DROPSTONE provided during 2018 two training courses on conflict sensitive programme management (CSPM) to teams of the French Red Cross and Triangle Generation Humanitaire, implementing partners of the French Agency for Development, in Central African Republic.

One of our team member was sent to Bambari to explain CSPM strategies, procedures and tools, which are designed for effective management of humanitarian programmes in countries experiencing political tensions or violent conflict.

The mission of our colleague had to be interrupted halfway due to an outbreak of violence and the resumption of hostilities in the country. He was evacuated from Bambari to return a few months later for the second part of the course, in Berberati this time.

Laurent’s initial tasks consisted in analysing the local and regional contexts, identifying risks and tensions that could negatively affect the agriculture and livestock programmes, the partner institutions and the beneficiaries. To perform these tasks, he conducted numerous field interviews, bilateral discussions and focus groups to deepen his understanding of the context, in close collaboration with the staff of the two NGOs.

The preliminary assessments allowed developing jointly, on-the-job, a tailor-made monitoring tool to ensure a consistent Do No Harm approach in programme management, including lessons learnt from past experiences. The trainings were extremely participative, thanks to the motivated teams, and the courses were rich and practical.