2nd Module – Existing Frameworks: II) PCIA and Conflict Sensitivity

From Peacebuilding

The Peace and Conflict Impact Assessment (PCIA) – or Conflict Impact Assessment (CIA) - is a framework for planning and management that aid agencies can use to analyse a situation and identify strategic opportunities to help prevent conflict and build peace. It provides a framework for: assessing the conflict environment; identifying conflict parties and peace builders; defining program objectives and activities; imputing analysis into a planning framework. This framework, together with the Do No Harm and other less known approaches, fed into the Conflict Sensitivity framework.

"Conflict sensitivity" does not offer new tools but presents broad recommendations on “conflict-sensitive practice”. In a nutshell, conflict sensitivity for an organisation means:

i) Understanding the context where it operates;

ii) Understanding the interaction between the organisation’s intervention and the context;

iii) Acting upon this understanding in order to maximise positive impacts and minimise negative impacts. A central element of this framework is conflict analysis.

The manual Resource Pack on Conflict Sensitive Approaches (see below) has been used as main source of information for designing the activities. The activities provide templates for structured sharing and interactive learning, where participants are invited to apply the tools of the framework.

Online

• Nyheim, David, Leonhardt, Manuela, Gaigals, Cynthia, Development in Conflict: A Seven Step Tool for Planners, Fewer, International Alert, Saferworld, 2001, http://www.international-alert.org/publications/92.php This paper unpacks the elements of the Peace and Conflict Impact Assessment tool. It is build around the Project Management Cycle and contains three broad sections: analysis (conflict and stakeholder analysis), strategy (strategic issues and strategic choices and objectives) and implementation (programming, risk assessment and sustainability). Appendix one provides examples of peace and conflict indicators in two specific contexts.

• AFPO, CECORE, CHA, FEWER, International Alert, Saferworld, Conflict Sensitive Approaches to Development, Humanitarian Assistance and Peacebuilding: A Resource Pack, London: 2004, http://www.conflictsensitivity.org/resource_pack.html This resource manual is the essential text for understanding conflict sensitivity. It is structured in several chapters: after a useful introduction to the key concepts of conflict sensitivity there is a large chapter on conflict analysis, the cornerstone of this approach. An introduction and reference to several frameworks for conflict analysis is also provided. The third chapter works on applying conflict sensitivity at project and programme level, more specifically on planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation. The last chapter explains “how to begin the process of mainstreaming conflict sensitivity into an organisation in a systematic way”.

• Lange, Maria, Building Institutional Capacity for Conflict Sensitive Practice: The Case of International NGOs, London: International Alert, 2004, http://www.international-alert.org/pdfs/institutional_capacity_ngos.pdf “The paper is based on research, including various internal documents, and confidential interviews with policy and operational staff from 12 large NGOs involved with international development. The purpose of these interviews was to identify and share agency learning and experiences regarding mainstreaming conflict sensitive approaches.” [from introduction]

• Lange, Maria, Quinn, Mick, Conflict, Humanitarian Assistance and Peacebuilding: Meeting the Challenges, London: International Alert, 2003, http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900SID/LGEL-5V7K2J?OpenDocument “This paper summarises current debates on conflict, aid and peacebuilding and suggests that humanitarian agencies can go beyond avoiding negative impacts on conflict (‘Do No Harm’), to contributing positively to conflict transformation and peacebuilding (‘Do Good’) in a way that respects their core mandates and key humanitarian principles. The paper argues that this may be achieved by incorporating a ‘conflict sensitive’ approach in planning and programming.” [from executive summary]

• Barbolet, Adam, Goldwin, Rachel, Groenwald, Hesta, Sheriff, Andrew, The Utility and Dilemmas of Conflict Sensitivity, Berghof Research Center for Constructive Conflict Management, 2005, http://www.berghof-handbook.net/uploads/download/dialogue4_barbolet_etal.pdf This paper argues that Conflict Sensitivity (or PCIA) cannot be reduced to a collection of tools and methodologies. These are useful to make conflict sensitivity concrete, but “undue emphasis on complex tools, tables and methodologies seems to be a primarily Western approach that often has a limited resonance with many Southern organizations” [from introduction]. Thus, there is a need for a more encompassing approach, here called a “tools-plus” approach.

Activities you can use when working on these contents include

• Dilemmas of Development, Humanitarian and Peace Building Work in Conflict. To induce reflection on the dilemmas of development, humanitarian and peace building programming in conflict. It provides a template for boosting brainstorming that can be used with different contents as well.

• Exploring the Basics of Conflict Sensitivity. Basic information on Conflict Sensitivity is provided and questioned by participants. Participants’ questions lead the discussion in small groups. The activity doesn’t encourage “correct answers” and fosters a learning mindset.

• Conflict Analysis – 3Ps. A simple tool for conflict analysis from the Green Book (Peacebuilding: A Caritas Training Manual). The 3Ps are People (the relational and psychological elements of the conflict); Process (the way decisions are made and the way people feel about it); Problem (the specific issues involved in the conflict and the differences people have between them). The purpose is to offer an alternative framework for conflict analysis that is easy to understand and apply.

• Conflict Analysis – Who, What and How of Conflict. Another simple tool for conflict analysis taken from Peacebuilding: A Caritas Training Manual. It uses visual aids and metaphors that can make it easier for participants to get introduced to conflict analysis. The purpose is to offer an alternative framework for conflict analysis that is easy to understand and apply.

• Overview Of Conflict Sensitive Planning. After introducing essential information on "conflict sensitive planning", participants are divided in sub-groups. A handout helps them reflect on how to link what they already do with the contents introduced.

• Exploring Key Steps to Conflict Sensitive Implementation. The strategy used for this activitity is similar to the provious one. After being exposed to relevant content, sub-groups are asked to generate three examples, preferably from their experience, that illustrate an application of the key steps to conflict sensitive implementation.