Collaborating with Congolese WASH Actors Contributes to Scale

When the Budikadidi USAID/BHA resilience food security activity (RFSA) began in 2017, local water system management was not dictated by policy and thus varied greatly across the DRC. Knowing that poor water system management could spark conflict and lead to infrastructural disrepair, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and partners launched the project's refinement period with a series of WASH actor consultations to determine the optimal water management system. External collaboration with local government and NGO actors informed the project's strategy moving forward. In 2021, however, a provincial regulatory body was established to oversee policy implementation, including water system management under the responsibility of Chefs de Secteur (or local communal chiefs). Despite investments to advance a different model of water system management, the consortium pivoted and quickly collaborated with the new government body. A culture of trust was established as the two parties learned from one another, drawing from Budikadidi's knowledge of local conflict dynamics and the government's plans to harmonize WASH efforts. After the Chef de Secteur swiftly selected water system managers without community inputs, CRS facilitated a workshop with all parties in April 2023. This inclusive dialogue demonstrated the importance of social cohesion to effectively execute and sustain water system management, and a path forward in the Budikadidi implementation zone was determined. Adapting the project's approach to align with new national guidance contributes to the sustainability of Budikadidi WASH outcomes. Successful collaboration to determine optimal adaptations was also beneficial to the new government institution whose staff saw firsthand how community engagement can mitigate conflict as they scale efforts across the DRC.