State fragility has become a buzzword in international development policy. The re-emergence of “the state” as a central actor in developing countries has several causes: state fragility is closely linked with security issues at the top of the foreign policy agendas of donor countries; the current international financial crisis has made it clear that economic development and efforts to strengthen markets need effective states; and, last but not least, there is a growing recognition that accelerating climate change may translate into a proliferation of state fragility in vulnerable developing regions. While both research and policy are progressing towards a better understanding of fragility, many issues remain unresolved. One such is the question of how to measure fragility. Valid and reliable indicators are indispensable for improving research on state fragility, for rethinking political strategies to ameliorate state performance, and for enhancing the evaluation of international cooperation with and in fragile states.
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Fragility Users Guide (web)