Evaluating the Impact of a Community-Driven Reconstruction Program on Economic Recovery, Social Cohesion, and the Quality of Governance in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Building on the Liberia evaluation above, this study evaluates the impact of Community-Driven Reconstruction programming on social cohesion, governance, and economic wellbeing in the context of war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo. Under phase I of the Tuungane program, communities were randomly assigned to participate in awareness and capacity building sessions, committee elections, and prioritization exercises to determine how they would invest and manage village level sub-grants. The evaluation relied on data from household and village-level surveys as well as a behavioral assessment called RAPID. Despite the implementation of over 1,800 village-level projects (e.g. construction or renovation of classrooms, clinics, roads, markets, and the distribution of agricultural supplies), the evaluation found no evidence of an impact of the program on socioeconomic welfare, local governance, or social cohesion outcomes. Mandating quotas for women on the village development committees also had no effect on attitudinal or behavioral outcomes.