Post-Conflict Private Sector Development

Conflict, the economy, and development are closely inter-related. Increasingly, it is being recognised that private sector development (PSD) has a crucial role to play in post-conflict situations, both as a important part of peacebuilding efforts and in the prevention of future conflict. Post-conflict situations present specific challenges for PSD, but also offer unique opportunities – challenges which we are still learning how to tackle, and opportunities which we are still learning how to develop. This elective will consider the range of current practice in what is a new and rapidly-developing field, encouraging participants to share their experiences. It will discuss the tensions inherent in working in conflict-affected environments, including the setting of priorities and the inevitable trade-off between urgency and sustainability. The elective will also explore in detail the many options for PSD programming in a post-conflict situation, considering how traditional approaches can be adapted to ensure conflict sensitivity. Finally, it will highlight key directions for post-conflict PSD in the future.