USAID/DRC CDCS DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE TWO: Lives improved through coordinated development approaches in select regions.

 

OVERVIEW 

 

Between 2015 and 2019, USAID/Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will invest approximately $173 million subject to the availability of funds in activities to strengthen Congolese national institutions, both governmental and non-governmental. To achieve the first Development Objective (DO 1) of the Mission’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS), USAID/DRC technical teams will collaborate to improve Congolese institutions’ capacity to plan, set policy and legal frameworks, implement programs, and increase the flow of Congolese resources to key sectors. DO 1 activities will be closely coordinated with other USAID assistance implemented in selected provinces to facilitate a long-term transformational change in both the quality and quantity of services available to Congolese citizens, increase Congolese ownership of development solutions, and renew the social compact between the state and citizens.

 

APPROACH

 

USAID/DRC’s integrated approach will increase linkages between activities and sectors, facilitate joint planning among implementing partners, and promote greater interaction with Government of the DRC (GDRC) counterparts. This increased collaboration will improve program learning, adaptation and, ultimately, progress towards achieving the following four intermediate results (IRs) for DO 1:

 

IR 1.1: Capacity to identify constraints to development and propose solutions increased – USAID will help DRC counterparts strengthen processes and systems to gather information and make informed decisions about how to apply limited resources to overcome the priority challenges they identify.   

 

IR 1.2: Capacity to create policy and legal frameworks in targeted sectors improved – USAID will increase the knowledge and skills of selected government departments to propose and enact appropriate policies and laws, while empowering civil society to engage in advocacy and policy formulation.

 

IR 1.3: Capacity to implement selected policies, laws, and programs enhanced – USAID will help national government entities strengthen systems and processes to conduct oversight and quality control and to set standards, ensure existing regulations are adhered to, and improve the ability of central-level authorities to provide the needed management and technical oversight of decentralized units. Activities will strengthen civil society organizations’ (CSOs) technical understanding of targeted sectors and strengthen linkages between national, provinical, and local CSOs to ensure civil society has a voice in policy implementation. 

 

IR 1.4: Congolese resources made available for selected sectors – USAID will strengthen targeted government entities’ resource management, coordinating this with ongoing public financial management reforms, and enable civil society to more effectively oversee resource management and demand an allocation of public funds consistent with citizen priorities. 

 

ILLUSTRATIVE ACTIVITIES IN KEY SECTORS

 

Health – Activities will improve the managerial and technical skills of the Ministry of Health (MOH), its Directorates, national disease programs (e.g. malaria, tuberculosis, reproductive health, immunizations, etc.), and affiliated national institutions (e.g. the National Institute for Biomedical Research). USAID supports the MOH’s structural and operational reform agenda, including advancing decentralization and streamlining the central MOH structure. USAID provides consultants to the MOH to establish and implement operational procedures for the 26 new Provincial Health Divisions (DPS) and is helping the Ministry reorganize into eight core directorates, to establish the Human Resources, Finance, and Healthcare Management Directorates. USAID assistance also improves key technical competencies within the national disease programs, including monitoring and evaluation, data collection and analysis, provision and management of health commodities and drugs management, disease surveillance, and operational research.    

 

Education – USAID supports the Congolese government’s ambitious reforms and increased investment in public education. At the national level, USAID improves governance and accountability in the sector by providing technical assistance to strengthen the government’s capacity to conduct oversight and monitoring and evaluation; develop and deploy new education standards and diagnostic tools; strengthen teacher training; develop new curricula, instructional materials, and approaches for teaching reading; and improve information management and teacher payment systems. USAID provides consultants to the Ministry to build the institutional capacity of key Directorates including the National Training Service and the Department of Pedagogical Materials. USAID provides targeted assistance to resolve key policy issues and provides assessments related to access, quality, and governance and enables the development, implementation, rollout, and evaluation of key policies and strategies, including the free education policy. All of this is through a joint education program with the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID).

 

Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance (DRG) – Activities will target the Independent National Electoral Commission, the High Council of Magistrates, national-level entities implementing decentralization, and policy, research, and planning bodies in the National Assembly and targeted service-delivery ministries. DRG assistance strengthens supervision by national government entities, increase citizen input into and oversight of policy making processes, strengthen policy formulation to better align with citizen demands and Congolese budget realities, and implement decentralization. DRG activities will strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations working on election observation, voter education, justice system reform, and oversight of public finances, while building the capacity and financial viability of community radio stations. DRG activities will also seek opportunities to enable coordination bodies that facilitate interaction between government and civil society.

 

Economic Growth and Energy –  Activities will advance priority reforms in the energy and agriculture sectors, which may include assistance to implement the Electricity Code and new Agriculture Code,  setting up a new energy regulatory authority, initiatives to increase rural electrification, or capacity building for farmers’ associations to conduct analysis and policy advocacy. USAID will continue to support the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, including through capacity building for civil society actors.

 

EXPECTED RESULTS