2008
Private Sector Development in Post-Conflict Countries: A Review of Current Literature and Practice
The Review collates current experience from the Committee's member agencies and others, identifying both areas of general consensus, and key debates. It aims to provide both an accessible entry-point onto the subject of post-conflict PSD, and an exploration of the various controversies and tensions surrounding the theme.
Post-conflict PSD spans the traditional disciplines within development; bringing together a diverse set of professionals with a diverse range of priorities and approaches. The concerns of people working in PSD for a sustainable, independent economy must be reconciled with those of people working in relief for the immediate alleviation of suffering. Both of these perspectives must also be squared with the security concerns of the military and the wider diplomatic goals of donor countries. Interdisciplinarity is both the biggest challenge facing post-conflict PSD and its greatest potential strength. Therefore, while this document is set broadly within a PSD framework, it is deliberately interdisciplinary in its scope.
The Review has now been published, and is available for download here; French and Spanish versions will be avialable shortly.
Expert Meeting on Private Sector Development in Post-Conflict Situations
The Expert Meeting was held in Berlin on 4-5th September 2008. The Meeting was hosted by GTZ, and attended by 60 participants from 17 donor agencies as well as representatives from NGOs, academia, the private sector, and the military. The Meeting was intended to provide a forum for discussion of the issues raised by the Review, a late draft of which was circulated to all participants prior to the event.
The programme of the Meeting is available here, and a full Report of the Meeting is available here.
2009-2010
Casebook
It is proposed that the Committee may start to compile a casebook of short field studies, which could serve as a useful inter-agency reference point for how PSD programming is currently being carried out in practical situations. The Casebook would be arranged thematically, and include studies from different agencies, economic sectors, and geographical regions. The Committee would encouraging submissions from its member agencies and others for the Casebook.
Assessing Conflict and Measuring Results
A range of different tools exist for assessing conflict situations, but few are focused on identifying the challenges and opportunities for PSD programming. It is proposed that the Committee undertake work to review the different tools available, and consider if and how they might be adapted for PSD. Conversely, there is no dedicated tool aimed specifically at measuring the results of PSD in conflict-affected situations. It is proposed that the Committee work with members to consider how such a tool might be developed.
More information on this will follow shortly.