July 2012
Welcome to theJuly CCP update.The highlight this month is the release of the guide to using theories of change. This contains many of the tools used in the last CCP workshop. There are two advocacy opportunities this month – first a repeat of last month’s call to get involved in New Deal advocacy on conflict affected states, and second, a new call to suggest idea for influencing the UK Government’s G8 agenda for 2013 on conflict affected sexual violence. Please continue to send me documents and news or upload them directly to the wiki. Quick links to the wiki are along the side below. If you would like to join a working group or find out more, please get in touch with the lead person or myself. Thanks, Paul-André.
Featured Resource; Working Group News (Wiki Page); CCP and other Conflict News; Conflict Advocacy News; Document Sharing (on Wiki)
Quick links /

Featured Resource:Guidance for Designing, Monitoring and Evaluating PeacebuildingProjects: Using Theories of Change. Download

Community Home
The main page of the wiki, where you can access all content, including the latest news and resources
Working Group Pages
Overviews working group actions plans and space for collaboration.
Documents/Resources (Not Public)
Tools, documents, training materials and other resources for peacebuilding or development practitioners in fragile states.
Discussions (Not Public)
Space for questions and responses on a wide range of issues, led by CCP members.
Wiki Help
Help for users of the platform, including links to training videos and useful documents / The long awaited guide, captures the practical tools developed and used in the three year DME project led by Heidi Ober (CIUK). Starting with an explanation of the problem of DME of peacebuilding, the guide allows the user to unpack the logic of their programme, define theories of change, and then use these as the basis of monitoring and evaluating the change processes they are aiming for. Funded by the EC, the guide is now essential reading for all looking at securing funding from USAID, and the UK Government, both of whom are increasingly using theories of change. Hard copies are available so please get in touch if you would like some.

Working Group News(Wiki Page)

Conflict Sensitivity:Merlijn (CARE NL) gave a two day training on Do No Harm for CARE South Sudan on 26 and 27 June. The training was for CARE staff and a number of local partner organizations in Malakal, Upper Nile. In addition, a draft business case for conflict sensitivity in CARE is on the wiki here. Please comment and share any changes you would like to make, to ensure it is useful to you.
DME/Theories of Change:Heidi and Sarah (CIUK) trained staff of multiple UK Foreign Office partners in Pakistan in July on using theories of change. CARE Pakistan had three staff at the event and feedback was very positive. Sarah will be talking through the new guide on August 1 at 11:30 GMT online. An invite will be sent out specifically for the event, but please get in touch if you are interested.
Advocacy: As noted in June, the ‘New Deal’ is the new framework for peacebuilding and statebuilding in fragile state which emerged from the Busan Aid Effectiveness conference in December 2011. Seven countries will be piloting the compact, including six where CARE has a presence. Emails have gone out to each country to enquire if there is interest in engaging. CIUK has some limited funding for country level and global level engagement and Howard (CIUK) will be convening a phone call for all interested CCP members, and country offices. The proposed dates are July 24 or July 25. To choose a time best for you, visit this page, or for more information go to the wiki page on Busan.

CCP and other Conflict News

  • The annual survey and member update has gone out to everyone on this email list. The deadline is July 31 – so please spend a few minutes on this before then. Great ideas already received include having different countries/teams guest edit this update. Please also encourage others in your country office to join the CCP. I will be sending out a ‘recruitment’ email later this week, which you can forward to team members along with the a sign up form. Thanks!
  • A 2 page summary of the last year’s work in the CCP is available on the wiki here. This summarises some of the milestones of the community and showcases a few of the tools we use.
  • Training: The fourth annual leadership course run by the Geneva Centre for security policy with Interpeace is receiving applications now. CARE staff from NW Balkans and Afghanistan attended previously. A blog entry from Cvijeta Novakovic detailing her experiences on the third annual course is here. The course application is available on their website. For other training opportunities look to this wiki page:
  • A huge thanks and good luck to Heidi Ober who is leaving CARE Friday July 21 after nearly 3 years in the CIUK conflict team. You can still get in touch with her until Friday at

Conflict Advocacy News

Apart from the CCP advocacy group a number of advocacy initiatives on conflict issues have been taken forward by CARE COs, members and CI secretariat since the last update. Key initiatives have included the following:
  • Ana Uzelac (CARE NL) is on a short term TDY updating South Sudan’s Advocacy Strategy, which should be finalised on August 1.
  • The UK Government has announced that Conflict Related Sexual Violence will be its focus when taking over the G8 chair in January 2013.The main area will be on tackling impunity and increasing prosecutions. The government is open to ideas right now, so CIUK will be coordinating input – your participation is very welcome. If you have thoughts on models that work, lessons from experience or areas of concern, then please share with Howard. A full description of what is happening, when and why is available on the wiki blog here.

Document Sharing (on Wiki)

  • CARE Yemen’s have finalised and released a report into livelihood creation and conflict management between refugee and host communities (available here). Thanks to Yasmine for sharing. Key findings included the importance of supporting multiple types of activity (social, cultural, and sport) to engage diverse community members rather than dividing groups by age, or sector (education), identifying the most influential actors and involving them as key to minimising risks, and because of cultural resistance special attention needed to be paid to intergenerational dialogue, and promoting women’s involvement in the project. Also available is a conflict analysis for Yemen.
  • From the archive. Nepal’s experiences working in a violent conflict affected environment were captured in 2008, to share thoughts, ideas and best practice with CARE staff. Revisit it here.
  • Thanks to Aimal for sharing the International Crisis Group’s report on Aid in Conflict in Pakistan.You can read it the summary and full report on theICG website here. ICG is a great source of detailed conflict analyses which is worth including in a literature review when reviewing strategic plans, or hiring a consultant.
  • We subscribed to the Journal of Peacebuilding and Development.Editions are now available going back to 1997. The username is: ConflictCCP; Password: care2011.

Thank you for joining CARE’s Conflict Community of Practice (CCP). These monthly updates are designed to keep you informed of the latest sharing, learning and collaboration going on in your community via email and on the wiki ().
If you have received this message on forward and would like to join the Community of Practice, or would like to unsubscribe please contact Paul-André Wilton: .