Why CPAS?
Peacekeeping missions are one of the world’s most effective tools in helping countries navigate the difficult path from conflict to peace. The Department of Peace Operations leads 12 missions whose peacekeeping activities affect the daily safety and security of approximately 83 million people. Nearly 100,000 UN personnel are deployed in UN peacekeeping missions, both uniformed (military and police) and civilian.
As part of the Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) initiative launched by the UN Secretary-General in 2018 to strengthen operations, it is critical to improve how peacekeeping missions assess and show their impact on the ground. This is especially necessary as they navigate increasingly complex political and security landscapes that are affected by many actors, within contexts that change rapidly for reasons beyond missions’ control. A4P made it a priority to better understand a peacekeeping mission’s contribution to change and to evaluate its performance.
The Comprehensive Planning and Performance Assessment System (CPAS) is the first truly comprehensive tool to link the context of a country with peacekeeping planning, data, results and reporting. CPAS enables the leadership of peacekeeping operations to take informed evidence-based decisions to enhance mandate implementation, which is designed to more rapidly de-escalate conflicts and improve the lives of millions of people living in these countries.
What is CPAS?
First launched in MINUSCA in August 2018, CPAS has since expanded to eight additional missions and is expected to be rolled out in all peacekeeping missions in 2021. CPAS allows missions to more systematically assess their operating environment, identify what influence they aim to have, and assess progress towards these goals using data and analysis. The data and analysis are used to track impact over time, assess performance, inform future plans, and formulate recommendations to decision-makers and mission leadership to enhance mandate implementation and the effectiveness of UN peacekeeping operations as a whole to better achieve global peace and security objectives. It does this by:
- Enabling missions to develop an integrated plan for implementing their mandate, bringing together civilians, military and police. That plan is based on a joint analysis of the mission’s local context and stakeholders, helping missions focus on how they can have the greatest impact for the people they are mandated to serve.
- Enabling missions to track their progress and show the impact of their work, based on rigorous data and analysis. That data in turn helps inform mission decision-making processes, rooting mission actions in evidence and strengthening mission operations.
Screenshot of one of the functions of the CPAS platform used by missions
How Do We Work?
Strengthening focus on impact and people
CPAS methodology uses regular mapping of local dynamics to help missions understand where and how they can have the most impact and promote change needed to implement peace and security mandates. This includes an analysis of the key stakeholders who can promote, or prevent, change, and helps missions articulate how they will work with them to build their capacity or enhance their knowledge. Encompassing cross-cutting themes like gender mainstreaming and protection of civilians, CPAS puts people at the heart of peacekeeping, and keeps missions focused on improving outcomes for those affected by conflict.
Strengthening strategic decision-making
Data and analysis are collected to assess progress and generate recommendations on where and how mission operations can be made more effective. This strengthens senior leadership decision-making by basing it on data and evidence. CPAS will enable missions to better understand their influence on peace and conflict dynamics over time, enhancing the understanding of how peacekeeping can be improved to more effectively resolve conflicts and protect civilians.
Strengthening planning and coordination
CPAS enables missions to develop integrated plans to accomplish their objectives. It ensures a whole-of-mission approach to planning, articulating clear objectives that are regularly updated, and generating joint plans for reaching them. This comes in direct response to requests from missions, who have faced difficulties in coordinating civilian, police and military operations without adequate management tools.
Where We Work
2020 – UNAMID, Darfur: Experimental launch in a closed mission
What People Say About CPAS
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, speaks about CPAS in his address to the UN Security Council on September 14, 2020.
Watch the full remarks here.
Read the article here.
Read the article here.
AWARDS, NOMINATIONS & RECOGNITIONS
The Department of Peace Operations is honored that the Comprehensive Planning and Performance Assessment System (CPAS) was selected out of 850 submissions to be one of the “100 Solutions for Peace” at the Paris Peace Forum.
The 2020 edition was held under unprecedented circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the event had to be moved fully online, it managed featuring over 50 heads of states and government and 12 representatives of international organizations, including United Nations Secretary-General, M. António Guterres. Over 12,000 participants from 174 countries were brought together over 117 hours of live broadcasting to discuss how the world can best bounce back from the pandemic.
The Chief of Evaluations Team (DPO/DPET), Ms. Kym Taylor, presented CPAS on 13 November 2020.
Find out more about the Paris Peace Forum here.
If you have questions, please direct them to: cpasteam@un.org.
In November 2019, the Comprehensive Planning Performance and Assessment System (CPAS) was shortlisted in the “Innovation” category for the Secretary General’s Awards.
The SG Awards honor and recognize significant performance of advanced projects with great impact and innovative potential. It also shows its broader potential in contributing to the achievement of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals as well as the UN contribution to a better global governance.