The purpose of the paper is to reflect on peacebuilding approaches and methodologies adopted by the UK’s Peacebuilding Opportunities Fund (POF) within conflict affected communities for the purpose of drawing relevant lessons for peacebuilding interventions in South Sudan. The paper identifies both learning that strengthens peacebuilding engagement and informs what can be done better when engaging conflict affected communities, and pitfalls and poor practice to be avoided. This paper is written from a peacebuilding practitioner perspective and draws on the experience and perspectives of POF Area Advisers,1 programme personnel who have extensive knowledge and understanding of peacebuilding practices in South Sudan, and experience of working within the POF programme itself. Advisers responded to a questionnaire and participated in a detailed interview as part of the development of the paper. The paper is structured as follows: the first section sets out POF’s approach as understood and internalised by Area Advisers, and then looks at adviser engagement with specific stakeholders that have been central to project delivery at the sub-national level. Finally, the paper concludes with advice from the advisers for peacebuilding practitioners.
08 October 2026
The CSRF will go on hiatus as feedback on a funding proposal for continued operations is pending. Normal operations continue until 31 October 2026. Please continue to use the resources on the website, which will be maintained into 2027 regardless of the funding situation. We ask for your understanding as new outputs, trainings, and events go on pause, or if queries go unanswered, from October onwards.
