Providing Aid Agencies with Tools for Conflict-Sensitive Practice : Lessons learned from Peace and Conflict Impact Assessment (PCIA)

Peace and Conflict Impact Assessment (PCIA) and other conflict-sensitive analytical tools are currently high on the agenda of development and humanitarian organisations. This article asks how far these tools can actually contribute to better development and humanitarian assistance in the context of conflict. For this, it attempts to match agency expectations with the existing tools for conflict analysis and impact assessment. It discusses key methodological challenges to developing conflict-sensitive tools and looks at the lessons learned from using them within aid administrations. The paper concludes on a cautious note, calling for more realistic expectations regarding the analysis that can be provided and reminding aid agencies that tools are just one element in the complex process of mainstreaming conflict-sensitivity.