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OVERVIEW

What is it?

The Conflict Sensitivity Guidance Note 1 on conflict sensitivity in developement cooperation (2021),  updates and supplements the EU Staff Handbook on operating in Situations of conflict and fragility, prepared by INTPA G5 - Resilience, Peace, Security) in collaboration with EU Delegations, NEAR, ECHO, FPI and EEAS, aims at disseminating the EU's experience in conflict and fragility situations in term of concepts, policies, instruments, methodologies and good practice. It integrates theoretical approaches and practical guidance.
The handbook is meant to inform the interventions of all EU actors, in the spirit of the EU Integrated Approach to Conflict and Crises, the EU Consensus on Development and the 2017 Joint Communication on Resilience(2015). It addresses concepts, policies and the European Union approach to situations of conflict and fragility. Ideally, it should be read in conjunction with the other guidance notes in this publication covering conflict sensitivity in the programme cycle; conflict prevention and peacebuilding; gender; democracy and human rights; working with national actors; working with international actors; economic development and employment; climate change, the environment and natural resources; sustainable agriculture, land issues and food security; COVID-19; education).

This Handbook should be used in strict correlation with the Guidance for conflict analysis.

What can it be used for?

The handbook provides information on:

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This note aims to provide guidance on European Union (EU) policy frameworks related to resilience as well as conflict prevention and peacebuilding, and on EU commitments taking conflict sensitivity into account in the EU programme cycle. It begins by defining situations of conflict and fragility

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, and moves on to describe the current EU approach, concluding with a set of lessons learned from applying this approach.

When can it be used?

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• This set of Guidance Notes aims to support capacities for conflict sensitivity assessments in EU Delegations and Headquarters to follow up on specific recommendations stemming from conflict analyses and other conflict prevention tools, such as the EU conflict Early Warning System (EWS).

Who can use it?

• Written by staff for staff, relevant to all EU services (INTPA, NEAR, FPI, EEAS, ECHO) at the Headquarters and Delegation levels.
• Specifically for INTPA, the new Action Document (2018) templates and the INTPA companion have included conflict sensitivity and resilience mainstreaming as cross-cutting issues in the contet of quality assurance of development proposed programmes. It is therefore required to pay due attention and analysis to these dimensions when designing interventions and across the whole of the programming cycle.

What are its strengths?

• Written directly by staff, the handbook addresses conflict and fragility not only from a theoretical point of view, but also from an operational perspective.
• The variety of approaches adopted (case studies, interviews, briefings) to present different topics makes it a very engaging tool.

What are its limitations?

• Because the EU's work in relation to conflict and fragility – as well as resilience and peacebuilding – is constantly expanding, the guide must be updated regularly.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Key elements

The handbook consists of guidances note consist in three parts :and

• Situations of conflict and fragility .

• Current EU approach in situations of conflict and fragility

• Key lessons learned from

  Part I – Concepts, policies and the EU approach: describes the framework of the EU's

  engagement in situations of conflict and fragility .

  Covered topics include a definition of situations of conflict and fragility, relevant policies, the EU approach, and available financial instruments and analytical and methodological tools.
• Part II – Practical guidance notes: focuses on the implementation of the concepts and approaches described in Part I, addressing a number of related concepts through case studies, interviews and reports from EU Delegations. Topics addressed range from conflict sensitivity to promoting resilience, and from adopting a flexible approach to specifics of policy dialogue in situations of conflict and fragility.

It contains 12 guidances notes and a glossary:

• Guidance Note 1: The EU policy framework on fragility and conflict, resilience and peace
• Guidance Note 2: Conflict sensitivity in the programme cycle
• Guidance Note 3: Conflict prevention and peacebuilding
• Guidance Note 4: Gender
• Guidance Note 5: Democratic governance and human rights
• Guidance Note 6: Working with national actors
• Guidance Note 7: Working with international actors
• Guidance Note 8: Economic development and employment
• Guidance Note 9: Climate change, the environment and natural resources
• Guidance Note 10: Sustainable agriculture, land issues and food security
• Guidance Note 11: Conflict sensitivity and resilience implications of the COVID-19 pandemic
• Guidance Note 12: Education
• Glossary

It has been recently complemented by two additional Guidance notes:

• Guidance Note 13: Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) (2024)
  

• Guidance Note 14: Security Sector Reform(2024)Part III – Annexes: presents methodologies and tools available for operational managers to develop and implement interventions, with a strong focus on conflict-sensitivity mainstreaming.

Requirements

Conflict sensitivity and resilience mainstreaming in development programming (see INTPA companion) and Action Document templates and Instructions.

Data/information. While different contexts may require different types of analysis, the handbook Guidance note provides a good overview, representing over 80 staff from Headquarters (INTPA, ECHO, EEAS, FPI, NEAR, etc.) and 18 EU Delegations. Staff from other International organisations participated in the handbook's drafting.

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• Conflict sensitivity is required in all fragile situations, not just those in crisis; and in all interventions, not just those focused on governance and security.
• Conflict sensitivity may require greater adaptability, flexibility and preparedness, as well as continuous monitoring of crises, shocks and risks.
• Risk (i.e. the possibility of harm and of unintended negative impacts) must be acknowledged, calculated and managed across the intervention cycle.

N.B. Some key sections are currently under a process revision and updating, namely:

• Part 1- Concepts, Policies and the EU Approach;, as the policy framework has changed with the introduction of the EU Global Strategy and various Communications on Resilience;
• Note No 1 Conflict sensitivity and analysis for effective EU external action.
• Other practical guidance notes, which may be merged with relevant sections in Annex 2 (with a thematic or sectoral focus).

These should be read in conjunction with the revised Guidance Note on the use of Conflict Analysis in support of EU External Action, 2020.

RESOURCES

RESOURCES

Where to find it

The European Commission (EC), 2021.  Guidance notes on conflict sensitivity in development cooperation N°31.

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The European Commission (EC), 2015. Operating in situations of conflict and fragility, an EU staff handbook 

These should be read in conjunction with the revised Guidance Note on the use of Conflict Analysis in support of EU External Action, 2020 - see below.

Complementary guides, methodologies and tools

• European Union External Action, 2020 Guidance note on the use of Conflict Analysis in support of EU external action
• The European Commission (EC), DG INTPA.  Conflict Sensitivity Guidance Notes  
• Capacity4dev.  Results Chain and Indicators on Resilience, Conflict Sensitivity and Peace, 2020.
• INTPA Academy: Context for Development – Fragility and Training, EU Conflict Sensitivity trainingsCourse.
  

• INTPA/T - EU Internal Workshop on the Links between Global Gateway 360 Approach in fragile/crisis context and the HDP Nexus

• The European Commission (EC), Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI), 2013.  Post Disaster Needs Assessments (PDNA)
• The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank, 2017.  Recovery and Peacebuilding Assessments (RPBA)
• Joint Recovery and Peacebuilding Assessments, A Practical Note to Assessment and Planning, 2017The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank, 2017.   
• The European Commission (EC), 2015. Operating in situations of conflict and fragility, an EU staff handbook, 2015 (Annex II and III)
• The European Commission (EC), 2024.  SECURITY SECTOR REFORM, Guidance Note on Conflict Sensitivity NO. 14.Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Gender, Peace and Security Toolkit. https://www.osce.org/odihr/440831