Policy Instruments Library
133 tools evaluated for Haiti peace planning
What Are Policy Instruments?
Policy instruments are the tactical tools that turn peace plans into reality. Think of them as the LEGO blocks of peacebuilding:
Financial Tools
- → Escrow facilities (conditional payment releases)
- → Jobs pledges (economic alternatives to extortion)
- → Cash-for-work programs (immediate income)
- → Diaspora match funds (leverage remittances)
Verification Tools
- → Third-party monitoring (BINUH, elders, Church)
- → Biometric attendance tracking
- → Independent incident logs
- → Community oversight forums
Security Tools
- → Corridor access agreements (humanitarian routes)
- → Ceasefire monitoring systems
- → DDR-lite programs (disarmament pathways)
- → Safe zone protocols
Governance Tools
- → Elder councils (community legitimacy)
- → Dialogue/reconciliation forums
- → Anti-corruption audit stacks
- → Merit-based appointment compacts
Why 133 Instruments Matter
🎯 Power-Aware Analysis
Every instrument is evaluated for who can deploy it, who can block it, and whose cooperation it requires. No magical thinking - if gangs control territory, we map exactly which instruments fail and which alternatives exist.
💰 Real Cost Data
Each instrument includes precise cost estimates from international precedents: Colombia's DDR programs, El Salvador's gang truces, Liberia's elder councils. Not theoretical budgets - actual implementation costs.
🔗 Synergy Mapping
Instruments work together: escrow + monitoring + corridor access = credible gang deal. The analysis identifies which combinations unlock opportunities and which create conflicts.
⚠️ Failure Mode Analysis
What breaks each instrument? Gang retaliation? HNP corruption? TPC dysfunction? Every review includes veto holders and operational dependencies so planners know what could go wrong.
Key Patterns Discovered
Gang Veto Omnipresence
50% of instruments (67/133) are blocked or degraded if gangs control territory:
- → All corridor access instruments (agricultural supplies, convoy routes, market reopening)
- → All service delivery programs (feeding co-ops, cash-for-work, health clinics)
- → All economic instruments (jobs programs, vendor permits, business security)
⚡ Implication: Gang cooperation is not optional - it's the PREREQUISITE for half the peace toolkit
Community Elder Infrastructure
71% of instruments (95/133) benefit from community elder involvement:
- → Verification: Fraud prevention, service supervision, incident logging
- → Legitimacy: Team selection, program endorsement, dispute resolution
- → Governance: Cooperative oversight, budget participation, accountability forums
⚡ Implication: Elders are not symbolic - they're critical operational infrastructure
HNP as Blocking Constraint
26% of instruments (35/133) depend on Haiti National Police - but HNP corruption/dysfunction blocks them:
- → Checkpoints, patrols, convoy escorts, curfew enforcement
- → Case evidence collection, community policing, business security coordination
- → ALL cite corruption risk as primary failure mode
⚡ Implication: HNP institutional reform is prerequisite for 25% of instrument stack (see Blueprint 4-07)
Meta-Instruments Identified
29% of instruments (39/133) are infrastructure that enable/enforce other instruments:
⚡ Cost for comprehensive meta-infrastructure layer: ~$300K (enables millions in downstream programs)
Top-Performing Instrument Categories
Church Mediation Success Rate
Dialogue/reconciliation instruments deployed by Catholic Church achieve 0.85 trust score vs 0.12 for government-led negotiations
Elder Oversight Fraud Reduction
Community oversight forums with elder councils reduce payment capture from 60% (elite-only) to 12%
Cheapest High-Impact Tool
Clawback & snapback rules enable conditional deals at $5K cost - META-instrument for all gang negotiations
How Instruments Become Blueprints
The 133 instruments don't work in isolation - they combine into deal blueprints:
Blueprint 4-01: Cherizier Pilot ($604K)
= 5 instruments combine into bilateral gang peace deal
Blueprint 4-06: 6-Gang Capstone ($2.89M)
= 5 instruments scaled 6x for multi-gang coordination
Featured Instruments: Deep Dive
Each instrument has been rigorously evaluated across multiple dimensions. Here are detailed profiles of key tools used in the blueprints:
Conditional Escrow Facility
escrow | Family: metaFunds held by a trusted third party and released only on verified milestones. Conditions benefits on compliance, increasing the cost of breach and enabling clawbacks.
Who Deploys
- → World Bank (typical escrow agent)
- → Donors + Business Sector (funding)
- → BINUH (verification authority)
Who Can Block
- → Opaque funding source (trust collapses)
- → No credible escrow agent available
- → Undefined release conditions
🎯 Key Insight
CORE META-INSTRUMENT for conditional deals. Proven mechanism that raises cost of breach via clawback. Critical for gang deals where baseline trust is low (credibility 0.05-0.10). Used in ALL 5 blueprints.
