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Fragile environments
What approaches contribute to sustainable capacity development in fragile state contexts? Stabilizing the governance infrastructure in post-conflict situations sometimes requires the outsourcing of nearly all government roles in the early stages of recovery. With many development initiatives driven by external actors, it is nonetheless critical for such interventions to support the transition to country-owned and country-led development by strengthening emerging capacity where it crystallizes.
Building on Issue 32 of Capacity.org, this page aims to showcase best practice by development organizations and donors, as well as inspiring casestudies that highlight the importance of strengthening community-led initiatives to foster peace and development in such contexts.
Featured Article
Strengthening the role of civil society in conflict and post-conflict settings
Against
the backdrop of popular protests across the Middle East and North Africa region, the May 2011 issue
of ONTRAC, a newsletter of the International NGO Training and Research Centre (INTRAC), explores
the role that civil society can play in promoting social development and bridging divides. Drawing
on lessons from diverse contexts, including Kyrgyzstan, Cyprus and Somaliland, the articles analyse
how civil society can contribute to building trust and reconciliation, maintaining peace and
security, and rebuilding indigenous institutions for sustainable development and more democratic
governance.
- Search Terms:
- casestudies
- civil society
- state-building
Recent Articles
Lessons Learned from 25 Years of Food Security Research, Capacity-Building and Outreach
15 March 2012
This document from Michigan State University contains an overview of the past 25 years of
research, capacity-building, and outreach by the university's Food Security Group (FSG). The paper
describes key elements of the FSG approach and examines the insights gained from research and
outreach, primarily in Africa, and their value to the U.S. Feed the Future Initiative in addressing
the major current challenges facing food and agricultural systems.
Strengthening pastoralist voices in Tanzania
14 February 2012
This booklet, and its accompanying DVD, reports on the ‘Strengthening Voices’ project,
underway in two districts in northern Tanzania. The project aims to strengthen the capacity of
pastoralist communities and local governments to shape strategies for adaptive environmental
management and poverty reduction in Tanzania’s drylands. At the core of the project is a training
course that explains the economic and ecological processes at the heart of pastoral systems -
clarifying the rationale that underpins pastoral livelihood strategies.The course is based on a
similar initiative that has been field-tested and run in the Sahel region of West Africa since
2000.
Supporting improved livelihoods for pastoralists
27 January 2012
Pastoralism is often depicted as an anachronistic system that cannot cope with the demands of
modern development. However, practical experience reveals that pastoralism is not only capable of
changing with the times, it is often the only viable livelihood option, particularly for
communities living in remote, dryland environments. This collection of case studies from SNV
Netherlands Development Organisation demonstrates that external support can help to strengthen
pastoralists' voice in policymaking, enhance their engagement with markets and improve service
provision and natural resource management in some of the most challenging environments in Africa
today.
E-learning tool to build adaptive capacity for rural livelihoods
22 November 2011
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has developed a modular
e-learning tool to enhance awareness and technical capacities for promoting community-based
adaptation in agriculture. It consists of four interactive learning modules, structured in 24
sessions, that link research-based knowledge on climate change impacts with examples and
experiences on community-based adaptation drawn from various FAO field projects, and a range of
other country-specific case studies. It is available in English, French and Spanish.
Humanitarian action in drought-related emergencies
11 November 2011
The Action Learning Network on
Accountability and Performance in Humanitarian Action (ALNAP) has published a Lessons Paper that
identifies seventeen key lessons for humanitarian agencies responding to droughts, on topics such
as: early warning, targeting, working with government, food aid, water interventions and nutrition.
It builds on the 2007 ALNAP/ProVention paper Slow-onset Disasters: Drought and food and livelihoods
insecurity and a review of over 100 evaluative documents produced by humanitarian agencies in the
period 2007-2011.
In and above Conflict - A study on Leadership in the United Nations
27 October 2011
Peace
is seldom concluded when a peace deal is signed. The principal external role in consolidating peace
frequently falls to United Nations (UN) missions and agencies. Their ability to achieve this task
is contingent on many factors including resources and cohesive international political support. It
depends most critically on effective leadership. What are the unique, defining challenges to UN
leadership in conflict and post conflict environments? How have effective UN leaders approached
these challenges?
Other Topics
Essential Readings
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Annotated bibliography on capacity development in fragile situations (LenCD)
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WDR 2011: Conflict, security and development
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GSDRC Topic Guide on Fragile States
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Derick Brinkerhoff (2007) Capacity Development in Fragile States, ECDPM Discussion Paper 58D
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Capacity.org Issue 32 (December 2007) Fragile States
