Service Delivery in Fragile Sates

 Achieving the Millennium Development Goals is contingent on establishing effective and durable means to provide health care, education and other social services. Yet, improving service delivery in fragile states is a daunting task.  Not only are the operational environments challenging, but contending with the wide range of policy, technical, and political issues is analytically complex.

Building upon previous research by the World Bank, DFID and other donors, the FSG conducted work on service delivery in fragile states in 2005-2006.  This work examines common problems that affect service delivery in multiple sectors - analysing the factors that account for effective—and ineffective—service delivery for the poor. It will examine four specific sectors – health, education, potable water, and justice and security - drawing out major lessons learned. These will feed into the development of the principles for engagement in fragile states.

• New Publication: Service Delivery in Fragile Situations
• Concept Note Prepared by USAID AND UNICEF

Participant publications:

European Commission:

• Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development (LRRD) (EC, 2001)
  This document examines the grey zones that arise in various types of crisis when humanitarian policy and development co-ordination programmes differ.

 Germany:

• External Nation-Building vx. Endogenous Nation-Forming - A Development Policy Perspective (BMZ, 2004) - Broadening understanding of nation building processes and setting them in a systematic framework, the authors use case studies from Africa, the Middle East and the Balkans to illustrate the diverse aspects of the theme.  The final section demonstrates how nation-building processes can be supported through the application of intelligent and sensitive policies by external actors.

 United Kingdom:

• Community-based approaches and service delivery: Issues and options in difficult environments and partnerships (DFID - February 2005) - This background paper was prepared for DFID Sudan Desk starting in Dec 2004. The paper focuses on the relationship between community-based approaches and service delivery. It draws together general lessons from international experience of relevance to ongoing discussions in Sudan.
• Approaches to Improving the Delivery of Social Services in Difficult Environments (DFID, 2004) - This paper examines ways that donors use to deliver services such as healthcare and education in areas where a partnership with the government is difficult to establish.  The possibilities for scaling up service delivery through non-state providers while supporting the development of effective state structures are explored.

 United Nations:

• Joint Report on Transition Issues (UNDG/ECHA, 2004) - This report was compiled by the Joint Working Group on Transition Issues, which was established by The United Nations Development Group (UNDG) and the Executive Committee on Humanitarian Assistance (ECHA).