Public Policy Activity in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

The Public Policy Activity will provide a full range of services that encompasses the entire lifecycle of the public policy process: from draft legislation, to law, to implementing policy, to implementation, and accountable review. The nature of activities will depend upon its status in the policy-making process, the level of government demand, and the degree to which it aligns with USAID priorities. The following is an illustrative list of activities for each stage of the policy process. Stage 1 - Problem Identification Commission white papers or political economy analyses to assess the effectiveness of existing policies; analyze the potential impact of policies being debated; and gauge the appetite of new policies among key stakeholders in the government, executive, judicial and legislative branches, the private sector, and civil society, etc. Conduct public opinion surveys to assess citizen perceptions. Step 2 - Policy Dialogue and Policy Identification Organize national, provincial, or local level forums/dialogues – in person or through other outlets such as radio in local vernacular – to catalyze discussion across the government, private sector and civil society on policy issues. The expected outcomes include the opening of dialogue for public input into policy, the generation of locally and nationally-driven solutions that could be piloted in areas and then scaled up for national application, the reinforcement of Congolese buy-in to policies, and the development of concrete action plans. Step 3 - Policy Making Provide experts and technical assistance to counterpart Ministries and other government agencies to prioritize and advance policy reform efforts. Conduct demand-driven training for host country counterparts. Assist in conceptualizing and drafting new laws/decrees/implementing policies that address development challenges identified in steps 1 and 2. Step 4 - Budgeting Kinshasa-based experts assist GDRC counterparts and independently providing regular analysis on the GDRC budget cycle, including recommendations to inform donor engagement and advocacy efforts. Provide technical assistance through experts to line Ministries and/or select committees within the legislature (provincial and national) to assist in planning and executing budgets. Step 5 - Implementation Provide technical assistance through experts to the executive branch, line Ministries, and/or select provincial structures to support their design and monitor implementation of new legislation and policies. Conduct demand-driven training for host country counterparts. Support public hearings or other fora focused on accountability for execution of policies. Support initiatives to pilot implementation policies at a local level that could be scaled to other locales. Support coordination and dialogue among local GDRC entities around key common public issues with the goal of common, standardized solutions and policy execution to eliminate rent-seeking, unequal requirements in different locales, etc… Support public dissemination of policies in the local vernacular. Step 6 - Evaluation Commission assessments to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of specific policies. Provide action-oriented recommendations on key policies, including “quick wins” and political economy analysis of obstacles and leverage points – for an audience of GDRC, civil society, private sector, donors and other key stakeholders.