are committed to gender equity and empowerment because we believe that women’s involvement in the public and social sphere will lead to more effective and sustained change. As such, the project will seek to go beyond merely ensuring women’s presence in community structures and spaces for dialogue and work to increase their voice in decision making processes. In order to do this, trainings for 1,400 women will help improve skills in advocacy, leadership, and communication. We will work alongside men as partners demonstrating that cooperation and mutual respect between genders is a way to yield more effective power and not a means of transferring it. In addition, the hosting of community dialogues and creating safe spaces for the discussion and respectful questioning of social norms, traditions, and behaviors that perpetuate inequity between men and women is an important strategy for change. IR3: Livelihoods in targeted communities improved The development of agriculture as an income generating activity in eastern DRC will be the major contributor to reducing poverty and increasing food security in the long term. The Tufaidike Wote project aims to reduce one of the major obstacles which is the security of land tenure, and improve the agricultural value chain in selected communities so that household revenues increase. The strategy adopted in each community will depend on the results of a participatory livelihood, value chain and market assessment conducted at the start of the project to help understand the interconnections between different stakeholders in the agricultural sector and their priorities as well as the priorities of those pursuing other livelihood activities. This assessment will be accompanied by a conflict sensitivity exercise to establish the real risks associated with land tenure and use and agree actions to mitigate them. Activity 1-Household revenues increased from agricultural production, processing, and marketing

Strengthening farmers’ associations including greater participation for women: The strength of an agriculture sector relies on solid and well managed farmers’ groups. Unfortunately, in DRC the weakness of such farming groups has greatly inhibited production capacity and yields for a number of years. Promoting sustainability, we will work to link farmers’ groups with the Rural Agricultural Management Committees (CARG). In this project, 320 farmers’ groups will be strengthened, in addition to the training of at least 640 people (2 leaders per group) in topics such as farming best practices, small business management, and processing techniques. The Tufaidike Wote team will work to ensure the equal presence of women in these trainings and in the leadership of these organizations which will improve the ability of women to voice their concerns and participate in internal decision making processes. Training will be conducted through the innovative farmer field school and Junior Farmer Field life school that guarantee a participative approach. Improving land productivity and increasing household revenue: To support better production key steps of several value chains will be targeted according to each community’s profile, including: input access, production techniques, storage, processing, transport and marketing. Three main types of production have been selected to support 25,000 families: green gardening production (15,000 families), staple crops production (5,000 families) and livestock herding (5,000 cattle herders). The main staple crops in the region are maize, bean, rice, and soy beans. a. Securing access to land: Securing land tenure is an important factor in stabilizing communities. Conflicts over access to natural resources for economic production lead to under use of arable land and are one of the major constraints to economic development in Eastern DRC. Land conflicts exacerbate ethnic conflict, demographic pressure and returnees’ livelihood opportunities. FAO and Alert will work together to secure access to land through the processes described above. In parallel to conflicts regarding land tenure, a significant amount of highly productive lowlands and marshes are underexploited due to poorly maintained or abandoned drainage systems that cause repetitive flooding during the rainy season. FAO is proposing the rehabilitation of these lowlands in order to make more land available for returnee families and others, restore productive potential while at the same time increasing the value of the property for the land owners. This project, with the help of peace committees in the mediation of land conflicts, aims to secure signed contracts between land owners and community farm groups for 450 hectares for green gardening production benefiting 25,000 households. b. Increased small farmers’ access to improved inputs such as seeds, tools, credit to improve land use for their time and effort: Access to land does not necessarily imply that returnee families will be able to produce efficiently. The lack of quality seeds in rural Congo, the absence of other agricultural input marketing networks, the weak institutions in seed certification, and the extreme poverty of most farmers in the rural areas are major constraints limiting yield. Access to quality seeds is critical in the long term, but the providers of agricultural inputs in DRC are normally out of reach of the farmers that generally cannot find or afford these quality inputs. The project will increase farmers’ access to these critical inputs through organizing a dialogue for Agricultural Service Support, linking producers, intermediate and inputs providers to share concerns and needs. Improved agricultural techniques to increase production, improve food quality and conservation practices to ensure soil conservation and reduce land pressure: a. Good practices for the production of staple crops: Recent FAO projects in Eastern DRC have proved that once good quality seeds are available the production of staple crops can be increased with the extension of good practices like crop rotation (cereals-legumes), sowing in line, repeated weeding throughout the production season, anti- erosion bands, and organic fertilization, for example. These practices do not require greater effort by the farmer. From an environmental point of view, good practices to reduce soil degradation and erosion will be encouraged, with an emphasis made on avoiding burning practices to clear the crops and the use of slash and burn techniques.. Activities to restore the fertility of soils are also foreseen, and trainings to produce compost, already implemented by FAO in ongoing projects, are proving to be efficient in sensitizing farmers on the need to protect the soil in order to have steady harvests in the mid and long term. Other protection activities such as agro-forestry will be examined depending on the potential of the working zones and the interest shown by the communities. b. Good practices for the production of vegetables: Green gardening production for 15,000 families will ensure a continuous harvest throughout the year of the vegetables chosen by the farmers’ groups, such as tomatoes, onions, eggplants, or amaranths. The production of vegetables is a good value as an agricultural practice because it ensures constant income for the household and specifically for women who are most of the time responsible for gardening. c. Animal Health veterinary units: In Eastern DRC, improper cattle rearing practices (poor hygiene, poor veterinary care, late or non identification of outbreaks, for example), and lack of veterinary medicines, limit the cattle rearing sector to a low-income activity with frequent losses and lack of a real economic impact. The potential for growth of the livestock sector in Eastern DRC is very important though, especially in zones with a tradition in cattle rearing, such as Walungu or Ruzizi Area in South Kivu; Masisi in North Kivu and Irumu in Ituri. In addition, small livestock rearing such as chicken or goats is generalized throughout the region. In this project, FAO will create up to 10 veterinarian units, based on community development plans for the small grant packages. FAO will provide veterinary medicines to these units, which will be managed by groups of herders through a community-based approach and supported by the three cattle breeders associations in the region. Training on best practices for animal husbandry will also be given. Activity 2- Supporting opportunities for Alternative Livelihoods: CARE and FAO will work together to support two group Income Generating Activities (IGA) per community. The communities will propose which IGAs they would like to pursue and will be aided in the decision making process by information collected during the value chain and market analysis survey. CARE will provide professional skills training, such as business management or numeric literacy, to strengthen households and ensure better management of the financial gains made through IGAs. To leverage all the livelihood activities for a more sustainable impact, CARE will establish VSLA activities. The VSLAs will be linked to all the relevant community structures that the Tufaidike Wote project will work with including farmer’s groups, peace committees, IGA groups, and other community based organizations such as women’s associations. VSLA is a proven strategy to empower women and integrate marginalized people in a solidarity group. They are also an effective tool to support the socio-economic reintegration of survivors of SGBV.