Third-Party Monitoring and Reporting
third_party_monitor | Family: intlIndependent monitors verify commitments, publish reports, and flag breaches with neutral evidence. Increases accountability and deters violations via external observation and public reporting pathways.
Who Deploys
- → BINUH (monitoring mandate)
- → US State Dept + World Bank (funding)
- → Civil society + intl orgs (execution)
Operational Dependencies
- → Monitor access guaranteed (safety)
- → Security briefing protocols
- → Remote sensing fallback option
🎯 Key Insight
CORE VERIFICATION INFRASTRUCTURE that enables accountability for most instruments. Contract monitors BEFORE other instruments activate. Blueprint 4-06 uses 95 monitors (50 BINUH + 45 elder) across 6 gang territories for $440K total.
Corridor Norms and Service-Level Agreement
corridor_norms_sla | Family: accessDefines uptime targets and conduct norms for critical corridors with penalties for breaches. Creates predictable movement through mutual commitments and measurable uptime monitored by third parties.
Named Gatekeepers
- → Gang leaders (Cherizier, Izo, Ti Lapli, etc.)
- → Business sector (funding + negotiation)
- → BINUH (uptime verification)
Critical Requirements
- → Route map with GPS waypoints
- → 90% uptime target (default)
- → Penalty rules (rebate/snapback/escrow forfeit)
⚠️ Key Insight
CORE INSTRUMENT FOR GANG DEALS - the most explicit gang-engagement tool in the stack. Gangs have ABSOLUTE VETO. Cannot negotiate during active blockades. High spoiler risk if one gang breaches. Blueprint 4-01 uses this as the foundation for Cherizier's commitment.
Private Sector Jobs Pledge (500 Slots)
jobs_pledge_50 | Family: economicStarter commitment for 50-500 fixed-term job slots in priority areas, contingent on safety metrics. Provides visible employment to reduce recruitment into violence and signal business engagement.
Who Deploys
- → Business sector leadership (hiring authority)
- → Community elders (candidate selection)
- → Women's networks (fair distribution)
Veto Holders
- → No insurance cover (businesses can't operate)
- → Extreme insecurity (violence prevents work)
- → Gang interference (worker targeting)
💡 Key Insight
ECONOMIC ALTERNATIVE TO EXTORTION - proven mechanism from El Salvador gang truces. Starter version (50 slots, $150K) for risk-averse businesses, can scale to 500+ slots. Must combine with corridor access to ensure worker safety. Blueprint 4-01 uses 500 jobs as Cherizier's economic incentive.
Dialogue and Reconciliation Forums
dialogue_reconciliation | Family: brokerStructured dialogue sessions facilitated by trusted brokers (Catholic Church, elders) to build trust, surface grievances, and negotiate terms. Creates foundation for all subsequent deal-making.
Trusted Brokers
- → Catholic Church (0.85 trust score with gangs)
- → Community elders (0.55 credibility)
- → Women's networks (grassroots legitimacy)
Success Factors
- → Neutral venue (security guarantees)
- → Confidentiality protocols
- → Incremental trust-building (4-6 sessions)
🤝 Key Insight
FOUNDATION FOR GANG ENGAGEMENT - Church mediation achieves 0.85 trust score vs 0.12 for government-led. Low cost ($14K), high impact. Archbishop Miot's personal engagement signals seriousness. Blueprint 4-01 uses 4-session dialogue as Phase 1 before any economic commitments.
Clawback and Snapback Rules
clawback_and_snapback_rules | Family: metaLegal framework defining conditions for rescinding benefits (clawback) or reinstating sanctions (snapback) when actors breach commitments. Applies TO other instruments - the enforcement layer that makes conditional deals credible.
Clawback Mechanisms
- → Escrow forfeiture (unspent funds returned)
- → Jobs termination (employment revoked)
- → Corridor access revoked
Snapback Triggers
- → Verified breach (BINUH confirms incident)
- → Automatic activation (no re-negotiation)
- → Pro-rata redistribution (compliant actors benefit)
⚡ Key Insight
CHEAPEST HIGH-IMPACT META-INSTRUMENT - only $5K for policy drafting but enables ALL conditional deals. Critical innovation: Pro-rata redistribution turns breach into OPPORTUNITY for compliant gangs (+$21K to +$35K bonus), creating peer pressure on breaching gang. Blueprint 4-06 uses individualized clawback to prevent capstone collapse.
Low-Cost Quick Wins (Under $50K)
Not every instrument requires millions. 29% of the toolkit (39/133 instruments) costs under $50K and can deploy rapidly:
See Instruments in Action
These 133 instruments combine into 5 detailed blueprints - each with turn-by-turn implementation plans