Publication date: 2006

There has been an increasing concern in the international community about the implications for stability and progress towards the Millennium Development Goals resulting from state failure or state fragility. In response to this challenge, the OECD Development Assistance Committee’s (DAC) Fragile States Group (FSG) developed a set of draft Principles for Good International Engagement in Fragile States. These Principles highlight that successful development in a fragile environment depends, at least in part, on well sequenced and coherent progress across the political, security, economic and administrative domains. Working effectively in fragile states requires donor countries to adopt a ‘whole of government’approach (WGA), involving departments responsible for security, political and economic affairs, as well as those responsible for development aid and humanitarian assistance.

Whole of Government Approaches to Fragile States (pdf, 1.38 MB)

This present study assesses existing WGAs, drawing upon recent experiences of a number of OECD countries in fragile states. It lays out the rationale for using such a WGA in fragile states and addresses common challenges. WGAs of different countries are analysed in terms of concepts and policies, tools and instruments as well as their co-ordination and management. Building on case studies, the report provides recommendations on how to improve the operationalisation and implementation of WGAs.