A Snapshot of Best Practices for Peacebuilding Design, Overcoming Operational Challenges, Managing Risks and Measuring Success

By
Dr. Evan Hoffman
Assistant Professor of conflict resolution, Department of Conflict Analysis and Resolution (DCAR) at Nova southeastern university.
February, 2014

 

Best Practices for Peacebuilding Design

 
While each and every peacebuilding situation is unique and a customized approach based on the local needs and realities needs to be devised for each case, some ‘generic’ best practices from other contexts can be applied to all peacebuilding efforts. Moreover, all peacebuilding interventions need to be “reflective” via on-going monitoring and evaluation in order to be adaptive to changing situations on the ground and to identify lessons for others. That said, it is essential to devise peacebuilding interventions that are:
 

  • Based on a sound conflict analysis and meet the local peacebuilding needs
  • Designed using a participatory approach that accounts for local input into the project design
  • Integrated with other efforts and comprehensive (ie, take a regional approach)
  • Grounded in a solid plan, yet flexible enough to account for changing conflict dynamics
  • Designed to “do no harm”
  • Focused on creating sustainable, long-term changes
  • Intended to build and support local capacities for conflict prevention and resolution
  • Have a clear exit plan based on having met key deliverables   
  • Have built-in indicators to assist with project monitoring and evaluation

Overcoming   Operational Challenges to Peacebuilding

Some of the biggest operational challenges to peacebuilding include:

  • Maintaining positive relations with government and local officials
  • Managing security risks
  • Accounting for the unique political and cultural context
  • Getting local buy-in and support

In order to overcome these challenges it is necessary to:

  • Be aware of and account for any cultural factors that might negatively impact your work
  • Build strong working relationships with government officials
  • Be respectful and diplomatic in all communications and interactions
  • Be realistic, don’t overpromise
  • Follow through on any commitments made
  • Be transparent in goals and motivations in order to build trust
  • Remain impartial – don’t take sides
  • Be accountable for project impacts (both positive and negative)

Managing Security Risks in Peacebuilding

A number of specific security risks are involved in peacebuilding, including the following:

  • Direct physical violence
  • Detention and/or abduction
  • Sexual assault

In order to mitigate the above risks it is necessary to take an operational approach to security management that includes the following elements:

  • Undertaking ongoing situational analysis (including risk assessment)
  • Proactively managing the image of the organization in the community
  • Having preventative standard operating procedures in place and ensuring that all staff are familiar with them
  • Having contingency plans in place to deal with specific crises should they arise and ensuring that all staff are familiar with them

Tips for Effective Monitoring and Evaluation of Peacebuilding Projects

Effective monitoring and evaluation of peacebuilding projects should:

  • Be based on measuring whether a theory of change for a peacebuilding project is creating the change that it intends to do
  • Look for positive and negative impacts over both the short and long-term
  • Assess and quantify the degree of change by first establishing a baseline
  • Utilize numerous different indicators/measures
  • Be done regularly (on-going)
  • Produce practical results that can be used to adjust the project and/or aid in the design of similar future projects

While each and every peacebuilding situation is unique and a customized approach based on the local needs and realities needs to be devised for each case, some ‘generic’ best practices from other contexts can be applied to all peacebuilding efforts.