Reducing Gender Based Violence and Building Sustainable Peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) 2010 – 2012

Background:
The review was undertaken at the request of the MFA, the Section for Humanitarian Affairs.
This report aims to allow MFA and NCA to review the programme to effectively secure rights
and livelihoods of the targeted populations and their communities.
Given the volatile situation in East Congo over the past eighteen years, and the continued insecurity and plight of the population in the two Kivu provinces, NCA’s programme has both an emergency and a development approach within the seven pillars that constitute the. programme.

Purpose/ Objective:
The agreement period expires on 31st December 2012. However, a no cost extension until end of April 2013 has been granted by the MFA in agreement with the NCA. No previous mid-term review (MTR) has been undertaken. The programme is now near the projected end of its period. This review may therefore serve as a regular MTR as well as to address continued needs of target populations.

Methodology:
The review exercise took a participatory approach by involving NCA staff. However, responsibility for the conclusions and recommendations rests with the external consultants (from Norad and MDF) and are not necessarily and not always NCA’s.

Key Findings:
• The overall finding is that the programme is relevant and responds very well to needs
that beneficiaries themselves rank as their highest priorities. It succeeds particularly well in its approach to strengthen people’s resilience and community coherence and hence in creating emergency preparedness. This is achieved by working through partners, engaging FBOs and community organizations.
• One finding is that the so-called REFLECT method (see chapter 5.3 page
14) is particularly successful and could be scaled up to reach more people in more areas. Through it, the beneficiaries learn basic skills including literacy, to know their rights and to negotiate and demand them – and from there on also to earn their own livelihoods better. These skills are achieved in 6 months, minimum.

Recommendations:
In chapter 5 - Analysis and findings, the report discusses NCA’s capacity to effectively handle a
Programme with many and varied types of intervention, a large number of partners (20), and if the projects or components within the project have interrelated synergies.
The conclusion is that NCA:
• Will benefit from a reduction in the number of partners in order to better contribute to quality capacity development of them.
• NCA should also continue to work towards partners talking over the responsibilities of sector-specific expertise whilst NCA gradually reduces to have so much in-country
expertise.
• A discussion on the “donor role” of NCA in East Congo is also raised, which reflects
the challenge of establishing equality in partnerships for a north based NGO. NCA appears to pay due attention to this structural constellation, which needs to be considered as a global challenge in north- south relationships. A conclusive solution within this programme alone cannot be expected.
• The WASH component was found to be the component that least directly contributes to the specific GBV and peace objectives of the programme, and also the component that is less interrelated with the other projects. Either one should find ways to better secure synergies with other projects to achieve objectives, or else allow it to become a programme of its own.
Related to the partner strategy, it is recommended that:
• The partner analysis and selection methodology be better implemented and also improved to include assessment of an organization’s governance and accountability structures.
• Continue the successful cluster arrangement whereby partner organizations are grouped in smaller clusters for mutual support and development.
• NCA’s rights based approach in East Congo is unconventional in that it places duty bearer responsibilities also on local partners and religious leaders. It may blur the role and responsibility of the state, and a clarification and revision is recommended
• The results framework and documentation of results was found to be in need of improvement, which NCA is already about to do.
• Courses and training forms is a large part of the programme activities. A new results framework should seek to record positive changes in the way organizations and stakeholders operate following training, rather than just listing training and courses undertaken.
• Finally, but not least, the administration of the programme conducted between the partners (MFA and NCA) calls for a sequencing of reporting and annual general meetings that ensures predictable funding and funding flows. It becomes complicated for projects, for local organizations and most importantly for beneficiaries when delays occur. If predictable and long term funding is secured, the better for results achievement. As a minimum, one could aim at holding annual general meetings at
Head quarters level earlier in the year than has been the case so far.
In conclusion, and based on the above recommendations, the review team proposes a continuation of the programme.

Comments from Norwegian Church Aid (if any):