Avoiding Perplexity: Complexity-Oriented Monitoring and Evaluation for UN Peace Operations
Publisher: Complexity Thinking for Peacebuilding Practice and Evaluation
Author(s): Charles Hunt
Date: 2016
Topics: Governance, Monitoring and Evaluation, Peace and Security Operations, Programming
This chapter explores the potential of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) informed by Complexity theory for UN peace operations. An emphasis on policing recognises that UN police are more engaged in peacebuilding than other major components of these operations. It proceeds in three main parts. The first highlights shortcomings with dominant approaches to M&E in these missions. Drawing on arguments for applying Complexity thinking to peacebuilding. The second section explains how Complexity thinking can inform approaches that help to overcome these frailties. The third section lays out key implications of Complexity-oriented M&E for UN peace operations and the chapter concludes by arguing that Complexity provides useful ways of thinking about assessing impact as well as informing practical approaches to the everyday M&E of peacebuilding efforts.