This two year research programme is led by Professor Mark Duffield of the Global Insecurities Centre (GIC), University of Bristol, and the Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG). It is submitted under ESRC-DFID's Security, Conflict and Development theme.

The primary objective of this research is to delineate the extent to which risk management and enhanced threat awareness among UN agencies and international NGOs challenge their ability to achieve ambitious and transformational policy goalss in conflict-affected fragile states.

The focus is on the complex multiagency programmes associated with political stabilisation and post-conflict recovery in fragile states. The multiagency nature of these programmes makes for a challenging research environment and, at the same time, regional and international security has been staked on their successful outcome.