Partnerships Tool 1
Partner Conflict Sensitivity and Peacebuilding Capacity Assessment Tool
Purpose
This Tool complements the WASH for Peace Partnerships Guide and aims to support a ‘light touch’ assessment of the conflict sensitivity, peacebuilding and social cohesion capacity, experience, and expertise of existing and/or prospective partners to support the implementation of WASH programming in fragile and conflict-affected contexts (FCCs). Developing effective WASH partnerships that leverage conflict sensitivity and peacebuilding capacity, experience, and expertise is central to UNICEF’s ability to deliver results for children in FCCs. One key aspect of this process is to determine existing capacity, experience, and expertise among our partners to support and sustain these approaches collaboratively and collectively. The questions below can be adapted and used as a self-assessment tool for partners, as a partnership development tool for WASH teams, and as a criteria/assessment tool for partner proposals (PCAs, SSFAs, etc.). The questionnaire can be applied to WASH but also multi-sectorial partnerships.
Key definitions in the context of this assessment
Conflict sensitivity
Capacity to analyse/monitor the conflict context and the two-way interaction between interventions and context to adapt programmes in order to ‘do no harm’ (by not causing/exacerbating conflict) and ‘do more good’ (by identifying and leveraging opportunities to pursue peacebuilding programming and contribute to a more socially cohesive environment to amplify/sustain results for children in conflict-affected contexts).
Peacebuilding
Programmatic approach/interventions that: reduce the risk of a lapse or relapse into violent conflict by directly addressing root causes and consequences of conflict; strengthen national, community and individual capacities to address conflict constructively; and establish and support foundations for sustainable peace and development. UNICEF contributes to peacebuilding by supporting vertical and horizontal social cohesion, as well as individual capacities and contributions to peace.
Social cohesion
This term refers to the quality of relationships and bonds between and among members of a society – it is the glue that holds society together. Elements of social cohesion include experiences of trust, a sense of belonging, a willingness to participate, and the associated collaborative behaviours. Vertical social cohesion refers to state–citizen interactions and the quality of trust between them, and horizontal refers to interactions within and between groups in society and the quality of relationships between them.
Organizational Commitment
- Does your organization (globally, regionally, nationally) have specific policies/guidelines to promote and support the application of conflict sensitive WASH programming?
- Do your organization’s country strategic programme documents (i.e. vision, goal, plan) include commitment to conflict sensitivity, peacebuilding, and/or social cohesion through WASH? If so, how is it framed and how would you describe your organization’s distinct approach?
Dedicated technical expertise
This relates to current organizational technical focal points/ resource person/s in-country or regionally/globally to support country office conflict sensitive, peacebuilding, and/or social cohesion WASH programming (i.e. conflict analysis, programme development/adaptation, CS/PB/SC specific M&E, knowledge management, etc.)
- Does your organization have a conflict-sensitivity, peacebuilding, and/or social cohesion focal point or resource person/s in-country or regionally/globally that can provide technical support to programme development, implementation and/or M&E? If so, can they/how do they provide support to your programmes and staff? Any other relevant information?
Experience
This relates to demonstrable experience in (relevant context) of past/current integration of conflict sensitivity and/or WASH programming development and implementation in the areas of peacebuilding and/or social cohesion.
- Has your organization undertaken or used a conflict analysis to inform WASH programme development and/or implementation in the past year?
If so, please describe the context, methodology, and/or how the findings were used. - Does your organization regularly undertake efforts to ensure conflict sensitivity as part of its WASH programming?
If so, please explain and/or give an example of how your organization has operationalized conflict sensitivity in an actual programme in (relevant context). - Do your organization’s WASH programmes and projects in (relevant context) explicitly seek to identify and address the root causes of conflict (such as patterns of group-based exclusions and discrimination, transforming attitudes, structures and institutions) to support communities to recover from conflict and/or prevent conflict from occurring or recurring?
If so, please give an example of such a programme in (relevant context) describing the conflict issues being addressed and the peacebuilding approach employed. - Does your organization use its M&E and learning systems to:
Track whether efforts to mitigate the risk of doing harm have been effective?
Track whether activities have had a positive effect on the conflict context (i.e. by contributing to peace, social cohesion and preventing conflict)?
Regularly document and analyse challenges and lessons learned related to the organization’s impact on the conflict context, including instances of unintended negative consequences?
Staff capacity
- Have relevant WASH management/staff received training in conflict sensitivity in the past year?
- Does your organization have conflict-sensitivity guides and tools that are readily available to WASH management/staff?
- What are the most significant bottlenecks to your organization to integrate conflict-sensitivity, peacebuilding, social cohesion approaches to your WASH work?
Limited technical knowledge among staff Y/N
Time constraints Y/N
Resource constraints Y/N
Limited capacity of counterparts (e.g. Government, CSOs) Y/N
Limited support by donors Y/N
Other