Adaptive programming and going with the grain: IMAGINE's new water governance model in Goma, DRC

Abstract

Motivation: This article explores adaptive approaches to development programmes that aim at improving service provision in underperforming sectors in fragile and conflict-affected states (FCAS). It does this through a case study of the IMAGINE (Integrated Maji Infrastructure and Governance Initiative for Eastern Congo) public-private partnership model for water provision in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Purpose: The processes and decisions that culminated in the model used for IMAGINE emphasize the need for programming that is culturally and politically aware, responsive to events, learns in real-time, is entrepreneurial, and works with the grain of local institutions to support change. Detailed case studies of such ways of working are crucial for programmes that seek to challenge and reform the status quo in FCAS. Methods and approach: The article is based on 42 semi-structured interviews conducted in the summers of 2019 and 2020. They reflect the broad spectrum of actorsindividuals, public authorities, and organizations-involved in IMAGINE's evolution.Findings: The narrative focuses on IMAGINE's attempts to professionalize and commercialize Goma's water sector.