Are We Making a Difference? Global and Local Efforts to Assess Peacebuilding Effectiveness
Inspiring Practice
Top Insights
Lanham et al.: Rowman & Littlefield (2024), xxvii, 320 pp.
Contains tables, index
ISBN 978-1-5381-5220-1 (pbk); 978-1-5381-5221-8 (ebook)
Signature commbox: 00-Conflicts-E 2024
"Sections of the book engage in critical reflection on what peacebuilding effectiveness is and who gets to decide, provide practical examples and case studies of the successes and failures of assessing peacebuilding work, and support innovative strategies and tools to move the field forward. Chapters reflect a variety of perspectives on peacebuilding effectiveness and methods—quantitative, qualitative, and participatory—to evaluate peacebuilding efforts, with particular attention to approaches that center those local to the peacebuilding process. Practitioners and policymakers alike will find useful arguments and approaches for evaluating peacebuilding activities and making the case for funding such efforts." (Publisher description)
Introduction. Unpacking the rigorous messiness of peacebuilding effectiveness / Stacey L. Connaughton, Jasmine R. Linabary, 1
SECTION I. WHAT IS EFFECTIVENESS? EFFECTIVENESS FOR WHOM?
1 The greatest myth of peacebuilding ineffectiveness / Jason Quinn, 17
2 An ecofeminist approach to peacebuilding effectiveness: an example from Colombia's peace process / Soledad Granada, 27
3 A socio-economic approach to reducing violence against women and girls in rural Tajikistan / Stuart Moir and Elizabeth Laruni, 39
4 Whose peace? Prioritizing local perspectives to inform our understanding of peacebuilding effectiveness / Megan Renoir, Scarlett Kassimatis, Alice Coulibaly, and Dimitri Kotsiras, 49
5 Locally useful evidence: Re-centering knowledge creation for local peace work / Michael Sweigart, Kristina Hook, Margarita Tadevosyan, and Susan H. Allen, 61
6 Are peacebuilding evaluators making a difference? Towards a meta-evaluative agenda for research on peacebuilding evaluation / Zach Tilton, 71
SECTION II: LESSONS LEARNED
7 Illustrating intended and unintended consequences of peacebuilding in locally led peacebuilding: The role of focus group methods in participatory evaluation / Meghana Rawat and Tiwalade Adekunle, 87
8 Assessing peacebuilding effectiveness: the Carter Center in Sudan and Uganda / Michael Papa, 97
9 Post-conflict rehabilitation of ex-combatants: assessing effectiveness of rehabilitation programs in Nepal and district Swat, Pakistan, and Nepal / Ilam Khan and Bijaya Dahal, 109
10 Is Peacebuilding education making a difference? Peace education interventions and their impact in Lebanon / Caroline Brooks, Fadi Hallisso, and Ruth Simpson, 119
11 Woman, you are not alone! an effective approach to address violence against women / Isabel Aguilar Umaña and Rick Jones, 129
12 The challenges of assessing peacebuilding in Pakistan / Zahid Shahab Ahmed and Khan Zeb, 141
13 Coordination for effective peacebuilding: one NGO's approach / Marcel Arsenault and Conor Seyle, 151
14 Are we making a difference or doing harm? Practical strategies for assessing peacebuilding effectiveness to drive adaptation and improvement / Tanya Ansahta Garnett and Camila Linneman, 161
SECTION III: ARGUMENTS AND INNOVATIONS
15 Using event data to address positive bias in evaluations: Steve Sheamer, Alexa Courtney, and Jenna J. Lindeke, 177
16 The Most Significant Change approach for evaluating peace impacts / Maureen Taylor, 191
17 The Delphi method as a tool in peacebuilding assessment / Michael L. Kent, 199
18 Participatory action research: Mutual inquiry for effective local peacebuilding / Thomas Hill, Katerina Siira, and Nicole Stoumen, 211
19 Gauging harmony: applying the social cohesion barometer to assess and advance peacebuilding / Bob Groelsema and Nell Bolton, 223
20 From education to peacebuilding: exploring the role of networks in peacebuilding work / Allyson Bachta, Karen Ross, and Jeffrey Pugh, 235
21 To help measure peace, measure health / Yara M. Asi, 249
22 A global framework to measure peace / Adrienne Lemon, 259
Conclusion: Peacebuilding effectiveness - the what, who, how, and why it all matters / Stacey L. Connaughton, Jasmine R. Linabary, 273
SECTION I. WHAT IS EFFECTIVENESS? EFFECTIVENESS FOR WHOM?
