Critical Detail: Resources—What do we provide?

The decisions about what resources to provide are usually focused on recipients’ needs.

However, these decisions also can have important effects on the broader economy. Decisions about resources involve both tangible goods (such as food, shelter, blankets, credit, etc.) and intangible services (such as health care, training, etc.). Decisions about what to provide affect social dynamics directly and indirectly.

Direct effects occur when assistance goods are stolen or diverted for support of the war effort. They also occur when the inputs provided, coupled with decisions about beneficiaries, reinforce and worsen divisions between those who receive assistance and those who do not.

Indirect effects occur when incomes that are gained or lost as a result of international assistance (through levies, wages, price changes, and profits) overlap with and reinforce intergroup divisions or increase incentives for continuing conflict. They also occur when the resources undermine incentives for civilian economic activities.

Is one group better off because of the resource?
Can the resource be stolen?
Does the resource have a military application?
Does the amount meet needs accurately or is there a surplus/shortfall of it? Both surplus and shortfall can affect competition for resources and spur theft.
Is the resource oriented toward individual recipients, family recipients, or collective recipients? Collective resources are often more able to focus on Connectors than individual or family ones. Individual or family resources can create jealousy when criteria exclude others.
Is the delivery timely or does it experience delays? Delays hurt people’s ability to plan and can increase tension.

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