Profile

Biography

Dr David Connolly specialises in the theory and practice of post-war recovery and peace building. He teaches and supervises research on state building, transitional governance, conflict analysis, and research methods at York, and as a guest lecturer at universities in Bangkok and Milan. 

David has more than 10 years experience conducting research and professional training programmes in Afghanistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Kenya, Nepal, Northern Ireland, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Yemen. He has worked closely with policymakers and practitioners at all levels, and has conducted numerous studies for UNICEF, UNDP, World Bank, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the government of Afghanistan, the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, and several international and local NGOs. 

In 2011, David co-founded the Education in Conflict & Emergencies  programme at York, which aims to provide interdisciplinary research into the role of education in transforming conflict and mitigating humanitarian emergencies.

At York David is the Programme Director of the MSc in International Humanitarian Affairs

Career

Research

Overview

Recent projects

• 'The Impact of the National Solidarity Programme on Return and Reintegration in Afghanistan', Apr. - Nov. 2011, commissioned by the government of Afghanistan
• 'Programme Review & Evaluability Study of the Education in Emergencies and Post-Crisis Transition Programme', Oct. 2009 - Apr. 2010, commissioned by UNICEF.
• 'Assessing Sub-national Governance in Afghanistan', Oct. 2008 – Feb. 2009, commissioned by ActionAid, CARE International, DACAAR, Mercy Corps & Oxfam GB.
• 'Integrating Integrity in Post-war Reconstruction', Jan. 2007 – July, commissioned by Tiri.
• 'Community needs assessment in Whiterock, Northern Ireland', funded by the Community Relations Council, Jan. – Mar. 2007. News item
  

Geographic expertise

Afghanistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Kenya, Nepal, Northern Ireland, Sierra Leone, Southern Sudan and Yemen.

Publications

Selected publications

• (2012) 'The Role of Basic Education in Post-war Recovery', Comparative Education, June, pp. 1-19 (with S. Barakat, F. Hardman and V. Sundaram
• (2012 The Study of the NSP's Impact on IDP/Refugee Returnee Reintegration in Afghanistan, Kabul:  Government of Afghanistan, May. pp. 114 (with S. Barakat and K. Rzeszut
• (2011) ‘What can Britain do to save Yemen from itself’, Parliamentary Brief, June, pp. 11-12 (with S. Barakat, A. Lewis and S.Deely).
• (2010) Programme Review & Evaluability Study of UNICEF's 'Education in Emergencies and Post-Crisis Transition Programme', New York and York: UNICEF/PRDU, May, pp. 355 (with S.B. Barakat, F. Hardman, V. Sundaram, and S.A. Zyck)
• (2010) 'Participatory Research in Programme Evaluation: the Mid-term Evaluation of the National Solidarity Programme in Afghanistan', in R. Bowd and A. Ozerdem (eds) Participatory Research Methodologies in Development and Post-Disaster/Conflict Reconstruction, London: Ashgate, pp. 211 - 229
• (2009) Assessing Sub-national Governance and the Roles of International NGOs in Afghanistan, Kabul: ActionAid, May, pp. 80
• (2008) Sierra Leone Capacity Development Workshop Report, London and York, Tiri and PRDU: Mar., pp. 6
• (2007) At a Post-conflict Juncture: An Assessment of Mental Health and Developmental Needs in Whiterock, West Belfast, Belfast: Corpus Christi Services, Aug., pp. 88
• (2007) Understanding Reconstruction after War: A Critical Review of Tiri’s NIR Country Studies, London: Tiri, Apr., pp. 24 (with Sultan Barakat)
• (2006) Final Report of the NSP Mid-term Evaluation, York, PRDU: May, pp. 350 (with Sultan Barakat, Margaret Chard, Mark Evans and Richard Jones)
• (2006) 'Evaluation of the NSP in Balkh Province', in Barakat et al
• (2006) York, PRDU: May, pp. 163 – 202
• (2005) 'Can Proactive Humanitarianism create Sustainable Solutions? Challenges to Third-Party Intervention in Aceh', Sultan Barakat (ed.) After the Conflict: Reconstruction and Development in the Aftermath of War, London and New York: I.B. Tauris, pp. 67 - 86 (with Sultan Barakat and Judith Large)
• (2002) 'Winning and Losing in Aceh: Five Key Dilemmas in Third-Party Intervention', Civil Wars, 5/4, pp. 1 - 29 (with Sultan Barakat and Judith Large)
• (2001) What Role can an Independent Humanitarian Organisation Play in Defusing a Conflict?, University of York, PRDU: Dec., pp. 241 (with Sultan Barakat, Rob Aitken, and Arne Strand)