Per Wam - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Per Wam

The Transport Research Support program is a joint World Bank/ DFID initiative focusing on emergin... more The Transport Research Support program is a joint World Bank/ DFID initiative focusing on emerging issues in the transport sector. Its goal is to generate knowledge in high priority areas of the transport sector and to disseminate to practitioners and decision-makers in developing countries.

This paper has not undergone the review accorded to official World Bank publications. The finding... more This paper has not undergone the review accorded to official World Bank publications. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank and its affiliated organizations, or those of the Executive Directors of The World Bank or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgement on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Rights and Permissions The material in this publication is copyrighted. Copying and/or transmitting portions or all of this work without permission may be a violation of applicable law. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank encourages dissemination of its work and will normally grant permission to reproduce portions of the work promptly.

The Conflict Analysis Framework (CAF), developed by the CPR Unit, aims to integrate sensitivity t... more The Conflict Analysis Framework (CAF), developed by the CPR Unit, aims to integrate sensitivity to conflict in Bank assistance, and to help Bank teams consider factors affecting both conflict and poverty when formulating development strategies, policies, and programs. Conflict sensitive approaches that take account of problem areas and potential sources of conflict may help to prevent the onset, exacerbation, or resurgence of violent conflict.

Somalia's history of conflict reveals an intriguing paradox--namely, many of the factors that... more Somalia's history of conflict reveals an intriguing paradox--namely, many of the factors that drive armed conflict have also played a role in managing, ending, or preventing war. For instance, clannism and clan cleavages are a source of conflict--used to divide Somalis, fuel endemic clashes over resources and power, used to mobilize militia, and make broad-based reconciliation very difficult to achieve. Most of Somalia's armed clashes since 1991 have been fought in the name of clan, often as a result of political leaders manipulating clannism for their own purposes. Yet traditional clan elders are a primary source of conflict mediation, clan-based customary law serves as the basis for negotiated settlements, and clan-based blood-payment groups serve as a deterrent to armed violence. Likewise, the central state is conventionally viewed as a potential source of rule of law and peaceful allocation of resources, but, at times in Somalia's past, it was a source of violence an...

Building on a retrospective assessment of the experiences with the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PR... more Building on a retrospective assessment of the experiences with the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) processes in nine conflict-affected countries, Bosnia-Herzegovina (BIH), Burundi, Cambodia, Chad, Georgia, Nepal, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Sri Lanka, this report discusses how the causes and consequences of violent conflict can best be addressed within a country's poverty reduction program. The report identifies the main conflict factors that have affected the nine countries in the sample; examines how the PRS teams took these factors into account in developing their strategies for growth and poverty reduction; and attempts to draw lessons based on the findings. The analysis does not assess resource allocation, budget or implementation because of uneven data between the nine cases which represent a broad range of stages in the PRS preparation and implementation process. The report underlines the need for the PRS to capture and respond to the specific characteristics of the countr...

Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRSs) face impressive challenges in the poorest countries, the coun... more Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRSs) face impressive challenges in the poorest countries, the countries that most need skillful planning. Most commonly, PRSs are hindered by weak organizational capacity in government and the private sector, and by dependence on donors for finance and expertise, which undermines country ownership. In fragile states and situations, these challenges are augmented by weak public institutions, the predominance of elite-driven or neo-patrimonial governments, questionable political will and legitimacy to address deep-seated problems underpinning poverty, and sometimes lack of full government control of national territory. Conflict-affected countries, which are usually poor and fragile, face perhaps the most difficult challenges of all, adding unresolved conflict issues, militarization of society, and conflict-based and crime-based violence to the problems of other countries. Finally, large-scale violence makes previously poor states almost destitute. Violen...

In the past few years, several development organizations, including the World Bank, have recogniz... more In the past few years, several development organizations, including the World Bank, have recognized that the success of development strategies and programs in countries affected by conflict depends on understanding the social and economic factors that affect conflict in these countries. They have therefore prioritized the development of conflict analysis tools so as to help conflict-sensitive programming. A conflict analysis consists of two main aspects: (i) the process by which the analysis is planned, organized, conducted, and applied, and (ii) the content of the analysis including its thematic focus and scope. This study examines the first of these two aspects, i.e. the process of a conflict analysis exercise. It examines experiences of development organizations with about twenty conflict analysis exercises to provide guidance to the organization of such exercises and application of their findings. The study thus looks to past experiences with conflict analysis exercises to provi...

Roads are vital in the stabilization and reconstruction of a conflict-affected country. These ini... more Roads are vital in the stabilization and reconstruction of a conflict-affected country. These initiatives impact population groups and their relationship with one-another through infrastructure construction and maintenance, through processes of decision-making and participation, and most significantly through their outcomes. The impacts of roads sector initiatives are felt by large sections of the population and can have effects not only on those directly benefitting from the project but on economic growth, resource distribution, governance, and security. These wide-ranging effects can in turn impact conflict and a country's prospects for stability and resilience. This note is organized in the following way: section one presents the methodology of the study, including the selection of cases and sources of information. Section two presents the conflict context, including a description of some of the main characteristics of these contexts that could have profound implications for ...

This note aims to help teams understand and monitor the interaction between the roads sector and ... more This note aims to help teams understand and monitor the interaction between the roads sector and contexts of violent conflict. This understanding should help project teams adapt project design and monitoring and evaluation approaches with the purpose of addressing conflict-related challenges. Applying such understanding would help achieve greater development results, mitigate fallouts of ongoing conflicts, and avoid that projects inadvertently exacerbate social and economic factors that drive violent conflict in a country. Among the results that the roads sector can have on societies are effects on conflicts within them, both positive and negative. On their side, violent conflicts can affect the way roads sector activities are carried out and whether projects manage to achieve their objectives; this in turn can have further effects on the conflict context. This note will focus on the interaction between interventions and context, and make some suggestions to help projects avoid nega...

This note focuses specifically on the World Bank's role in supporting governments during the ... more This note focuses specifically on the World Bank's role in supporting governments during the preparation of Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRSs) and discusses entry points for engagement in the security sector drawing from experience in a mix of conflict affected countries. It is intended to serve as a resource for the World Bank country teams and their national counterparts when designing PRS processes in countries where improved security has emerged as a national priority. The following section explains concepts and provides definitions for key terms such as 'the security sector' and 'security sector reform'. Section three presents a rationale for the integration of security sector strategies into PRSs based on the linkages between poverty, insecurity, and the World Bank's core mandate. Section four reviews some strategic and operational challenges and identifies entry points for addressing security sector issues in the PRS process. Section five presents som...