This handbook aims to help Asian Development Bank staff and other development practitioners to more effectively plan, design, and implement projects in fragile and conflict-affected settings. The practical examples provided in this handbook have been drawn from the collective tacit knowledge of ADB's operational staff. These practical examples include innovative, flexible, streamlined, and simplified approaches to project processing and implementation that are relevant to fragile situations.

This study maps out the major weaknesses of each fragile situation on the latest country performance assessment exercises. It identifies the overall common issues which require special attention when crafting strategies and implementing programs and projects. Rethinking the Asian Development Bank's engagement in these fragile countries is critically important. This must be backed by a comprehensive understanding of the governance, institutional, political, and social issues that are behind each country's exposure to conflict or fragility.

Supporting its developing member countries (DMCs) affected by fragility and conflict is a high priority for the Asian Development Bank (ADB). This is demonstrated by ADB's adoption of its 2007 approach, which responds to the special challenges faced by DMCs experiencing conditions that are now generally described as fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCAS), and by ADB's endorsement of the New Deal for Engagement in Fragile States in 2011. ADB's Strategy 2020 reinforces its commitment to FCAS. This publication provides details on actions that ADB will take to improve the development impact of its support to DMCs that are experiencing fragility and the effects of conflict on either a national or subnational level.

The fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCAS) and small island developing states (SIDS) approach represents a new way of doing business for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its most vulnerable developing member countries. FCAS and SIDS face unique development challenges such as a greater need for governance and institutional capacity building, geographic isolation, small populations, narrow asset bases, and armed conflict. The FCAS and SIDS approach—or FSA—introduces flexible processes and procedures that will allow ADB to tailor interventions to the specific challenges of these countries, with the goal of improving project results, and ultimately improving livelihoods.

“Fragility”—the combination of poor governance, limited institutional capability, low social cohesion, and weak legitimacy—leads to erosion of the social contract and diminished resilience, with significant implications for peace, security, and sustainable development. This study reviews how the international community has responded to this challenge and offers new ideas on how that response can be improved. Based on that examination, the author seeks to convey the importance of addressing this phenomenon as a high priority for the international community. Chapters explore the nature of these obstacles to sustainable development, peace, and security; how the international community has defined, measured, and responded to the phenomenon of fragility; how the international response might be made more effective; and implications for the United States.