Building the Programs That Can Better Build the Peace
Experts Offer Ways to Ensure the Impact of Programs to Halt Violent Conflicts
In countries worldwide, governmental and private agencies run programs to prevent violent conflicts and reduce their causes—notably broad social injustices, corruption and human rights abuses. But how effective are these programs? On March 7, a consortium of peacebuilding organizations presented improved ways to measure and maximize the impact of programs to prevent violence, stabilize conflict zones and build peace and security abroad.
Increasingly, peacebuilding organizations are pressing for greater evidence that their limited resources are having impact. Some organizations have difficulty collecting data about their programs that can show which ones are most effective. Some have faced internal resistance to innovations intended to improve the evaluation and accountability of programs.
Yet the work of accountability is vital to prove the case for peacebuilding as a strategy—and to sustain support from donors and taxpayers. Several non-government organizations—including Alliance for Peacebuilding, CDA Collaborative Learning Projects, Mercy Corps and Search for Common Ground—have formed a Peacebuilding Evaluation Consortium. This group is developing better tools for the design, monitoring and evaluation of programs abroad. On March 7, members of the consortium described their findings, including new tools that can assess and improve the effectiveness of peacebuilding programs.
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Speakers
Melanie Greenberg
CEO and President, Alliance for Peacebuilding
Isabella Jean
Director, Collaborative Learning
Leslie Wingender
Peacebuilding Advisor, Mercy Corps
Adrienne Lemon
Interim Director of Design, Monitoring and Evaluation
Search for Common Ground | End Violent Conflict
Joe Hewitt
Vice President Policy, Learning and Strategy USIP