Considerations for Capacity-Building in Post-Conflict Contexts

By Robert Swope

U.S. National Security Council Memo

• TO: Gayle Smith, Senior Director for Global Development, Stabilization and Humanitarian Assistance

• FROM: Robert Swope, Staff Assistant, Stabilization Desk

• SUBJECT: Capacity Building Considerations for Post-Conflict Countries

The United States is unlikely to repeat another Iraq or Afghanistan—that is, forced regime change followed by nation building under fire—anytime

soon. But that does not mean it may not face similar challenges in a variety of locales. Where possible, U.S. strategy is to employ indirect

approaches—primarily through building the capacity of partner governments and their security forces—to prevent festering problems

from turning into crises that require costly and controversial direct military intervention. In this kind of effort, the capabilities of the United States’ allies and partners may be as important as its own, and building

their capacity is arguably as important as, if not more so than, the fighting the United States does itself.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, January 2009

Memo Organization

• Executive Summary

• The Nature of Capacity Building

• Capacity-Building Considerations in Post-Conflict Scenarios

• Recommendations

• Conclusion

• Memo is about capacity-building in post-conflict scenarios

• The U.S. has in the past, in the present day, and will likely be involve din the future in post-conflict transitions

• Capacity-building is taken into account in all interventions so that assisted countries are able to function successfully on their own and the U.S. may exit sooner rather than later

• Memo organization

Memo Organization

• Executive Summary

• The Nature of Capacity Building

• Capacity-Building Considerations in Post-Conflict Scenarios

• Recommendations

• Conclusion

• OECD/DAC refers to capacity as “the ability of people, organizations, and society as a whole to manage their affairs successfully.”

• Five core capabilities:– Commit and engage;– Carry out technical, service

delivery and logistical tasks;– Relate and to attract resources

and support;– Adapt and self-renew;– Balance diversity and

coherence.

• Emergent property & endogenous

Memo Organization

• Executive Summary

• The Nature of Capacity Building

• Capacity-Building Considerations in Post-Conflict Scenarios

• Recommendations

• Conclusion

• Relates to individuals, organizations and institutions

• Capacity deficits center around:

– Safety and security for their people (an environment free from violence and crime);

– Provision of basic public goods and services (health, education, infrastructure, freedom from hunger) ;

– Government legitimacy (a governance system based on democracy or communally agreed on political principles).

Memo Organization

• Executive Summary

• The Nature of Capacity Building

• Capacity-Building Considerations in Post-Conflict Scenarios

• Recommendations

• Conclusion

Enabling Environment

• Humanitarian requirements related to providing life-saving assistances such as water, food, emergency medical care and shelter;

• Residual security challenges brought on by “spoilers” and criminal groups;

• Greater pressure to restore essential government services;

• An extremely politically sensitive and media-scrutinized context;

Memo Organization

• Executive Summary

• The Nature of Capacity Building

• Capacity-Building Considerations in Post-Conflict Scenarios

• Recommendations

• Conclusion

Enabling Environment

• Psycho-social traumas and low levels of societal trust or resilience;

• Shorter operational timeframes (i.e. the need for quick results);

• Lack of information as to key stakeholders and capacity levels; and finally

• The need to create new capacity, as opposed to building upon what already exists.

Memo Organization

• Executive Summary

• The Nature of Capacity Building

• Capacity-Building Considerations in Post-Conflict Scenarios

• Recommendations

• Conclusion

Tradeoffs/Dilemmas

• The provision of state vs. non-state services;

• Service delivery of essential government functions immediately vs. later in order to strengthen existing state institutions;

• Focusing on limited resources security vs. other non-security matters (like good governance) which may be related, and perhaps more important, to maintaining stability over time;

Memo Organization

• Executive Summary

• The Nature of Capacity Building

• Capacity-Building Considerations in Post-Conflict Scenarios

• Recommendations

• Conclusion

Tradeoffs/Dilemmas

• Addressing technical issues vs. political dynamics which may create disincentives for even the most capable individual or organization to perform;

• Weighing insider (local resident) vs. outsider (indigenous expat) advice; and

• Providing support to local groups with less capacity vs. external groups who have proven track records plus more capacity to complete task, and who may be able to more relate to the USG.

Memo Organization

• Executive Summary

• The Nature of Capacity Building

• Capacity-Building Considerations in Post-Conflict Scenarios

• Recommendations

• Conclusion

Other Issues

• Adequate staffing & resources

• Ability to understand the environment (non-isolation)

• Defining goals, strategy and timelines

• Sustainability

Memo Organization

• Executive Summary

• The Nature of Capacity Building

• Capacity-Building Considerations in Post-Conflict Scenarios

• Recommendations

• Conclusion

• Recognition of the importance and challenges of capacity-building and commitment to being prepared

• Planning and monitoring of priority countries and identification of windows of opportunity and entry points

• Ready, willing and able field staff on standby

• Capacity-building training for field staff and senior organizational leadership

Memo Organization

• Executive Summary

• The Nature of Capacity Building

• Capacity-Building Considerations in Post-Conflict Scenarios

• Recommendations

• Conclusion

• Why it’s important (countries which have recently emerged from conflict face a 40% chance of lapsing back into violence within five years)

• Extremely challenging enabling environment

• Tradeoffs and other issues (resourcing, planning, determining goals, understanding)

• Recommendations: commitment; prepared staff; monitoring of entry points; training