USAID’s Solutions for Peace and Recovery (SPR) Work Plan: Year III

The project began on August 30, 2016, and entered its third year on August 30, 2018. The project's objectives include conducting and presenting community participatory conflict analyses, supporting women's participation in peacebuilding processes, and elaborating community development plans (CDPs) that integrate equitable and locally produced solutions to resolve conflict. USAID's SPR will continue to provide technical assistance to partners engaged in these activities. To strengthen its advocacy work, USAID's SPR will continue to support the two provincial advocacy frameworks established in North and South Kivu during Year 2. Members of the advocacy frameworks will receive capacity-building assistance in advocacy, negotiation, facilitation, mediation, leadership, gender, peacebuilding, conflict analysis, and sensitivity and communication skills. The project will also disseminate CDPs to key stakeholders and potential donors as an advocacy tool to mobilize resources and support for the implementation of community participatory conflict solutions. In Year 3, USAID's SPR will publish research articles and disseminate the results of community participatory conflict analyses. This information will provide insights on local conflict dynamics that can inform the advocacy work and programming of both USAID and non-USAID projects. The project will also reinforce conflict early warning and rapid response mechanisms by identifying and supporting participatory solutions for emerging tensions through existing partner networks and other civil society organizations. To ensure effective collaboration and synergy with USAID Independent Partners (IPs), USAID's SPR will work closely with DFAP/FSP, IGA, Tushindi, and Feed the Future Strengthening Value Chains projects. The project will play a key role in the conflict mitigation working group launched in March 2018 by sharing participatory conflict analysis and research findings and continuing conflict sensitivity training. The project's operational plan activities in Year 3 focus on strengthening its operational foundation through teambuilding and internal planning, improving grants management and delivery, and working toward effective integration of conflict sensitivity in programming. USAID's SPR will organize quarterly planning and review meetings for all staff, alternating between Bukavu and Goma, to review new tools and facilitate implementation. The project will also improve grants management and delivery by enhancing its capacity to manage and track grants, and by providing technical assistance to partners to improve their grants management capacity. Additionally, USAID's SPR will work toward effective integration of conflict sensitivity in programming by providing training and technical assistance to partners on conflict sensitivity and by incorporating conflict sensitivity into the project's programming and activities. The project's geographic focus is on North and South Kivu, and its timeframes for implementation are from August 30, 2018, to August 30, 2019. The project's recommendations include increasing direct activity implementation before election season begins, working with partners to do the same, and reinforcing the collaboration and synergy with USAID Independent Partners (IPs).