A Measure of Peace: Peace and Conflict Impact Assessment (PCIA) of Development Projects in Conflict Zones

This paper examines the critical linkages between peace, conflict and development. Peacebuilding, the paper argues, should not be regarded as a specific activity, but as an impact.

There is, therefore, a tremendous need to avoid "ghettoizing" peacebuilding as a type of project separate from "conventional" development. Rather, all development activities (especially those in environments of potential conflict) should be assessed in terms of their peace and conflict impact.

While Kenneth Bush identifies a number of important questions that may lead to a formal "tool" for peace and conflict impact assessment (PCIA), he acknowledges that developing such a tool "will have to be the product of the interaction and synergies of the full spectrum of the peacebuilding community."

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