User:Arsene Ngombe

Arsene Ngombe was born in 1978 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He holds a Master Degree in Development Planning from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; and an Honours degree with Bachelor in International from the University of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). His direct experience covers the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, he worked with the government for 5 years to introduce institutional reforms at the provincial and local level in order to strengthen decentralisation and good governance. His key contributions included policy formulation for the reorganisation of the administration in order to correct the structural inconsistencies and increase efficiency; institutional capacity building; and strengthening public governance for a more and better service delivery to the people. He has a strong knowledge of process reform in Francophone Africa, especially central Africa. In the past 3 years, he has worked with NGOs in South Africa, which focus on democratic governance and public participation. Through this exposure, he has been involved in projects planning and implementation that enhance community ownership and empowerment. He is currently working on projects related to Sustainable Livelihoods and Community-based Planning in South African rural areas.

Key Skills: •	Expertise in social and environmental impact assessment of mining activities •	Experience in institutional strengthening support •	Expertise in intergovernmental relations •	Knowledge of ecology and sustainable development •	Knowledge and expertise in the field of community development •	Training, Mentoring and Capacity Building •	Project management in developing areas •	Project Management (Project cycle) •	Policy Research and Development •	Participatory Methodology Development •	Spatial Planning and Local Economic Development •	Africa Politics and Approaches to Conflict Resolution •	Expertise and experience in Public Institutions, Diplomacy and Politics

Recent Research Achievements:

February 2012: Community-based Exhibition on the results of a three-year research project (the Yeoville Studio) in which the community of Yeoville partnered with Wits University. The project covered various areas of the livelihood of Yeoville residents, from trading and cooking (restaurants or food) to housing (accommodation), Yeoville stories and love stories (relationships). August – September 2011: Housing survey on International Housing Solutions projects conducted by Wits University and University of Cape Town involving housing development projects in Protea Glen (Soweto), Fleurhof, Juskei View, Greatermans and Aengus Jhb CBD. The aim of the survey intended to know whether the occupiers were happy with the quality and size of their houses, and to rate the overall satisfaction and the overall management of the housing development. April 2011 – July 2011: - NUMSA/SAMWU: NUMSA members’ survey: A countrywide research conducted on National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa’s members in the preparation of National congress of 2012. The survey aimed at knowing whether the members are satisfied with the services provided by the Union and/or finding ways forward to improve the level of services provided to workers. March 2010 – February 2011: Master Thesis survey conducted to assess the impact of renovation on social and living conditions in inner-city neighbourhoods: the case study of Yeoville. March 2009 – October 2009: “The Role of the Land Markets in People’s Livelihood Strategies within the Informal Sector in South Africa”. Research project funded and published by Urban Landmark. Aim: to explore the relationship between the informal economy and the land market with a specific focus on the location in which they practice, to explain the lack of growth among the informal entrepreneurs in Johannesburg and how it may or may not be related to space.