THE RISKS AND REWARDS OF INVESTING IN ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IN A POST CONFLICT ENVIRONMENT

Development;Stability;Project;Management;Operations;Insurgency;Oversight;Accountability;Capacity;not listed

Truitt, Brett M.Stout, Mark ;

Johns Hopkins University

关键词: Development;    Stability;    Project;    Management;    Operations;    Insurgency;    Oversight;    Accountability;    Capacity;    not listed;   

Others  :  https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2/38137/TRUITT-THESIS-2015.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

瑞士|英语

来源: JOHNS HOPKINS DSpace Repository

【 摘 要 】

The goal of this paper is to identify the role economic infrastructure development plays in stability operations and potential vulnerabilities that arise in the implementation of these projects that an insurgency can exploit. The questions I attempt to answer in my research are: What overall trends lead to the failure of economic infrastructure projects? What are the sources of these failures? How do failures in these projects create vulnerabilities that can be exploited by an insurgency and pose a risk to the US while conducting stability operations? I hypothesized that infrastructure projects do create vulnerabilities which can be exploited by the insurgency and will have an effect on the mission of the United States. Evidence shows that these vulnerabilities are caused by the host nation, the social environment that is being worked in, and the US Government. The first chapter focuses on the sustainability of economic development projects in terms of the capacity of the government. Research concluded that if the agency or contractor implementing the project does not take into consideration the capacity of the host nation government to sustain the project, whether it is due to lack of funds to maintain the project, or lack of expertise, then the project will likely fail. The second chapter questions US oversight of economic development projects. It was found that consequences for lack of oversight on a project include the failure to adhere to the project plan, failure to quickly identify problems or mistakes, and/or failure to remedy mistakes in a timely manner. Projects without proper oversight failed either in the sense that they cost the US government more money or that they had no beneficial effect on the surrounding region. The third chapter analyzes the extent to which US agencies hold contractors accountable for their projects. It was determined that if contractors are not held accountable for their projects, they are likely to build low quality structures, exceed the designated budget, or need additional time to complete the project. In the fourth chapter, an assessment is made on the effect these failures have on the perception and behavior of the local population and the legitimacy of the host nation government and US / Allied forces operating in the area.