Conflict Resolution Evaluation: - The
State of the Art
The field of conflict
resolution and peacebuilding has reached a point in its development
where the impact of projects needs to be quantifiable. Many organisations
are seeking to develop ‘lessons learned’ which
require knowledge and evidence of success. Funding agencies increasingly
require review of project achievements and outputs so as to determine
value/impact and in turn evaluate their own effectiveness.
Evaluation theory specific to conflict resolution and peacebuilding
projects has not kept up with this demand, however, leaving the field
without many viable options or models. The varieties of programmes within
the field and evaluations undertaken at different stages of conflict
have hitherto rendered shared models difficult. Many organizations thus
draft their evaluations in relative isolation without the benefit of
shared criteria for effectiveness and common methodology.
This pilot project aimed to:
- Collect evaluation models currently being used in this field and
identify relevant approaches from related fields;
- Summarise the academic literature specific to conflict resolution
and peacebuilding evaluation;
- Convene a working group to begin to explore and refine the key questions
and challenges.
Publications
The project resulted
in the publication of two research reports:
- The
Evaluation of Conflict Resolution: Part II: Emerging Practice and
Theory
This
paper is the result of the second phase of the project. 24 individuals
from around the world - who are actively engaged with issues related to conflict resolution and evaluation – met to discuss issues relating to emerging practice and theory in conflict resolution evaluation. This paper captures the essence of the discussion around these emerging themes and further develops the issues through research and analysis.
- The Evaluation of Conflict Resolution Interventions: Part I: Framing the State of Play
This paper provides information about current practices in the field and a framework through which to structure evaluation discussions.
Resources
Resources