1 The greatest myth of peacebuilding ineffectiveness / Jason Quinn, 17
2 An ecofeminist approach to peacebuilding effectiveness: an example from Colombia's peace process / Soledad Granada, 27
3 A socio-economic approach to reducing violence against women and girls in rural Tajikistan / Stuart Moir and Elizabeth Laruni, 39
4 Whose peace? Prioritizing local perspectives to inform our understanding of peacebuilding effectiveness / Megan Renoir, Scarlett Kassimatis, Alice Coulibaly, and Dimitri Kotsiras, 49
5 Locally useful evidence: Re-centering knowledge creation for local peace work / Michael Sweigart, Kristina Hook, Margarita Tadevosyan, and Susan H. Allen, 61
6 Are peacebuilding evaluators making a difference? Towards a meta-evaluative agenda for research on peacebuilding evaluation / Zach Tilton, 71
SECTION II: LESSONS LEARNED
7 Illustrating intended and unintended consequences of peacebuilding in locally led peacebuilding: The role of focus group methods in participatory evaluation / Meghana Rawat and Tiwalade Adekunle, 87
8 Assessing peacebuilding effectiveness: the Carter Center in Sudan and Uganda / Michael Papa, 97
9 Post-conflict rehabilitation of ex-combatants: assessing effectiveness of rehabilitation programs in Nepal and district Swat, Pakistan, and Nepal / Ilam Khan and Bijaya Dahal, 109
10 Is Peacebuilding education making a difference? Peace education interventions and their impact in Lebanon / Caroline Brooks, Fadi Hallisso, and Ruth Simpson, 119
11 Woman, you are not alone! an effective approach to address violence against women / Isabel Aguilar Umaña and Rick Jones, 129
12 The challenges of assessing peacebuilding in Pakistan / Zahid Shahab Ahmed and Khan Zeb, 141
13 Coordination for effective peacebuilding: one NGO's approach / Marcel Arsenault and Conor Seyle, 151
14 Are we making a difference or doing harm? Practical strategies for assessing peacebuilding effectiveness to drive adaptation and improvement / Tanya Ansahta Garnett and Camila Linneman, 161
SECTION III: ARGUMENTS AND INNOVATIONS
15 Using event data to address positive bias in evaluations: Steve Sheamer, Alexa Courtney, and Jenna J. Lindeke, 177
16 The Most Significant Change approach for evaluating peace impacts / Maureen Taylor, 191
17 The Delphi method as a tool in peacebuilding assessment / Michael L. Kent, 199
18 Participatory action research: Mutual inquiry for effective local peacebuilding / Thomas Hill, Katerina Siira, and Nicole Stoumen, 211
19 Gauging harmony: applying the social cohesion barometer to assess and advance peacebuilding / Bob Groelsema and Nell Bolton, 223
20 From education to peacebuilding: exploring the role of networks in peacebuilding work / Allyson Bachta, Karen Ross, and Jeffrey Pugh, 235
21 To help measure peace, measure health / Yara M. Asi, 249
22 A global framework to measure peace / Adrienne Lemon, 259
Conclusion: Peacebuilding effectiveness - the what, who, how, and why it all matters / Stacey L. Connaughton, Jasmine R. Linabary, 273
