LPI Inclusive Peace in Practice 2018-2023

The Sida support to LPI's programme IPIP was extended for one year and came to an end in 2023. The main reason for the extension was to give LPI time to capture results of IPIP including through the evaluation that Sida provided additional funding to in 2020 and for which LPI has made preparations in 2022 (the delay was in part due to the Covid19 pandemic). There was also a hope that the outcome of the evaluation would provide a good basis for LPI when approaching potential donors. The final report for the whole programme is expected in June 2024, but the Narrative Report for 2022 and the evaluation conducted in 2023 both shows LPI's efforts to expand IPIP's engagements with global policymakers, increase the number of spaces to bring together local, regional and global peacebuilders and policymakers, and network internally and with peers on meaningful engagement. An example of the latter is LPI's work with good peacebuilding practice and localisation discussions together with a mix of private donors, public donors and INGOs in order to test more accessible, equitable and participatory models of resourcing. This led to a paper Principles for Quality Peacebuilding Financing (together with Sida partner GPPAC and the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation) that targeted recommendations for UN agencies ahead of the HighLevel Meeting of General Assembly on Financing for Peacebuilding in April 2022. LPI was later invited to speak in a civil society panel and briefed the penholders (Kenya and Sweden) for the resolution on peacebuilding financing (see the Annual Report for details, DOX document 18/001304154). Sida furthermore notes that the 2022 report provides a number of examples of how IPIP has supported overall implementation of LPI (in line with outcome 2). It is especially encouraging to see the close collaboration that has emerged with the Horn of Africa Programme (HARP), which is centered around regional policy influencing as this will contribute to bridge the divide between the local/national, regional and global policy spheres. It is clear that IPIP serves as a platform for engagement with LPI's crosscutting and country programmes. The Small Grants Facility The small grants facility to support communitybased youthled organisations to make meaningful contributions to social cohesion in their communities was an addition to the programme in 2022. The 2022 Annual Report shows that a number of lessons learned and concrete results came from this process. LPI reports that its finance team indeed provided accompaniment, including capacity building on financial management and budgeting, project development and monitoring and evaluation as initially planned. This is reported to be appreciated by the partners and highlights, as pointed out by LPI, that administrative requirements can be simplified without compromising donor accountability. In early 2023, LPI brought together colleagues to further reflect on what was been learned through the initiative, with an intention to ensure that principles for more equitable partnerships and meaningful engagement is embedded in LPI's overall approach to subgranting. IPIP Evaluation Report The evaluation was conducted in 2023 by a team of evaluators, one external and one internal to LPI. This set up was presented to Sida in 2022 and later agreed as it reflects the two dimensions inherent in IPIP (one to influence the wider peacebuilding ecosystem and one to challenge and change ways LPI implements its work). Please see DOX document 18/001304154 for more information. Although limited in scope, the final report provides a number of accounts of how IPIP over the years has achieved progress towards its objectives. Parties external to LPI and IPIP are in general more positive towards the programme, as the view and experiences of IPIP internally differs depending on country programme. The report highlights that LPI is considered to play a critical role in the peace ecosystem for a number of reasons. The main one raised consistently was that it bridges research and policy divides and most importantly brings in the lived experience of communities to all discussions. IPIP has indeed been able to influence power holders and effect a shift in the language of the UN. IPIP has also been able to shape forums for policy actors in a modest but significant way, creating constellations and bringing together varying voices and so different angles within conversations and possibilities for change. The evaluation notes that LPI has been able to contribute to building momentum for change through shifting behaviour change, shaping, filtering and normalising discussions of topics, with the possibility for greater systems change, in stakeholders with whom they have interacted and engaged.

The overall goal of the Inclusive Peace in Practice (IPIP) initiative for the period until December 2023 is: Key actors within the peacebuilding ecosystem collaborate more effectively to develop and realise transformative global policy responses to specific conflicts The Life and Peace Institute (LPI) stresses that the goal statement reflects the systems change that IPIP, along with others in the peacebuilding ecosystem, will work towards within the next 10 to 20 years. Key actors within the system are individuals and institutions whose efforts are relevant to specific conflict situations from local peace activists, civil society organisations, national authorities to international NGOs, think tanks and academic institutions, global networks and regional and global policy actors. Ultimately, it is LPI's vision that this change is meant to be felt positively by women, men, young women, young men, girls and boys living in violent conflict-affected contexts.