Lessons learned : the evolution of NGO networks in conflict-affected environments

These studies were conducted in late 2005 and early 2006 by specialists in the four countries. The cases presented in this paper were commissioned with the goal of learning from the experiences of organizations in four countries at various stages of post-confl ict development in different regions of the world: Sudan, Nepal, Nicaragua and Vietnam. Organizations with which the USAID-funded Capable Partners Program (CAP) has ongoing relationships were selected for these studies, and local specialists were contracted to carry them out. This synthesis begins with a brief description of the socio-political environment in each of the four countries, along with an introduction to the organizations studied. A summary of lessons and general conclusions, plus overall recommendations for the support of networks in the future, follows. The individual cases provide a more detailed description of the country context, the experience of the target organizations, and country-specifi c conclusions and recommendations. (Author abstract, modified)