Activity 3-Basic Agriculture Infrastructure Improved or Increased The rehabilitation of infrastructure in the rural markets (selling pavilions, slaughtering areas, warehouses, etc.) facilitates the exchange of agricultural products. Warehouses where farmers can store their products until the next market day will avoid double transport of goods and reduce the abuses made by intermediaries towards farmers. Authorized and equipped slaughter areas will improve hygiene and public health. We will address market construction needs expressed by the community through the small grant package. Processing: The installation of processing units (grinding mills, huskers, oil presses, etc.) accompanied by management training and equipment maintenance will help ensure that farmers have better market access, improving negotiation power of farmers in relation to traders or intermediaries, by increasing the added value of products sold and facilitating the preservation of processed products, reducing post-harvest losses. Transport: The isolation and long distances between production areas and marketing sites largely limit the development of the agricultural sector in the DRC. Rehabilitation of agricultural access roads and transport initiatives (group transport of the harvest out of the production areas, distribution of bicycles to farm associations) are priorities to reduce post harvest losses (especially vegetables), facilitate the flow of primary products and boost trade. In accordance with community preferences, FAO will be able to improve the accessibility of 150 km of access roads in targeted areas, with the construction of bridges, passages under roads or other infrastructure that facilitates access to the identified axes. Community participation is required for the maintenance and improvement of the bandwidth, and FAO will train the CLERs (Local Committees for road maintenance) and distribute the necessary tools to ensure such maintenance can occur. In addition, 700 farmers’ groups will receive bicycles for easy transportation of products, and there will be organized group transportation of harvests between the areas of food production and sales markets. Storage: Post-harvest losses due to poor conservation practices and storage could exceed 40 percent for some products like fruits and vegetables. Extension of good harvesting practices, including storage and preservation, and the establishment of common infrastructure (drying facilities, warehouses, etc.) will limit these losses and will be a key training and support activity of FAO. Marketing and linkages with private sector: Efforts will be made to facilitate trade between the private sector (transporters, traders, main actors in processing of first products, large buyers such as the WFP or Bralima) and producer groups. FAO’s ongoing projects in Eastern DRC propose an innovative and specialized approach to the analysis of markets and marketing strategies to have a better understanding of the dynamics between the private sector and farmer groups, provide a technical assessment to the private sector regarding the business opportunities linked to investments, and encourage the creation of mid- and long-term trade opportunities between the farmer groups and private companies. For example, the Tufaidike Wote team could partner with a cell phone company to provide services such as cash transfer capabilities or SMS updates on changing market prices for crops. Developing better linkages with the private sector will enable the integration of the community within a broad economic network and reduce transaction costs. An additional opportunity for cross-border trading between Eastern DRC and neighboring Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi exists and the Tufaidike Wote partners will look for ways to enhance and improve this network. Many people, especially women, travel back and forth selling vegetables, cattle, cereals, cassava and beans (depending on which border is being crossed). We will arrange dialogues among these groups to discuss barriers to trade such as illegal taxation and see how the Community Forum can work together to address the issues raised. Activity 4- Community-level dialogue on rights & roles of men and women facilitated: As described under IRs 1 and 2, the Tufaidike Wote team will conduct community dialogues on gender dynamics, including human rights and distribution of power and roles in society. We will also identify “positive deviants” or men and women who live outside established cultural norms to help facilitate discussions and provide leadership to the community groups we will work with. Cross-Cutting Themes for all Project Components Four cross-cutting themes support the project activities described above and assist the delivery the combined approach. These themes emphasize the need to develop a strong foundation of skills and capacities for all project stakeholders. During the first months of the project, strategies, training programs, and monitoring schedules will be developed by the project team’s technical advisers, all guided by the following: 1. Promoting inclusion, especially of women When groups of people within a community are marginalized and excluded from social and public life, true development and progress will be held back. Working to include groups such as women, widows, people living with disabilities, youth, or ex-combatants is a critical step to ensuring success, sustainability and impact that reaches the most community members possible. This theme is further discussed in Section D. 2. Conflict sensitivity and early warning In order to ensure that the Tufaidike Wote project activities do not (unintentionally) fuel conflict in target communities, and also to promote a positive peacebuilding impact in all of our project components we will apply conflict sensitivity as a cross-cutting theme. Conflict sensitivity extends the principle of “do no harm” to project actions to a greater awareness of the interaction of multiple actors in the broader surrounding environment. 13 It analyzes power relations in the community. During the community baseline assessment a simple conflict sensitivity tool will be used in each community to identify the main risks which may arise from project activities. Given the significant resource input to be delivered in the agricultural sector this will be a particular area of focus. The community will discuss the risks identified and consider how to address them in a preventive manner during the course of the project. At the same time the peace committees will be encouraged to discuss events in their community on a regular basis. This system of continual context analysis will feed back into the conflict sensitivity table as a ‘live’ monitoring and early warning tool. Every effort will be made to link with other local early warning systems particularly those which respond to cases of sexual violence. The community context monitoring information can be collected and used by local project partners and the project team in higher level security coordination meetings with government and international representatives such as STAREC/OCHA and the Stabilization Working Group. 3. Making good governance principles (participation, transparency, and accountability) a reality Good governance provides stability by making reconciliation sustainable through inclusion, and by allowing for equitable access to economic opportunities. The good governance principles of participation, transparency and

13 International Alert played a leading role in developing the concept of conflict sensitivity. See http://www.conflictsensitivity.org/publications/conflict-sensitive-approaches accountability cut right across the project. They will be applied through the program of capacity building for individuals and community organizations, followed by practical measures to strengthen citizens’ participation in the management of public affairs (see IR2). The goal is to promote stronger more equitable decision-making in and for the community. The capacity building program will be conducted through training of all project actors (including individual community members, community organizations and local authorities). On the basis of the data gathered in the community baseline assessments, the Governance Adviser will work closely with the Peacebuilding Adviser to prepare appropriate training modules, using what exists already in CARE and other INGOs present in DRC and relying as much as possible on the local language, Swahili. Capacity building training will range from ‘hard’ technical skills such as simple bookkeeping and writing minutes of meetings to ‘soft’ behavioral skills such as qualities of a leader. It will be consolidated through a ‘learning by doing’ approach.14 By means of the capacity building program, communities (individuals, community structures, and local authorities) will be enabled to better manage the resource inputs to the community. Greater capacity to participate in public affairs will be supported by creating opportunities to engage in decision- making. A lesson learned from previous experience is that the absence of records and other written documentation weakens commitments to decisions and encourages rumors and other bad practices. The keeping of records and the introduction of written forms of agreement will therefore be encouraged throughout the project. 15 Examples of written agreements which will be encouraged include actes de conciliation (deeds of reconciliation) and actes de cessation de terre (land use concessions). The work carried out on development plans and reconciliation plans will also be a good instrument for this purpose. 4. Participatory monitoring and learning Learning, monitoring and evaluation are important tools for achieving project goals at community level. The more the community participates in these processes the more their ownership of the project activities, outputs and outcomes will be increased. High ownership will encourage high levels of motivation, important in a project which relies heavily on voluntary time and effort. It will also encourage sustainability of project results, particularly the new knowledge, behaviors and skills acquired. Since the project aims to produce changes in the targeted communities, progress towards change will need to be monitored. The project has ‘hard’ activities which are easily assessed using quantitative methods, as well as ‘soft’ activities which are often better assessed using qualitative methods. Thus the M&E system will use simple tools for both, and particularly interlinking tools such as scorecards which can monitor opinions, and surveys to supplement gathering of case studies and narratives. The local partners will be trained to use these tools and to involve community members fully. Moreover, regular opportunities for feedback of this data to the community to encourage self-evaluation of progress will be created. The project uses several innovative approaches and methods. Opportunities for sharing these in national and international forums (such as UN cluster meetings, government/donor forums) and through reports and publications will be explored. Partnership Strategy and Promoting Linkages The Tufaidike Wote project is placing great emphasis on its ability to accompany the combined response with the promotion of trust and shared responsibility between citizens and different levels of authority. It will achieve this through a careful and comprehensive partnership strategy which brings a number of different actors together around many key activities. 1. Local partners supporting community structures Local partnerships are a preferred way of working for CARE, FAO, and International Alert and we have established relations with partners in each zone of intervention. Through the Liaison Officers that local partners will recruit, the organizations will be in permanent contact with community structures. Local partners add value to a community project through their wider network of contacts and their permanent presence on the ground – before and after the life of a project. In most cases one local partner will engage with the different community structures present in a community and they will be trained to take on the facilitation and monitoring role through capacity building and accompaniment. 2. Government and Administrative Authorities Local partners can also facilitate linkages with local authorities such as customary chiefs and state administrators. They can be a useful intermediary at territory level for matters such as those relating to land registration, conflicts requiring a penal referral, or power related conflicts particularly between different ethnic groups. The project will make a special effort to follow through community development plans so that they feed in to planning mechanisms

