Preamble by the Questioners

The Civilian Peace Service (CPS), which was established in 1999 by the Federal Government, represents a new instrument in cooperative development. The CPS was conceived in cooperation with civil society players and is operated as a collaborative undertaking by government and non-government actors.

Central tasks of the CPS are:
- Prevention of crisis and violence
- Efforts to deescalate and settle conflicts
- Reconstruction and reconciliation work
- Helping the disadvantaged to cope with conflict
- Spreading the culture of democracy
- Development of an intercultural competence to manage conflicts between individual groups.

Two years after its establishment the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) commissioned an evaluation of the development phase of the CPS. The evaluation report contains a long list of significant points of criticism, for instance, a lack of direction of instruments and processes as well as insufficient consideration of
overlap (cross cutting) with other neighbouring projects.


Preamble by the Federal Government

The Civilian Peace Service (CPS) is an important building block in a stronger peace and conflict prevention oriented development policy. The basis for this work is the Frame Concepts of June 9, 1999, which dovetails with the political development concept of the BMZ.

The BMZ assigns the tasks, in the context of the CPS, to the following organizations:
- German Development Services (DED),
- Work Community for Development Help (AGEH),
- Overseas Services (Evangelical Development Services),
- EIRENE International Christian Peace Service,
- World Peace Services,
- Christian Specialists International (CFI)
- Forum Civilian Peace Service and
- Action Community Service for Peace (AGDF)

The standard multi-year deployment of peace professionals takes place based on the Development Helpers Law. The organizational administration of the CPS is in the hands of the CPS Secretariat of the DED, which conveys the resources allocated for CPS to the other participating partner organization (I am translating for purposes of this document the German term Traeger or carrier as partner HS)

By this time the CPS is operating in nearly 40 countries with 168 peace professionals.
The evaluation concludes that the building phase has been successful in the establishment of the collaborative CPS undertaking. It makes a number of recommendations for the further development and building of the CPS.

1. From the perspective of the BMZ, has the CPS which was established in 1999 by the Federal Government, proven its value and, if so, how?

By virtue of the CPS the Federal Government created for itself a new instrument, which has stronger roots in the social political realm and which also permits short and middle term operations in relation to conflicts, be it as an independent project or as a building block of a beginning development cooperation. The CPS is a joint project of government and non-government partners, with equal ties to peace and development oriented groups and is also in this regard a political success.

2. Since the establishment of the CPS how many projects, and in which counties have they been implemented and evaluated?

In total 148 projects with 168 peace professionals in 39 countries have been granted.
The peace professionals are divided as follows:
- Africa south of the Sahara: 69 peace professionals (Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Cameron, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Sudan, Chad, Uganda)
- Asia: 20 peace professionals (Afghanistan, Indonesia, Cambodia, Timor_Leste, Philippines)
- Latin America: 38 peace professionals (Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Columbia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru)
- South East Europe: 28 peace professionals (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, Kosovo, Croatia, former Republic of Macedonia, Rumania)
- Near East: 13 peace professionals (Territories of Palestine)

The evaluators of the CPS building phase conducted on site studies in the following countries: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Guatemala, Peru, Uganda, Chad, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. A regular monitoring of the ongoing undertakings succeeded it.

3. By which partner and deployment organizations were these projects implemented?

Above and beyond the regular monitoring, measures were approved for the preparation and accompaniment of these projects (see below)

4. What task areas were seen for CPS by the BMZ, and by what percentage were they fulfilled?

In January 2004 the task areas were broke down as follows:
- Strengthening of the potential for peace 20%
- Mediation of conflicts 23%
- Contribution to reconstruction and reconciliation 57%

5. What means were at the disposal of the CPS since its establishment, and what were the actual expenditures? (continued below)

6. In general, what was the time period for CPS projects from the moment of project application to the deployment of a peace professional?

The application and approval process was followed by the selection of peace professionals by the respective deployment organization. Generally, peace professionals are prepared between four to six months before they sent out. The entire process from application to the actual deployment can take up to one year. Working Community for Development Aid (AGEH) approved 21 projects; Christian Professionals International (CFI) approve two projects, German Development Service (DED approved 41 projects, German Development Services (EED) approved 26 projects, International Christian Peace Services EIRENE approved 10 projects, Forum CPS approved 16 projects, Peace Project Halle (FK) approved one project, Kurve Ustro approved eight projects, Peace Brigades International (PBI) approved five projects, World Peace Services(WFD) approved 18 projects.

Year 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Projected Euros 2566 8948 9715 9970 14281
Actual Euro 1060 5307 7566 10942 13114

7. How will the Federal Government accelerate the approval process as recommended in the evaluation report, and simultaneously improve the testing of the CPS projects prior to their approval so that the instruments specific to a given conflict and methods of deployment can be defined more carefully in their conceptual phase?

Thorough testing is not automatically related to a prolongation of the approval process.
Acceleration and synergy effects of the approval process can be achieved by shifting certain administrative tasks to the CPS Secretariat. First steps to this effect have been taken. Consequently, starting in 2004, CPS undertakings are approved by way of a financial program, which clearly increases flexibility.

