6. Key achievements
6.1 Achievements of the ISSSS Technical Secretariat
6.1.1 Political Engagement
The ISSSS aims to enhance political engagement by using two different forms. The first form is organized around the development of compacts with provincial and national authorities. This is considered as the formal, institutional and governance-oriented part of the ISSSS political engagement strategy. It targets institutions, based on their mandate and responsibilities, and aims at strengthening their technical and political support to the ISSSS programs (thus creating better conditions for impact and institutional sustainability). More on this in box x on page x.
The second form of engagement contributes more specifically to the “conflict transformation” part of the ISSSS strategy. It focuses on individuals or networks of individuals (the conflict actors). They are identified and engaged by the ISSSS Technical Secretariat and the implementing partners due to their influence on the conflict dynamics. Using a top-down approach supported by MONUSCO (complementing the Democratic dialogue bottom-up approach) and various formal and informal lobby and advocacy techniques, this form of engagement aims at mitigating the political manipulation risk (the spoilers), while building on the positive influence and mobilization capacities of key individuals within the political sphere (the enablers). More on this under the programmatic progress section on page X.
Box X: Development of compacts
In each province, implementing partners have developed compacts with provincial authorities supported by the the ISSSS Technical Secretariat. has supported the implementing partners in developing compacts. As part of this process, consultations have been organized, key priorities have been identified and clear financial, legislative and/or political engagements expected from provincial authorities have been formulated. The engagements expected from MONUSCO and donors (mostly coordination and support to lobby and advocacy at the national level) are also part of the compacts.
The first compact has been signed in South Kivu in June 2017, endorsed by the Governor, MONUSCO’s Head of Office and SCF donors, containing agreements regarding roads maintenance, land access, illegal taxation, state agent deployment, coordination of stabilization programs and support to STAREC. The compact will be monitored in 2018 under the leadership of the newly elected Governor.
In Ituri, the development of the compact has taken another approach. The compact has first been discussed within the Conseil Technique Conjoint, which gathers the provincial government, members of the Provincial Assembly and the provincial security actors such as the FARDC and the PNC, followed by additional consultations to strengthen political support and to fine-tune the key engagements. A final approval is expected in early 2018. The compact will then go to the Provincial Funding Board in Ituri for a signature by MONUSCO’s Head of Office and SCF donors.
As a direct result of the advocacy towards provincial authorizes in Ituri and increased collaboration, the provincial government already demonstrated strong engagement in the stabilization process through a financial commitment of 10,000 USD for the ISSSS program in Mambasa as well as their political support through engagement with national authorities in the demobilization of the armed group FRPI.
In North Kivu, the process has been delayed due to political tensions in the Kitshanga area. In the meantime, the situation has been unblocked by the ISSSS Technical Secretariat with the support of the implementing partners. Consultations on the compact are ongoing with its finalization expected beginning of 2018. A longer term objective discussed with the STAREC is the design of a national compact, for which further inputs will be sought from all provincial secretariats of the ISSSS.
6.1.2 Fund Management
In 2017, the SCF governance mechanisms became fully operational and contributed to the launch of five new ISSSS programs. Regular meetings of both the National Fund Board (NFB) of the SCF and Provincial Funding Boards in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu resulted in important decisions with regards to the approval of the new programs and the functioning of the Fund (outcomes of the different meetings are provided under annex 1). Thanks to these governance structures, both the national and provincial governments were able to play an active role in priority setting and decision making.
The Fund’s management mechanisms and tools were also improved, with the revision of the Operations Manual and Terms of Reference validated by the NFB early October. As a result of the consultative process, and feedback provided by national and provincial secretariats as well as selected implementing partners and non-selected applicants from the first Calls for Proposals, the updated Operations Manual integrates lessons learned from previous processes. The revised Operations Manual, in addition to regular coordination meetings held between the SCF Cell and the Funds’ administrative and management agent, the Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office and UNDP, contributed to an increased efficiency in the management of the Fund.
As a direct result of the increased engagement of the GoDRC in the stabilization process, combined with the regular and effective functioning of the SCF governance and management mechanisms, the international community expressed strong confidence in the ISSSS approach and contributed over 15 million USD to the SCF in 2017. More details about the financial contributions are provided on page X
6.1.3 Program Development
In terms, of SCF programming, all five new ISSSS programs, including the two extensions of the pilot projects that were implemented between 2014 and 2016, are now fully operational with a total amount of 23 million USD, reaching approximately 450,000 direct beneficiaries. Except for the two extensions, all programs have been selected after a thorough call for proposals process (more on the selection process in box x on page X). Implementing partners are working in consortiums comprised of both UN agencies and International NGOs in partnership with local NGOs. Overall, approximately 60 per cent of programs are implemented by UN agencies and 40 per cent by international NGOs. An overview of the different programs in provided below.
At the same time, preparations started for the development of a sixth stabilization program in Beni (North Kivu) after the approval of a funding envelope of 5 to 7 million USD to support the stabilization process in this specific area. As part of this process, a call for expressions of interest was launched in November 2017. It is expected that a winning proposal will be selected early 2018.
Over the last year, significant efforts have been made by the ISSSS Technical Secretariat in collaboration with the implementing partners to facilitate ownership of the programs by local stakeholders. In this regard, workshops were organized in the active priority zones to engage with traditional leadership, civil society actors and local government officials on the objectives of the programs and the need
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for local ownership. The ISSSS Technical Secretariat is planning to pursue this close engagement with beneficiary communities regular exchanges on the results produced through the M&E framework.
Box X: Selection of stabilization programs
The development and selection of each stabilization program starts with a call for expressions of interest for the development of an integrated, holistic and targeted program, inviting both UN agencies and international NGOs to submit initial program proposals in line with the ISSSS framework and provincial strategies and action plans. After the call of interest, the concept proposals are evaluated by an independent evaluation committee and shortlisted candidates are then invited to submit a full proposal. Each call for proposals is open and competitive and winning proposals are selected following evaluations by experts and approval by the funding boards of the SCF.
6.1.4 Alignment of bilaterally funded programs and projects
The implementation and coordination of bilaterally funded stabilization interventions in Eastern DRC has gained increasing importance in 2017. In total, 10 programs/projects from both existing donors and new donors (Germany, Japan and UNDP/MONUSCO in partnership with the North Kivu Province) entered the alignment process in 2017 and a total of 18 programs/projects received technical advice. As a result, six interventions have been aligned to the ISSSS and an additional four “alignable” projects are expected to reach the alignment status soon. This brings the total number of bilateral donors to six (see figures on page x) and the total funding volume of both aligned and “alignable” interventions to 120 million USD which is an increase of 43% compared to 2016.
The majority of ISSSS interventions are implemented through bilaterally funded programs and projects. The “alignment process” aims to ensure that those projects and programs integrate the ISSSS approach based on five key criteria (see box below). These programs and projects are divided into different categories based on the type of contribution they make to the implementation of the ISSSS, their status in the alignment process and geographical location.
Within tThe ISSSS Technical Secretariat makes a distinction is made between the following categories:
• Aligned: Interventions that fully integrate the ISSSS approach and principles, in line with the alignment criteria. Alignment process completed.
•“Alignable”: Interventions that partially integrate the ISSSS approach and principles. Alignment process ongoing.
• Supportive to ISSSS: Either stabilization interventions that adhere to ISSSS, but are implemented outside of the 13 priority zones, or interventions that do not or not fully respond to the alignment criteria. These interventions are still seen as an important contribution to stabilization in a larger sense and can provide important lessons for the ISSSS implementation.
The increased efficiency of the alignment process, with the revision of the criteria and the development of a number of guidance notes in 2017, in addition to substantial technical assistance and dedicated training to implementing partners on how to align their interventions to the ISSSS has enhanced partners’ understanding of the relevance of the alignment framework and increased their collaboration with the ISSSS Technical Secretariat. With the alignment process now being well established, and donors and implementing partners of ISSSS interventions seeing the added value of a common stabilization approach in Eastern DRC, the ground work is laid to continue to increase the coordination of stabilization interventions, with the overall aim to strengthen impact and sustainability of stabilization efforts. A snapshot of programmatic results from the aligned projects is provided in section x
Box X: Alignment process and criteria
The alignment of bilaterally funded interventions follows five criteria and a comprehensive process to evaluate whether an intervention could be aligned with the ISSSS approach. The Stabilization Forum is the coordination mechanism that takes decisions related to the alignment process.
The five alignment criteria are as follows:
• Criterion 1: Based on a gender-sensitive conflict analysis, the intervention targets one or more main conflict dynamics identified in the ISSSS priority zones.
• Criterion 2: Conflict actors (women, youth and men) are at the center of the transformation process of the main conflict dynamics identified in the priority zone.
• Criterion 3: The intervention strengthens the collaboration between the State, traditional authorities, and women, youth and men in the transformation of one or more main conflict dynamics identified in the priority zone.
• Criterion 4: The intervention strengthens the participation of women and female youth in the transformation of one or more conflict dynamics identified in the priority zone through addressing structural and sociocultural barriers.
• Criterion 5: The intervention contributes to the implementation of the ISSSS program in an active priority zone through synergies and close collaboration.
6.1.5 Coordination with stabilization actors
2017 saw increased collaboration between SSU and STAREC, both at the national and provincial level based on a jointly agreed work plan reviewed in May 2017. The collaboration was further strengthened and made visible through monthly coordination meetings and a joint annual retreat with SSU. These coordination platforms enabled both sides to share information and jointly plan and monitor program activities, conduct joint advocacy towards provincial and national authorities and jointly engage with ISSSS implementing partners and local communities. While effective and productive working relations have been established at provincial level, challenges remain at the national level. The efficiency and productivity of the STAREC could be improved by addressing their limited resources made available by the GoDRC . The limited resources made available by the GoDRC to the national STAREC prevent the Government body from functioning adequately. Mitigating measures have been put in place through regular field visits to the East by national STAREC, coordination briefings between SSU and STAREC and the advisory role provided by the SSU Liaison Officer in Kinshasa.
To strengthen local coordination in Beni and guide the Call for Proposals Process launched in the last quarter of 2017, a new SSU field office was established within the MONUSCO office in Beni. The SSU office is in charge of guiding the implementation of stabilization efforts and strengthening coordination in Beni. Being located in the North Kivu province, the office closely works with the Goma field office.
Coordination on stabilization at the provincial level has further been strengthened through the establishment of Stabilization Working Groups (SWGs) in each active priority zone. These bring together key stabilization actors, including implementing partners of ISSSS interventions, provincial authorities, civil society actors and MONUSCO sections. The SWGs allow for important information sharing between implementing partners of SCF funded programs and bilaterally funded interventions aligned to the ISSSS, and significantly contribute to improve the prioritization of stabilization interventions and maximize synergies between partners on the ground.
To increase coordination on stabilization at the national level, 2017 saw the creation of the multi-partner Stabilization Forum which serves as a decision-making body for overall stabilization strategic issues, covering Eastern DRC and other areas affected by conflict.
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The Forum is chaired by the DSRSG/RC/HC and attended by the UNCT, MONUSCO, NGOs and International donors. The Forum met three times in 2017 and resulted in the decision to review the ISSSSS pillars and priority zones in 2018. This is based on the extension of the ISSSS until 2022 and a need to ensure relevance of approach within the prevailing political context and shifting conflict dynamics since the initial revision . The Stabilization Forum complements the existing Donor Stabilization Forum, chaired by Sweden, which is a technical level coordination mechanism attended exclusively by stabilization donors and concerned with technical issues that include the financing and implementation of the ISSSS.
Box X: Mapping of stabilization interventions.
To further facilitate the coordination between the different stabilization actors, the ISSSS Technical Secretariat has completed a mapping of ISSSS interventions. This mapping will significantly contribute to improving the collaboration and coordination between the different ISSSS actors in the planning and implementation of their programs and projects (see box X).
The mapping provides information on relevant interventions for the successful implementation of the ISSSS and can be filtered by type of program/project, donors, priority zone, location and ISSSS pillar.
The mapping, which will be continuously updated, serves as a tool for various purposes:
• For donors and members of the SCF funding boards: to guide further investments in the different Priority Zones regardless of funding modality
• For the SCF Cell and implementing partners: to guide programming in the different Priority Zones
• For the ISSSS Technical Secretariat: to inform fundraising and advocacy
6.1.6 Monitoring & Evaluation
The ISSSS M&E Strategy is based on the ISSSS logical framework and defines the roles and responsibilities for data collection, analysis and capacity building of different stakeholders in the ISSSS monitoring system.
