“You can’t sub-contract the politics of reform”

“You can’t sub-contract the politics of reform” – finding the right balance in working with the private sector

by Mark Downes

There has been much discussion recently on the increasing role of the private sector when it comes to implementing security and justice programmes on the ground. For instance, large programmes supporting security and justice reforms are currently sub-contracted out to the private sector in Liberia, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The purpose of this blog post is not to label private sector engagement in SSR good or bad, but to stimulate discussion on how best to utilise the capacity and experience that the private sector can bring to the table ... Read more