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Key Text Strategic Framework for Engagement in National PRSs in Conflict-Affected Countries

Author: H McLean , L Evans, A Norton, L.H Piron and E Coyle
Date: 2003
Size: 16 pages (169KB)

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Summary

Violent conflict destroys lives, assets, infrastructure, social cohesion and education, posing major difficulties for poverty reduction efforts. This strategic framework from the Overseas Development Institute aims to help DFID country teams to analyse their strategies. It explains how to analyse the country context, assess the opportunities, risks and likely impacts of donor engagement, and how to design an effective PRSP engagement strategy. Checklists of key considerations are provided to assist this.

Assistance to a conflict-affected country will almost always be positive to some extent, but donors must be aware of the existing political dynamics, and how their own involvement can create (dis)incentives for peace and poverty reduction. Analysis of the context is the key to engagement, and is the central concern of this paper. Key points are:

  • The nature of the current involvement of DFID and other donors with the country; the relationship between DFID and other donors.
  • The conflict and security situation: identifying underlying causes of conflict, key actors and interests; assessing likely impacts of assistance on these dynamics.
  • Government legitimacy, its role in the conflict and in wider regional instabilities: does it have secure control over its territory? Does it respect human rights? Political freedoms? Are there checks on executive power?
  • Government commitment to peace-building and poverty reduction: is it addressing the legitimate concerns of its opponents? Are pro-poor policies inclusive? Are they affected by corruption or vote-buying?
  • Institutional capacity: how sound is the country's economic management? Can it collect and assess reliable poverty data? Can it translate this into sound anti-poverty actions? At local/sector/central level?
  • Quality of the PRSP process: political and technocratic commitment; links with other policy processes; quality of poverty diagnosis, civil society participation; quality and relevance of strategy.

Based on this analysis, donors must develop a coherent strategy, balancing the risks and needs of engagement - the risk of funds fuelling the conflict versus the need for humanitarian assistance, for instance. Strategies will vary, and donors should be prepared to seize opportunities as and when they arise. Some common strategy guidelines include setting realistic objectives, building local capacity, not rushing, and tailoring solutions to the phase and type of conflict. This then needs translating into action:

  • Direct support for the PRSP unit or for consultations with civil society; helping with diagnostic work; improving information and expenditure management systems.
  • Improving the technical quality of the PRSP, with sensitivity to needs thrown up by the conflict - it may require specific post-conflict rehabilitation measures rather than "normal" anti-poverty measures.
  • Structural reforms must also be designed so as not to inflame existing tensions: for example, when considering decentralisation, could the locations of resources and regional power centres cause or exacerbate problems?
  • Influencing international financial institutions (IFIs) and other donors: coordination can reduce administrative demands on the country; acting as counterweight to the purely technical assessments of the IFIs.
  • Selecting aid instruments according to the capacity of the state and other actors to deliver. Budget support builds local capacity, but in post-conflict situations it is crucial that the population sees an early peace dividend.
  • If a PRSP is not appropriate yet, assistance can still be provided in the form of humanitarian relief, diagnostic work, support for civil society, and initiating dialogue about poverty.

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Source: McLean Hilker, L., Evans, A., and Norton, A., with Piron, L.H. and Coyle, E., 2003, 'Strategic Framework for Engagement in National PRSs in Conflict-Affected Countries', attachment to PRSP Monitoring and Synthesis Project Briefing Note 6, Overseas Development Institute, London
Author: Alison Evans , a.evans@odi.org.uk
Overseas Development Institute (ODI), http://www.odi.org.uk/


 
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