Throughout 2017, the M&E Cell worked with implementing partners of both SCF funded programs and bilaterally funded interventions to operationalize the M&E strategy. This included the production of a more user-friendly version of the M&E strategy, the development of common data collection tools, training of partners on data collection tools, and enhanced working with relevant sections of MONUSCO, UN agencies and other partners such as HHI to set up data collection and data sharing arrangements. The data collection tools were migrated to an online platform called KoBo Toolbox, which will facilitate partners’ work in data collection.
In terms of reporting, in 2017 the M&E Cell produced the ISSSS baseline report and the first progress report on the implementation of the ISSSS. Both reports contain data shared by implementing partners, the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative and MONUSCO sections such as the Force and the Joint Human Rights Office, and provide insights into the achievement of ISSSS objectives to help continually improve ISSSS programming. Key results are included in the section on programmatic progress on page x.
6.1.7 Gender mainstreaming
The ISSSS Gender Strategy emphasizes the importance of integrating gender at every step of the project cycle, from baseline analyses and staff recruitment to monitoring and the final project evaluation. In line with this, implementing partners were trained on gender mainstreaming with concrete suggestions on how to mainstream gender into their projects.
To further ensure a mainstreamed gender-responsive approach to ISSSS programming, the ISSSS Technical Secretariat developed a specific integrated its gender strategy into key documents to ensure its gender equality consideration are systematically integrated in alongside all other aspects of the ISSSS programme cycle.2 This reiterates that ISSSS’s Gender Strategy is a key component of the ISSSS and not something extra . In line with this, the new Introduction Kit for SCF implementing partners that provides practical advice for partners reaching the implementation stage of their projects includes an “Implementation of the Gender Strategy” chapter that provides practical technical advice on how to ensure integration of the gender strategy specifically during project start-up and implementation. Also, the revised Operations Manual of the SCF includes an “Integration of the Gender Approach” annex that goes one-step further in providing practical technical advice for every step of the project cycle.
Central to the ISSSS Gender Strategy is the Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) including the requirement to dedicate a minimum of 15% of all SCF financing to addressing women’s specific needs, advancing gender equality or empowering women. The revised SCF Budget Guidelines now include GRB guidance that explains what it is and specifically outlines what is expected of the implementing partners of SCF funded programs. In an effort to streamline GRB, project reporting templates were also updated to include gendersensitive monitoring sections to strengthen this aspect of GRB. As a result, all stabilization programs have allocated 15 % of their budgets to interventions in support of gender equality.
2. It was decided that the Gender Guidelines, which were approved in 2016, should be integrated into other existing documents, rather than to keep them as a separate document. With the large number of documents provided to part ners and other stakeholders, the Gender Guidelines were rarely consulted aside from during the Call for Proposals process by the evaluators.
SSU and STAREC staff members during a field mission in Mambasa (Ituri)
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Box X: Mapping of stabilization interventions.
In line with the Secretary General’s 7-Point Action Plan on women’s participation in peacebuilding, ISSSS requires that each of its projects dedicate at least 15% of its budget to address women’s specific needs, advance gender equality or empower women. Concretely, this requires partners to reflect on how gender is mainstreamed in each of their activities, as in their budgets they must estimate the percentage of each activity which addresses women’s specific needs, advances gender equality or empowers women. This ensures that partners take their gender-sensitive conflict analysis and program logic and operationalize them with appropriate planning of their activities and budget. Partners then continue to track and report on implementation of the minimum 15% in regular project reports. In subsequent years, the ISSSS Technical Secretariat will be able to evaluate whether this dedicated percentage had a concrete impact on women’s participation in peacebuilding as part of the ISSSS strategy.
The decision to update the Pillar Concept Notes launched an effort to reframe the Pillar 5 (Fight against SGBV) as a Women, Peace and Security pillar. This reflects the ISSSS Gender Strategy which focuses on transforming conflict through promoting gender equality and combatting sexual and gender-based violence through a larger framework focused on transforming negative gender norms and addressing structural issues.
6.1.8 Risk management
The approach of the ISSSS Technical Secretariat to risk management focuses on two key dimensions:
1. At the technical/operational level: risks related to the management of the SCF and the implementation at project level. These risks are monitored by the Technical Secretariats in coordination with National and Provincial Funding Boards. The SCF Operations Manual includes an updated risk matrix that presents the key risks facing the implementation of SCF projects which support the implementation of the ISSSS the ISSSS and provides detailed mitigation measures to address these challenges.3 The ISSSS Technical Secretariat then uses the Funding Board mechanisms to review the risk matrix twice per year with board members and discuss how each partner can play an active role in mitigating these risks through their specific sphere of influence.
2. At the strategic level, the M&E Cell has put in place a system that focuses on higher-level risk monitoring at the level of the ISSSS thematic pillars and, working from a baseline version of the ISSSS-level risk matrix (see annex X). The purpose of this matrix is to catalogue, analyze and score the key risks external to the ISSSS (i.e. beyond the control of ISSSS programming) that have the potential to derail progress on results in the ISSSS logframe. These risks will be discussed and reviewed by the Stabilization Forum in Kinshasa, as they go beyond the remit of the Fund’s Governance Mechanisms, however will also be presented to the SCF National Funding Board to harmonize with the SCF risk matrix . .
The technical/operational main risks currently being monitored through the ISSSS risk matrix correspond to specific results across each of the 5 Pillars (or across multiple pillars) and can be reviewed in the full, detailed version of the risk matrix. 31 individual Risk Factors (RFs) have been identified covering the 5 pillars and are scored using a traffic light system (green for negligible, amber for medium and red for severe). See annex X.
At present, some of the most severe risks that could undermine progress against ISSSS results across each Pillar include the following:
• Pillar 1: Local and provincial elections delayed indefinitely
• Pillar 2: Ties of FARDC soldiers with former and existing armed groups
• Pillar 3: Centralization of power at the national level
• Pillar 4: Continued macro-economic shocks affect stability
• Pillar 5: Regressive national policies disrupt progress on gender parity
Many of these risks are not new. However, their continued manifestation in a context of a growing political and security crisis has the potential to negatively affect the ISSSS over time.
While the full ISSSS Risk Matrix will be updated once every six months by the M&E Cell , the risks that are classified severe (as per the above) will be monitored and updated on a more regular basis by the M&E Cell and escalated flagged to the ISSSS Technical Secretariat as they arise, in order for the Technical Secretariat with support from the M&E cell to address these risks within the framework of the ISSSS coordination mechanisms.
The M&E cell is preparing to migrate the risk matrix to an online system that will make it easier for ISSSS stakeholders to review the risk, and to consider them in the context of specific ISSSS results and results indicators .
6.2 Programmatic Progress under the ISSSS
This section presents the progress of stabilization projects under the ISSSS in 2017. It includes interventions funded by the multi-donor Stabilization Coherence Fund (SCF) as well as those funded under bi-lateral agreements under the alignment process. In the latter case, the availability of information is dependent on the reporting schedule of the individual aligned projects.
Throughout 2017, partners working on the implementation of the ISSSS were confronted with a host of new challenges to their work. The delay of national and provincial elections added to already existing political blockages and the potential for mistrust towards the work of ISSSS partners. Security threats in several ISSSS priority zones made the launching of interventions particularly challenging and time consuming.
Under these challenging circumstances, ISSSS partners nonetheless were able to launch democratic dialogue processes (Pillar 1 of the ISSSS) in all priority zones, engaging with political stakeholders and with communities, and establishing these engagement structures as key prerequisites for subsequent work on other thematic areas of the ISSSS.
Most ISSSS partners were still in the preparatory phases of their projects, with project work having started in many cases only in May or June of 2017 or later. This notwithstanding, several ISSSS partners had made progress in advancing their support beyond democratic dialogue, i.e., under Pillars 2 to 5. These advances are being showcased in Section 1.2.
Overall, this chapter focuses on presenting the operational progress of ISSSS partners in 2017; i.e., the activities they have undertaken to establish themselves in the field and in the political landscape of the target provinces, and the first achievement in this regard. It would not be reasonable to expect that projects that have been operating in many cases less than six months already would have produced tangible “stabilization results” that would be clearly reflected in the high level stabilization indicators of the ISSSS monitoring system4 For this reason, the subsequent sections provide more in-depth information on the unfolding engagement process of the ISSSS project partners, and highlight the first concrete achievements of this engagement where they have materialized. The results focus will be emphasized in the third ISSSS monitoring report that is scheduled to be published in early April of 2018.
3. The SCF risk matrix was updated during the revision of the Operations Manual. A more in depth discussion on the risk matrix is anticipated for the next NFB meeting in 2018.
4. Moreover, the ISSSS results monitoring system itself so far has only col lected baseline data, which do not yet allow the identification of indicators “trends” over time.
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The ISSSS is built around the core idea that communities in conflict and the State’s institutions and other political and societal actors in Eastern DRC need to work together to sustainably transform key conflict dynamics creating insecurity and instability. In this regard, the ISSSS aims to kick-start a dialogue process among these different parties in the ISSSS priority zones, examining the effects of armed groups and intra and/or intercommunity conflicts around power, land and identity. This participatory and democratic dialogue prepares the ground for subsequent community-led, state-led and joint actions to stabilize local governance structures and processes as a foundation for improved security, and more conflict resilient socioeconomic conditions.
The democratic dialogue process is bottom-up, participatory and is based on community awareness and mobilization: communities, locally, are sensitized and organized to analyze conflict dynamics, to overcome divisions, and to develop and formulate a new and shared vision for peace and stability. This mobilization lays the basis for an inclusive and participatory conflict transformation process.
The approach is also top-down, considering the influence (positive and/or negative) political and security actors have on the conflict dynamics. Engaging, sensitizing and influencing those actors constitute key parts of the conflict transformation process. Permanent consultation and dialogue sessions (e.g. round tables, conferences, etc.) are organized to bring together communities and political / institutional stakeholders, for them to discuss the conflict dynamics, to identify solutions and to produce inclusive and participatory actions plans and / or roadmaps. Those actions plans are the backbone of the conflict transformation process, while also feeding into the other ISSSS pillars by providing the government and the implementing partners with clear recommendations in the fields of security, state authority restoration, economic recovery, and the fight against SGBV.
6.2.1.1 Overview of progress in Pillar 1 – Democratic Dialogue
In 2017, Democratic Dialogue interventions in ISSSS priority zones have mostly focused on context and conflict analysis; community mobilization and ownership (through communication and information and the set-up of local dialogue structures in the priority zones), and actors mapping and – for some implementing partners – political engagement at the local, provincial and national levels. Dialogue sessions have been organized in some priority zones, producing the first action plans.
Table 1 provides a summary of the operational progress made in the five priority zones in North and South Kivu and in Ituri. The table lists projects financed by the Stabilization and Coherence Fund (SCF) and by bi-lateral donors, i.e. the projects that are aligned to the ISSSS. It should be noted that in many cases, information on recent progress by the aligned projects was not yet available at the time of writing this report, as their reporting schedule did not fully align with that of the ISSSS Technical Secretariat.
Governor of South Kivu interacting with beneficiaries during the launch of the SCF funded program in Uvira (South Kivu), November 2017
6.2.1 Progress in the participatory approach of the ISSSS Democratic Dialogue - building the foundations for lasting conflict resolution
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Table 1: Progress of SCF-funded and aligned projects working on democratic dialogue (ISSSS Pillar 1)
Priority Zone Key areas of progressProject Thematic focus under Pillar 1
Autour de Kitchanga
SCF Kitchanga Democratic Dialogue
Bashali: community-based information and mobilization; local structures have been identified and their capacity built (conflict analysis), engagement of political actors at the provincial and national level. The first round table is planned in the second week of February and will gather key stakeholders, with a focus on power and land conflicts, armed groups and the regional dynamics.
Bwito: the participatory actions research on the conflict dynamics in the Bwito chefferie has been launched and is under way.
CISPE Dialogue based conflict resolution
Context and conflict analysis updated; community information and mobilization conducted; capacity building of local dialogue structures at groupement level on going; intra-community dialogue launched in some areas. Close coordination with SCF programs in priority zone, with STAREC and SSU facilitation. Security and stabilization through conflict resolution based on dialogue and improved performance of security forces.
