Peacebuilding How? Criteria to Assess and Evaluate Peacebuilding

I. Reflecting on Peace Practice: Five Criteria of Effectiveness

From analysis of the cases and practitioner reflection on their own experiences, the RPP process produced five criteria of effectiveness by which to assess, across a broad range of contexts and programming approaches, whether a program is having meaningful impact at the level of Peace Writ Large. These Criteria can be used in program planning to ensure that specific program goals are linked to the larger and long-term goal of “Peace Writ Large.” They can be used during program implementation to reflect on effectiveness and guide mid course changes, and as a basis for evaluation after the program has been completed.

1. The effort results in the creation or reform of political institutions to handle grievances in situations where such grievances do, genuinely, drive the conflict.

Peace practice is effective if it develops or supports institutions or mechanisms to address the specific inequalities, injustices and other grievances that cause and fuel a conflict. This criterion underlines the importance of moving beyond impacts at the individual or personal (attitudinal, material or emotional) level to the socio-political level. This criterion must be applied in conjunction with a context analysis identifying what the conflict is NOT about and what needs to be stopped. To reform or build institutions that are unrelated to the actual drivers of a specific conflict would be ineffective.