14 The ‘learning by doing’ approach involves participants analyzing problems and implementing solutions with a built in review process to reflect on the challenges encountered and adapt their activity as necessary. 15 It should be noted that this is not at the expense of the traditional forms of agreement used in predominately illiterate communities. at groupement, territory and provincial levels. Moreover, the consortium will make a concerted effort to link farmer’s groups and community development groups with CARGs (where they are functional) and also to involve CARGs in community development planning processes to ensure that community priorities are included in the broader agricultural development plan they are responsible for. Tufaidike Wote consortium members will also advocate at these higher levels. We have a solid rapport with provincial authorities and ministries. We have already had our project plan validated by the authorities in North and South Kivu (STAREC/ economic recovery commission and Comité Technique de Coordination-CTC), which ensures that we will collaborate with the ISSSS/STAREC decentralization plans. We will involve other national institutions such as SENASEM (National Service of Seeds) for the certification of the seeds that will be used during the project, and DVDA (Service of Access Roads) that will certify the quality of the infrastructural works. We will receive full support from Provincial Ministries of Agriculture, Fishing and Livestock (see Letters of Support Annex 5: Part VI). 3. Community Forum At the community level as already stated, the project will work with several community structures (local peace committees, community development committees and farmers’ groups). To promote transparency, accountability and synergy between these structures, a Community Forum bringing all three structures together will be organized in each community (or collection of communities if they are in the same groupement and prefer to meet together). This forum will enable coordination on community plans and sharing of context analysis and important community information and be a further key vehicle for good governance and citizen’s participation. Such forums are strongly recommended in recent publications on peacebuilding where creating neutral spaces for dialogue are seen as a minimal requirement for moving towards reconstructing a consensual basis for local hegemony.16 They are also an important means to increase information sharing and joint undertakings between community members and local officials, community leaders and chiefs who are invited to attend the meeting. 17 Each Community Forum will meet monthly and have a standard agenda which includes conflict and context monitoring, sharing plans and activities, and agreeing on joint actions to address issues of concern in the community.

Geographic Focus and choice of beneficiary target groups This project will work in Eastern Congo that may include South Kivu,North Kivu and Ituri . The exact determination of communities will be made through a participatory assessment of the communities at the start of the project. The feasibility study, which will be conducted in 11 groupements and will be linked with other USAID programs, will enable the consortium to determine the exact locations where the project will best perform. In Beni, the consortium will target the groupements of Batongi, Bambura, Mbau and Mavivi. In Masisi the consortium will target Biriri and Buabo. In South Kivu we will target along the Walungu – Mwenga axis, namely in Mulamba, Kanyola, Izege and Kabalule. The consortium will also conduct the feasibility study in North Kalehe (specifically in Nyabibwe and Numbi). The geographic criteria used to determine the project’s focus areas are: (1) a STAREC priority axis (and SSU priority zone) according to the SSU July 2011 situational assessment;(2) accessibility; (3) the ability to extend the area of stability and recovery across a zone; (4) the population’s experience with conflict; (5) the concentration of returnees and IDPs; (6) the livelihood – agricultural potential; (7) the experience and presence of our consortium and local partners in the area. Tufaidike Wote Ituri District Irumu territory: The southern section of the Bunia-Beni axis bordering North Kivu (collectivité Basili) has seen a sizeable immigration of the Nande and Hema farming communities in the past 20 years. Nande people struggle with host communities over land access for livestock, agriculture and timber. Moreover, Irumu territory was hardly affected by the conflict in 2009 and is now facing now a high number of returnees and increased economic migration. The armed group ADF/NALU is active in the east of this zone. The zone itself is considered stable enough despite pockets of local militia resistance -Front Populaire pour la Justice au Congo (FPJC) and Front de Résistance Patriotique de l’Ituri (FRPI). There is some banditry causing displacement of local populations. A number of actors, including Oxfam and Médecins Sans Frontière, are active and there is good access along the Bunia-Beni road. FAO is working in the Bunia-Luna axis and believes that the extensive savannah lands have good agricultural potential. Moreover, there will be a linkage with their work in neighboring North Kivu. International Alert’s partner, Haki na Amani, has established peace committees with experience in land conflict resolution in the collectivités Walendu Bindi, Bahema/Sud and Basili. It will be possible to have a quick start-up in this area for agricultural activities as well. North Kivu Masisi territory is the second highest territory in terms of the total number of SGBV survivors in 2010 18 (after Rutshuru Territory) and of the IDPs populations (157,893 in July 2011 19 after Lubero Territory). The consortium will