South Irumu SCF South Irumu Democratic dialogue
Large community consultations and participatory conflict analyses conducted (2300 people consulted in September through the “Barza communitaires”); a round table organized by ACIAR (Cohesive Leadership Workshop) gathering key stakeholders (provincial government, provincial and national Members of Parliament, FARDC, community leaders and customary chiefs, the provincial security committee, civil society and Monusco representatives) and focusing on 3 priority issues (the FRPI, the Lendu – Hema territorial conflict and the tensions around Hutu migrations); direct contacts established with the FRPI, several political engagement missions organized in Kinshasa and a high-level workshop gathering Ministers of Interior, Defense and Plan around the ISSSS democratic dialogue recommendations. Integration of the ISSSS within the MONUSCO tailored strategy for neutralization of the FRPI.
CISPE Dialogue based conflict resolution [see information on CISPE under “Autour de Kitchanga”]
Mambasa SCF Mambasa Democratic Dialogue
In line with the recommendation from the first phase of the Stabilization project (IRF Mambasa), large community consultations and participatory conflict analysis conducted, focusing on armed groups, migration and natural resources in and around the RFO; capacity building of dialogue grass-rooted committees; reinforcement and re-dynamization of coordination mechanisms within the RFO. The round table is planned beginning of 20185
Plaine de la Ruzizi SCF Ruzizi Democratic Dialogue
Peace Direct Contribution to ISSSS democratic dialogue6
Kalehe SCF Kalehe Democratic Dialogue
The ISSSS partner has been able to decrease tensions among members of some of the five major ethnic communities through a series of focused sensitization activities. As a result, several groups have turned from spoilers into agents backing the ISSSS and expressing their willingness to cooperate with the partner as a means to improve cohabitation.
Mediation activities supported community based peace courts (barazas) led to the peaceful management of 425 out of 467 interpersonal conflicts, allowing 1020 households that were previously engaged in conflicts to live together peacefully. Reacting to the success of the barazas in dealing with the conflicts, local chiefs availed lands to 35 barazas to construct their offices and sustain their work for more peace and stability.
The ISSSS partner carried out advocacy with local and provincial authorities and public awareness activities to prepare the ground for the second phase of the project. An ongoing dispute involving provincial and national officials at the Ruzizi mining site has affected the launching of additional activities, in spite of attempts by provincial authorities and the ISSSS partner to resolve the situation, due to insecurity and ongoing fights.
ARC Democratic Dialogue
Inception on going, reporting in January 2018
5.Initiative working towards the following results: peaceful cohabitation within the RFO through the resolution and the reduction of conflicts; engagement of women and youth in the stabilization processes and the reinforcement of the their autonomous; the reinforcement of local mechanisms of land governance (land access to women, men and vulnerable communities such as pygmies; the development and validation of 7 Local Plans of Peace and development; rehabilitation and the functioning of Mambasa court of justice; fight against SGBV.
6. 1) Capacity building of participating civil society organizations; 2) conflict resolution through peace courts.
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6.2.1.2 Stories from the field – Democratic Dialogue
As already evident from Table 1 ISSSS partners are approaching the set-up of democratic dialogue structures and processes in a variety of ways; each also dealing with a set of unique challenges when engaging with authorities and the population in the respective provinces and priority zones. The following sections provide some more detailed description of the democratic dialogue processes that are being initiated in South Irumu (Ituri Province), Kitchanga (North Kivu Province) and Ruzizi (South Kivu Province), to provide insight into the specific approaches chosen, as well as the particular challenges faced in the different zones.
a) Bottom-up and top down political engagement to develop a road map for action in South Irumu
In South Irumu, the democratic dialogue process aims to address three main conflict drivers: the armed group FRPI, Intercommunity and territorial conflicts between the Hema and Lendu communities; and migration of populations from North Kivu.
The persistence of the FRPI militia causing security concerns for the population and the land conflict mobilized around ethnicity between the Lendu Bindi and Hema South are very closely linked. The FRPI has enabled the Lendu Bindi community to strengthen its hold over disputed territories and the Hema, as do the FARDC, accuse the FRPI of being a community army that the Lendu Bindi use to strengthen their position in local power relations and their territorial dispute with the Hema. On the other hand, the FRPI reinforces the inter-community tensions between Hema and Lendu by committing mass looting of Hema cattle and threatening the Hema breeders.
Root causes of land conflict also include the presence of Rwandaphone migrants from South and North Kivu who have settled in the southern part of South Irumu since 2008-2009 and have resulted in a heavily strained cohabitation between indigenous and migrant communities. Their presence has also exacerbated tensions around the boundaries of Lendu and Hema communities in Walendu Bindi and Bahema South.7
Partners launched the ISSSS dialogue process in September 2017 with the consultation of communities across 14 different sites in South Irumu. The local ISSSS partner gathered views from about 2,300 people on the prevalent conflict dynamics and conflict drivers, the participatory conflict analysis sessions used for this purpose also served to mobilize the communities and to create momentum for the ISSSS at the local level.
Drawing on lessons learned from the ISSSS pilot projects8 and on the corresponding strategic principle of the ISSSS itself, this bottom-up work at local level was complemented by a strong topdown political engagement strategy at the provincial and national levels. A working group composed of members from civil society actors and government at both provincial and national level was established to support the political engagement work. The working group, in strong collaboration with the Political Affairs Section of MONUSCO Bunia, conducted an actor mapping that identified 60 enablers or spoilers in the political and security spheres and assessed their roles and level of influence. Based on the mapping, the ISSSS Technical Secretariat and its partners, supported by the working group members, started engaging key political actors in Bunia and in Kinshasa, trying to influence and mobilize them, and to create acceptance and ownership of the ISSSS democratic dialogue process.
Following and building on the initial political engagement conducted, a Cohesive Leadership Workshop was organized in Bunia in September 2017. The workshop brought together around 130 key political actors, including national and provincial members of parliament, provincial authorities, security actors, local leaders and representatives of local communities (including youth and women). Members of the workshop discussed the threat posed by the FRPI and the intercommunity conflicts between Hema and Lendu. At the conclusion of the proceedings, participants were able to jointly formulate a roadmap that identified key steps to address these two issues. Details on the road maps are shown in Box 1 below.
Box 1: The Cohesive Leadership Road Map of Ituri Province
Participants of the Ituri Cohesive Leadership Workshop were able to agree on a shared roadmap for addressing two key conflict drivers in the province:
• In order to address the threat posed by the FRPI, the road map identifies two key elements as immediate actions for 2017: a) the need to set-up of group of customary leaders to interact with the FRPI, to update their “Cahier des Charges” and to sensitize the group (laying the basis for a negotiated solution) and b) the need to advocate towards the central Government in order to prioritize FRPI on their agenda.
• The road map also laid out steps to counter the conflict driver of intercommunity conflict, especially related to conflicts over limits and land. Workshop participants agreed this road map by consensus. The Governor or Ituri established an advisory committee to monitor the implementation and regular update of the road map. The next Advisory Committee is scheduled to be held in April 2018.
Following the Cohesive Leadership Workshop, the Ituri Governor mandated a mission to meet with the FRPI leaders, facilitated by ISSSS implementing partners. The Governor also agreed to lead a delegation to Kinshasa to seek the approval and endorsement of the Cohesive Leadership Road Map by the central Government, and to secure its support of the stabilization initiatives undertaken at the local and provincial level, with a focus on the demobilization of the FRPI.
A lobby and advocacy meeting was then organized in Kinshasa on December 4, bringing together the Governor of Ituri and the Ministers of the Interior, of Defense and of Plan, 10 national MP’s and FARDC top-level officers. It was agreed to set-up an inter-ministerial working group to collaborate with MONUSCO in developing a joint action plan for the neutralization of the FRPI. The ISSSS Technical Secretariat is supporting the development of the joint FRPI action plan. It is scheduled to be submitted to the central Government for validation and implementation in 2018.
The political engagement supported by the ISSSS Technical Secretariat in collaboration with MONUSCO and its implementing partnersi, combined with the bottom-up democratic dialogue, constitutes a key component of MONUSCO’s strategy for the neutralization of the FRPI in Ituri. The Head of MONUSCO’s Office in Bunia is both co-president of the Provincial Funding Board Ituri and the main coordinator of the Joint FRPI strategy. This operational integration allowed for the ISSSS program to feed in to the political component of the joint FRPI Strategy, also drawing on provincial and national-level resources within MONUSCO. The collaboration between the SSU and the Force, Civil Affairs, Political Affairs, the Joint Human Rights Office and DDR has been especially fruitful allowing the ISSSS to feed in to a joint MONUSCO Strategy to address FRPI activities as one of the main conflict drivers in Ituri province. As the first joint strategy of MONUSCO’s civilian and military components, this effort is anticipated to point the way in 2018 to adopt a cooperative approach in other Eastern provinces.
7. Other major conflicts in South Irumu between the Walendu Bindi and Ba hema South, Walendu Bindi and Bahema Boga/Mitego, Walendu Bindi and Bira are still active and represent serious obstacles to peace and stability in the territory. The presence of natural resources including oil, gold and wood in the area and competition over its exploitation remains potentially strong factor for destabilization of the zone.
8. IRF Mambasa implemented in Ituri Province and Kalehe implemented in South Kivu were financed from 2015-2016 and served as pilot projects for the ISSSS.
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In North Kivu, a major achievement of the ISSSS has been to gain support for the stabilization strategy among the Hunde ethnic group.
At the start of ISSSS programming in the zone, many members of the Hunde community perceived the ISSSS democratic dialogue process as a threat to the customary authority of Hunde leaders. For several months in early 2017, the governor of North Kivu, the ISSSS Technical Secretariat and its local partners received letters of complaint allegedly coming from actors at the local level that sought to block the rollout of the programming.
In response, the ISSSS partners in the priority zone developed a political engagement strategy for the local, provincial, and national levels specifically to engage presumed “spoilers” of the dialogue process; i.e. those who had signed the protest letters as well as those who were assumed to be the driving force behind the letter campaigns. The Technical Secretariat and the local partner used neutral intermediaries to engage with different communities in the zone.
In order to engage with the Hunde community, ISSSS partners strategically chose a local scholar and well-respected personality from a different ethnic community, who met with the key representatives of the provincial Government9 and other influential actors on the provincial level while the local ISSSS partner met with actors in Kitchanga itself. The main focus of this engagement process was to carefully explain the participatory democratic dialogue approach of the ISSSS to increase understanding and awareness among Hunde leaders of the ISSSS effort. ISSSS partners also sought to reduce the fears among Hunde leaders that the dialogue process would threaten their customary authority. ISSSS partners emphasized that the way forward for the stabilization process would ultimately be identified by the communities themselves.
In October 2017, the ISSSS Technical Secretariat and the partners in North Kivu also sent representatives to Kinshasa to engage key Hunde figures at the national level. This top-down effort was able to lend additional support to the work at local level, complemented the crucial bottom-up engagement of community leaders in the priority zone.
Together, these two initiatives were able to create space for addressing the sensitive issue of power at the heart of much of the conflict in the Kitchanga priority zone and to create conditions that will make it possible for ISSSS partners to roll-out stabilization programming in the zone in 2018.
Box 3: Coordinating across MONUSCO sections for optimized effectiveness of ISSSS democratic dialogue.
The SSU is actively facilitating the harmonization of democratic dialogue efforts under the ISSSS in coordination with other MONUSCO actors and leaders charged with the mandate for mediation and the protection of civilians.
Specifically in the Kitchanga priority zone, SSU engaged with key mediation and dialogue actors (The Governor’s Ad Hoc Commission for Bwito, the Secretary to the Chef de la Chefferie de Bwito, The Advisor to the Minister of the Interior, Adjoint Territorial Advisor of Rutshuru, Baraza President, CRONG, AAP, Pole Institute, Synergie des Femme, IOM, Head of Office Goma, Civil Affairs Section) to develop a joint analysis of critical needs related to the deteriorating security conditions in and around Nyanzale. This led to an identification of areas for intervention and made it possible for MONUSCO’s Civil Affairs Section to immediately launch a series of social dialogues for reducing tensions and preventing further violence in the Bwito Chefferie. This work helped to pave the way for MONUSCO’s Civil Affairs Section’s efforts to reinstall the Chef of the Chefferie in Bwito; as of January 2018 his administrative office is now open again for the first time in two years.
Overall, SSU coordination in this session and its follow-up was critical for managing the political sensitivities of interventions in the area, facilitating information-sharing, creating consensus, and providing opportunities for synergy as well as supported to Aligned partners (IOM) and FCS partners (International Alert, Pole, ASP) for adjusting programming to the shifting and sensitive context.
