Workplan: Year 1 Solutions for Peace and Recovery

The project began on August 30, 2016, under Task Order AID-OAA-I-13-0042/AID-660-TO-16-00004. The persistence of violent conflict in eastern DRC is attributed to multiple historical, political, and socioeconomic factors that interact at various levels, including regional, national, subnational, and community levels. Conflict transformation through resolution and mitigation efforts focused on one dynamic may be undermined by the resurgence of others. Within this context, SPR aims to achieve several objectives, including conflict research by Congolese researchers, local conflict analysis by communities, solutions to specific drivers of conflict identified and accepted by community stakeholders, participatory solutions implemented by community stakeholders, and resources for community development more inclusively allocated and overall social cohesion improved. Each component of the project emphasizes women and OMG perspectives as well as Congolese-led participatory conflict research/analysis. Maximum engagement of local stakeholders will build local capacity to develop a nuanced understanding of community-level conflicts and how they might be influenced by external actors or situations. SPR will develop mechanisms and processes to prevent community-level disputes from developing into violent conflict and to more effectively insulate or inoculate communities from being vulnerable to the influences of extra-community conflict actors. The project will adopt a strategic approach that incorporates lessons learned from other peacebuilding programs in the East, coordination and joint work planning with other peacebuilding, livelihood, and governance activities, engagement of private sector, faith-based entities, and other organizations generally excluded from INGO interventions, geographic targeting and phasing, sustained direct intervention in specific groupements, integrating locally driven, inclusive peacebuilding and development, balancing focus on women and OMG with active engagement of positive masculinity and wide efforts to include all identity communities, strategic proactive response interventions, grants to support community initiatives and local government capacity, and use of Conflict Sensitivity/Do No Harm principles and approaches. The main risks associated with the project include the increase and intensification of violence in targeted areas, cooptation of local government, traditional leaders, CSOs, and community groups by divisive actors, backlash against women and OMG members and those who support them, and conflicts linked to insufficient resources for community development or services. The SPR team will seek to mitigate these risks by engaging local authorities, building local capacity, and promoting inclusive peacebuilding and development. The project will be implemented in several components, including Community Stakeholders Identify Conflict Drivers and Agree on Solutions, Participatory Solutions Implemented, and Resources for Community Development More Inclusively Allocated. Each component will have a brief description, planned activities, anticipated results, and an end state. The project will also have a project management component, which will include program start-up, communications and reporting, and annexes on organizational chart, schedule of deliverables, and estimated year 1 budget.