Feasibility study of the Local Development Project in Western CAR (PDLO) for the subsequent implementation of the project

In a context of decentralization and faced with the challenge of a new social contract to be established at the local level, AFD has selected the consortium IRAM - TEREA - LERSA, led by IRAM, to carry out the feasibility study of the Local Development Project in Western CAR (PDLO).

The project will aim to support decentralization and local authorities and the development of rural territories in the prefecture of Bouar (Nana-Mambéré).

The objectives of the project will be to

• Strengthen the communal institution and enable the communes to fully assume the competencies delegated to them by the State, contribute to the good articulation with the deconcentrated services, and improve their fiscal and non-fiscal resources;
• To enable the populations to control the sustainable development of their territory, in particular to enable them to improve the management of natural resources in a conflict prevention logic;
• Contribute to the sustainable improvement of basic services and incomes, through the financing of infrastructure, equipment, economic sectors and capacity building, for quality services, with a view to reducing territorial and social inequalities.

After a scoping phase, the consortium conducted interviews in Bangui with members of the monitoring committee, relevant ministries and agencies, NGOs involved in local development, etc., and in Bouar (project owner's representative, local authorities, decentralized services, civil society, private sector, traditional leaders, farmers, herders, traders, etc.), allowing for an initial analysis of local planning, public policies, sectoral programs implemented, and decentralization and local development initiatives, and an understanding of specific vulnerability factors.

This was followed by the detailed formulation of the PDLO, including an analysis of the sector and its challenges, definition of beneficiaries, project objectives, content and operating mode, ex-ante evaluation of the expected impacts of the project, risk assessment, project costs and financing plan...

Then the drafting and validation of the final report and operational documents:

• Operational and financial programming of the project: intervention schedule, detailed budget proposal, payment forecasts
• Documents for the operationalization of investment financing: procedures manual and investment financing code
• Documents related to the project's operational mechanism: mission letters, specifications for service providers, operational recommendations to strengthen the project's conflict sensitivity
• Logical framework of the project and monitoring and evaluation system
• Environmental and social management framework
• Gender Action Plan
• Final restitution of the results during a workshop