Practical Ideas for Working in Fragile States Seth D. Kaplan Author, Fixing Fragile States: A New Paradigm for Development Managing Partner, Alpha International Consulting, Ltd. January 2010

© Seth D. Kaplan Understand the Context before You Act; Tailor Projects to Fit that Context Understanding “human geography” (the map of social networks and capabilities that determine how communities function) is the key to deciphering local dynamics; human geography matters far more in fragile states than in robust ones Before deciding what project to undertake in a fragile state, an outside actor must fully grasp the local socioeconomic, political, and cultural contexts. Policy, programming selection, and implementation strategies must all be tailored to the local context; generic models do not work It is particularly important to understand the form and nature of local fragility and the root causes of conflict and insecurity To compensate for our lack of knowledge, seek extensive input from local communities, as well as from experts such as anthropologists and historians. Having a team member deeply immersed in the local context could help enormously The more difficult the environment, the more valuable it will be to have local human resources (both on the project team and within the target community) that can manage the inevitable problems

© Seth D. Kaplan Recognize and Utilize Institutional Multiplicity State building in fragile contexts involves multiple institutions at the national and subnational levels, inside and outside of government. Traditional, private-sector, civil-sector, and religious entities—both formal and informal—can all play important roles depending on the circumstances As is widely recognized, fostering good governance requires going beyond the state; but the most important non-state institutions in many fragile states are outside the Western paradigm of civil society Where governments have limited capacity, state building is more of a sociocultural and political process than a technocratic one Models of state building are only models—artificial, unreal creations. Assistance to institutions should be rendered pragmatically, based on what is possible, not on what outsiders consider ideal Accept that some functions must be handled by the central state, and that its legitimacy and capacity should thus be enhanced. But remember that the most effective way to improve lives is often by empowering local communities via local governments, non-state actors, customary courts, etc. But do not romanticize traditional structures nor seek to recreate institutions that were responsible for conflict

© Seth D. Kaplan Look for Pockets of Opportunity Be ready to seize opportunities to work productively in new areas, in new sectors, and with new partners. Some locations, spheres, and actors will be readier to move forward than others Build up clusters of gains in particular geographic or functional areas; these clusters will offer demonstration effects to other, wider areas Be highly pragmatic when deciding how to divide roles and responsibilities among institutions and actors Wherever possible, work with existing local assets (e.g., a cohesive group of people, a robust set of indigenous institutions, a dynamic industry or business association, a strong regional government, an active religious organization); doing so will enable progress to be made in some sectors/areas even if other ones are beset by problems Focus on such assets, not liabilities, and aim to grow these in ways that build a better overall “balance sheet” for the country Where there is a clash of interests and values (e.g., Western vs. local attitudes toward the role of women), do not disengage; instead, work with local actors in pursuit of certain common goals while trying to create a framework that will deal with broader issues over time

© Seth D. Kaplan Engagement Must Be Long-term, Coherent, and Sustainable The problems of fragile states are so deep-seated and interwoven that only coherent, long-term policies have any hope of achieving lasting impact Policy needs to encompass political, economic, and security issues simultaneously to have the greatest effect Coordination among foreign actors (both across countries and across sectors) is even more vital in fragile states than elsewhere; understanding each other and having a clear division of roles and responsibilities are prerequisites to effectiveness Projects must be chosen and implemented with an eye to their long- term sustainability; only by embedding them within local sociopolitical contexts, by building systems that integrate with existing institutional structures, and by providing for a transition to local management will donors be able to make a lasting contribution that outlives their presence Any institutions and mechanisms can help resolve disputes between groups (e.g., customary courts, political institutions that broker compromise, land dispute regimes, inclusive local governments) should be built up so as to reduce the chance of a recurrence of conflict

© Seth D. Kaplan People Are Everything Working successfully in fragile states requires 1) understanding the local human geography and how to make use of it; and 2) accurately assessing local human resources and employing those most suited for the given task Enlisting the right individuals to manage (internally) and champion (externally) projects is crucial for their sustainability, especially when they run into unforeseen on-the-ground problems Training local people to take over the running of projects must be a high priority; but do not assume that their effectiveness requires that they use all our methods, especially when it comes to dealing with other people (e.g., management, government relations) When recruiting a local management team, look for candidates in the diaspora (if any) as well in the local area. But do not value the ability to speak English/French and knowledge of Western methods above knowledge of the local scene and talents such as managing government relations and organizing local staff Honesty and transparency are hard to judge, especially when dealing with different cultures and societal expectations, but these qualities must be factored into all recruitment processes

© Seth D. Kaplan Some Programming Ideas Basic service delivery is crucial, but anything that stimulates economic growth and employment can have strong short-term multiplier effects In some environments, creating economic zones to bypass corrupt governments may be the only way to encourage labor-intensive investments (e.g., in factories); China did this early in its reform era Building roads and other infrastructure is an easy way to help the poor—construction generates jobs (especially if materials are locally sourced); better transportation lowers prices for consumables, makes jobs more accessible, increases returns to farmers (by eliminating middlemen), grows markets for manufacturers, and spreads new ideas Helping micro enterprises is a highly effective way of promoting local wealth creation. Such businesses respond to improvements in infrastructure, education and training, registration processes, access to financial services, assertion of property rights, etc.—all of which have large multiplier effects Improving agriculture (e.g., by making seeds, fertilizer, storage, and markets more accessible and land rights more secure) can similarly affect large numbers of people Build local capacity to govern by establishing governance institutes, training leaders, encouraging knowledge transfer, etc.

© Seth D. Kaplan Some Final Thoughts Be ambitious in goals but humble in attitude Be both creative and pragmatic Work with existing assets; don’t obsess over what is lacking Societies with weak rule of law fall back on “rule of man”: make sure you know which people and networks matter and how to use them To change political dynamics you need to stimulate inclusive growth You must take risks, which means you will sometimes fail. Be ready to create positives that outlast project failures: spread lessons learned, recycle valuable elements of failed programs, train lots of people, etc. Benchmarks can be useful, but make sure you use ones appropriate to the place—generic markers such as the MDGs and corruption tables may have limited practical relevance in fragile states In everything you do, try to build on what already works, create sustainability, and empower locals Lastly, remember that success does not mean winning plaudits from our colleagues or even from the political elites of fragile states; if our job is to fix fragile states, then our success depends on designing and implementing projects that actually impact the lives of local people