Francesco Mancini

Use of Technology for Conflict Analysis

A number of initiatives have sprung up to attempt connecting the potential of new technology to the understanding of conflict trends and dynamics. These follow initiatives in development (i.e., poverty mapping, health indicators, climate impacts) and humanitarian aid (i.e., disaster response), where the use of new technology is more advanced than in the peace and security field.

The Company We Keep: Private Contractors in Jamaica

Private companies play an increasingly important role in security sector reform (SSR). Bilateral donors and multilateral organisations are making use of the services of contractors to conceptualise and implement reforms to institutions that provide public security. The rapid increase in the outsourcing of SSR and the belief that the private sectors role in SSR will continue to expand in the future calls for a dispassionate analysis and debate on the role of the contractors and the benefits and risks outsourcing entails. This article investigates the role of one particular subset of contractors involved in SSR – management consultants – taking as a case study the work of Atos Consulting, subcontracted by the UK Department for International Development, in reforming the Jamaican police.