Launch of SCF funded program in Kitshanga (North Kivu), August 2017 Kitchanga—Overcoming Political Resistance in the Hunde Community
9. I.e., the Minister of Plan, Minister of Finance and the Vice-governor of North Kivu.
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b)
c) Ruzizi – Overcoming suspicions towards stabilization process The democratic dialogue process in the Ruzizi priority zone was also launched in a context defined by deeply rooted inter- and intracommunity mistrust and resentment. As in Kitchanga (see above), this was made evident among others through communiques and letters addressed to South Kivu’s provincial authorities, MONUSCO and the ISSSS implementing partners. The sentiments most commonly expressed in these letters were fear and concern that the ISSSS was providing support to communities on a discriminatory, and potentially ethnically-driven basis. Several communiques threatened to block the implementation of stabilization efforts in the priority zone.
Box 2: Overcoming mistrust towards the ISSSS amongst youth leaders in the priority zone “Plaine de la Ruzizi” (Part 1)
An ISSSS sensitization session in the village of Bwegera (“Plaine de la Rusizi”) presented ISSSS partners with a particularly challenging situation. As had been the case for sessions in other villages, partners were confronted with numerous misperceptions of the nature of stabilization programming. In Bwegera, however, leaders of the village’s youth held particularly critical views of the ISSSS and were convinced that the partner project would be favoring certain communities and certain groups if the process was allowed to go forward. At a particularly tense moment, the youth leaders threatened to stop the sensitization session by force. Representatives of the Technical Secretariat and from provincial authorities were eventually able to negotiate with the leaders, to calm the situation and to allow the session to continue.
For most of 2017, the ISSSS Technical Secretariat and its partners therefore focused on the increased sensitization of communities through community outreach directed at community leaders and provincial authorities. In addition to directly working with political authorities, the partners also made widespread use of radio programs and engagement of the media to reach a wider audience.
“I’m honestly surprised to have participated in a leadership training together with people from the Banyamulenge community. This gives me hope that a peaceful cohabitation is possible” (Member of the Bafuliro community)
By the end of 2017, the ISSSS partners in South Kivu had succeeded to significantly reduce the suspicion among members and leaders of many communities towards the democratic dialogue process, as a result of community outreach interventions. These reinforced the emerging positive perception and attitudes towards the ISSSS in communities and amongst the authorities. Community members who had been suspicious before, began to see that the project contributed to peace and stabilization in the region and had the potential to provide space for peaceful dialogue (see Box 3 for information on changes in the village of Bwegera).
Box 3: Overcoming mistrust towards the ISSSS amongst youth leaders in the priority zone “Plaine de la Ruzizi” (Part 2)
Improvements achieved by the ISSSS partners towards the end of 2017 also included a drastic change in the attitudes of youth leaders in the village of Bwegera (see Box 2 above). The youth leader who had led the initial opposition against the ISSSS has become an ally and a promoter of the ISSSS effort and has understood the intentions and goals of the ISSSS. The local partner now recognizes him as a vital partner of their project.
Beneficiaries of stabilization interventions in Ituri province
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6.2.2 Preparing substantive support of Congolese authorities and local populations - first achievements in Pillars 2 to 5
This section provides information on the operational progress of ISSSS partners in setting up interventions and cooperation arrangements for the ISSSS thematic Pillars 2 to 5. Whereas the democratic dialogue process under Pillar 1 is meant to create commitment and buy-in of Congolese statutory authorities, customary / traditional leaders, and members and leaders of local communities in the stabilization process, the follow-on activities under the other ISSSS Pillars are intended to provide the tangible benefits in the form of know-how, skills and resources to ISSSS beneficiaries that are needed to improve address the key conflict drivers and to strengthen the capacities for conflict management in the ISSSS priority zones.
6.2.2.1 Overview of project coverage of ISSSS Pillars 2 to 5 in 2017
Table 1 below provides an overview the thematic coverage by ISSSS projects (i.e., those funded by the Stabilization Coherence Fund (SCF) and those with bilateral funding) of the four Pillars covered in this section.
A look across ISSSS pillars and Projects shows that partners are emphasizing the strengthening of government capacities and accountability in particular in security (i.e., under Pillars 2 and 3) and land / natural resource management (Pillars 3 and 4). These areas are targeted both by partners that have aligned their projects to the ISSSS and by partners whose interventions are receiving financing from the SCF.
Partners working on thematic areas related to Pillar 4 of the ISSSS have emphasized access to credit, social cohesion and the provision of income earning opportunities for vulnerable populations during 2017; followed by work on community-based solutions for resolving land conflicts, complementing efforts under Pillar 3 to develop the capacity of national, provincial and local authorities to provide access to secure land rights.
Table 2: Overview of ISSSS project coverage and project thematic focus in 2017 (SCF-funded and bi-laterally funded (“aligned” 10)
Priority Zone Project ISSSS Pillars
Title (lead) Donor P2 - Security P3 – Restoring State Authority P4 – Socio-Econ. Conflict Resilience P5 - SGBV
Pamoja Kwa Amani Na Maendeleo (lead: UNHabitat)
Kitshanga (North Kivu)
SCF N/A
Strengthening the performance and accountability of the administration with regards to land management.
Creation of community-based alternative economic opportunities especially for individuals at risk (excombatants and youth)
Access to land, conflict resolution, land use planning, awarenessbuilding of laws
Changing gender norms and behavior
Ruzizi (South Kivu)
CISPE (lead: IOM) The Netherlands N/A
Contribute to enhanced state‐community relations through improved security services performance and raised perception of services within communities N/A N/A
FARM (lead: Mercy Corps) The Netherlands N/A
Strengthening performance and accountability of administration with regards to land management
Access to land, conflict resolution, land use planning, awarenessbuilding of laws Addressing challenges and responding to food security N/A
Lobi Mokolo Ya Sika - LMYS (extension) (SFCG)
Tujenge Pamoja kwa Ajili ya Amani / Construisons ensemble pour la Paix! (lead: International Alert)
Lobi Mokolo Ya Sika - LMYS (extension) (SFCG)
Community Resilience to Violence (Peace Direct)
United Kingdom Mutual trust and confidence between civilians and FARDC strengthened due to improved FARDC / security services accountability N/A N/A
SCF Strengthening performance and accountability of administration with regards to security and protection Strengthening of the performance and accountability of the administration with regards to land management
United Kingdom Mutual trust and confidence between civilians and FARDC strengthened due to improved FARDC / security services accountability
Germany N/A N/A
Reduction of land conflicts, improvement of land management services Improvement of social cohesion Positive transformation of gender norms and behaviors
N/A N/A
Creation of community-based alternative economic opportunities focus on vulnerable populations completed the alignment process.
N/A
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10. I.e., not including projects that have not yet
Table ISSSS in 2017 (SCF-funded bi-laterally
Priority Zone Project ISSSS Pillars
Title (lead) Donor P2 - Security P3 – Restoring State Authority P4 – Socio-Econ. Conflict Resilience P5 - SGBV
Consolidation du projet intégré de stabilisation du Nord Kalehe (lead: UNDP)
Kalehe (South Kivu)
Lobi Mokolo Ya Sika - LMYS (extension) (SFCG)
SCF N/A
Strengthening the performance and accountability of local authorities in the provision of services N/A N/A
United Kingdom Mutual trust and confidence between civilians and FARDC strengthened due to improved FARDC / security services accountability
ARC (lead: ZOA) The Netherlands
Strengthening trust and collaboration between security services (FARDC) and communities
Strengthening performance, accountability and collaboration of Local Administration and Conseil de Securité re. security & protection
N/A N/A
South Irumu (Ituri)
Pamoja Kwa Amani (Ensemble pour la paix) (lead: UN-Habitat)
SCF Mutual trust and confidence between civilians and FARDC strengthened due to improved FARDC / security services accountability
Reinforcing the technical capacity and state – citizen relation within land, mining, and local security governance and good governance at chefferie/sector level.
Access to land and creation of community-based alternative economic opportunities focus on vulnerable groups N/A
Mambasa (Ituri)
Lobi Mokolo Ya Sika - LMYS (extension) (SFCG)
United Kingdom Mutual trust and confidence between civilians and FARDC strengthened due to improved FARDC / security services accountability
CISPE (lead: IOM) The Netherlands
N/A
Creation of community-based income generating activities for youth at risk, ex-combatants, women, and survivors of sexual violence
Access to credit and improved financial planning
More resilient agriculture, fishing, and farmer sector for increased social cohesion
N/A
Amani ni nyiya ya maendeleo phase II (lead: UN-Habitat)
SCF N/A
N/A N/AN/A
Lobi Mokolo Ya Sika - LMYS (extension) (SFCG)
United Kingdom Mutual trust and confidence between civilians and FARDC strengthened due to improved FARDC accountability
Contribute to enhanced state‐community relations through improved security services performance and raised perception of services within communities
Reinforced land, security and administrative governance as well as state – population accountability and collaboration.
Mutual trust and confidence between civilians and PNC strengthened due to improved PNC accountability as well as improved governance through local security committees and plans
N/A N/A
Increased access to credit Social cohesion and resilience through economic opportunities
Changing gender norms and strengthening SGBV assistance
N/A N/A
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2: Overview of
project coverage and project thematic focus
and
funded (“aligned” )
6.2.2.2 Highlights of operational progress under the ISSSS in 2017
This section provides an overview of the operational achievements of ISSSS partners during 2017. These achievements reflect the efforts of ISSSS implementing partners as well as of the ISSSS Technical Secretariat.
With progress in democratic dialogue (Pillar 1, see Section 2 above) as a necessary prerequisite for substantive support in other ISSSS Pillars, many ISSSS project partners focused their attention on the completion of the inception phases for their subsequent work in ISSSS Pillars two to five. That notwithstanding, several project partners had successfully moved beyond the inception phase of their projects, and were able to start offering substantive support to beneficiaries and substantively engage with counterparts at local, provincial and national levels.
For this report, it was important for the Technical Secretariat to emphasize progress of ISSSS partners not for each Pillar, but also across Pillars; i.e., to make more visible the different ways in which the ISSSS is setting up its engagement with local populations, representatives of the State and with traditional, customary authorities.
For this reason, the main operational achievements of the ISSSS are presented below grouped in four thematic areas:
i. Preliminary work to ensure contextualized project implementation, through feasibility studies or needs assessments for instance;
ii. Support to improve of the relationship between the state (in a broad sense: institutions, administration, security sector, etc.) and the civil society;
iii. Institutional strengthening, including in the security sector;
iv. Empowerment of the local populations, notably through awareness raising, training and improved access to livelihood means. Table 2 below shows how each of these achievement areas relates to ISSSS thematic Pillars two to five11
ISSSS Pillars
Main achievement areas 2017
1. Feasibility Studies / Needs Assessments
Pillar 2 (Security)
Pillar 3 (Restoration of State Authority)
Meetings, field missions, identification of existing structures and workshops within all the sectors to ensure an inclusive and participatory process.
Institutional diagnosis and typology study on land conflict.
2. Strengthening State accountability and responsiveness
Supporting better and closer relationships between FARDC units and the communities: reconciliation activities; local security committees.
3. Institutional Strengthening
Increasing the awareness of FARDC of their PoCrelated responsibilities
Changing the incentive structures (including disciplinary mechanisms and military tribunals) that influence the actions of individual soldiers and officers
Reinforcing the state –citizen relation within land, mining, and local security governance. Reconciliation activities between the population and FARDC to re-build trust and confidence.
Capacity development actions for administration and security forces; training on responsible conduct and behaviour towards civilians. Material and equipment distributions.
Pillar 4 (Socio-Economic Conflict Resilience) Pillar 5 (SGBV)
Coordination with other projects. Engagement with beneficiaries to identify needs, constraints and opportunities for income generating activities. Establishment of community-based committees for the selection of beneficiaries. Elaboration of a conflict sensitive market and chain value analysis.
Creation of joint commissions. Multipartner consultations. Development of alternative methods of conflict resolution
Support to courts
4. Empowering local populations
Activities to increase implication of youth in the public space. Access to land and conflict resolution.
Improved, more equitable access to socio-economic opportunities, resources and assets.
Supporting credit cooperatives. Reinforcement of capacities for those participating in income generation activities.
Customary and local leaders trained on international SGBV laws/ conventions.
Increasing access to justice for survivors of SGBV, support to judicial clinics. Building rehabilitation, sensitization activities on behavioral changes, norm transformation and identification of SGBV. Supporting credit cooperatives. Reinforcement of capacities for those participating in income generation activities.
