The Evaluation of Conflict Resolution Interventions - Part II: Emerging Practice & Theory

Evaluation has the potential to contribute to learning and to improve the conflict resolution projects that are implemented in the field. Yet, many of the evaluation approaches that are currently in use cannot be adapted for implementation in conflict resolution (CR) environments, where the context is constantly changing and the time-frame for results can extend over years or even generations. Furthermore, the fear exists that evaluation may expose the fact that conflict resolution might not achieve the results that have popularly been attributed to its work.
However, despite the challenges, valuable information can be gained through the evaluation process. This paper seeks to summarise thinking on a number of the challenges that have been encountered by conflict resolution evaluators in the hopes of enhancing evaluation practice and therefore its potential contribution to this field.