The Study on Community Development Plan in Cataractes District, Bas-Congo Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Final Report Chapter 4 Existing Conditions of the Communities of the Study Area In this Chapter, the results of the Study conducted to understand the existing conditions are presented for the planning of community development plans of the Study Area. Firstly, we studied and listed the potential actors including administrative organizations and other institutions, who were supposed to be responsible or involved in the community development activities. Secondly, the present conditions of the Study Area were understood by putting together the results of exploratory field studies, community profile studies, workshops, etc. And, based on the understanding, the Study Area’s issues and needs were sorted out. Using the information, potentials and constraints of community development in the Study Area were sorted out and an analysis was carried out on the target communities of the Study Area. 4.2 Characteristics of the Target Communities 4.2.1 Population 4.1 Actors Involved in Community 4.2.2 Means of Livelihood Development in the Study Area 4.2.3 Land Use 4.1.1 Ministry of Rural Development 4.2.4 Land Ownership 4.1.2 Directorate of Community 4.2.5 Water Use Development 4.2.6 Markets and Public Facilities (Schools and 4.1.3 Other Related Institutions Medical Facilities) 4.2.7 Existing Villagers’ Organizations 4.3 Study Area’ Issues and Needs (results of analysis of workshops) 4.4 Analysis of Developmental Potentials 4.5 Developmental Constraints Community Road Rehabilitation Improvement in agricultural productivity Improvement in value addition to farm products Diversification of Income Source Improvement of living Environment Improvement of natural environment Improvement of public facilities 4.6 Analysis of Target Communities Figure 4.1 Flow of Analysis of Target Communities 4.1 Actors Involved in Community Development in the Study Area For formulating community development plans, it is necessary to understand the actors who are involved in the community development process in the Study Area. Such actors are shown below. 4.1.1 Ministry of Rural Development In 1977, when the Ministry of Rural Development was established as the competent administrative for community development, its roles were not clarified because of an institutional 4 - 1 The Study on Community Development Plan in Cataractes District, Bas-Congo Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Final Report reason, but the ministry’s role was prescribed in 1986. In accordance with the Government Decree put in force on May 16, 2007, the Ministry of Rural Development is now charged with the following responsibilities: (1) Planning and management of development projects in local regions, rural areas and city fringes; (2) Establishment and guidance of associations in rural areas and organizations of farmers; (3) Formulation and supervision of rural development policies and strategies; (4) Organization and guidance to villagers to improve agricultural productivity; (5) Improvement of rural environment and facilities; (6) Coordination and integration of development plans in rural areas; (7) Implementation of enlightenment activities for villagers and guidance to stabilize their livelihood; (8) Promotion and support for inland water fisheries in rural areas; and (9) Improvement, construction, rehabilitation, maintenance and management of basic social and economic infrastructure in rural areas such as community roads, water source facilities, gravity water channels, local drinking water facilities, etc. 4.1.2 Directorate of Community Development The Directorate of Community Development (hereinafter referred to as “DECO”) is a directorate under the supervision of the Ministry of Rural Development and belongs to the Central Management Service of the Rural Development Office. DECO has been charged with the following responsibilities: (1) To promote the improvement of farmers’ income and stability in their livelihood as well as to organize and give guidance to villagers so that the rural facilities for providing goods and services which contribute to the national development process are properly maintained and managed; (2) To get the villagers involved in the implementation of the national development policy formulated by the government; (3) To play the role of interfacing development organizations and other partners; (4) To provide training, advice and arbitration of conflicts to primary organizations such as individual associations and to support their self-sustaining development; and (5) To promote the application of a resident-led approach to development through which villagers voluntarily participate in the development process. In addition, DECO, as a Directorate in charge of the provision of enlightenment, guidance, awareness expansion and education to villagers through rural education activities, has the following established goals: (1) To alleviate poverty through programs to develop villagers’ capacity and to contribute to the national development process by encouraging the individual villagers and their organizations to 4 - 2 The Study on Community Development Plan in Cataractes District, Bas-Congo Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Final Report make efforts (long-term overall goal); (2) To improve the basic capacity of the communities by promoting villagers’ training, education and leadership as well as to advance activities contributing to the improvement of livelihood through highly productive projects and to support villagers in the establishment of villagers’ organizations in collaboration with related institutions (mid-term strategic goal); and (3) To prepare programs for the development of leaders, education of villagers, enlightenment activities, mental training, new technology introduction, etc. as well as to formulate projects for partners involved in the development process and to evaluate the impact of these projects (short-term practical goal). 4.1.3 Other Related Institutions Except for the Ministry of Rural Development and the DECO, an institution related to the community development in the Study Area is a Directorate under the control of the Ministry of Rural Development and belongs to the Central Management Service of the Rural Development Office called the Directorate of feeder roads (hereinafter referred to as “DVDA”; 17 province-level employees). Other responsible institutions and individuals are the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion of Bas-Congo Province and rural development inspectors, community road maintenance and improvement inspectors, agriculture inspectors assigned to each level of Bas-Congo Province, Cataractes District and Songololo Territoire. Besides, there are lowest-end administrative units called sectors and in the Kimpese Sector in which the Study Area is located, section chiefs for rural development and for agricultural dissemination are assigned under the supervision of the sector chief who was elected. Both of these section chiefs carry out the development-related tasks following instructions of the sector chief and upper administrative organizations. (Based on the hearing from the sector chief, the population of Kimpese Sector is about 50,000.) Table 4.1 shown below indicates the number of officials in charge of rural development and agriculture in Bas-Congo Province and in the Study Area and its neighbourhood. Except for those belonging to administrative bodies, several organizations are in action including an international NGO operating with EU funds, Agrisud, a local NGO called CRAFOD operating with funds from Germany’s Protestant Christian missions and CLERs carrying out road maintenance programs with participation of villages (54 CLER groups in Bas-Congo Province). Currently, CLER Kiasungua is maintaining and managing the Nkondo route. Cooperation is also provided from AfDB, CTB, EU, FAO, GTZ, JICA, MONUC, UNICEF, UNOPS, etc. 4 - 3 The Study on Community Development Plan in Cataractes District, Bas-Congo Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Final Report Table 4.1 The number of officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion of Bas-Congo Province In charge of Rural Development In charge of Agriculture （Agri, Veterinary and Rural Development） （Agriculture, Fish rearing） Bas-Congo Province total 323 - Cataractes District level 10 19 Mbanza-Ngungu Territory level 15 82 Songololo level 5 31 Source: Based on information obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion of Bas-Congo Province. Among the other directorates not listed in the list mentioned above, there are three more directorates which can be considered as the actors of community development in the study area such as follows; National Service for Cattle Ploughing (SENATRA)：established in 1993 for expanding cultivation areas and increasing in crop yields by cattle ploughing, improving means of transportation by ox traction, and reducing heavy labour. This directorate is disseminating cattle ploughing to small farmers through trainings and technical instructions on cattle ploughing including rearing management of oxen. Apart from dissemination, this directorate also provides testing of cattle ploughing equipment. National Service for Rural Hydrology (SNHR)：In this directorate,