Table 2: Overview of main ISSSS achievement areas for 2017 across ISSSS Pillars
11. Pillar 1 is not included in this table, as progress on democratic dialogue is presented in detail in Section 2 of this report. 21
The following sub-sections of this report provide more detail on the achievements of ISSSS partners for each of these four achievement areas.
a) Feasibility studies and Needs assessments (Pillars 3 and 4) Across all Pillars, and in all priority zones, partners carried out feasibility studies and needs assessments to prepare targeted substantive work under the ISSSS in 2018 and beyond. Findings of these assessments fed into the design and refinement of project activities, helped to determine priorities for capacity building and training, and to identify the needs in the provision of infrastructure, equipment and supplies.
Throughout these initiatives, ISSSS project partners and the ISSSS Technical Secretariat have shown themselves to be able to flexibly respond to the respective contextual needs of beneficiaries. In Mambasa, when the proceedings of a participatory workshop showed the previous delineation not to be optimal, partners agreed to finance future key priority actions through a flexible project fund overseen by a committee made up of local chiefs, local civil society, representatives of the community and religious leaders, and the project partners.
Other examples of achievements through these preparatory activities are detailed in Table 3 below.
Table 3: Selected feasibility studies, needs assessments and preparatory activities carried out during 2017
Leading ISSSS Partners Details on AchievementType of Achievement
Implementation of Capacity Diagnosis (Local Authorities)
With the objective of reinforcing the administrative capacity of local authorities, ISSSS partners carried out a diagnosis of the capacity related needs of State agents that will need to be addressed to improve their ability to provide quality public services.
Chiefly among the identified weaknesses were a) insufficient procedures to govern administrative correspondence and the production of official documents; b) the mismanagement of local public finances, and c) the lagging collection of revenue by the Decentralized Territorial Entities.
Project partners launched engagement with beneficiaries, especially youths and women, to identify needs, constraints and opportunities for income generating activities, including need for capacity building.
IOM
Participatory Needs Identification
Partners conducted an inclusive and participatory conflict sensitive market and chain value analysis trough focus groups and key informant interviews with producers, sellers, transporters, technical agents of the State (agronomists and veterinarians of chiefdoms), customary and administrative authorities. They also set up community based committees for the selection of beneficiaries.
In order to avoid the duplication of efforts, project partners for Pillar 4 thematic efforts conducted a joint assessment of their projects’ activities in the zone, and started to coordinate with ZOA, IRC and SFCG on progress in market research; or with Handicap International on road rehabilitation.
Efficiency and sustainability
IOM conducted an assessment to update the road conditions and identify major rehabilitation needs. From the mission report, IOM discussed with the provincial authorities about possible cooperation to jointly conduct the works and plan for maintenance.
UN-Habitat, ISSSS Technical Secretariat; Priority Zone
UN-Habitat, consortium members
International Alert, ZOA, IRC, SFCG, Handicap International Aid Coordination
Sud Irumu
Sud Irumu
Ruzizi
Kalehe
Governor of Ituri launching the SCF funded program in South Irumu (Ituri)
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b) Strengthening state accountability and responsiveness (Pillars 2, 3 and 5)
Across priority zones, ISSSS partners launched efforts aimed at improving the relationship between the Congolese State and its constituents, making inroads into challenges to stability associated with Pillars 2 (Security), 3 (Restoration of State Authority) and 5 (SGBV).
ISSSS partners started to work on creating structures and processes to increase the accountability and responsiveness of State agents to their constituents, partly by creating opportunities of citizens to become involved in political processes, and partly by reinforcing the relationships between public officials and community members at an individual level. This was mainly done by bringing together the different groups through reconciliation events, participatory decision-making process, shared agendas, or the creation of committees including security forces and civil society.
Other partners focused their activities on the Congolese security forces. This included the re-installation and restructuring of Local Security Councils in four chefferies12 in Ituri and four others in South Kivu13. Partners also established two Base Committees for the national police (PNC) in the Sud Irumu priority zone, to create additional opportunities for citizen engagement (Pillar 3). Under Pillar 2 (in Sud Irumu), the re-dynamization of four Comités Local de Sécurité Proximité (CLSP), including FARDC and the civil society, had an important role as the committees allowed for the improvement both in terms for information as well as accountability towards the FARDC performance. In Ituri and South Kivu, an aligned ISSSS partner implemented reconciliation activities between the population and FARDC to re-build trust and confidence, resulting in updated security diagnosis for six chefferie level and five local security plans validated.
Table 4 below provides information on additional achievements related to strengthening of state accountability mechanisms and its capacity for responsiveness to its constituents.
Table 4: ISSSS Progress and achievements in strengthening state accountability and responsiveness in 2017
Priority Zone
Leading ISSSS Partners Details on AchievementType of Achievement
UN-Habitat, ISSSS Technical Secretariat
Collaborative dispute resolution The ISSSS supported two Territorial Commissions by training their members in alternative methods of conflict resolution and public awareness-raising. Commissioners used their newly acquired skills to document a total of 30 land disputes involving 326 households14. 14 of these conflicts were subsequently resolved.
UN-Habitat
Fostering State-Civilian engagement
The ISSSS has launched its support for a series of sports tournaments to strengthen the relations between security forces (including the PNC) and local communities and for a series of Open Days to disseminate information on state services including land administration (cadastre, land affairs, urban planning and housing), territorial administration, services available for women and children and the role of the police15
Mambasa
UN-Habitat, ISSSS Technical Secretariat
State accountability with regards to land management and mining activities
ISSSS consultations resulted in the development and signing of a road map that committed the provincial land administration and customary authorities to seven formal steps towards resolving open land disputes.
Validation of seven Local Peace and Development Plans to reinforce the local administrations, prioritizing their planning and resource mobilization. The ISSSS partner has already initiated the establishment of an advisory committee at the Territorial level to support the implementation of three priorities outlined in the plans.
A partner launched a participatory decision-making process on constructing a PNC “sous-commissariat” in the chiefdom Burasi, South Irumu, facing complex conflict dynamics, security and technical issues. Through several bilateral meetings with sectorial actors (Minister of Interior, PNC), consultations with communities16 provisions in the Sud Irumu “compact”, and a technical workshop organized by ISSSS implementing partner the process gained the trust of the involved parties. As a result, the construction of the police station can start in early 201817.
The ISSSS has been able to kick-start multi-partner consultations on the oversight arrangements for mining activities, an issue tied closely to access to mineral resources, and the associated opportunities for more equitable, sustained and sustainable income streams from these activities. Through a series of meetings both at political and technical level with governmental and non-governmental partners, the SCF-funded partner and the ISSSS Technical Secretariat were able to garner the political support of the provincial governor and the provincial minister of mines and hydrocarbons for the set-up of a provincial commission for the monitoring of mining activities.
12. I.e., in Bahema-Boga, Banyili Tshabi, Bahema-Sud and Bahema-Mitego.
13. I.e., in Kabare, Ngweshe et Kaziba and Buhavu. 98 of which were female headed.
14. 98 of which were female headed.
15. Both event series are schedule to take place in early 2018.
16. Link to democratic dialogue / Pillar 1.
17. Project partner also carried out reconciliation activities between the population and FARDC to re-build trust and confidence, resulting in updated security diagnosis for 6 chiefdoms and 5 local security plans validated.
SFCG / OIM Building trust and confidence between civilians and security forces
Sud Irumu Mambasa / Sud Irumu
ISSSS Technical Secretariat, UN-Habitat, State accountability in the mining sector
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SFCG Priority Zone
Leading ISSSS Partners
Type of Achievement
Building trust and confidence between civilians and security forces
Details on Achievement
Installation and reinforcement of 3 Local Security Councils and 1 Local Committees of Proximity Security aligned to the national community security strategy, the development of 1 local security plan. Training provided to partners (police, FARDC, civilian authorities, representatives of the communities) to improve dialogue between civilians and security forces, and to allow civilians to participate in the management of the security sector.
SFCG
Building trust and confidence between civilians and security forces Kalehe Ruzizi
Installation and reinforcement of 6 Local Security Councils and 3 Local Committees of Proximity Security aligned to the national community security strategy, the development of 1 local security plan. Training provided to partners (police, FARDC, civilian authorities, representatives of the communities).
c) Institutional strengthening (including security sector) (Pillars 2, 3 and 5)
ISSSS partners used in particular the second half of 2017 to start seeking the engagement with state agencies, local administration and security sector actors to help strengthen their capacities with a view of improving the services offered to local populations in the ISSSS priority zones. These initiatives support the effort by the Technical Secretariat to ensure Government implication in ISSSS projects and the overall ISSSS process.
In Ituri Province, a productive relationship was established with the provincial authorities in order to sustain and facilitate subsequent capacity building efforts through:
i. Continuous bilateral and sectorial meetings between the ISSSS Technical Secretariat and implicated implementing partners and provincial authorities on case-specific issues;
ii. The operational Comité Technique Conjoint - a provincial Government mechanism - coordinating and informing the stabilization process,
iii. The operationalization of a monthly Stabilization Working Group with technical experts from each Ministry represented, iv. The compact on political engagement strategy between the Government, ISSSS partners and the ISSSS Technical Secretariat; and
v. The strong involvement by provincial authorities, including the representatives of the government of Ituri Province It was a combination of all these factors that ultimately led the Governor of Ituri to commit to the dialogue process, which resulted in the convening of the Cohesive Leadership Forum in October of 2017 (see Section 2). All these continuous and parallel processes will ultimately have an impact on the engagement by authorities in substantive work under Pillars 3, which is a crucial pre-requisite for subsequent results in relation to the restoration of state authority in the province.
Partners and the ISSSS provincial secretariat in South Kivu pursued a similar approach, also centered on the establishment of a productive relationship with provincial authorities through continuous meetings and the establishment of a Stabilization Working Group at provincial level. However, South Kivu experienced a change of political leadership in 2017. For 4 months (i.e., July to October 2017), the interim government was not able to actively support the implementation of ISSSS projects. The provincial Technical Secretariat and ISSSS partners needed to defer efforts to liaise with the new provincial authorities until early November 2017. This also delayed the follow up to the signing of the first-ever compact under the ISSSS in the Eastern DRC (see section on political engagement on page 12).
ISSSS partners also launched their work aimed at improving knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of PNC, FARDC and other national or local authorities on Protection of Civilians (PoC), taking important steps in 2017 to advance the training of individual FARDC officers and soldiers on PoC principles.
The same applies to institutional strengthening of land administrations and the courts. In Ituri Province (priority zones of Mambasa, South Irumu), SCF funded ISSSS projects18 under Pillar 4 are in the preparatory stages to support the development of the organizational capacities of land administrations in the priority zones.
Table 5 provides additional details on ISSSS operational progress related to the development of organizational capacity and institutional strengthening of the State in ISSSS priority zones.
Democratic Dialogue activity in Ituri province Irumu and SCF Kitchanga.
Table 4: ISSSS Progress and achievements in strengthening state accountability and responsiveness in 2017
18. SCF South
24
Priority Zone
Table 5: ISSSS Progress and achievements in strengthening state capacities in 2017
Leading ISSSS Partners
UN-Habitat
SFCG
UN-Habitat
Sud Irumu
Mambasa
UN-Habitat
Type of Achievement
Establishment of PNC & FARDC Base Committees
PoC training, establishment of Base committees
Details on Achievement
Establishment of two FARDC Base Committees, which train members of FARDC on standards and practices for the protection of civilians. Each Base committee aims at training around 2400 FARDC soldiers.
The ISSSS aligned project led “Lobi Mokolo Ya Sika IV” has reached over 100,000 civilians and FARDC through establishing six Base Committees within the FARDC that train soldiers on PoC and on responsible behavior.
Training on decentralization 15 Entité Territorial Décentralise (ETD) agents in each of the five chiefdoms / sectors re-trained on issues related to citizen participation in decentralization and local governance; the storage and management of administrative documents, the territorial administrative practice and rules of ethics, local public finance and the code of conduct of the public agent of the state. ISSSS partners started to engage public officials in first rounds of training activities directed at the Decentralized Territorial Entities. In Mambasa, staff of the ETDs were trained in land access procedures and land-related legal clauses19
Provision of material and equipment
Provision of equipment to ETDs, such as a generator, laptop computer, and printer-photocopier as well as office supplies. Material support of the Police in the zone with transport, communication and the improvement of the building to allow police officers to work in an environment with appropriate working conditions.
UN-Habitat
Support to courts
Training through legal clinics and youth associations with the aim of changing negative behaviors and attitudes of men towards women. Support of the Mobile Courts process that tried 14 cases of sexual and gender based violence.