16 Fetherston, Peacekeeping, conflict resolution and peacebuilding: A reconsideration of theoretical frameworks, 2010n 17 See report on power relations in S Kivu: Jennifer Smith, Case Study of South Kivu Province, IA, 2009 18 UNFPA, Cas incidents de violences sexuelles enregistrés en 2010 au Nord-Kivu, December 2010 19 OCHA, Rapport de mouvement de population, July 2011 start working in the Masisi-Kinigi-Rubaya triangle in groupements Buabo and Bihiri. These areas have been hosting IDPs for several years and present good agricultural potential. CARE has developed several approaches in this area such as governance committees for humanitarian assistance management, food security support and WASH assistance. Access to land is a serious issue and access to other income generating activities will benefit all in the community. CARE has just finalized a livelihood survey program in the area and learned that 30% of household incomes in this area are generated by a non-agricultural activity. Ethnic issues have been also affecting this area, with a majority of Hunde people sharing territory with a large community of Tutsi and Hutu people, who mainly speak Kinyarwanda. We intend to add some relevant activities in Karuba groupement, where Alert is already implementing programs in the communities of Karuba Centre, Bushuhe and Rushoga. Beni territory has been highly affected by displacement and is ranked the second highest territory of return in North Kivu. This territory is also affected by the presence of the armed group ADF/NALU and has been severely impacted by the military operations “Rwenzori” of FARDC. FAO is already working through the joint UN project in chefferie de Bashu and Watalinga (north, neighboring Irumu). We propose to conduct community profiling along the axes Butembo, Beni, Bunia in order to complement existing FAO projects and benefit from the commercial interconnection between the two territories. South Kivu Walungu -West and East of the N2 road (I4S Priority): The haut plateau groupement of Mushinga west of the National Road 2 (N2) in Chefferie Ngweshe, and Burhale and Mulamba on the Walungu – Shabunda axis are focuses of concern. The conflict between two families with extensive land holdings in Ngweshe chefferie is now complicated by the arrival of Twangiza Gold Mining Company (Banrho), who has started operations in Burhinyi and Lhuandje groupements causing loss of livelihood and displacement. On the other side of the N2, the Walungu-Shabunda axis is still relatively inaccessible, but Alert and FAO have been working in the groupements of Burhale and Mulamba; and it is considered possible to liaise with existing actors such as CRS, Maltheser, Cooperation Suisse and CORDAID to assess communities further along the axis in the groupements such as Lubona, Tubimbi and Kamisimbi. The SGBV records are very high in this area and continue to be one of the highest in South Kivu. Definition of Community The project will work in 35 communities of approximately 4,000 people and 700 households. The community assessments which will be carried out in the first few months of the project 20 will determine the exact profile of target communities. Tufaidike WoteWe will work in 20 communities within the first two years and 15 more in the third year of the project. This way of phasing in communities will allow us more flexibility and improve our ability to respond effectively over time. According to the population statistics available, this size of community represents one or two localities in each case and is therefore a coherent entity of belonging and governance through which the project’s change goal is feasible. The Consortium estimates reaching 120,000 direct beneficiaries (half of whom are women), in around 20,000 households (assuming an average of 6 persons per households). In addition, it is estimated that there will be around 330,000 indirect beneficiaries including local administrative and customary authorities; neighbouring communities benefiting from improved agricultural production, producer prices, and markets; and a wider area influenced by the resolution and prevention of conflict in the selected communities.

B. MANAGEMENT AND STAFFING The Tufaidike Wote Consortium is composed of three primary members, CARE, International Alert and FAO, who have built their partnership on the cornerstone of collaboration and cooperation. Serving as the lead member, CARE will be responsible for overall coordination of the project as well as the financial administration, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting relationship with USAID. International Alert and FAO will maintain programmatic and financial accountability to the project, bearing the responsibility for the execution of activities that fall within their areas of technical expertise. Together, these organizations will maximize their collective human and resource capacity to ensure that an effective management and staffing structure strikes the optimal balance of logistics coordination, adaptive response to challenges and issues, and solid leadership for a high-quality program. The proposed management structure is illustrated below in the Tufaidike Wote Organizational Chart (Letters of Commitment from Tufaidike Wote Key Personnel can be found in Annex 1: Part II). Tufaidike Wote will be overseen by a Steering Committee that provides a forum for the consortium partners and USAID to develop and revise strategies and make key decisions. Provincial steering committees will also be established and led by a provincial coordinator and local government representatives to monitor the project implementation. The Chief of Party is responsible for coordination of the team, liaison with local authorities and the donor, as well as dissemination of the strategic decisions made by the steering committee. The CoP will lead the programmatic,

