USAID’s Socio-Economic Recovery and Livelihoods Grant for Eastern DRC

The underlying development hypothesis for this project is that, in the absence of external destabilizing forces, stable socio-economic recovery at the community level can be achieved by addressing potential drivers of intra/inter-community conflict, increasing citizen participation in community-based and civil society institutions, and improving economic opportunities. The project recognizes that in order to consolidate recovery gains, both the more productive and entrepreneurial as well as the more marginalized and vulnerable members of society must be included. USAID therefore intends for the project to work along this spectrum, ensuring the inclusion of victims of violence, particularly women and girls, youth, and other vulnerable population such as returnees.

This integrated, multi-sectoral program will complement and build on current and past community stabilization, recovery and livelihoods projects, including those of USAID. The CRLP is not a traditional development initiative, but it will rely heavily on tried and proven as well as innovative programming tools from post-conflict and conflict-prone environments. The project is intended to mitigate the drivers of instability in some of the DRC�s most difficult areas through capacity building, sensitization, and material support to beneficiaries. Rapidly responding to community-based initiatives to demonstrate USAID�s and the GDRC�s commitment to improving the standards of living in underserved communities will be a hallmark of this project. Activities will quickly and effectively mitigate critical threats to stability in target areas by building trust and relationships within and between communities with historically difficult relations as well as with local government institutions. The Implementer will be expected to partner with and make extensive use of relevant local, Congolese organizations and institutions during the implementation of the project.

The underlying development hypothesis for this project is that, in the absence of external destabilizing forces, stable socio-economic recovery at the community level can be achieved by addressing potential drivers of intra/inter-community conflict, increasing citizen participation in community-based and civil society institutions, and improving economic opportunities. The project recognizes that in order to consolidate recovery gains, both the more productive and entrepreneurial as well as the more marginalized and vulnerable members of society must be included. USAID therefore intends for the project to work along this spectrum, ensuring the inclusion of victims of violence, particularly women and girls, youth, and other vulnerable population such as returnees.

This integrated, multi-sectoral program will complement and build on current and past community stabilization, recovery and livelihoods projects, including those of USAID. The CRLP is not a traditional development initiative, but it will rely heavily on tried and proven as well as innovative programming tools from post-conflict and conflict-prone environments. The project is intended to mitigate the drivers of instability in some of the DRC�s most difficult areas through capacity building, sensitization, and material support to beneficiaries. Rapidly responding to community-based initiatives to demonstrate USAID�s and the GDRC�s commitment to improving the standards of living in underserved communities will be a hallmark of this project. Activities will quickly and effectively mitigate critical threats to stability in target areas by building trust and relationships within and between communities with historically difficult relations as well as with local government institutions. The Implementer will be expected to partner with and make extensive use of relevant local, Congolese organizations and institutions during the implementation of the project.