Changing the rules of the game: special report rebuilding fragile states

Development organizations have yet to come to terms with the inherent complexity of institutional change. Institutional change takes time, and the kind of institution best suited to a given situation depends on the context. In other words, a successful institution in the West is not necessarily going to work in Afghanistan or Sudan. Institutions understandably tend to mimic other successful organizational structures, but this often only creates the illusion of capability and legitimacy. Development organizations therefore need to build a deep understanding of the rules systems at work in the society in question and acknowledge the unpredictability of change in the complex social systems of fragile states. Only then can they adapt their practices accordingly and help build institutions that work.

The author, Frauke de Weijer, is an associate fellow at the Center for International Development, Harvard Kennedy School, USA. De Weijer is a development practitioner and thinker who has been active in Afghanistan intermittently from 2002 to 2011.

The article was published in The Broker, an online platform aiming to enrich the analyses of the relationship between security and development – in both theory and policy practice, and from the perspective of local, national, regional and global realities. Gaining a better understanding of this relationship and offering new perspectives on it are sorely needed. To improve political and policy approaches to the complex conflicts of the 21st century, and to advance human well-being in conflict-ridden places.

The Broker Online 2011