Quarterly Partners Meeting – Lualaba: Activity Report

The meeting was facilitated by USAID/DRC DO2 Team Leader, and the USAID/DRC Education Program, along with MECC Deputy Chief of Party, moderated the discussion. The meeting focused on four key points: the presentation of the Performance Management Plan (PMP) of the USAID/DRC 2015-2019 Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS), a case study of collaboration among partners, presentation of partners' annual work plans, and identification of possible synergies or opportunities for collaboration among projects. The CDCS was presented by the USAID M&E Officer, highlighting the importance of strengthening collaboration between technical areas to improve the effectiveness of interventions on the field. The PMP was also presented, outlining the four functions of the plan, data collection tools, and reporting processes. The importance of learning and the roles and responsibilities of various actors involved were also discussed. A case study of partner collaboration was presented, highlighting examples of cross-sector synergies among health, education, agriculture, and governance. Each partner in attendance gave an overview of their annual work plans, including intervention areas and priorities. The work plans focused on various sectors, such as health, education, and family planning. Following the partner presentations, participants broke into three working groups to identify possible synergies and collaboration opportunities. Some examples of potential collaborative activities included joint training on TB and HIV/AIDS, joint sensitization sessions, and data quality assessments. Several activities were organized around the meeting, including courtesy visits with the Deputy Governor and Provincial Director of Health in Lualaba. The local Government of the DRC suggested inviting the USAID Team Leader to the next quarterly partners meeting. At the conclusion of the meeting, participants agreed upon the following next steps: designation of a focal point for each project, dissemination of the draft survey to relevant activities for feedback, and dissemination of invitations to provincial authorities for future quarterly partners meetings. The meeting aimed to strengthen coordination and collaboration among stakeholders, and the participants identified areas of overlap between their activities and locations. The meeting provided a platform for implementing partners to share their work plans and identify potential synergies and collaboration opportunities.