8. Do Foreign Affairs Central and Embassies play a role in the approval process and do they have a voice in the selection of the peace professionals?

Foreign Affairs (AA) is part of the approval process. In keeping with the BMZ Framework of June 9, 1999 the BMZ decides about the total program by agreement with Foreign Affairs. All project applications by the partners are passed on by the BMZ to the AA asking it to examine the project for its foreign affairs implications. AA Central in turn consults during its examination with the respective Embassy. The selection of the peace professionals is a matter of the respective deployment agency.

9. How are peace professionals trained?

Peace professionals are prepared like other professionals in collaborative development work prior to their deployment by the agency which sends them. On average, preparation time is between four to six months. During that time qualifications are obtained which have not been acquired in previous professional training and/or experience. (For instance, local or national language, professional knowledge and practical skills in communication). The main content of training is adjusted to the individual needs of the respective peace professionals to carry out their future tasks. In training peace professionals a special emphasis is on conflict management. Training is in the hands of the Department of Qualifications for Civilian Conflict Management by the Forum CPS. The Land Nordrhein-Westfalen and the BMZ support training courses. There is a standing offer of qualifying training courses of between four and six weeks as well as specialization courses of a few days to a week. The major course contents are the acquisition of skills in conflict analysis and methods in non-violent conflict management.

10. What is the Federal Government doing to improve the preparations of the peace professionals?

The peace professionals are already prepared thoroughly and broadly for their deployments. Efforts will be made, based on the recommendations of the evaluators, to supplement the preparations and qualifications of peace professionals in the following areas:

- A unified basic qualification for all peace professionals (techniques and intervention strategies for civilian conflict management and its translation into practice in the project work)
- Conveyance of methods in project planning, monitoring and evaluating, suitable for CPS deployments
- Establishment of a second part of preparation and qualification, which responds to individual preferences and is suited for the individual tasks in a project area.

First steps in this direction have been taken.

11. What understanding has the Federal Government arrived at regarding qualifications of the applicants for the advertised places as peace professionals?

The qualification profile for the advertised places varies according to the requests by the partner organizations. It has been shown, however, that specific personal and social competencies by the peace professional are especially asked for, such as the capacity to cope with conflict, ability to communicate (i.e. conflict analysis, identification of peace and conflict potential) capacity to tolerate a high psychological burden.

For the projects so far (January 2004) the following proficiencies have been sought by the recruiting organizations: Life Skills (about 34%), Social Science (about 24%) and psychology (about 13%), and other specialties - especially law, geography, ethnology (about 29%). It is difficult to find a sufficient number of persons with such a demanding qualification profile which makes the thorough preparation of the peace professionals all the more significant.

12. How many persons have applied for a job as a peace professional, and how many have been actually trained?

Since 1999 more than 2000 persons have applied for positions with the CPS partner organizations as peace professionals. Two hundred persons have been trained for deployment outside the country as peace professionals.

13. How many of the trained peace professionals have been deployed in a CPS project?

Most CPS partner organizations offer preparations only when there is a contract with a potential peace professional and a placement in a project. Most participants in the courses offered by Department for Qualification of the Forum Civilian Peace Service are deployed.

14. How does the Federal Government judge the future demand for peace professionals?

The CPS instrument is meeting great interest; therefore, during the coalition negotiations of 2002 it was agreed to strengthen and build up the CPS. The high number of conflict situations where the deployment of peace professionals is appropriate has remained unchanged, and requests for missions are increasing. Therefore, the Federal Government will increase the number of peace professional according the demand, and as financial abilities allow.

15. Does the Federal Government believe that a specific profile for peace professionals is reasonable and, if so, how what would be the guidelines?

The Federal Government does not believe a specific professional profile for a peace professional is necessary because the respective demands on the professional are very varied and depend heavily on the situation of the country and the conflict.

16. How does the CPS differentiate itself from the Centre for International Peace Deployment, which was established 2002? How does the Federal Government justify the costly double structure, which was created by the establishment of both organizations?

The object of the CPS is to deploy peace professionals in the context of bilateral German development service. However, the CPS is not a new organization, but a new instrument, which is at the service of existing institutions and independent of other multilateral organizations such as the European Union, the UN and OSCE who have a growing need for qualified personnel in international peace missions. Against this background, in June of 2002, the Federal Government established the Centre for International Peace Missions (Zentrum fuer Internationale Friedenseinsaetze ZIF) which recruits, trains and deploys civilian personnel for international peace missions. Both institutions concentrate their efforts on different centres of gravity. While CPS peace professionals are readied for projects of collaborative development work, the participation in international peace missions is part of the foreign and security policy of the Federal Government. The tasks of the professionals whom the ZIF recruits, and on occasion sends out, are defined by the mandate that the respective multilateral organization decides upon for a peace mission.


17. What are the measures of the Federal Government to reduce the strain and danger for peace professionals in the areas of deployment?

