This is the M&E Thursday Talk from September 24th, 2020, when Andreas Herblinger, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Center on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding, led a discussion on “Beyond Evidence: Technology’s role in Navigating Uncertainty in Peace Processes.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V6QiSXDkgQ
Technology is commonly viewed as a means to generate data and evidence in peace processes, for instance, through monitoring and evaluation. However, better evidence does not always lead to better outcomes, and it may not be what is most important for peace processes to succeed. Where evidence is used, it needs to be carefully curated, managed, and shared to help rather than hinder peacebuilding.
Peace processes are characterized by high degrees of uncertainty. Identifying problems and stakeholder needs, or measuring progress, is essential for peacebuilding, but it may also lead to deadlocks, frustration, political polarization, and deepened divisions. In this webinar, Andreas discussed how digital technologies can be used beyond generating evidence. Andreas shared some of the”subjunctive” qualities of technologies, which help to navigate the uncertainty of peace processes.
Insights gained during this webinar were used anonymously in Andreas’s ongoing research.