A total of 12 perpetrators were sentenced to prison time, one was dismissed due to lack of evidence and one trial had to be delayed due to illness. Additionally, 19 cases of sexual violence were investigated by the prosecutor's office at the Mambasa Peace Court and transferred to the High-Level Prosecutor's Office of Bunia. Based on these investigations, 10 cases were tried at the Tribunal for the High Court of Bunia resulting in 6 judgments: 4 prison sentences, 1 acquittal and one case was referred to the children's court. The remaining cases are still under investigation.
UN-Habitat
Provision of material and equipment
In Mambasa, SCF-fund were used to start the rehabilitation of the Mambasa Peace Court and the attached public prosecutor's office, as in 2015 a fire had damaged the building severely. Potential contractors intending to bid for the job participated in a site visit in November 2017. The rehabilitation is meant to improve the working conditions of the judges and judicial personnel and to create better access to judicial services.
UNDP
Kalehe
ISSSS Technical Secretariat, MONUSCO Security Sector Reform, MONUSCO Civil Affairs Section
Provision of material and equipment
Training on community security and coordination of security support
The provision and transportation of solar panels and furniture to the local police station, aiming at improving the working environment of 60 police officers. Accompanying training is planned in the first quarter of 2018 to refresh and upgrade the technical capacities of the police officers.
Various trainings and thematic workshops on community level security, targeting representatives of the implementing partners, the civil society and the line ministries. Training conducted under the leadership of the ISSSS Technical Secretariat.
Kalehe & Ruzizi
ISSSS Technical Secretariat and all partners
Coordination and efficiency in land management
The workshops supported the improved alignment of the projects’ community security components with the national security rules and regulations. ISSSS stakeholders in the priority zone improved the planning of their interventions both technically and geographically, by maximizing complementarity and synergies with the final objectives to increase efficiency and impact.
Thematic workshop on land management issues and other related interventions in land sector to improve awareness and understanding of division of labor in land sector, and of opportunities for coordination of efforts to improve synergies and complementarity. Decision was taken to join efforts towards the vote of a provincial bill on land management to protect the rights of the most vulnerable populations.
19. Such as for handling of land transfer documents when meditations over land rights result in re-defining land access between the parties.
25
d) Supporting and empowering local populations (Pillars 3, 4 and 5)
Finally, ISSSS partners directly supported and empowered members of the local populations in the ISSSS priority zones; in particular in ways covered by Pillars 3, 4 and 5. Partners began to raise awareness amongst communities of their rights and responsibilities and to empower them in order to ensure access to land, natural resources or legal services, and to improve access to credit.
Projects used different ways to raise awareness among the population of their civic rights and duties. The SCF-funded project partner in South Irumu (Pillar 2) is engaging civilians through mobile cinemas and radio programs to raise awareness of their roles and responsibilities in supporting a peaceful and safe environment. A project under Pillar 5 in Ituri produced 40 broadcasts with Radio Amkeni, to promote positive changes to social norms such as gender equality, prevention of sexual and gender based violence and other relevant thematic areas. Half of the broadcasts were recorded by representatives from the Judicial Defenders, Legal Clinic, Public Prosecutor's Office and the Court. The project also hosted three large public trainings and awareness raising sessions on the fight against child marriage and the physical and legal ramifications of rape, reaching a total of 730 people (121 women, 161 men, 197 young women and 251 young men).
Responding to the needs of vulnerable women and girls, the SCF-funded ISSSS partner in Sud Irumu launched a campaign to promote changes of social norm and behavior related to SGBV. The project set up 3 men’s groups, reaching 45 men (15 men per group) in the chefferies of Walese Vonkutu, Andisoma and South Bahema. A training was held for 105 customary and local authorities on international SGBV laws and conventions. This same training was given 18 times throughout 2017 and reached a total of 2329 people in the chefferies of Walese Vonkutu, Andisoma and Bahema. The consortium also took a specific gender based approach to the recruitment of its staff.
Improving the secure access to land and natural resources and overcoming conflict-related constraints on the ability of beneficiaries to generate income from land through agricultural activities have been among the focus areas for ISSSS partners in 2017. Some of the efforts fall both under Pillar 3 and Pillar 4. More broadly, several projects worked on improving access to publicly provided quality services, in the areas of land administration, but also in the field of public safety (i.e., police and justice).
ISSSS partners further promoted improved access to justice for DRC citizens, notably through the provision of legal aid. The Mambasa ISSSS partner (Pillar 5) supported Judicial Legal Clinics where a total of 74 cases of sexual violence were recorded (68 female victims and 6 male victims). Of these cases, 53 cases are currently under investigation. 28 of these are in front of the Public Prosecutor's Office which is linked to the Ituri Garrison Military Court, 13 are under investigation by the Ituri High Court; 12 cases in front of the Tripaix of Mambasa. The project signed a memorandum of understanding with legal clinics and trained a total of 40 community leaders to support survivors of SGBV through the process of registering, preparing and following up with the judicial process.
Another focus of ISSSS partners in 2017 was the launch of activities to improve access to credit in the ISSSS priority zones, an issue that represents an acute need in for the population in these areas. Data from the ISSSS baseline shows that on average only about 1 in 10 adults in the priority zones report have access to credit when required.
Table 6 provides additional information and details on the work of ISSSS partners aimed at socio-economic support and social and political empowerment of local populations.
Table 6: ISSSS Progress and achievements in supporting and empowering local populations in 2017
ISSSS Technical Secretariat Priority Zone Conflict Transformation
Leading ISSSS Partners Details on AchievementType of Achievement
The Technical Secretariat is currently the hosting section for two CVR projects in North Kivu, one in Rubaya (Masisi) and one on the Bunagana and Nyamilima axes (Rutshuru). These projects have made it possible to complement existing interventions in these areas which are both conflictsensitive and which address conflict dynamics. The Rutshuru project follows on the roll-out of a German-funded Stabilization project complimentary to ISSSS that is reinforcing and capacitating local organizations contributing to conflict transformation in the area. In the Rubaya case the project serves to diminish conflicts over natural resources (water) in a way that is tangible. Kitchanga
Strong demand among the population for the establishment and revitalization of credit cooperatives (known as Mutuelles de Solidarité (MUSO’s)) led the responsible ISSSS partner20 to overenroll groups in their credit programme, beyond the initially foreseen upper limits. Eventually, the partner selected 94 groups for support in October 2017; i.e. 71 new groups and 23 existing groups that were in need of revitalization21. Women represent close to 40 percent of the approximately 1700 members of these
ISSSS partners were able to build on their work started under the PBFfunded pilot phases of two ISSSS projects. Highlighting the ability of credit cooperatives to sustain themselves after the end of external support, approximately 80 to 85 percent of MUSOs that had been established during the first phase of the ISSSS projects there were still operating upon the launch of the new phases; i.e., 34 cooperatives in Kalehe, and 36 in Mambasa.
Sud Irumu
26
UN-Habitat Access to credit
UN-Habitat Access to credit
Mambasa UNDP Kalehe Creating income generating activities UN-Habitat Mambasa 20. I.e., the SCF-funded consortium led by UN-Habitat. 21. Main identified needs where training and sensitization on the concept of credit cooperatives; set up appropriate management structures; identification of leaders for the cooperatives.
Priority Zone
Mambasa & Sud Irumu
Details on Achievement
Leading ISSSS Partners
Type of Achievement UN-Habitat
Regaining access to land
ISSSS partners initiated a mediation process with local and customary authorities to improve access to land for Pygmies, producer groups (composed of mainly women) and female heads of households. Partners were able to facilitate the signing of a formal agreement between formerly conflicting parties that allowed them to recover and secure their land rights through a Certificate of Registration. 160 out of the 165 beneficiaries who participated in the project (i.e., 97 percent) have been able to regain access to land through this mediation process.
Finally, an important and integral element of the ISSSS approach and philosophy is its cross-cutting approach to gender mainstreaming in all relevant efforts and interventions. Box 1 provides an overview of the ISSSS gender mainstreaming approach, and highlights several key achievements of 2017.
Box 1: Gender Mainstreaming in the SCF portfolio ISSSS
ISSSS’s approach to gender mainstreaming emphasizes the importance of integrating gender at every step of the project cycle, from baseline analyses and staff recruitment to monitoring and the final project evaluation. SCF implementing partners were trained on gender mainstreaming this year with concrete suggestions on how to mainstream gender into their projects, which is supported by the new Introduction Kit as well as the revised Operations Manual. Gender-responsive budgeting, which is a requirement for all partners, further enhances the emphasis on gender mainstreaming at every step of project implementation. This approach requires partners to monitor and report on the minimum 15% of their budget which is dedicated to addressing women’s specific needs, advancing gender equality or empowering women.
Additionally, the Technical Secretariat staff plays a key role in mainstreaming gender in all project activities. For example, in the framework of the ISSSS program in South Irumu (Ituri), during a workshop on security governance organized by IOM from 24 to 25 October, the PNC and Administrative authorities committed to at least 30% female police officers in the deployment of new personnel to the new Commissariat in Burasi (Ituri). The Technical Secretariat Ituri also initiated the elaboration of a consortium wide “gender strategy” defining the responsibilities of each organization, as well as the consortium as a whole, in line with the ISSSS Gender marker. The implementing partner that is responsible for Pillar five has identified and trained one gender focal point for each organization that will support the implementation of the strategy.
Most ISSSS partners foresee plans to work towards the strengthening of positive social norms around SGBV. The SCF-funded projects in Mambasa and Sud Irumu already started implementing relevant activities in 2017. The other projects are planning to start their corresponding activities in early 2018.
Meeting between the ISSSS Technical Secretariat, implementing partners, local authorities and civil society actors in Pinga, North Kivu
27 Table 6: ISSSS Progress and achievements in supporting and empowering local populations in 2017
In 2017, the ISSSS continued to receive strong traction from international actors, with several new partners joining both the SCF and the alignment portfolio. Sweden and Germany became the newest donors to the SCF with financial contributions of 5,236,788 USD and 1,482,012USD respectively. Three out of the four initial donors reconfirmed their financial commitments (the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Norway), bringing the total amount of new contributions received in 2017 to 14,957,268 USD (see table below). This represents a 60% increase compared to the initial contributions received in 2015 and enlarges the SCF partnership base to six donors.
The alignment process also saw an expansion in 2017. With the alignment framework now fully in place, the total funding volume of aligned and “alignable” interventions to the ISSSS grow from 84 million USD in 2016 to 120 million USD in 2017, which is a 43% increase. New partners include Germany and UNDP/MONUSCO in partnership with the North Kivu Province.
The overall financial contributions received for the implementation of the ISSSS to date amounts to approximately 179 million USD (see table below).
SCF figures and allocations
The total amount of contributions to the SCF to date amounts to 40,265,165 USD, of which 23,161,763 USD22 (about 60 %) has been allocated to the five operational stabilization programs.
Graph 1: Financial contributions for ISSSS programming
140,000,000 120,000,000 100,000,000 80,000,000 60,000,000 40,000,000 20,000,000
0 Prior to 2015 2015-2016 2017 SCF funding Aligned and alignable funding
UN PBF United Kingdom
Netherlands Norway Sweden Germany
European Union
United States*
UNDP, MONUSCO and NK Province
Total
Financial contributions prior to 2015 7,999,967 2,000,000 1,000,000 2,200,000 2,200,000 15,399,967 12,000,000 8,277,500 4,000,000 1,030,397 25,307,897 4,601,719 1,000,000 2,636,749 5,236,788 1,482,012 14,957,268
Financial contributions to the SCF 2015-2016 2017
Bilateral contri butions through alignment 24,202,283 62,843,061 10,000,000 1,688,843 19,500,000 1,409,000 119,643,187
Other financial contributions 3,800,000 3,800,000 Total contributions 19,999,967 40,881,502 69,843,061 4,667,146 15,236,788 5,370,855 2,200,000 19,500,000 1,409,000 179,108,319
*Subject to the availability of funds, USAID will provide approximately $19.5 million over five years (August 2016 - August 2019) for its Solutions for Peace and Recovery (SPR) activity.
22. This amount does not include the general management services costs (8%) for programs whose funding is passed through the Managing Agent (UNDP).
Table 5: Overview of Financial Contributions to the Revised ISSSS
ISSSS Partners
28 7. ISSSS Resources
In 2017, out of the remaining funds available for stabilization programming (16 million USD), an amount of 7,560,000 USD has been approved for a new stabilization program in Beni (North Kivu). In addition, the year 2017 saw four operational support projects approved for an overall budget of 927,781 USD. This means that approximately 7.5 million USD remains available for additional programming in 2018 and beyond.
