Research

BUILDING DURABLE PEACE:                                                         ENHANCING INTERAGENCY RELATIONSHIPS IN PEACEBUILDING 

In recent years, models promoting greater coordination in international peace operations have been applied at a variety of levels to improve effectiveness of assistance in war to peace transitions.  So far, such efforts have produced mixed results at best and the constellation of autonomous international and national agencies providing aid to countries in crisis has proven resistant to traditional hierarchical coordination models.   Responding to the need for innovative approaches, the BDP project is undertaking a diagnosis of the range of effective and ineffective interagency relationships in complex peacebuilding "systems".  This research-practice effort will conduct an in-depth diagnosis of the "mission-wide" coordination mechanisms in four major ongoing peace operations: Afghanistan, Haiti, Kosovo and Liberia.  These field based case studies will be analyzed through cross-agency, cross-sectoral workshops bringing together the perspectives of key actors (civilian and military as well as national and international) in identifying effective and ineffective approaches.

Through the production of operational tools and policy recommendations, the project promises to make important contributions to the way we go about the practice of coordination at the working level. The project receives funding from CMSS, the Institute of World Affairs, the United States Institute of Peace, and NATO's Public Diplomacy Division.  

Building Durable Peace Project Brief Summary

WORKSHOPS 

• An experts meeting held July 18, 2008 at the University of Calgary to examine the challenges of contemporary peacebuilding from a systems perspective.
• An experts meeting held September 25, 2008 in Banff, Alberta, Canada, to draft systems maps of peacebuilding efforts in Afghanistan and Liberia.
• A practitioner workshop entitled "Assessing Progress: Integrated Approaches in Afghanistan" held in Washington, D.C. on December 15, 2008.

   FUNDING ANNOUNCMENTS

• In May 09, PDSP's project "Building Durable Peace: Effective Interagency Relations in Peacebuilding " was awarded US$60,000 by the United States Institute of Peace in partial support of what is to be a two year research effort.  The award is being administered by the Institute of World Affairs in Washington, D.C., CMSS's partner on the PDSP program. 
• In June 09, NATO's Public Diplomacy Division renewed its C$10,000 support for PDSP's Building Durable Peace project for 2009.  NATO's PDD contributed $10,000 in 2008 for phase 1 of the project, and also co-funded PDSP's initial "Coordinated Approaches" conference in March 2007.               

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PEACE OPERATIONS WORKING GROUP

PEACE OPERATIONS MONITOR
"Peace Operations Monitor is a web-based resource providing up-to-date information on complex peace operations. The website offers an "integrated mission perspective" and has been developed by the Peace Operations Working Group."