Service delivery for sustainable peace

The provision of services such as water, health and education has a direct impact on countries emerging from conflict. Sustainable peace depends not only on agreement between political forces, but also on whether those most affected by conflict can improve their social and economic situation.

Violent conflict is often seen as a clash of military or political forces. But conflicts occur most often in poor countries, with the most devastating impact upon marginalised and vulnerable people. With the end of conflict, people mobilise around issues of access to water, health, education and sanitation. How these services are delivered can either prevent or worsen conflict and attempts to bring peace.

Researchers from the Centre for International Co-operation and Security at the University of Bradford (UK) have examined the role of service delivery in four phases of conflict (ongoing conflict, peace agreement, reconstruction and post-reconstruction). They focus on case studies from four countries: Mozambique, Uganda, Cambodia and East Timor.

The case studies indicate that the most effective responses have been those that supported a strong, credible state and which consider rebuilding social relationships as well as physical infrastructure. The report also highlights how in these countries, service delivery has promoted sustainable peace through:

• early engagement: in East Timor, involvement by the World Bank before the war ended opened the way for policy reform
• supporting fair distribution of and access to resources: in Cambodia, providing health education in refugee camps during conflict helped the reconstruction of the health sector after the end of conflict
• budgetary support for increasing state skill and resource levels, such as staff salaries and training in health and education sectors
• strengthening representation of poor people, and empowering women through user groups, parent associations and civil society organisations
• involving non-state groups within a regulatory framework to reduce the dependency of aid agencies on a weak state
• an integrated approach to service delivery after analysing and understanding the needs of a situation: a lack of this in Mozambique meant that there was low demand for education after conflict despite the rebuilding of schools, as children were needed at home to rebuild livelihoods.

Key recommendations to donors include:

• abandoning an excessive focus on physical reconstruction (roads and bridges, for example), in favour of building up local skills and resources
• providing early and long-term support (ten years at least) for the participation of poor people in decision-making processes
• incorporating an understanding of conflict and peace-building specific to each case into service delivery strategies.

Source(s):
‘Service Delivery in Countries Recovering from Conflict’, UK Department for International Development, Final Report, January 2005.

Funded by: UK Department for International Development (DFID)

id21 Research Highlight: 5 July 2006

Further Information:
Tony Vaux
Humanitarian Activities,
Brownrigg Farm,
Caldbeck, Wigton,
Cumbria CA7 8EG
UK

Tel: +44 (0)16974 78626
Contact the contributor: VAUXT@aol.com  

Centre for International Co-operation and Security, University of Bradford (UK)

Other related links:
'Potentials and limits of community-based service delivery in post-conflict situations'

'Poverty reduction in difficult environments: learning from humanitarian NGOs'

'Educating young people in emergencies. Insights Education #4'

Health Service Delivery in Post-Conflict States, A report from the High Level Forum on the Health MDGs (PDF)