The programmatic allocation for the ISSSS priority zone of Beni concerns a flexible envelope of between 5 – 7 million USD. The objective of this flexible approach is to solicit the best value for money from potential implementing partners, based on their organizational capacities and the needs identified for each specific objective during the assessments conducted in the priority zones in the call for proposal process.
With regards to the operational support projects, the first project of 143,466 USD covers the direct costs of UNDP to carry out their roles and responsibilities as the managing agent for the SCF. The second project is for a total of 234,315.88 USD and supports the operational costs of SCF Cell which has the main responsibility for the management of the SCF. This project is in line with the 3% which can be charged on SCF contributions for the operational function of the fund. The third project is a 250,000 USD support project for the ISSSS Technical Secretariat to enhance political engagement, community mobilization and strategic communication and capacity building of STAREC. The final project is a 300,000 USD contribution to the HHI to gather data in six priority zones until July 2019.
SCF allocations in 2017
Programmatic allocation: Beni North
Operational Support Project 1: Administrative Costs Managing Agent
Operational Support Project 2: SCF Cell Budget
Operational Support Project 3: Support to ISSSS Technical Secretariat
Operational Support Project 4: HHI data collection project
Total funding allocations in 2017
SCF Expansion plans
Amount 7,000,000 143,466 234,316 250,000 300,000 7,927,782
The year 2018 will require the ISSSS Technical Secretariat to conduct detailed conflict analysis, as well as a review of the alignment portfolio in order to determine where the SCF should invest and with what volume of financing. In the first quarter of 2018, the ISSSS Technical Secretariat will coordinate provincial workshops to review the prioritization of the remaining seven ISSSS zones which have not been activated and to evaluate if in the new political and security context zones which have not previously been identified need to be considered. It is anticipated that this updated geographically prioritization of stabilization zones will be presented to the NFB in early 2018 for inputs and validation. Simultaneously, based on this work, the ISSSS Technical Secretariat will make a recommendation to the NFB on where to invest the remaining balance of the SCF in 2018.
Traditional dancers at the handover ceremony of a CVR project in Rubaya, North Kivu, implemented with support of SSU
29
PFB Date Decision
North Kivu February 24, 2017
• The PFB selected the consortium led by UN Habitat for the implementation of the second part of the Kitshanga program. In addition, the PFB requested the ISSSS Technical Secretariat to support the consortium to finalize the full program proposal.
• The PBF approved an advocacy note to be presented to NFB to request funding for a program in Beni North.
June 21, 2017
October 26, 2017
South Kivu January 26, 2017
February 24, 2017
June 6, 2017
Ituri March 2, 2017
• Based on an internal review of the Democratic Dialogue component of the Kitshanga program implemented by International Alert and partners, , the PFB approved changes to the program.
• The PFB approved final changes in the second part of the Kitshanga program and the budget of 3 million USD allowing the consortium led by UN Habitat to start the implementation phase.
• The PFB approved the call for interest for the Beni program for a flexible envelope of between 5-7 million USD.
• The PFB selected the consortium led by International Alert for the implementation of the program in Plaine de la Ruzizi, on the conditions that their recommendations are integrated into the final proposal.
• The PFB approved the final changes in the program proposal for Plaine de la Ruzizi and approved the budget of 7 million USD.
• The PFB approved a provincial compact between the provincial authorities, the program implementing partners and the donors to support the ISSSS programs in South Kivu.
• The PFB approved theNorth Kalehe program submitted by UNDP approved for an overall budget of 1 million USD, for a period of 12 months.
• The PFB selected the consortium led by UN Habitat for the implementation of the South Irumu program with a budget of 6.5 million dollar, upon the integration of their recommendations. PFBs meetings decisions
ANNEXES 33
I:
and
Province Ituri North Kivu South Kivu
Priority Zone*
Mambasa (Active)
South Irumu (Active)
Haut et Bas Uélé (Nonactive)
Autour de Kitshanga (Active)
Beni North (Active)
Volcans (Non-active)
Centre Masisi (Nonactive)
Frontière Walikale-Masisi (Non-active)
Plaine de la Ruzizi, Moyens et Hauts Plateaux d’Uvira (Active)
Haut Plateaux de Numbi-Ziralo (Active)
Territoire de Fizi (Nonactive)
Shabunda (Non-active)
Zone Chule-WalunguKabare (Non-active)
Intervention LMYS CISPE LMYS CPLUP Pear+3 N/A CISPE FARM LMYS PAGDL LMYS PAGDL Tushiriki Wote CISPE LMYS FARM CPLUP Pear+3 PAGDL Tushiriki Wote Water4Virunga CISPE LMYS Tushiriki Wote N/A LMYS MyA Community Resilience to Violence Tushirki Wote LMYS ARC SPR CPLUP Tushiriki Wote LMYS Community Resilience to Violence Tushirki Wote N/A LMYS Tushiriki Wote
Category 1 2 3 Donor
United Kingdom
The Netherlands
United Kingdom
United Kingdom Sweden
Implementing partner
SFCG
OIM, Pax Christi, Cordaid, VNGi
SFCG
UN Habitat UNICEF
The Netherlands
The Netherlands United Kingdom
UNDP, MONUSCO, North Kivu province
United Kingdom
UNDP, MONUSCO, North Kivu Province Sweden
The Netherlands United Kingdom
The Netherlands United Kingdom Sweden
UNDP, MONUSCO, North Kivu Province Sweden The Netherlands
The Netherlands
United Kingdom Sweden United Kingdom The Netherlands Germany Sweden United Kingdom The Netherlands United States United Kingdom Sweden United Kingdom Germany Sweden United Kingdom Sweden
OIM, Pax Christi, Cordaid, VNGi
Mercy Corps, SFCG SFCG
PNUD, UNCDF, MONUSCO
SFCG
PNUD, UNCDF, MONUSCO, International Alert
OIM, Pax Christi, Cordaid, VNGi SFCG
Mercy Corps, SFCG UN habitat UNICEF
PNUD, UNCDF, MONUSCO International Alert
MDF, WUR, Witteveen+Bos, IGCP
OIM, Pax Christi, Cordaid, VNGi
SFCG
International Alert SFCG IRC, SFCG, ZOA Peace Direct, Fochi
International Alert
SFCG
ZOA, War Child, VNGi MSI, Int. Alert, IRC UN Habitat International Alert
SFCG Peace Direct, Fochi
International Alert SFCG International Alert
34 II: Bilaterally funded ISSSS interventions
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x *Priority Zones get activated if the following three conditions are met: 1) The underlying pillar 1 “Democratic Dialogue” is being implemented, 2) coordination is ensured, 3) the full M&E package is in place.
Risk Factor
1 31
Communities skeptical of dialogue mechanisms, due to past experiences
Communities not serious about gender sensitivity
Increasing obstructionism from national leadership
Patronage links among traditional and state authorities
Local and provincial elections delayed indefinitely
Failure on Pillar 3 (community level) undermines Pillar 1 (state level)
Remoteness of communities from eastern capitals
Multitude of local processes diverts attention on stabilization
Disruptive security events
Lack of visibility or progress of STAREC initiatives
Ties of FARDC soldiers with former and existing armed groups
Poor pay / living conditions of soldiers & commanders
Mistreatment of soldiers from more senior officers
FARDC soldiers ill-equipped
Lack of national reform undermines local reform
No update of government payroll systems
Latent conflict over access to services re-emerges
Resistance from non-state agents to reform processes
Centralization of power at the national level
Patronage links within and between national and local authorities
Corruption and clientelism reproduced at all levels
No short-term benefits of reform processes
Presidential elections delayed indefinitely
Individual traditional leaders do not accept reforms
Continued macro-economic shocks affect stability
Vulnerable groups perceived as having economic privileges
Progress against changing gender norms unlikely Women and girls unintentionally put at risk
Regressive national policies disrupt progress on gender Culture of impunity around SGBV
Disillusionment of women and girls
Affected Pillars33
Pillar 1 Pillars 1 and 5 Pillars 1 and 3 Pillar 1 Pillars 1 and 3 Pillars 1 and 3 Pillars 1, 3, 4 Pillar 1 Pillars 1, 2 Pillar 1 Pillar 2 Pillar 2 Pillar 2 Pillar 2 Pillar 2 Pillar 3, 4 Pillar 3 Pillar 3 Pillar 3 Pillar 3 Pillar 3 Pillar 3 Pillar 3 Pillars 3, 4 Pillar 4 Pillar 4 Pillar 5 Pillar 5 Pillar 5 Pillar 5 Pillar 5
Score
Negligible Severe Severe Medium Severe Severe Medium Negligible Severe Medium Severe Severe Medium Medium Medium Medium Negligible Medium Severe Severe Medium Severe Severe Medium Medium Medium Severe Medium Severe Severe Medium
33. This denotes the pillar(s) under which ISSSS results would be significantly derailed should the risk factor materialise, rather than capturing all of the pillars that would be affected by a given risk.
35
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
III: Risk Matrix
SSU Key Mission
Good offices & Advocacy
Priorities
Finalize and monitor the provincial compacts: The progress on the provincial compact in Ituri province, and also the steps taken in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, represent a valuable foundation for political engagement with relevant stakeholders to be intensified in 2018. The ISSSS Technical Secretariat is working closely with stakeholders within MONUSCO, in the international community and among Congolese authorities to learn from successes and difficulties in 2017 to accelerate progress in this important area this coming year. The provincial compacts will be monitored on a quarterly basis through the PBF Mechanisms, and information on political engagement will be aggregated and discussed bi-annually during the NFB meetings.
Develop area-specific political engagement strategies: The experience in all three provinces and all five active priority zones in 2017 has clearly shown how important it is for political engagement efforts to be carefully adapted to the very specific socio-political landscape in each area. The ISSSS Technical Secretariat is working to identify which aspects of political engagement can be transferred and replicated and is planning to organize a workshop to facilitate this exchange between the provinces. A mapping of actors in each priority zone will be another key component of customized engagement strategies, as will be the set-up and coordination of political engagement working groups in each priority zone.
Initiate discussions to develop National Compact: In particular the progress on political engagement in Ituri has opened avenues for elevating these efforts to the national level. The Technical Secretariat plans to use targeted advocacy in the coming year to insist on the importance of the COMPACT at the NFB with the Minister of Plan; to work with STAREC at the national level for this purpose, and to work across MONUSCO sections to ensure that these efforts are in line with national reforms.
Conflict analysis & Policy advice
Review ISSSS pillars, including to ensure closer linkages between ISSSS pillars and gender mainstreaming: Keeping the ISSSS relevant to the shifting of the broader political and security context is key for the success of stabilization efforts. The ISSSS Technical Secretariat will approach this revision in a participatory way, including with a workshop with members of the Stabilization Forum, to discuss the draft pillar notes.
Linked to this update, the ISSSS Technical Secretariat will also oversee a revision of the ISSSS Priority Zones to guide investment in stabilization programming for 2018 and beyond.
Contribute to global discussions on stabilization doctrine in order to share lessons learned on the ISSSS approach with partners working in similar contexts and to contribute to global policy making on stabilization.
Program Management
Strengthen programmatic oversight capacities within the national and provincial ISSSSS Technical Secretariats and Implementing Partners to ensure quality and timely delivery of active SCF funded programs. Program oversight tools will be provided by the SCF Cell, including preventative and corrective measures to deal with SCF funded programs that are deemed to be 'off-track'.
Increased information sharing between SCF Governance Mechanisms at National and Provincial levels (National and Provincial Funding Boards) on program results and implementation, in addition to regular reporting, exchanges around programmatic risks and mitigation to ensure programs can deliver despite security and political challenges.
Coordination
Strengthen the coordination of ISSSS Technical Secretariat with MONUSCO substantive sections at HQ and provincial level: Develop standardized working methods and coordination between the ISSSS Technical Secretariat and substantive section (development of Terms of Reference, nomination of stabilization focal points per section, etc.).
External coordination with ISSSS stakeholders, including aligned and 'alignable' interventions, as well as government actors, will be further emphasized through the systematization of the provincial and priority zone-based Stabilization Working Groups mandate and working methods. The development of standardized Terms of Reference for the work of the Stabilization Working Groups at provincial level will be one of the first actions in 2018 in this regard.
