Provision of Technical Assistance Personnel in the Solomon Islands: What Can we Learn from the RAMSI Experience?

This is one of three country reviews, including Vietnam and Mozambique, done for the study “Provision of technical assistance personnel: What can we learn from promising experiences?” After 5 years of violence, the Solomon Islands Government (SIG) requested outside assistance
to bring peace to the country. Australia agreed to work with the Pacific Islands Forum and 15 other states in the region to field the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), whose aim is twofold: stabilization, and strengthening the state, particularly through reforming the core institutions of government. The report explores the features of capacity in fragile states, the use of whole-of-government responses to delivering assistance, and the implications of the continuing dominance of technical assistance. It concludes with some evaluative
comments on how RAMSI might stimulate more government engagement in order to encourage greater sustainability of its activities.