Discuss the crucial elements in conflict analysis

- Conflict history
(i) What is the background to this conflict? What are the historical factors that five rise to the present situation? What are the major events in the lives of the actors/
(ii) Were their previous conflicts in this environment? How were they waged? How did these conflicts end? Did one party ?win?, did they reach an agreement; was there a stalemate? Does the end of a previous conflict have any impact on the current conflict?
(iii) How have parties learned to manage conflict? Do they avoid, compete, accommodate, compromise or co-operate? What social institutions have been created to address conflict? Are they being used? If not, why not?

- Conflict Context
i) What is the physical environment of the conflict? How does this contribute to or detract from resolution efforts?
ii) What is the status relationship between parties? Are there moral, legal, traditional or institutional factors that inform this relationship?
iii)What are the current events that impact on the conflict? Are there recent changes in the relationship between parties, within their constituencies or with the conflict?s stakeholders?
iv)How do political, social or economic events external to the system of conflict impact on the parties and the way they wage the conflict?
v)How are parties waging the conflict? Are parties using power-based, rights-based or interest-based approaches to resolve or manage the conflict? Are these methods escalating or stabilizing the conflict?
vi)How do parties communicate and make decisions internally and with one another?

- Primary Parties
i)Who are the parties directly involved in waging the conflict?
ii)From their perspective, what are the issues to the conflict? What positions do they take on these issues? What are their substantive, procedural and psychological interests? Do certain interests have higher priorities than others?
iii)What are their perceptions of other primary parties, stakeholders and interveners?
iv)Are their internal divisions within the party? How are these managed?
What is the relationship between party leaders and their constituents? Are the leaders seen as legitimate? Do they have the authority to negotiate on behalf of the party? Can they ?deliver? their constituency?
v)Who are the informal leaders within the party who can influence acceptance or rejection of negotiations/agreements?
vi)Are there hidden leaders who can make or break agreements but will not engage in negotiations?
What are the values of the party? How do these values influence the way they wage conflict?

- Additional Parties
i)Who are the stakeholders, patrons or third-party intermediaries who play a role in this conflict? How did they get involved in the conflict?
ii)Do additional parties have a stake in either resolving or continuing the conflict? What is their understanding of the conflict? What are their interests in the conflict?
iii)Are the additional parties aligned to one of the primary parties? If so, what effect does this have on the conflict?
iv)Are there parties which can influence primary parties to resolve the conflict?
v)Are there intermediaries who are facilitating or mediating talks between parties? What are the primary parties perceptions of these intermediaries? How does this affect conflict resolution?

- Issues
i)What are the issues to the conflict? Are they data relationship, value, structural or interest issues?
ii)Are there hidden issues?
iii)How do parties prioritise these issues? Are some more important than others?

- Power
i)Does one party have power over the other? What is the source of that power (eg. Social, economic, political, physical, psychological, legal, etc)?
ii)What resources are at each party?s disposal?
iii)Are parties using their power? If so, What is the result?
iv)What power bases are not being tapped by the parties?

- Stages of conflict
i)Is the conflict latent or manifest?
ii)If manifest, what precipitated the conflict?
iii)What is the current state of the conflict?
iv)Is there a stalemate? Is it escalating or stabilizing?

- Alternatives and Options for settlement
i)What are the parties? best alternatives if they are unable to negotiate an agreement?
ii)How aware are parties of the costs of continued conflict?
iii)How informed are parties about their interests and settlement alternatives/options?
iv)Are parties aware of each others settlement alternatives/options?
v)What steps have parties taken to achieve these alternatives/options?
vi)Are there additional parties who can provide incentives for the parties to settle?
vii)How realistic are the parties?

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Titany answered the question on August 11, 2021 at 06:37