Towards a Unified Methodology: Reframing PCIA

First, the debate on PCIA should give greater consideration to the needs of aid agencies, particularly as their interest in reflection and institutional learning has largely been overlooked. Second, generic peacebuilding frameworks for evaluation are likely to be flawed due to the variety of conflict situations, peacebuilding approaches and processes. Third, PCIA has not yet developed convincing approaches to tackle the issues of causality and attribution, which constitute the main reservation of the PCIA sceptics.  Fourth, the PCIA methodology is not empowering in itself but has a critical potential that should be pursued. Finally, to assess its potential, PCIA must be placed in the wider context of instruments that aid agencies use for mainstreaming peacebuilding.