20 Due to the elections in November 2011 we think that it will not be a good idea to conduct surveys, etc in Dec. We intend to start baselines in January; however we will do rapid assessments in the quick-start up communities as soon as is feasible. financial, and administrative implementation and management of Tufaidike Wote. He will supervise and manage all key technical staff and as well as serve as the primary point-of-contact for USAID and the Government of DRC. The CoP will assume overall responsibility for project design, implementation, and performance. While there is a task management relationship between the CoP and the Steering Committee, the CoP will nevertheless be line managed by CARE’s Country Director and will be based in Goma. The CoP will also meet regularly with senior representatives of the implementing partners in order to ensure that project staff from CARE, FAO, and Alert is all working in tandem. The CoP will be supported in the program management role by the Operations Officer and the M&E Coordinator, who will act in his place during annual leave or planned absences. CARE is proposing Mr. Ron Ruybal for Chief of Party on the Tufaidike Wote team. Mr. Ruybal has over thirty years experience in the development field and is a reputable and responsible manager with a solid grounding in strategic planning, design, gender, and evaluation skills. Most recently, Mr. Ruybal served as the Senior Advisor to the Office of Agriculture for USAID Afghanistan managing an annual budget of one billion dollars in agricultural productivity, value chain development, credit, and natural resource conservation. In addition to his strong technical background, Mr. Ruybal has worked extensively with USAID and other NGOs, is fluent in French, and has previous experience in DRC. The combination of his programmatic and managerial skills, experience in conflict settings, and his dedication and commitment to the project proposed here make Mr. Ruybal an ideal candidate for the CoP position. A Technical Coordination Team (TCT) made up of senior management members of the three principal partners and headed by the CoP will tackle the technical components and annual activity plans. The technical advisers will also have representation in the committee, allowing for an exchange of technical expertise and experience as well as the consolidation of approaches and methodology. The coordination team will meet on a weekly basis in order to ensure full coordination and complementarities between different parts of the project. In addition, a pool of experts from CARE and International Alert will support the project with in-country and virtual technical assistance in gender, governance, monitoring and evaluation, and VSLA. Tufaidike’s technical advisers include an Agriculture Development Adviser (ADA), a Community Governance Adviser (CGA), and a Peacebuilding Adviser who will work full time on the project. Advisers will be based in the Goma coordination office and will work directly with consortium members’ project teams based in other offices. The consortium has recruited for the three advisers and has found excellent candidates for all of these positions. Per USAID’s guidance, we will describe only the key personnel here. International Alert is proposing Miss Maria Lange for the Peace building Adviser position on the Tufaidike Wote team. Currently the Chief of IA’s Office in North Kivu in Eastern DRC, Miss Maria Lange is responsible for the development and monitoring of peace building and conflict sensitivity programming since ten years, has developed skills and competencies in conflict analysis and community based peace building programming. She has supervised and contributed to several in depth surveys conducted in North and South Kivu on these thematic. Miss Maria Lange has close to ten years of knowledge and experience in peace building and conflict sensitivity programming in DRC and elsewhere, making her a well-rounded candidate for the PBA position. CARE is proposing Mr. Jean-Louis Mbusa for the Community Governance Adviser. Mr. Mbusa has over a decade of experience working with international NGOs in DRC specifically honing his skills in community-oriented governance for reconstruction and development. In addition to having an in-depth understanding of the socio-political context and dynamics of the region, Mr. Mbusa is well versed in governance accountability tools, conducting community assessments, and has developed strong rapport with the communities where he has worked. He is fluent in French, Swahili, and Lingala. An Operations Officer will also report directly to the CoP. S/he will lead the implementation of CARE’s sub- agreements and management policy, ensuring that identified organizational gaps and weaknesses are systematically addressed. The Operations Officer will also be responsible for supporting the CoP in program management and administration. Working closely with CARE’s Financial Controller, Assistant Country Director for Program Support, Grant Manager and other members of the senior program management team, the Operations Officer will maintain direct relationships with the consortium partners in order to ensure that recipients comply with grant conditions and reporting requirements. A Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Coordinator, recruited by CARE, will complete the team reporting directly to the CoP. The M&E Coordinator will lead implementation of the Program Monitoring Plan, outlined in Section E and Annex 4: Part V. The Tufaidike Wote M&E Coordinator will be supported by CARE’s Program Quality & Learning Advisor and FAO’s monitoring team and will oversee the M&E responsibilities of project officers in each province. The M&E Coordinator will conduct regular visits to target communities and assess ongoing efforts and attainment of project objectives. These field visits will promote the honest, efficient and effective use of project resources, monitor the quality of services provided by the Tufaidike Wote implementing partners and provide key information through written and photographic documentation on the strengths and weaknesses at all sites visited. This information will feed into regular updates on the project accomplishments and remaining challenges. In addition, the M&E officer will work in coordination with the Operations Officer to support CoP in program management, administration and oversight. While each consortium partner will cover activities in all both Provinces and the Ituri District of intervention, the office bases have been divided by partner by province. CARE will maintain a project office in Masisi to ease operations and proximity to the field. International Alert will be based in Bukavu, South Kivu, while FAO will be based in Bunia and Beni, each already has established offices. As we have already operational offices and staff in place, this ensures a rapid start up of the project in the first 10 communities. Though each partner will have the flexibility to determine the exact compositions of their team, the agreed provincial structure will resemble the following: Project Officers: Each consortium partner will provide one or two project officers to oversee the implementation of activities in the field. There should be at least two PO in order to ensure that each of the two axes in the province can be covered at all times. The project officer will report to the project partner which recruited him/her. One of the project officers will be appointed as Provincial Coordinator that will be responsible for the close coordination of each component and reporting to the coordination team and COP. Field Advisers: Consortium partners can provide field advisers to the project offices as required. For example, FAO will provide a total of eight agricultural advisers over the project area. The FAO Field Adviser will be charged with providing technical capacity building and monitoring of the agricultural activities. International Alert and CARE will hire field advisers in their expertise. Fifty percent of the field advisers’ position will be phased out in year two, as the capacity of the local implementing partners increase in the field. Support Staff: The consortium partners overseeing each provincial/district office will have in place the requisite support staff required to run the sub-office. The exceptions are drivers; each consortium partner will manage its own cars and drivers in each of the sites. Local NGO partners: Local implementing partner’s liaison officers (to be recruited) will be charged with coordinating activities in the field sites, harmonizing the activity plans of the three partners, passing information between the community and the project staff and serving as a point of reference for all project related activities. In the first two years, the liaison officers will be closely supported by the Field Advisers. Figure 2: Organizational Structure C. COLLABORATION AND LEVERAGED RESOURCES The Tufaidike Wote consortium will collaborate regularly with USAID, inviting representatives to take part in an annual steering committee meeting, ensuring timely reporting and encouraging field visits to project sites. The organizational capability and experience described in Section F indicate the extent of existing consortium member activities which the project will build on and leverage. Consortium partners already have quality relationships with USAID and other donors supporting stabilization (for example: DFID, EU, the UN system—through the SSU and other joint UN agency forums including the Stabilization Working Group and clusters); and with government bodies (STAREC line ministries such as the Ministries of Planning and Agriculture). Consortium partners have worked in partnership with several other key USAID implementers: MSI, IRC, UNICEF, UNDP, UN-HABITAT; and will actively maintain these relationships through exchanges, seminars, and informal contact. Building on this rapport, the program we propose also has synergy and complementarities with UNDP work with the Local Committees for Peace and Development (CLPD); UNHCR work with CLPCs, and Mercy Corps work on the MYAP project. Each consortium partner has previously submitted and had validated by the North Kivu CTC a fiche de projet which has synergy and direct complementarities to the project activities proposed here. These proposals, one falling within the Social and Humanitarian Sub-Commission and two within the Relance Economique Commission, contribute an element which complements those of other actors validated by CTC. A fiche for this project has also been presented to the North Kivu and South Kivu CTC through the Ministry of Planning who has given his full support (see Annex 5: Part VI). As the CTC mechanism is opened up in Ituri the same process will be followed. FAO is seeking similar support from line ministries in Kinshasa. At the more local level, International Alert has partnered with MSI and UN- HABITAT to train customary chiefs and CLPC committees in the principles of conflict management and resolution in Masisi, Rutshuru, Walungu and Kalehe. CARE is implementing in a consortium with Save the Children, and Dutch NGO’s ZOA and healthnet TPO in a community participatory project including community development plan and VSLAs. The local implementing partners are active members of civil society in each province or district. Tufaidike Wote will use each stakeholder’s knowledge of and engagement with communities and groupements adjacent to the selected communities of intervention to spread the benefits of training and other capacity building activities and to gain wider ownership and input to understanding and lobbying on local issues of concern. Exchange visits will also be organized. The final selection of communities will take into account the possibility of working in several communities in the same groupement to increase coverage, impact and linkages on community development plans, or agricultural value chains, and to extend these to a territorial level. For the research and learning priorities of the Tufaidike Wote consortium, we plan to develop partnerships with private or public research centers, such as the Pole Institute. FAO will partner with the University of Graben based in Butembo in North Kivu. Cost Share provided as part of our proposal constitutes 14% of the Total Estimated Cost proposed.

