The ITSCI Programme is pleased to confirm an important step in the full engagement of locally based organisations in delivery of field implementation activities.
Since 2010, the ITSCI Programme has been working with the US-based NGO Pact Inc. on implementation in Africa’s Great Lakes Region. As part of that work, ITSCI has maintained a core objective to train and empower local partners and, through Pact, has worked to achieve the vision of supporting and enhancing local ownership of the Programme.
Throughout the years, Pact has played an important role in building local capacity and expertise in management of ITSCI field activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda. As part of this effort, over time Pact has supported the transfer of day-to-day activities to local organisations, and for a number of years, the large majority of ITSCI staff in the region have been employed and managed by local organisations.
Now, after more than 10 years of successful progress, Pact and ITSCI believe that local management teams have the ability and expertise to lead and deliver the implementation of ITSCI on the ground. Both Pact and ITSCI share the vision of enhancing local ownership and are transitioning all in-region Pact staff working on ITSCI to a local non-profit organisation through a localisation process.
Localisation is considered good practice in the international development community and is central to Pact’s mission of enabling locally-led development. It capitalises on in-region teams’ understanding and knowledge of local context, builds on their trusted relationships developed over the years with multiple stakeholders, including governments, companies, and communities.
ITSCI and Pact are in full agreement that this is the right way forward for ITSCI and have worked together to facilitate the transition. Together we are pleased to announce that beginning 1st October 2023, activities of the ITSCI Programme in the Great Lakes Region will be managed by the local non-profit organisation ‘Kumbuka Afrika’, under the leadership of Mr Yves Bawa who as Pact’s DRC, Burundi, Rwanda Country Director served ITSCI over the past 10 years. Other ITSCI leadership staff are also transitioning to Kumbuka Afrika in a seamless process.
Kumbuka Afrika will continue to work with existing local field teams and in cooperation with national governments in-region, who have expressed their support and ongoing collaboration moving forward.
The implementation of the ITSCI Programme including field activities in the Great Lakes Region continues in all areas as usual, without any interruption, using the same OECD-aligned standards. ITSCI remains fully committed to supporting responsible mining and sourcing practices for tin, tantalum and tungsten (3T) minerals.
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For more information, please contact:
Mickaël Daudin, ITSCI Programme Manager, [email protected]
