Peace Research Meets Implementation Studies: The Role of Implementing Actors

Froitzheim, Meike, Schierenbeck, Isabell and Söderbaum, Fredrik, (2021). Peace Research Meets Implementation Studies: The Role of Implementing Actors. International Relations, 36(2), 285-306

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  • Sub-type Journal article
    Author Froitzheim, Meike
    Schierenbeck, Isabell
    Söderbaum, Fredrik
    Title Peace Research Meets Implementation Studies: The Role of Implementing Actors
    Appearing in International Relations
    Volume 36
    Issue No. 2
    Publication Date 2021-07-19
    Place of Publication Online
    Publisher SAGE Publications
    Start page 285
    End page 306
    Language eng
    Abstract In spite of a vibrant debate about the genesis, logic and effects of peace operations, peace research remains poorly equipped to account for how policies are implemented and ‘translated into practice’ – issues that have been the focus in implementation studies for nearly five decades. In response, we propose a merger of certain strands of peace research with bottom-up implementation studies, which forefronts the role of ‘implementing actors’, namely, those actors who are granted the discretionary powers to carry out policies in their daily encounter with local counterparts on the ground. Through a case study of peace operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), we show that successful policy implementation depends on that field-based implementing actors are provided with discretionary powers to use their skill, judgement and local knowledge to solve problems and ensure implementation of peace operations on the ground. There is a need for a paradigm change within peace research in order to account for these findings. Better understanding of the daily work carried out by implementing actors in the field makes it possible to avoid many of the pitfalls and shortcomings we have witnessed through several decades of flawed or even devastating peace operations such as the one in DRC.
    Keyword Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Peacebuilding
    peace operations
    Policy implementation
    security sector reform
    stabilization
    Copyright Holder The Author(s)
    Copyright Year 2021
    Copyright type Creative commons
    DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/00471178211033939
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    Created: Tue, 21 May 2024, 21:50:22 JST by Masovic, Ajsela on behalf of UNU CRIS