Photo credit: Natalia Jidovanu/Saferworld

Advisory services

International engagement – in the form of aid, trade and investment, diplomacy, or security cooperation – can bring new resources and incentives into play and influence conflict dynamics for better or worse. More subtly, it can reinforce or disrupt established cultural norms, hierarchies and authorities with consequences that are difficult to predict.

What we offer

We support organisations to ensure their projects or investments put the people they impact the most at the centre. Our goal is for these projects and investments to contribute to long-term peace and development rather than increase the pre-existing tensions, insecurities and inequalities that drive conflict.

We provide:

advisory and accompaniment services
training
research and analysis

More information can be found in our brochure here.

Advisory and accompaniment services

Saferworld provides both one-off and sustained advisory support and accompaniment to organisations that want to enhance their impact and ability to work in areas affected by conflict.

We offer:

specialist expertise on conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and conflict and gender sensitivity
practical experience based on our own organisational change processes
an independent perspective that can help to navigate sensitive organisational dynamics
dedicated capacity to support teams whose availability is otherwise constrained

Our dedicated Conflict Advisory Unit collaborates with teams across Saferworld and with other organisations on conflict analysis, research, institutional and partner assessments, bespoke guidance on peace and conflict issues, and training. Examples of the Conflict Advisory Unit's work include: working with Save the Children Sweden to institutionalise conflict sensitivity in its organisational practices; carrying out a study on how the German Development Bank can meet its commitments under Germany’s feminist foreign policy; and conducting training for the EU on conflict sensitivity, including how it applies to its sectoral priorities.

We also manage specialist conflict sensitivity facilities in South Sudan and Sudan, which provide advisory services to the aid sector to ensure their activities avoid harm and contribute to long-term peace.

Training

Saferworld offers bespoke trainings designed to build the skills and understanding of your staff and partners across multiple topics. We currently offer short orientations, one-day trainings or multi-day advanced courses. While face-to-face trainings are our preferred option to maximise participants’ learning, we have also developed a range of online, hybrid and WhatsApp-based training approaches.

Topics include:

Conflict sensitivity: Our training will help you build a strong organisational understanding of conflict contexts, avoid unintentional negative impacts, and maximise the potential positive impacts of interventions on long-term, sustainable peace.
Gender sensitivity and Women, Peace and Security – deepening understanding of gender perspectives and gender transformative approaches, and strengthening capacities to integrate these into conflict analysis and programme design, implementation, and monitoring, evaluation and learning.
Arms and export controls – for example on strategic trade controls, or on due diligence requirements of businesses operating in insecure and conflict-affected contexts.
Outcome harvesting – an accessible, participatory and flexible method of promoting learning and accountability by monitoring results together with partners.
Context courses to improve international aid workers’ understanding of the national and sub-national contexts so they can contribute to peace more effectively.

Analysis

Saferworld has developed a world-leading reputation for delivering high-quality conflict and gender sensitivity analysis to inform strategy development and project design, learning and adaptation processes. We undertake applied research and analysis to generate evidence that can support your organisation’s decision-making processes. These range from short, responsive analysis pieces, to longer, standalone research involving participatory processes and stakeholder engagement.

Helpdesks:

We also manage bilateral helpdesks for governments and other institutions that provide conflict analyses, conflict and gender sensitivity trainings, and reviews of strategies, portfolios and project proposals. These include:

The Women, Peace and Security Helpdesk, which provides technical advice and support on Women, Peace and Security and gender in conflict and crisis contexts.
The Human Security and Humanitarian Assistance Helpdesk for the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, providing conflict analysis, conflict sensitivity reviews of programmes and strategies, thematic research and training.
We have also managed helpdesks for the European Investment Bank and the Austrian Development Agency.

Organisations we have worked with

Contact us

We offer our services on either a daily fee or lump sum basis, with exact costs tailored to the type of organisation and sector and any additional expenses incurred (for example, travel). This approach enables us to provide more equitable access to Saferworld’s expertise and to reinvest any surpluses in our work.