Conflict Sensitivity Consortium comprises 35 humanitarian, development, peacebuilding and multi-mandate NGOs operating in Kenya, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka and the UK, who all share a commitment to being more conflict sensitive. With support from a four-year project funded by the UK Department for International Development – ‘Conflict Sensitivity – from concept to impact’ – the consortium has focused upon enhancing the impact of development, humanitarian assistance and peacebuilding programming through increased and more effective integration of conflict sensitivity.
The Conflict Sensitivity Consortium has placed a heavy emphasis on testing practical approaches to effective conflict sensitivity, learning from experience and carefully documenting identified best practices. This approach has culminated in the production of this How to Guide to Conflict Sensitivity.
This Guide draws upon Consortium experience to illustrate real examples of applying conflict sensitivity. It aims to provide practical advice suitable for anyone aiming to improve conflict sensitivity, whether in the field of development, humanitarian aid or peacebuilding work. It aims to provide user-friendly information for people who are focusing at project or organisational level, whether aiming for best practice or just starting out on the journey towards conflict sensitivity.
The Guide has been organised into six core chapters, each of which contains a number of sub-themes exploring ‘the what’, ‘the why’ and particularly ‘the how’ of conflict sensitivity. Key areas explored are: conflict analysis; conflict sensitivity in the programme cycle; key issues for conflict sensitive programming; applying conflict sensitivity in emergency; assessing institutional capacity for conflict sensitivity; and building institutional capacity for conflict sensitivity. It also includes an appendix with multiple conflict analysis tools and practical benchmarks for conflict sensitivity mainstreaming.
