Aim/Research Question
This study aims to provide a comparative analysis of the emergent findings of pilot place-based leadership development (P-BLD) workshops in Kenya, Uganda and Guatemala. The initiatives are aimed at building coalitions of leaders’ capability to collectively plan and implement intersectoral urban violence prevention (IUVP) programmes in specific municipalities in Kenya, Uganda and Guatemala.
Design, Methodology/ Approach
The research seeks to assess the extent to which the lived experiences of the participants on the pilot P-BLD for IUVP workshops lead to the emergence of common tensions and challenges. A multi-method approach is adopted supported by a social constructivist interpretivist methodology. Firstly, on day one, participants will be asked to complete pre and post-workshop (qualitative) questionnaires and post workshop questionnaires on day two. Secondly, the themes that emerge from our analysis of the questionnaire data will be explored in great depth in semi-structured individual interviews with a representative sample of the participants.
Findings
The evidence from our comparative analysis of the impact of this research and practice within the pilot workshops in urban areas within Kenya and Uganda demonstrates the validity of applying this approach to support peace builders in reducing violence across different countries and other policy areas where there is a shared intersectoral and territorial context. In both cases, there is emergent evidence of a growing level of trust, a merging sense of collective endeavour and a willingness to being open to seeing others’ perspectives. This strongly supports Lee et al’s (2016: S24) contention that some of Latin America’s most violent areas have achieved considerable reductions in urban violence by focusing on “places, people and behaviours” which means changing inter-relational attitudes and values
Research Limitations
A greater depth of comparative analysis will be achieved with the questionnaires being followed up by in-depth semi-structured interviews in all three localities. However, there could be language and cultural barriers to the research realising its full potential.
Practical Implications
The study provides a unique example of south-south knowledge and capacity building transfer where a pilot P-BLD initiatives focused on supporting the development of a programme to address a specific ‘wicked issue’ in two distinct urban areas in Kenya, has subsequently been implemented in urban areas in Uganda and Guatemala. The subsequent comparative structured case analysis will provide an opportunity to strengthen and adapt the P-BLD framework on which the pilots are based.
Social implications
The evidence-based P-BLD framework deliberately surfaces and works with the inherent tensions in intersectoral collaboration. By challenging assumptions, beliefs, attitudes and behaviours it has the potential to overcome a history of distrust and engender a mindset shift amongst participants. It is argued that the P-BLD framework and the public health based IUVP are mutually reinforcing which when merged have increased potential for developing an advanced state of collaboration, a stronger sense of common purpose and collective empowerment.
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Originality/value
The research is unique as it is based on the application of a place-based leadership development framework developed in the North, which has subsequently been applied in the difficult and challenging urban violence context in the south. The learning from this experience has subsequently enabled south-south transfer of knowledge and capability building.
