Feasibility study of a future project aiming to support the agricultural and rural training sector in democratic republic of Congo (DRC)

Janvier 2022
Ref 2021-F-035

Agroforestry, Training, Project management
Central Africa
République Démocratique du Congo

The valorisation of the vast agricultural potential constitutes a strong axis for the economic and social development of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It contributes to the emancipation of women, who play a key role in subsistence agriculture and commercial value chains. This effort must take into consideration the preservation of its unique environmental capital through sustainable agricultural approaches. The introduction of alternative agroecological practices requires that farmers have access to appropriate capacity building services. In this context, a performant agricultural and rural training service is one of the conditions for an efficient technical and ecological transitions.
The objective of the mission was to conduct a feasibility analysis leading to a project framework, shared, and validated by the stakeholders, aiming to strengthen the agricultural and rural training sector, integrating a cross-cutting gender approach, to contribute to the socio-economic development of priority provinces in the DRC.

More specifically, the team had to:

  • Find ways to strengthen the training services within the framework of an integrated and territorial approach.
  • Strengthen the gender dimension and support the reduction of gender inequalities in a transversal manner to promote the access of young girls to the training services and to support the integration and professional development of women.
  • Ensure the sustainability of investments at the national level with a focus on the areas of governance and financing of the training services by the institutional bodies.

The team of consultants, led by a TEREA project manager, conducted the study according to two main sequenced phases and a transversal phase:

  • A phase of building on and completing the already available analysis, leading to the shaping of the feasibility scope.
  • A phase of conducting the actual feasibility study aiming at deepening the analyses on the targeted institutions, identifying the appropriate interventions, and designing the project technically and financially. This step led to the conception of a detailed project proposal.
  • Simultaneously with these phases, an analysis of the environmental and social impacts of the future project as well as a gender diagnosis and gender action plan were carried out.