Conflict sensitive approaches to development, humanitarian assistance and peace building

Next: 1.3 Time and resource implications

1.2 Operationalising conflict sensitivity

Conflict analysis (explained in detail in Chapter 2) is the central component of conflict-sensitive practice. It provides the foundation to inform conflict sensitive programming, in particular in terms of an understanding of the interaction between the intervention and the context. The approach is summarised in Table 1.

The following sequence represents the key stages of understanding the interaction between a project and a given context. The sequence is composed of three elements:

Diagram 1 The outer circle represents a conflict analysis of the pre-existing context, organised as profile, actors, causes and their dynamic interaction (see Chapter 2)

Diagram 2 The inner project circle represents the project cycle of the proposed intervention, organised as planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation components (see Chapter 3)

Diagram 3 The large arrows represent the assessment of the interaction between the context, and the project (see Chapter 3)

Table 1: The “What” and “How” of conflict sensitivity
What to do	How to do it
Understand the context in which you operate	Carry out a conflict analysis, and update it regularly
Understand the interaction between your intervention and the context	Link the conflict analysis with the programming cycle of your intervention
Use this understanding to avoid negative impacts and maximise positive impacts	Plan, implement, monitor and evaluate your intervention in a conflict-sensitive fashion (including redesign when necessary)

Guiding principles

The principles below relate to the process of implementing a conflict-sensitive approach. They may require further qualification, depending on the context.

Participatory process
Inclusiveness of actors, issues and perceptions
Impartiality in relation to actors and issues
Transparency
Respect for people’s ownership of the conflict and their suffering
Accountability for one’s own actions
Partnership and co-ordination
Complementarity and coherence
Timeliness.

Assumptions for those wanting to apply conflict sensitivity

These relate to institutional pre-requisites for conflict sensitivity.

Willingness and ability to implement conflict sensitivity
Openness to continuous learning and institutional adaptability to reflect conflict sensitivity
Ability to deal with uncertainty, as there is no one-fits-all recipe for conflict sensitivity
Honesty and humility in recognising the extent or limitation of the impact of interventions
Recognition of the complexity and interdependence of the wider system in which institutions operate.

Next: 1.3 Time and resource implications