Communication
Documenting of ISSSS results and lessons learned. This includes operational progress and experiences made by ISSSS partners, including SCF, aligned and 'alignable' partners, during the set-up and inception phases of stabilization projects; and, going forward, this will also include the capturing and analysis of changes among ISSSS beneficiaries that indicate progress in the efforts to bring greater peace and stability to the ISSSS priority zones and to Eastern DRC, overall. As part of this effort, the Technical Secretariat will make available an interactive, online version of the ISSSS monitoring reports to Implementing partners, donors and other relevant partners.
36
IV: Priorities for 2018
ISSSS Technical Secretariat
37
STAREC National Coordinator SSU Team Leader SSU Deputy Team Leader (PBF)STAREC Liaison Officer SSU Liaison Officer STAREC Provincial Coordinator (3) National level SSU Provincial Coordinator (3) SSU Stabilization Officer (6) (NORDEM (1)/Germany (1)) SSU SCF Cell SCF Fund Manager (SCF) Finance Assistant (SCF) SSU Alignment Cell Alignment Officer (NORDEM) SSU Expert Cell Dialogue Expert (NORDEM) Security Expert (SSR/UN Force) RRR Expert (FBA) Gender Expert (NORDEM) SSU M&E Cell M&E Manager (DfID) M&E Officers (4) (DfID) Assistant (DfID) SSU Planning Cell Field Coordinator (Netherlands) Reporting Officer (Netherlands) SSU Policy Officer STAREC Experts Provincial level SSU staff financed by MONUSCO SSU staff financed by donors STAREC staff STAREC Field Staff V: ISSSS Technical Secretariat Organogram and Contacts
Results
Result 1: Implementation of the Provincial Stabilization Strategies and Action Plans, through the establishment and funding of the SCF and a coordination mechanism.
Indicator, baseline, target
Indicator 1.1: Establishment of the SCF and coordination mechanisms, including Fund instruments, Technical Secretariat and national and provincial funding boards.
Baseline: Terms of Reference of the SCF available in draft form and accepted through the Stabilization Donor Forum.
Target: Terms of Reference formally approved by the donors and government, SCF established by Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office, Technical Secretariat funded and recruited, national and provincial funding boards established and operational with the support of the Technical Secretariat (realizing the launch of the calls for proposals, evaluation of concept notes and projects).
Indicator 1.2: Proportion of key partners (members of funding boards, STAREC staff and implementing agencies) expressing satisfaction with the support of the Technical Secretariat.
Baseline: Not available.
Target: At least 50% of key stakeholders believe that the Technical Secretariat provides them with adequate support for the implementation of Provincial Stabilization Plans.
Indicator 1.3: % of financial support from development partners for Provincial Stabilization Strategies.
Baseline: Not available.
Target: 75% of 75 million USD.
Verification means
SCF instrument, Terms of Reference of the Technical Secretariat and recruitment of staff, Nomination of candidates for the funding boards, Minutes of board meetings.
Progress
The SCF was created in November 2015. The Fund was officially launched during the first meeting of the NFB held on April 6, 2016 in Kinshasa, and became fully operational with the establishment of its governance and management structures and the approval of the Operational Manual by the copresidents of the NFB on August 6, 2016.
In 2017 the NFB met twice in Kinshasa in February and again in October which resulted in the approval of a flexible envelop to launch a program in the 6th priority zone in Beni, North Kivu. Additionally, the NFB approved the revision of the SCF Operations Manual and Terms of Reference which was updated by the SCF cell in order to capitalize on the lessons learned from the first three call for proposals.
At the provincial level the PFB in North Kivu met three times and was able to resolve several political blockages which prevented the Kitshanga program from being effectively implemented. The PBF in South Kivu also met three times. The main result was the validation of a compact for the Ruzizi and Kalehe programs between the Provincial Government, program implementing partners and the SCF donor community. In Ituri, the PFB met only once this year to approve the Ituri program, the Governor has shown a great deal of political support this year to the ISSSS programs through a 10,000 USD contribution to the Mambasa program, as well as support to negotiate directly with the national authorities on the demobilization of the armed group FRPI.
A short survey targeting key stakeholders, coordinated by the Technical Secretariat every 6 months.
A perception survey administered to ISSSS Technical Secretariat key partners in July 2017 indicated that 67% of partners were satisfied with the support services they received from the Technical Secretariat, while 33% believe that services could be improved. This was the first time a perception survey of this kind of initiative by the Technical Secretariat, a follow up survey is envisioned in the first quarter of 2018.
Letters of commitment from donors, Balance of fund.
In 2017 the SCF received a total of 14,957,268 USD. The Kingdom of Sweden and Germany became the newest donor to pledge their support to the SCF when they committed 5,236,788 USD and 1,482,012 USD respectively.
Three existing donors, the United Kingdom, Norway and the Netherlands made an additional contribution of 4,601,719 USD, 2,693,653 USD and 1,000,000 USD respectively.
In 2017, an amount of 7,000,000 USD has been approved for a new stabilization program in Beni (North Kivu). In addition, the year 2017 saw four operational support projects approved for an overall budget of 877,782 USD.
With the new contributions to the SCF, the total amount of contributions to the SCF amounts to 40,265,165 USD of which approximately 8.7 million USD is available for additional programming in 2018 and beyond.
38
VI: Progress report on the PBF Priority Plan
Result 2: Implementation of the Provincial Stabilization Strategies and Action Plans, through the establishment of a compact for STAREC and ISSSS between the Government of the DRC and international partners.
Indicator 1.4: % of support from GoDRC government for Provincial Stabilization Strategies.
Baseline: Not available.
Target: 10% of 75 million USD.
Indicator 2.1: Existence of ‘compacts’ between the GoDRC and international partners, describing the responsibilities and commitments of each party for a successful ISSSS implementation approved by the funding boards.
Baseline: The need for compacts is described in the ISSSS. Each Provincial Stabilization Strategy describes the key interventions at the national and provincial levels that needs to be addressed.
Target: Each call for proposals and all approved proposals need to be accompanied by a written compact that is signed by the GoDRC and international partners, and a description of the respective commitments to ensure the success of stabilization projects, including key reforms and the financial or in-kind contributions of all parties.
Indicator 2.2: % of budget support from the GoDRC and partners for STAREC management and programming.
Baseline: Low financial support for STAREC (approx. 45,000 per month for salaries)
Target: Increase of GoDRC's contribution to STAREC, in parallel, decrease in project support. (The ISSSS support includes an allocation for STAREC reinforcement and project follow-up which will decrease to 60% in year 2 and 30% in year 3).
Letters of commitment of GoDRC, Balance of fund, National and provincial budgets, Accountability Report. Reports on progress in the negotiation of Compacts, Compacts.
The GoDRC has showed increased engagement in the stabilization process through regular participation in the Funding Board Mechanisms at national and provincial level, which has led to renewed confidence from the donor community.
In terms of political engagement, the Governors of Iruri and South Kivu have signed a compact with the SCF donors and stabilization implementing partners committing themselves to concrete technical and political actions they will take to support ISSSS programs and ensure their durability. In North Kivu the compact is still under development; initial discussions with the provincial authorities have been productive.
In terms of financial contributions, the Government in Ituri committed 10,000 USD to support the durability of the Mambasa program.
See above point on compacts.
Project support to the Technical Secretariat, including support to the STAREC team.
Progress on operational support from the National Authorities to support the functioning of STAREC continues to be limited due to the political situation in DRC. The support from PBF to the functioning of STAREC provincial offices came to an end if March 2017, and has caused substantial challenges in the working relationship with the National counterpart. Support to STAREC has however continued through the funding of field visits allowing the ISSSS Technical Secretariat to conduct joint monitoring and evaluation of the ISSSS at field level, in line with the SCF Operations Manual.
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Result 3: Implementation of the Provincial Stabilization Strategies and Action Plans, through quick programming and the qualitative funding allocations for ISSSS projects, to utilize the momentum for stabilization interventions in Eastern DRC.
Indicator 2.3: MONUSCO's leadership promotes the implementation of ISSSS and coordination with the military component of MONUSCO and other civilian interventions in the targeted areas.
Baseline: Not available.
Target: SSU organizes quarterly civil-military meetings on the theme of stabilization and planning of post-military stabilization operations.
Indicator 3.1: % of funding allocated to the SCF during the first 4 months after the launch of the fund, including PBF funds and funds for aligned programs.
Baseline: Not available.
Target: At least 75% of funds available for projects in the first four months.
Criteria for project approval include a consideration of the need for military intervention and exchange with MONUSCO military leadership on security and coordination of military and stabilization interventions. Minutes of board meetings, existence of project documentation and transfers of funding.
MONUSCO has validated a joint strategy towards the FRPI. The SCF project is at the center of the operationalization of this plan as it offers both the Democratic Dialogue process as well as a solid reference program for other sectorial actions, also by MONUSCO in the area, such as land governance and mediation, reinforcing PNC and FARDC, socio-economic activities for ex-combatants and youth at risk. In this way, the SCF program plays a key role in coordinating and orienting other actions in a coherent manner in the intervention zone.
Indicator 3.2: Quality projects are approved by the funding boards.
Baseline: Not available.
Target: 100% of the projects approved by the funding boards have been reviewed by the Technical Secretariat and sector specialists, and projects meet the key criteria, including gender mainstreaming, results orientation, conflict sensitivity, demonstrated capacity of the implementing partners and coherence.
Indicator 3.3: % of ISSSS projects dedicated to women's empowerment and gender mainstreaming.
Baseline: Not available.
Project evaluation sheets attached to project approvals.
In 2017 the SCF received a total of 14,957,268 USD. The Kingdom of Sweden and Germany became the newest donor to pledge their support to the SCF when they committed 5,236,788 USD and 1,482,012 USD respectively.
Three existing donors, the United Kingdom, Norway and the Netherlands made an additional contribution of 4,601,719 USD, 2,693,653 USD and 1,000,000 USD respectively.
In 2017, an amount of 7,000,000 USD has been approved for a new stabilization program in Beni (North Kivu). In addition, the year 2017 saw four operational support projects approved for an overall budget of 877,782 USD.
With the new contributions to the SCF, the total amount of contributions to the SCF amounts to 40,265,165 USD of which approximately 8.7 million USD is available for additional programming in 2018 and beyond.
In addition, six programs/projects have been aligned to the ISSSS and an additional four “alignable” projects are expected to reach the alignment status soon. This brings the total number of bilateral partners to six (see figures on page 24) and the total funding volume to 119.6 million USD which is an increase of 43% compared to 2016.
In 2017 100% of projects approved by the provincial funding boards were reviewed by members from the Provincial secretariats who sat on Technical Evaluations Committees and provide the PFB members with concrete recommendations and evaluations on which programs to select based on a series of criteria and technical analysis which center agreed gender sensitive conflict analysis, and the capacity of the implementing partners to operate in complex and insecure environments.
The North Kivu secretariat has recently launched a call for proposal in Beni, and it is expected the process will be finalized in April 2018.
Indicators for gender monitoring.
The ISSSS Technical Secretariat has now operationalize the ISSSS Gender Guidelines in 2017 through: 1) the selection of five gender sensitive ISSSS programs; 2) the inclusion of gender in the information kit and training of new SCF implementing partners; 3) specific training sessions for implementing partners on gender responsive budgeting; 4) inclusion of gender results and best practices in the narrative
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Target: Gender allocations monitored and at least 15% of funds allocated to women's empowerment and/or interventions on gender mainstreaming.
narrative annual reports; 5) the revision of the gender guidelines in line with the SCF Operations Manual.
Through the training with partners on gender responsive budgeting, it was determined that their projects include more than 15% of budget dedicated to gender equality results, these results are now more adequately captured in the narrative reports through a revision of the template.
SSU Gender Advisor conducted gender responsive budget training to all implementing partners and secretariats in three provinces leading to more accurate reporting on GRB and gender equality results.
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Official handover ceremony of the CVR project in Rubaya, North Kivu, hosted by SSU
30. Uniting our Strengths for Peace – Politics, Partnership and People: Report of the High Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations, 2015. UNSCR 2282 (2016) on the UN Peacebuilding Architecture; Challenge of sustaining peace: Report of the Advisory Group of Experts on the Review of the Peacebuilding Architecture (A/69/969-S/2015/490). Annual Report of the Secretary-General on Women and Peace and Security, 2017 (S/2017/861); Preventing Conflict, Transforming Justice, Securing Peace: A Global Study in the Implementation of United Nations Security Resolution 1325, 2015; UNSCR 2250 (2015) on Youth, Peace and Security.
