Erin McCandless (PhD) is a scholar and practitioner with over two decades of experience working on and in conflict affected settings, broadly on issues of peacebuilding, statebuiding, security, governance, development and resilience - and their intersections. Dr. McCandless is based in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she is an Associate Professor at the School of Governance at Witwatersrand University.Dr. McCandless consults widely across the United Nations and with other international organisations, conducting research and evaluation to inform policy and program design for peacebuilding impact, facilitating strategic processes and conducting trainings. She is author of more than fifty publications, including three books and several policy- and program-shifting United Nations reports, including “Peace Dividends: the Contributions of Administrative and Social Services on Peacebuilding,” and “Second Generation DDR Practices in Peace Operations.” She is also co-founder and co-Executive Editor of the Journal of Peacebuilding and Development. Her major research currently is focused on forging resilient social contracts in countries affected by conflict, fragility and fraught transition.
Her research/publication and policy/practice areas of specialisation include:
Dr. McCandless has lived and worked in and on conflict and transitional settings for two decades, including ten years in Africa - Liberia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. She has professional experience in the following countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Haiti, India, Israel, Liberia, Nigeria, Palestine, Pakistan, Romania, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen and Zimbabwe. Over ten years’ experience working in conflict, transitional and post-conflict recovery contexts, seven in Africa – in Zimbabwe and Liberia.
Full CV of Dr. McCandless
Picture credits
Home page/profile picture are taken by Karen Eichstadt-Coy: kecphoto.com
Other pictures on this website by Erin McCandless
Her research/publication and policy/practice areas of specialisation include:
- Forging social contracts in conflict affected societies
- Inclusivity as a norm in peacebuilding
- Key policy processes affecting conflict affected countries: Agenda 2030; the New Deal for Engagment
- Assessing and measuring progress in peacebuilding, statebuilding and resilience
- Context and conflict sensitivity
- Conflict analysis and prevention
- International community benchmarking and transition strategies
- Capacity-development, national ownership and hybrid political orders and systems
- National development strategies, sectoral approaches (i.e. social services, gender, security) and peacebuilding
- Peace, security and development links
- Disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration (DDR)
- Natural resources and conflict/peacebuilding
- UN peace operations, integrated missions, aid coordination and strategic policy frameworks
- State-(civil)society-international actor roles and relationships
- Peacebuilding evaluation and research methods
Dr. McCandless has lived and worked in and on conflict and transitional settings for two decades, including ten years in Africa - Liberia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. She has professional experience in the following countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Haiti, India, Israel, Liberia, Nigeria, Palestine, Pakistan, Romania, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen and Zimbabwe. Over ten years’ experience working in conflict, transitional and post-conflict recovery contexts, seven in Africa – in Zimbabwe and Liberia.
Full CV of Dr. McCandless
Picture credits
Home page/profile picture are taken by Karen Eichstadt-Coy: kecphoto.com
Other pictures on this website by Erin McCandless