The research will consist of four main tasks:

• Take stock of existing thinking including review of existing literature on the use of different aid instruments in FCAS and consultation with key stakeholders. Those stakeholders are likely to comprise DFID’s teams working in conjunction with the DAC on the public sector reform review and on the Governance Portfolio Review, members of the UK Aid Network of civil society organisations (UKAN) and the members of the Fragile and Conflict-affected Countries Group at the World Bank (Operations Policy and Country Services) working on aid instruments in fragile states. To facilitate this process, ODI will draw on its extensive network of contacts. However, it is proposed that DfID assists in identifying interviewees to ensure the right key informants are included.
• Analyse the role of different aid instruments to assist DFID further develop its approach to state building and peace building. This analysis will be conducted through a review of relevant DFID country planning documents, project/programme reporting and evaluations, including for countries where the state building/peace building approach is used, with a view to gather lessons on the contribution of different aid instruments in these environments. Concrete examples will be developed to illustrate the relative merits of different aid modalities in a variety of context. The selection of examples to be studied as well as number will be discussed and agreed upon with DFID, based on documentation available and time constraints.

• Map the work being or planned to be undertaken on aid instruments in FCAS. This will include research conducted under the DAC’s INCAF and WP-EFF groups and through the EU, as well as other significant pieces of work being undertaken internationally.
• Identification of research gaps with an aim to set the agenda for future research on this topic.

Edward Hedger Pilar Domingo Deepayan Basu Ray Hafsa Mahtab