Congo Republic, February 2024
The Working Week on the Development of the NRDS II Concept Notes in the Republic of the Congo
Background of the mission
During the period from 7th to 17th February 2024, a team from the CARD Secretariat visited Congo to meet with key stakeholders active in the rice sector and to facilitate the organization of the Working Week on the development of the NRDS II Concept Notes. The meeting with the key actors of the rice value chain took place in Brazzaville during the period from 8th to 9th February. During this period, the CARD Secretariat team was able to meet with FAO, WFP, the Director of the Agricultural Ministry Staff and a former Volunteer of WFP. As for the development of the Concept Notes, it was held in Ignié during the period from 12th to 16th February 2024.
The Working Week for the development of the NRDS II Concept Notes follows the validation of NRDS, in March 2023, process of which was endorsed by CARD. Following the validation of the NRDS I, it appeared urgent to proceed with the development of Concept Notes in order to facilitate the implementation of the strategy. Several actors among the rice value chain were present during the Working Week in particular, representatives of the public sector as well as the non-governmental sector.
The overall objective of the Working Week is on the one hand the identification of the segments in the value chain that are poorly taken into account in the ongoing interventions (revision of the SIEM) and on the other hand the elaboration of concept notes based on the strategic axes defined in the NRDS as well as on the segments of the value chain that are poorly taken into account.
Methodology
To achieve this objective, the methodological approach chosen was based on a participatory and inclusive approach divided into three key phases: (i) The first phase was devoted to the opening ceremony and the sharing of the different tools to be used for the development of both the SIEM and the concept notes. Added to this was the sharing of information on the monitoring and evaluation system set up during phase II of the CARD; (ii) The second phase was devoted for the elaboration of the various concept notes through working group followed by a plenary session of presentations of the results and (iii)The kick off meeting of the Monitoring & Evaluation baseline study.
Key outputs/ Results
After presenting the approach, a brainstorming exercise was conducted for the detection of project ideas. All participants were asked to come up with at least 3 project ideas. On the basis of these proposals, about fifty project ideas were identified. On the basis of this first proposal, the CARD Secretariat has revealed its own proposals. Following this, a cross-analysis was carried out which resulted in the selection of eight project ideas which served as a basis for the preparation of the concept notes.
After agreeing on the concept notes to be developed, the participants were divided into two groups to develop the draft Concept Notes. The results of the main draft are summarized in the table below:
| Concept Notes titles | Objectives | Amount 103 FCFA |
| Soil Fertility Improvement Project | Increase productivity by combating land degradation and improving access to chemical and/or organic fertilizers | 1,534,500 |
| Rice Mechanization Support Project | Contribute to the modernization of the rice sector in order to increase its attractiveness and production through the improvement of access to agricultural equipment and machinery and/or the improvement of access to mechanized services | 5,900,400 |
| Rice Processing Support Project | Contribute to the production of quality and competitive white rice through improved access to modern processing units and the strengthening of storage and quality conservation capacities | 986,700 |
| Technology Transfer Support Project | Contribute to improving the productivity and attractiveness of rice production in Congo by supporting the development and transfer of technological innovations | 339,900 |
| Improved Rice Seed Production and Distribution Project in the Republic of Congo | Increasing rice productivity in Congo by improving the availability and accessibility of quality seeds | 2,034,154 |
| Irrigated Rice Promotion Project | contribute to the improvement of productivity, by guaranteeing continuous and sustained production with a view to increasing incomes and making the sector attractive | 58,636 |
| Project to support the financing of the rice sector and the promotion of good governance | Contribute to the development of rice value chains through the mobilization of investments and financial resources in production, processing and marketing factors. | 4,230,000 |
| Project to support the net marketing and competitiveness of local rice | Contribute to the improvement of the marketing system and the competitiveness of local rice with a view to promoting the country’s food and nutrition security | 6,776,000 |
At the end of the working group session and the technical validation of the concept notes, it was decided to proceed within two weeks to the proofreading of the documents and to start the search for their funding.