D. GENDER

The Tufaidike Wote team’s experience has led to a growing knowledge base of and strong commitment to addressing the relationship between poverty and gender inequality, especially as it relates to emergency and conflict settings. Building off the depth and breadth of our global work and local effort in Eastern DRC, the project team has prioritized addressing gender dynamics as a cross-cutting strategy that seeks to understand the needs, interests, contributions, and constraints of both men and women in order to build more equity in the context of where they live, work, and raise families. Deep rooted, discriminatory gender norms throughout most of Congolese society pervade every aspect of life. Cultural expectations which uphold male supremacy and maintain the total subservience of women often involve violence in the domestic sphere and heavy workloads for women. In agriculture, men negotiate access to land, women work the land and produce the crops, and men manage the post-harvest revenues (except in polygamous families where the management of household income is organized differently). In Eastern DRC years of conflict have brought important changes to these already excessively unequal gender roles. Many men, particularly young men, have been militarized, and many male heads of households are no longer able to provide for their families. Together with the associated loss of dignity, men in both civilian and military categories have become more economically, socially and politically vulnerable. At the same time women have had to fend for themselves, sometimes by eking out a living associated with armed groups or as female headed households. The changing economic role of women in the predominant field of agriculture brings them into conflict with local customary authorities and sometimes with their own family members. This is because women traditionally do not have land property rights, yet widows, divorcees and female heads of households have had no choice but to try to gain land, the granting of which is at a man’s discretion. Female heads of households who have been displaced or are returning refugees face a particularly difficult situation. Women are furthermore often excluded from public life as a result of gender stereotyping which denies them opportunity for education and limits their ability to make their voices heard in public forums. In our view, the increase in SGBV is at least in part an outcome of these changing roles. As the US Strategy to Address SGBV in the DRC states, “addressing gender inequality in the DRC is not only the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do.”21 The physical security of women is “a strong predictor of the peacefulness of the state” 22, and addressing the socio-political-cultural drivers which permit and even promote SGBV must be addressed from and by the community in order to reduce its occurrence and create a protective environment in which women, men, girls and boys all enjoy access to their basic human rights and opportunities to reach their full potential. There are three strands in the Tufaidike Wote gender strategy: to empower women to begin to understand their rights and roles, to have improved economic security, and to make a greater contribution to public life. A gender audit and analysis will be undertaken during project start up in order to ensure that dynamics of gender for all beneficiaries are understood in their context. These assessments will also serve to strengthen our approaches within the three strands. Men will be fully involved as allies and partners in our gender strategy. CARE has found that a programmatic focus that includes gender expansively (with men and women) leads to the most sustainable gains. Instead of viewing men and women as oppositional groups with power transferred from one to the other, we can use the principles of peacebuilding and conflict resolution to reinforce the importance of changing attitudes and fostering interdependent and mutually supportive relationships. For the empowerment strand, consortium and local partners already have good training modules to draw on, including using international instruments such as UNSCR 1325 as a basis for discussion and advocacy. In livelihoods training women will systematically be 50% of participants; unequal workloads will be a topic for discussion. Some training will be oriented only to women in order to try and reduce the differences in skills between men and women; for example, training on how to ride a bike before a distribution of bicycles to the farmers’ groups occurs in order to avoid appropriating the bicycles with the excuse that women don’t know how to ride them. Attention to women’s primary needs characterizes the second strand of our gender strategy. In relation to the agricultural project component, access to land will focus on resolving land conflicts involving women, and in allocating land according to women’s needs, such as distance to travel and the ability to reach the fields in a group and not alone. Another protection example is that during harvesting periods for staple crops, trucks will be rented by the project in order to avoid extensive movement by women who are exposed to robbery or sexual violence as they transport produce. Green gardening which generates continuous revenue throughout the year (compared with staple crops which only have two yields) is an important income generating activity that a woman can lead in her household and subsequently manage the income for family expenses. The overall increase to the household income has been shown to improve relationships and protect women from possible violence. The VSLA groups will also be a way for women to invest, save, and enhance the benefits of green gardening and other IGAs. The third gender strand will focus more on women’s secondary or strategic needs and significantly promote new roles for women in decision-making by working with women members in the three community structures involved in the project (local peace committees, community development committees and farmers’ groups); and by involving all committee members in training on good governance principles which include equal participation by women. Where appropriate, the project will work specifically with women’s groups and associations.

E. MONITORING AND EVALUATION PLAN

The Tufaidike Wote consortium will put in place a robust and rigorous Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) in order to guide implementation, generate reliable data to quantify and qualify performance and impact, and support knowledge management. The PMP is comprised of a Results Framework and three core functions: Internal Monitoring & Capacity Building, External Impact Evaluations, and Knowledge Management & Accountability. Results Framework Referring back to the Tufaidike Wote theory of change: Peace and stability are fostered by creating spaces, capacities and opportunities for all groups in targeted communities in Eastern DRC to participate in a combination of reconciliation and recovery activities. In support of this change theory, the proposed results framework establishes an illustrative set of performance indicators associated with each intermediate result level, which will be further refined following award. The summary table below presents preliminary indicators at the long-term outcome and impact levels together with annual benchmarks. Annex 4: Part V presents a detailed PMP Results Framework with information on data collection, data quality, frequency and analysis.

Table 1: Proposed Key Performance Indicators and targets Indicators Target Y1 Y2 Y3 Y4

21 US strategy to address sexual and gender-based violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Public Release: April 2011. 22 Anderlini, Sanam Naraghi. World Development Report 2011: WDR Gender Background Paper, Final Draft. February 19, 2010. Strategic Objective: Stable socio-economic recovery in targeted communities enhanced Number of project beneficiaries whose living conditions N/A 42,000 63,000 120,000 improved as a result of project interventions*23 Percentage of citizens for whom perceptions of their own N/A 10% 20% 40% physical security improved* Number of women’s organizations/assoc 20 100 210 210 iations assisted as a result of USG support Number of community-based reconciliation 10 50 70 70 projects completed with USG assistance Proportion of female participants in USG-assisted programs designed to increase access N/A 50% 60% 60% to productive economic resources (assets, credit, income or employment) Increase proportion of people (disaggregated by sex) who demonstrate an To be determined after the baseline active participation in the community fora compared to the baseline IR 1: Conflict Prevention and management capacity developed or strengthened in targeted communities

Percentage increase of land conflicts resolved by peace 5% 10% 20% 40% committees supported by USG Percentage increase of (non-land related) intra and inter-community conflicts prevented 5% 10% 15% 20% or resolved peacefully by communities supported by USG IR 2: Citizens’ participation in good governance strengthened in targeted communities Percentage increase 5% 15% 30% 50% in the satisfaction of the population* with their participation in the management of public affairs that

23 The consortium estimates that 80% of the total targeted households will have an increase in revenue by the end of the project. affect their lives* Percentage increase in the satisfaction of the population* with the level of 5% 10% 20% 35% transparency in local and national government institutions* IR 3: Livelihoods in targeted communities improved Percentage increase in household 10% 25% 50% 60% revenue on a sustainable basis

*Denotes data that will be disaggregated by: sex (male/female), age (youth/adult); members of vulnerable populations; and people with disabilities. Internal Monitoring & Capacity Building Tufaidike Wote’s monitoring system will ensure accurate tracking of program activities, outputs and outcomes. Primary field data collection will be carried out by field-level staff of implementing partners and local partners who will be trained to do so. Community members will be consulted at the outset and during project implementation to integrate their analysis, opinions and satisfaction. CARE has developed several tools such as the community score card and baseline guidelines for this. Data on program outputs and initial outcomes will be collected, analyzed, checked for quality and consolidated in regular progress reports for various “clients of the M&E system”, primarily USAID, collaborating partners, and targeted communities. Illustrative tools to be applied by the internal monitoring function include monthly indicator monitoring, field visit, satisfaction surveys and case studies. To ensure social accountability to target beneficiaries and to gain their input into program decision making, the project will involve community members and project beneficiaries in periodic performance reviews.24 A critical aspect of internal monitoring will be the development of a conflict-sensitive M&E plan for use by the peace committees and project officers. This will take place during project start-up and will be developed with input from key stakeholders. Conflict-sensitive monitoring results will be discussed within the TCT regular meetings and can support any project adjustments or adaptations allowing for project flexibility and sustainability. Building on past success with M&E capacity building, the Tufaidike Wote team will train local partners in monitoring and evaluation tools, techniques, collection, and analysis and work with them to develop and implement the monitoring plan. Project staff will meet with partners to conduct a quarterly review of data, analyze findings, and develop reports. As experience is gained, the project will move to semester review meetings in order to ensure sustainability beyond the life of the project. Collecting and maintaining quality data is critical to the project. Explicit details for each indicator are included in the full results framework in Annex 4: Part V. Data quality will be checked by CARE’s internal quality team including one program quality officer and one Director of Program Quality. At the start of the project, the consortium will work on a quantitative and qualitative database and set up data collection tools. This database will be prepared with local partners to ensure their full ownership of the M&E tool. Performance Evaluation To generate objective, reliable data on performance and impact, the PMP includes an external performance evaluation. The feasibility and the baseline evaluation will be led by the CoP with support of two external consultants and conducted in the first few months of the project. The feasibility will include five key assessments: (1) Governance; (2) Conflict: identification of the main types of conflicts experienced in the community (governance-, land-, resource-related, linked w political and/or armed actors); (3) Food security & Livelihood; (4) Household profiling and (5) Gender Analysis.It will enable to determine the exact sites intervention. The baseline will enable to set up and revise if necessary the target used in the PMP and it will complement the data collected in the feasibility survey. The midline and end line studies will be conducted by an external evaluator contracted by USAID and in consultation with the Tufaidike Wote consortium. Relying on a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, the evaluation will assess whether the program interventions do indeed lead to stable socio-economic recovery for the target communities. Methodologically, the evaluation will apply a community based approach with adequate statistical controls and qualitative tools such as interviews, focus groups and for a consultation that uses the natural

