Delivered by Publishing Technology to: New York University IP address: 128.122.190.44 On: Wed, 22 May 2013 10:03:05 http://www.journalpeacedev.org 93 93 93 93 93 Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction Introduction The ‘Initiative for Capacity Enhancement in South Sudan’ was established by the Intergovernmental Authority on Develop- ment (IGAD) and the Government of South Sudan (GoSS) for implementation in 2011 and onwards. The initiative is supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It will deploy 200 coaches and mentors to South Sudan from Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda to coach and mentor South Sudanese civil servants to strengthen governance capacity. The initiative is an attempt to address the enormous capacity gaps in South Sudan while accommodating calls for culturally and technically appropriate capacity, local ownership and regional cooperation. The Organisation of Economic and Development Cooperation defines statebuilding as: the purposeful action to develop the capacity, institutions and legitimacy of the state in relation to an effective political process for negotiating the mutual demands between state and societal groups (OECD 2009). This briefing suggests that the use of coaching and mentoring should be viewed as a tool of increasing prominence in the statebuilding toolbox. Compared to decades of institutional approaches to capacity development, it represents a turn towards contextualised individual and personal capabilities and dispositions as the critical area of reform (Rosén 2011). It elevates the skills and personal attitudes of the individual civil servant as the critical change agent for translating legal, institutional and administrative reforms into actual service delivery. Effective administration and social service delivery, as key pillars for state legitimacy and trust and confidence in government (McCandless 2011), are also foundations for sustaining peace. ‘South- South’ organised coaching and mentoring for capacity have been utilised in other post- conflict settings such as Kosovo, Liberia, Iraq, Timor and Afghanistan. Yet the IGAD initiative stands out as a novelty in terms of its scale and level of ambition. State Capacity in South Sudan State Capacity in South Sudan State Capacity in South Sudan State Capacity in South Sudan State Capacity in South Sudan There is widespread acknowledgement that ensuring the stability and security of the Republic of South Sudan following its celebration of independence on 9 July 2011 is of the utmost importance. Eight million South Sudanese, living with some of the worst human development indicators in the world, yearn for a state capable of delivering security and basic services. The stability of South Sudan is also directly linked to the stability and economic prospects of neighbouring countries as well as the greater sub-region. The functioning of the South Sudanese state depends on the emergence of a relatively viable state apparatus staffed by civil servants capable of and willing to provide governance and facilitate service delivery, a function that is extraordinarily limited after decades of devastating conflict. Basically there is not a single government office in South Sudan that does not face critical capacity gaps – from the President’s office to the local administrators. Thus, building and strengthening governance capacity remain top priorities of the government and the international donor Journal of Peacebuilding & Development, Vol. 6 NO. 2, 2011 © Journal of Peacebuilding & Development ISSN 1542-3166 South Sudan: A New Model for Civilian Capacity in Post- conflict Settings KRISTOFFER NILAUS TARP AND FREDERIK FERDINAND ROSÉN