RISKS AND MITIGATING MEASURES FOR OPERATIONS IN DRC AND THE GREAT LAKES REGION
• EXTERNAL FACTORS
Ø Political instability:
The history of conflict in the region can lead to disruptions in project implementation.
Ø Infrastructure challenges:
Poor infrastructure can make it difficult to deliver projects effectively.
Ø Security concerns:
he presence of armed groups can pose a safety risk to staff and project beneficiaries.
Ø Limited resources:
The humanitarian needs in the region can put a strain on available resources.
Ø Staff morale:
Recent decrease in morale within the DRC and African great lakes region partnership
team could impact project delivery.
• MITIGATION STRATEGIES
Ø Partner with reputable local organizations to navigate political complexities.
Ø Conduct thorough feasibility studies to identify and address infrastructure limitations.
Ø Implement robust security protocols and maintain close communication with local
authorities.
Ø Prioritize projects that address critical needs while seeking efficiency gains.
Ø Address the root causes of low morale through improved communication, capacity
building, and recognition programs.
Internal factors
Ø In sufficient engagement Authority diversification
Ø Competition from other UN agencies
Ø Talent attraction and identification in the hardship areas is
very low
Ø Lack of experience of UNOPS in MICs in Africa
Ø Dissatisfaction by other partners could lead lower EA
Mitigation Measures
Ø Implementation of the 2021 AFR partner survey action
points.
Ø Strengthen risk awareness and improve oversight
especially during the project conceptualization phases
Ø Leverage on competitive analysis to strengthen the
positioning of UNOPS.
Ø Set SMART and deliverable targets for effective risk
management.
 ENGAGEMENT AND PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
DRC: TIER 1
• Priority sectors for the country such as
peace, security, Agriculture, health, Transport
and infrastructure, Environment, Energy,
Livelihood/community Development,
Development Professional, WASH.
• Priority partners : CAFI/FONARED, UN
Mission, UNHCR, GAVI, KOICA, KFW/GTZ,
AfDB, Swedish Gov., USAID /USA with the
highest ODA, IFAD, Swiss Cooperation, WB,
Global Fund
• UNOPS Priority Services: Infra, HR
Management, Procurement, Fund
management and Project management
RWANDA: TIER 2
• Priority sectors: Agriculture, and
Education
• Priority partners: IFAD, UNHCR, WB as
the largest ODA and as Back on track
the following: AfDB (Energy, Transport
and construction, and water and
sanitation), World bank (Energy,
Transport and construction), GCF
through the government (Environment),
Sweden (Environment)
• UNOPS Priority services: Procurement,
Infrastructure, Project Management
BURUNDI: TIER 2
• Priority sector: Rural Infrastructure,
Energy
• Priority partners: IFAD (agriculture and
environment through GCF), UNHCR, WB
(energy as back on track and as the
largest ODA disbursement), AfDB
(Energy, Agric), Belgium Development
(environment)
• UNOPS Priority Services: Procurement,
infra, Infra, Project management.
 POSITIONING OF UNOPS IN DRC
• CURRENT CONTEXT
Ø DRC is currently on Tier 1 ranking among AFR countries as the most • PROPOSED POSITIONING OF UNOPS
fragile based on ND-Gain, AIDI,HDI, INFORM, FSI and poverty • Immediate to Medium term (0-6months): Leverage on current
index indicators
UNOPS added value such as:
Ø DRC has an SDG index of 49.3 ranking as the lowest achiever ü Infrastructure expertise, procurement, Fund management and HR/Transactional in
compared to the African average of 55.3 DRC priority sectors targeting Tier 1 financial partners (Ex: Climate Change, Health,
Agri. Sec and livelihood, etc.

COUNTRY LANDSCAP AND DONOR PRIORITIES ü Improve stakeholders stewardship with actors such as CAFI, the government, UN
ü Based on ODA disbursements indicators, DRC is ranked among the most Missions, etc…..
difficult context and the most need. ü Intelligence of high potential and specific donors mapped with UNOPS business lines.
ü Priority sectorss for donors are security, peace,
ü Engagement plan with a detailed proposals/concept noted developed. .
agriculture,energy,environment,, transport, infrastructure and wash.
ü Donots of priority are UN mission, Koica, Gavi, AFDB, USAID,WB,etc.
• Medium to Long term (6-12 months and beyond): Shift focus to growth by
DRC CAPACITY PERFORMANCE AND PRIORITY maintaining and securing new engagements.
Ø The country is among the top 3in tier 1 in terms of EA • Diversify portfolio by leveraging on the strength in the 5 service lines
and growth in the AFR region.
focusing in areas and sectors such as climate change, health, agriculture,
etc.
Areas of acti
üR
vity focus
outine mappe • Leveraging in operational excellence: Improving in project management
d
on the ground Stakeholder meetings, Do and deliverly, Address processes issues morale issues by offering
., Implementa cumentation o
SDG 3 and 9 tion plan ado f videos and
and while rein p ting the UNOP
S tec hnical ex
images abou
t the solutions that promote a positive work environment
forcing the co
mmon strateg pertise in rela situation
ic outcomes. tion to
 THE PROCESS OF IMPROVING EMPLOYEE MORALE
• UNOPS is a project based organization
operating under partnerships unit as the core
• Interpersonal relationship function responsible of the EA/ERA.
• Regular knowledge
Strengthening • Any conflict between the units especially
Teamwork sharing leading to low staff morale will affect the
performance and financial targets and expose
the organization to high risks such as
ü Reputation
Develop
Collaborative ü Finance
Action plan ü Attainment of SDGs
• Team meeting ü Staff turnover
• Consultation
• Potential actions One on one to
establish root cause

• Gather feedback
• Lack of support
• Workload
• Communication