24 CARE and International Alert have collaborated on an important multi-country ‘Theory of Change’ project and will apply lessons learnd from this project wherever possible. variation of participant exposure to and/or engagement with the project to the evaluation’s analytic advantage. Across all aspects of the evaluation, data will be disaggregated by gender, age, vulnerable population, and people with disability in order to understand how different groups of people may benefit from the work of Tufaidike Wote in a distinct manner. Knowledge Management & Accountability The Tufaidike Wote PMP includes tested knowledge management practices which ensure that key stakeholders, project beneficiaries, and the implementing staff of all partners are engaged and accountable to the project’s success. The Tufaidike Wote consortium places a high degree of importance on engaging key stakeholders in the processes of joint learning and accountability. To this end, the Technical Coordination Team will prepare documentation and share it with all stakeholders including USAID, the government and partners. The steering committee will meet on an annual basis and will discuss results and impact, strategy, and lessons learned based on relevant documentation and research. The TCT will determine research themes that can complement already existing surveys and research on Eastern DRC and conflict. Externally, the project will pursue a communications plan that reaches key stakeholders via community radios and other outlets including roadside visibility. Through its M&E Officer the project will prepare and share the results with the stakeholders in DRC and abroad. The Tufaidike Wote consortium plans to have two publications during the project period that will be broadly shared. The Tufaidike Wote team will put in place a system of routine reflective practice at all levels of implementation. This will include monthly field staff meetings and internal benchmarking reports to increase accountability and build staff capacity. Collaboration will enable peer-to-peer learning on a demand-driven basis, as well as ensure that timely adjustments can be made when implementation issues arise. An annual meeting of the entire project team will also be hosted to facilitate reflection, sharing and dialogue on the performance of Tufaidike Wote.

F. INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY AND PAST PERFORMANCE

CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty with community-based efforts to improve basic education, prevent the spread of HIV, increase access to clean water and sanitation, expand economic opportunity and protect natural resources. CARE also delivers emergency aid to survivors of war and natural disasters, and helps people rebuild their lives. It places special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty. CARE first intervened in the DRC in 1994 in the Eastern Congo to respond to the refugee crisis stemming from the Rwandan genocide. CARE left the DRC in 1998, but returned in 2002. Initial interventions generally focused on health issues in the province of Maniema, although there were projects which assisted demobilized soldiers, led community driven reconstruction, and directed community managed livelihoods support, including the set up of Village Savings and Loans Associations. In 2008, CARE expanded exponentially, in terms of staff size and sectors of intervention. This included launching interventions in North Kivu in order to respond to the humanitarian crises resulting from the ongoing conflict and insecurity in the area. Today, CARE DRC has nearly 150 staff and is directly implementing projects in North Kivu, Maniema and Kinshasa. CARE is providing technical support to a number of local NGOs in large scale projects in Kasais and South Kivu. Considered a leader in the field and partner of choice in reproductive health projects, community driven reconstruction, good governance and socio-economic reintegration for SGBV survivors and other vulnerable members of the community, CARE DRC has a solid foundation in country. CARE’s “Umoja” approach, which provides assistance to IDPs living in host communities, is widely recognized as the way forward in terms of assisting IDPs and communities lead an effective humanitarian response in a manner that promotes good governance while reducing risk to humanitarian crises stemming from conflict related population movements. CARE is committed to working with local partners, including the Congolese civil society, communities, and state agencies. For example, in all of its health interventions, CARE implements activities through the Ministry of Health; the community mobilization component of the projects is generally managed by local NGOs or CBOs. CARE’s solid record of sub-granting to local organizations and well-established procedures ensure partner organizations are held accountable for their use of sub-grant funds while opportunities to exchange expertise and build local capacity are maximized. CARE currently has funding from UNICEF, UNDP, the Pooled Fund, the Norwegian and Dutch Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Coca Cola, the Positive Action for Children’s fund and the Warren and Susan Buffet Foundation. CARE is also working as a technical partner in a large scale, multi-year SGBV project funded by USAID, the C-Change project funded by USAID, and a community driven reconstruction project funded through the IRC by DFID. Key programming experiences related to the Tufaidike Wote: In the regional PACDEV project, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, CARE supported 8,350 conflict affected and marginalized households in 10 post-conflict communities in Maniema to rehabilitate their livelihoods in collaboration with civil society and local government. In the same project, 30 peace committees enabled communities to increase their capacity to resolve and mitigate conflicts over resources and services. Over 99% of the 272 conflicts brought before the Peace Committees were successfully resolved. CARE’s community-driven reconstruction projects (Tuungane funded by DFID through IRC and Pamoja funded by the Dutch MoFA) reinforce the link between communities, civil society and local government, providing support in conflict mitigation, transparent management and good governance. Working within the national decentralization process, local development committees lead community based participatory planning processes and manage subsequent activities. The project has effectively contributed to the development of local governance systems that empower communities, hold local government accountable and respond to community needs and priorities by addressing three key components: basic services and economic development, conflict resolution, and political participation. The principal cross-cutting issues include good governance, peacebuilding, gender equality, and non- discrimination. In the Norwegian MoFA funded Mama Amka project, CARE is assisting the treatment and reintegration of survivors of SGBV and other acutely vulnerable members of the community, while increasing community capacity to prevent future acts of SGBV. To date, over 860 survivors of sexual violence have benefited from community managed psycho-social accompaniment, while over 1,300 individuals have accessed expanded economic opportunities through Income Generating Activity groups and Village Savings and Loans Association. The socio-economic component of the project has proved an effective mechanism to create a safe environment for survivors and, on a wider scale, build community solidarity in an early recovery context. In CARE’s Umoja projects, funded by a number of donors since 2009, over 48,000 displaced individuals and members of their host families have been assisted in a community led process, which has allowed participants to access assistance that responds to their specific needs. The use of a voucher system in an open market also supports economic recovery. Community Crisis Management Cells have been trained to monitor population movements, mitigate conflict and lead in humanitarian responses. International Alert is a 25-year old independent peacebuilding organization that works with people who are directly affected by violent conflict to improve their prospects of peace. Alert seeks to influence governments, international organizations and multinational companies to reduce conflict risk and increase the prospects of peace. Working in Africa, several parts of Asia, the South Caucasus, the Middle East and Latin America and most recently in the UK, Alert’s policy work focuses on several key themes that influence prospects for peace and security – the economy, climate change, gender, the role of international institutions, the impact of development aid, and the effect of good and bad governance. Alert is one of the world’s leading peacebuilding NGOs with more than 155 staff based in London and 15 field offices. International Alert has been working in the Great Lakes region since 1995. Due to the interconnected nature of the conflicts in the region, Alert’s work focuses both on specific countries and on the region as a whole and is inspired by three main areas of strategic focus: economic factors of peace and conflict; gender approaches to peace; and reconciliation through dialogue. In the DRC, International Alert works with civil society organizations and other stakeholders to encourage good governance, promote inclusiveness and the representation of marginalized groups, and facilitate dialogue between different actors and sectors. Projects are rooted in a context analysis, which is built around three interconnected elements, namely power, identity and resources. Alert focuses on the following approaches in its work in the DRC:  A community approach, based on our conviction that community initiatives, supported by local authorities, represent the most promising solutions to the problems facing Eastern DRC  A gender approach, focused to date on promoting women’s active engagement in public life, peacebuilding and politics  A political economy approach, addressing current issues including the management of conflicting interests over natural resources (particularly land) and the incorporation of conflict-sensitivity into community recovery and development  A governance approach, which aims to help strengthen statutory authorities by ensuring their effective connection with community and civil society structures and initiatives. Current programs aim to promote community recovery with a governance and peacebuilding dimension in North and South Kivu; to remove barriers (at community and institutional levels) to women’s access to politics and political institutions; to strengthen the capacities of Alert and its partners to monitor and evaluate their peacebuilding work, with a specific focus on women’s organizations; and to promote small scale cross border trade as a way to strengthen women’s economic empowerment and fuel reconciliation through dialogue. Over the course of the last two years, Alert has supported various conflict resolution initiatives in DRC that directly relate to the program objectives of the Tufaidike Wote project, including: capacity building support for ‘local peace initiatives’ in Ituri district which mediate land conflicts (established by local NGO network Haki na Amani); the development and advocacy on a provincial edict in North Kivu regulating traditional chiefs’ customary land management (with local NGO FAT); and the piloting of a community mechanism for managing the transhumance, which every year leads to violent conflicts in South Kivu (with local NGO ADEPAE). We have developed a practical guide to designing and delivering training on community-based conflict resolution with Haki na Amani, and carried out research on land, identity and power as roots of violent conflict in Eastern DRC. We conducted research and published reports on a wide variety of topics related to conflict and peacebuilding in Eastern DRC, including the economy of armed groups, natural resource exploitation, and sexual violence. We published an inventory and analysis of community-based conflict management structures and initiatives in North and South Kivu and in Ituri. Alert was the lead agency in the EU-funded ‘Initiative for Peacebuilding’ (IfP) consortium, whose outputs included Africa-wide research on conflict-sensitive land policy and land governance. Finally, Alert is currently completing the implementation of the USAID-supported Project to Promote Stabilization and Community Reintegration in E-DRC (PSCRP) which over the last 18 months has enhanced our understanding of the impact of village-level conflicts on local stability and on wider socio-politico-economic dynamics in North and South Kivu. Over the course of this project we have developed and applied innovative methods of conflict resolution and transformation alongside local peace committees, building the capacity of local partners and facilitating peaceful and inclusive governance processes for the implementation of recovery projects. Achieving food security for all is at the heart of FAO's efforts - to make sure people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. FAO's mandate is to raise levels of nutrition, improve agricultural productivity, better the lives of rural populations, and contribute to the growth of the world economy. FAO's activities comprise four main areas: (1) collecting, analyzing and disseminating data that aid development using the expertise of its staff; (2) sharing expertise in devising agricultural policy, supporting planning and drafting effective legislation, and creating national strategies to achieve rural development and hunger alleviation goals; (3) acting as a neutral forum to provide the setting where rich and poor nations can work together to build common understanding; (4) providing technical expertise to thousands of projects in the field throughout the world, in traditional development settings as well as crisis situations. In 2010, FAO implemented programs and projects worth a total value of $903 million USD. FAO has provided emergency and rehabilitation assistance throughout the DRC since 1998. Its commitment to supporting the population through some of the most difficult recent periods has led to the development of a solid relationship with key international and national stakeholders, including the Ministries of Agriculture, Health and Development, as well as over 200 International and National NGOs. FAO seeks to support the most vulnerable members of the population, including malnourished children and their families, returning and repatriated populations, IDPs and their host families, as well as survivors of sexual violence and recently demobilized soldiers. In 2011 FAO is implementing a total of 16 projects: eight of them are categorized as emergency, six as rehabilitation and two related to the reintegration of ex-combatants. Main activities include distributions of agricultural, fishing and small animal rearing inputs, improved seed multiplication, support to community organizations and associations of producers, capacity building, transformation and construction of infrastructure for storage and improved access to markets. Key Experiences related to Tufaidike Wote: Rehabilitation programs provide critical assistance to communities transitioning out of a post-conflict phase and into one of sustained development. Activities in such projects include the establishment of a community-managed food security surveillance system. Since 2010, reconstruction activities have been designed within the national stabilization strategy framework, known as STAREC. Supporting the recovery of agricultural activities entails building local producer capacity to intensify the quality and quantity of production for an improved value chain from production, transformation, transportation and commercialization of produce. This also requires rehabilitating essential infrastructure (roads, rural markets and storage capacity). A local Purchasing Unit established in 2008 guarantees in-country capacity to engage in a transparent, competitive and effective purchasing process that ensures quality goods and services. In North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri, FAO has implemented since 2009 a successful food security program in the early recovery stage that uses an integrated approach based on a participatory livelihood analysis conducted with target communities. The project is based on 3 principle interventions:  Through this program, access to land for farming has been increased via innovative contracts between land owners and farmers in a win-win approach, and around 13,000 returnees families have been provided with access to individual plots of land.  This program is intensive in capacity building on best practices in farming and herding, as well as training to farmers associations in order to enhance both their production and organizational capabilities. In addition, quality inputs (tools, R1 seeds) have been distributed to these 13,000 farmers in order to improve their production, associated in 100 farmer´s groups that have been reinforced in the same way.  The third pillar is the improvement of the agricultural value chain, and other than the production, activities are implemented in order to improve the storage, processing, transport and marketing of crops. These activities include analysis of the value chain in order to improve our understanding of the links between the different stakeholders, as well as an important package dedicated to the construction and rehabilitation of infrastructures, with more than 100 km of access roads rehabilitated, 10 veterinary units built and operationalized, 10 markets built and 40 warehouses built for processing and storage purposes, with 40 processing machines installed. List of Acron

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