With funding from UNICEF, Futures Group initiated a Rapid Country Assessment, Analysis, and Action Planning (RAAAP) process for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In the first phase of the project, Futures Group adapted the common RAAAP tools to the DRC context with the national OVC task force, then planned and began the data collection process.

For the second phase of the DRC RAAAP process, Futures Group received USAID funds under the Health Policy Initiative (HPI) Task Order 1 project. We continued to support the data collection process, hold meetings with the national task force and RAAAP steering committee, and design and support provincial-level data collection and three zonal workshops. The zonal workshops brought together 10-member teams from each of DRC’s 11 provinces. Futures Group also facilitated the development of a communication and advocacy strategy with the national task force.

During the third phase of the process, Futures Group worked with both UNICEF and USAID, as well as the RAAAP Secretariat and the national OVC task force, to finalize the RAAAP synthesis report and support the first national OVC action plan, anticipated for mid-2009. Under USAID HPI funding, Futures Group also helped build the capacity of the DRC Ministry of Social Affairs, Humanitarian Action and Solidarity, to improve their coordination of OVC programs at national and provincial levels.