Exit Strategy for CAFEC Salonga Program

The program began on October 1, 2013, and was initially set to end on September 30, 2019, but was extended for one year with funding. The program's goal is to achieve two main outcomes: targeted forest landscapes sustainably managed and biodiversity threats in targeted forest landscapes mitigated. To achieve these outcomes, the program implements five strategies: strengthening protected area management capacity, strengthening the implementation of land use management plans, enhancing law enforcement and prosecution, promoting sustainable agriculture, energy, and livelihood alternatives, and facilitating access to family planning and health services. The program has been implemented by a consortium of four international organizations: WWF, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM), and PACT. These organizations have worked in partnership with the Democratic Republic of Congo's state nature protection agency, the "Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature" (ICCN), and local partners such as AASD. The program's budget for the six-year period from 2013 to 2019 was $16,684,999.71, with $15,085,000 allocated for the first five years and $1,599,999.71 for the sixth year of extension. The anticipated balance of federal funds after the expiration of the instrument is zero USD on March 29, 2020. The CAFEC Salonga Program's Exit Strategy is a critical document that will guide the gradual phase-out of its programmatic interventions and ensure a smooth close-out of administrative, logistic, and financial processes. The exit strategy comprises critical assumptions, different actions/tasks with specified timelines, and a plan for legacy activities. The program's legacy plan aims to ensure that the gains made during the program's implementation are sustained and that the program's impact is maximized. The legacy plan includes activities such as the development of a comprehensive conservation vision, the establishment of a conservation constituency, and the facilitation of access to family planning and health services. The program's exit strategy and legacy plan are critical components of its overall strategy, and they will help ensure that the program's goals and objectives are achieved and that its impact is sustained over time. The CAFEC Salonga program has made significant progress in achieving its goals and objectives, including the strengthening of protected area management capacity, the implementation of land use management plans, and the promotion of sustainable agriculture, energy, and livelihood alternatives. The program has also made significant contributions to the conservation of the Salonga-Sankuru-Lukenie landscape, including the establishment of a conservation constituency and the facilitation of access to family planning and health services.