In principle, peace professionals are not to be sent into situations of violent conflict.
This does not preclude that in the course of a peace professional’s contract an existing conflict might escalate into violence. In such a case all participants, in close contact with German foreign representatives and the people responsible for the project, are instructed to place the security of the peace professionals above all other considerations and, if necessary, evacuate them from areas of acute danger. To reduce the strain upon peace professionals in areas of deployment supervision and care are offered.

18. What, in the eyes of the BMZ, is the difference between a CPS project and a classic undertaking of development collaboration?

The CPS is an instrument of the collaborative development work with a specific assignment. It is a further development of the existing instrument. The deployed peace professionals are to strengthen nonviolent conflict management by means of reconciliation, mediation and after-crisis care. CPS projects are an integral part of development collaboration work with an increased crisis prevention bend. They collaborate closely with projects of bilateral Technical Cooperation and Research Cooperation, but also with multilateral undertakings.

19. What does the Federal Government do to assure that CPS project planning will not cut across the activities of other projects in a given region?

As a rule, CPS projects are planned and prepared by partner organizations, and in the preparatory stage can carefully consider the possibility and meaningfulness of cooperating with German, European and other EZ undertakings. The decision about the implementation, that is the approval of CPS projects, is made by the BMZ in agreement with Foreign Affairs (AA). During this important phase possibilities of networking with existing projects in the region as well as the danger of working parallel to or cutting across other projects are considered. This process has proven to be effective.

20. As a rule do peace professionals work in agreement with German embassies in the country, if so, in what respect?

In accordance with the Frame Concept of June 9.1999 there are regular consultations between of the partners and (German) foreign representations. Peace professionals do regularly keep the Embassies informed.

21. Has the BMZ and the German Embassy collaborated about the deployment of a peace professional? Does the BMZ or the German Embassy have the right to participate in the consultation in the deployment of a peace professional?

The deployment of a peace professional takes place according to the respective task description in the partner’s approved project application. The right of the BMZ and/or the relevant German Embassy to co-determine the nature of the project is guaranteed by the conditions contained in the notice of project approval, by requesting interim reports, as well as by the mid term and annual accounting procedures, including case reports. See answers to the questions 8 and 20.

22. In what measure is the activity of the CPS brought into agreement with that of the Centre for International Peace Missions (ZIF) to avoid cross cutting and resource waste?

The danger of cross cutting does not exist because the CPS and ZIF concentrate their efforts on different centres of gravity. At the same time the BMZ and Foreign Affairs take care that cross cutting is avoided through regular consultations. To this end the local Embassy is also consulted. Please see replies to question 16.

22. How is it assured that the peace professionals will not, in the course of their deployment, act against the foreign political interests of the Federal Republic, and how would such a case be treated? (22. is repeated in the original HS)

The agreed upon process between the BMZ and Foreign Affairs guarantees fundamentally that peace professionals do not act against the foreign political interests of the Federal Republic. No such case has yet occurred. If such a case were to arise, Foreign Affairs and BMZ would act in unison to avoid harm to the foreign political interests of the Federal Republic or, respectively, to put an end to it.

23. Who in the final analysis has the supervision of peace professionals while they are deployed?

As a rule, supervision of the peace professionals is a matter for the partner organization who deploys the peace professional. In accept ional cases partners on site could assume the supervision task in part or in whole. By financing the deployment and by shaping the approval notice the Federal Republic influences the operation of the peace professional.

24. How many CPS projects are conducted in collaboration with local partner organizations?

So far all approved CPS projects have been conducted with local partners on site. Exceptionally one project of refugee settlement in Sudan was started with other sponsors before local partnerships could be built.

25. Are there CPS projects, which are conducted without local partners, if yes, how many and which projects are these?

See answer to question 24.

25. Which recommendations by the evaluators in the evaluation report has the Federal Government acted upon, which will it act upon and which form is the action going to take?

So far the following recommendations of the evaluators have been acted upon:
- Approval of CPS undertakings in the context of program financing beginning 2004
- Raising the capacity of mutual coverage of individual costs
- Transferability of resources to other projects of a partner in a country
- Advancement of native professionals
- Deployment of short term professionals
- Sharpening of the profile
- Improvement of networking

The Federal Government intends to successively implement the other recommendations of the evaluation (Exceptions see reply to question 27). The implementation will happen by way of regular agreements, strategy talks and workshops with Consortium CPS.

26. Which recommendations of the evaluation will the Federal Government not implement and why not?

The following recommendations by the evaluators the Federal Government will not be implement because they contradict laws, which regulate the (government) household:
- Do not tie the project calculations to the annual budget

- The participation of all partner organizations of the CPS in the CPS secretariat will not proceed. Placing the CPS secretariat in the Department of Development Services (DED) has proven successful and will be retained.

27. What were the evaluation costs of the CPS?

320 000 Euros (ca. $ 512,000 Can)

ISSN 0722-8333_________________________________________________________________
Translated from German by Hans Sinn
January 2, 2005

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