EPI works to make peacemaking more effective by organizing credible evidence, improving practice, and helping the field make better decisions.
Each area reinforces the others in a cycle of learning and action: building evidence, improving practice, and amplifying what works.
We fund rigorous research to identify what helps prevent and reduce conflict in different contexts. We have helped build one of the world’s most integrated collections of peacemaking data and use it to understand which interventions reduce violence, where, and why.
Evidence only matters if it changes what people do. We help peacebuilding organizations, researchers, and funders use credible evidence and practical guidance in real-world decisions. Through our partnerships and the Resource Network, we make proven methods more visible, usable, and affordable.
Good evidence is not enough — it has to be seen, understood, and used. EPI promotes effective peacemaking by sharing insights, highlighting credible practice, and encouraging funding and policies that reflect what works.
We fund research and collect data to answer a simple question: Which peacebuilding approaches actually reduce warfare? Our goal is to create the world’s most comprehensive evidence base for effective peacebuilding.
From evidence to impact: guiding smarter peacebuilding decisions
The What Works Project is EPI’s flagship effort to build a robust, actionable evidence base on how to reduce armed conflict. At its core, this project is a first-of-its-kind platform that uses data analysis, machine learning, and conflict case research to identify which peacebuilding interventions work—where, when, and why.
Powered by LLMs, EVIDA will empower peacebuilders to enter the parameters of a conflict they’re working in and be connected to insights drawn from hundreds of past interventions. Whether in fragile states, post-accord transitions, or local community settings, EVIDA will help practitioners move from intuition to informed action—bridging the gap between peacebuilding research and real-world decisions.
The project is currently in the pilot phase of a multi-year initiative. The advisory committee includes experienced peacebuilding practitioners, policy strategists, conflict researchers, and data scientists working to ensure the platform is methodologically sound, politically relevant, and practically useful. We would be eager for your involvement
Pilot supported by the Effective Peacebuilding Initiative (EPI)
The ACLED Peace Agreement and Conflict Tracker (PACT) is a pioneering initiative designed to systematically map and analyze peace activities alongside conflict events across the globe.
Funded by EPI as a pilot project, PACT aims to address a critical gap in understanding how peace efforts—particularly informal and locally driven ones—interact with patterns of political violence. The project is led by ACLED (the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project), the premier source for real-time data and analysis on political violence and protest worldwide.
During its first phase, PACT developed a new framework for linking peace and conflict datasets, introduced a typology of seven peace activity sub-event types, and piloted field data collection in six countries. Early findings from Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Sudan demonstrate that while peace activities can sometimes coincide with reduced violence, this relationship is inconsistent and often underdocumented—especially in settings marked by informal agreements and local negotiation efforts. Building on these insights, ACLED has launched a targeted extension of PACT in partnership with local organizations in South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Colombia. The project’s goal is to create a more comprehensive evidence base to help policymakers, researchers, and practitioners better understand what peace efforts are taking place, where they occur, and how they might be strengthened to reduce conflict.
Mapping peace to inform action
EPI’s Dimensions of Peace Dataset is the most comprehensive source of data on initiatives, policies, and institutional efforts that can influence the duration, severity, or recurrence of armed conflict. Drawing from 34 leading datasets and covering all intrastate and internationalized intrastate conflicts from 1990 to 2022, it offers an unparalleled view of global peace efforts.
The open-access dataset and interactive dashboards allow users to explore where peacebuilding activities have occurred, how they align with trends in violence, and what types of interventions are most effective. These tools support researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in designing data-driven programs, assessing impact, and identifying opportunities for meaningful engagement.
The project is currently in the pilot phase of a multi-year initiative. The advisory committee includes experienced peacebuilding practitioners, policy strategists, conflict researchers, and data scientists working to ensure the platform is methodologically sound, politically relevant, and practically useful. We would be eager for your involvement.
Bridging the gap between research and action
EPI partners with academics and practitioners to distill complex findings into clear, accessible briefs that inform policy, funding, and frontline peacebuilding. These briefs aim to ensure that high-quality research translates into better decision-making across the peacebuilding field.
Turning data into insight
Built on EPI’s Dimensions of Peacebuilding Dataset (DPD)—a comprehensive resource with over 1,000 indicators—our Peacebuilding Data Briefs examine how peacebuilding interventions influence conflict dynamics.
Each brief distills rigorous analysis into practical insights for policymakers, practitioners, and funders. They also serve as models to inspire other researchers to engage with the data and conduct independent analysis.
This effort is complemented by a systematic literature review synthesizing evidence from dozens of the most rigorous academic studies on peacebuilding effectiveness. The review provides a structured foundation for understanding which interventions reduce violence—and under what conditions.
Evidence only matters if it gets used. We help peacebuilding organizations, researchers, and funders connect with each other and implement approaches that are proven to work.
Smarter action for lasting peace
The Better Practice Project is dedicated to developing clearer, evidence-based expectations for effective peacemaking, helping practitioners, funders, and researchers more easily adopt and support proven methods.
Expanding analytic capacity and connecting research to real-time conflict prevention through a dedicated in-house partnership
As part of our Supporting Critical Partners program, EPI is working with the International Crisis Group to enhance conflict forecasting tools that inform timely, preventive action.
This collaboration focuses on strengthening key early warning platforms, including CrisisWatch and On the Horizon, which track emerging risks and potential triggers for violent conflict.
The project involves a comprehensive assessment of forecasting methodologies, including analysis of past performance, refinement of early warning indicators, and development of actionable recommendations to improve predictive accuracy. Findings will inform both internal strategy and externally published materials.
To support this work, EPI is sponsoring a dedicated Research Associate within Crisis Group’s Early Warning and Research team. This role brings additional analytic capacity to deepen ongoing work and contribute to the refinement of tools that shape early warning efforts. By embedding a researcher directly within Crisis Group, the initiative bridges scholarship and practice—ensuring that timely, policy-relevant analysis continues to inform action in the face of emerging risks.
Findings will directly improve the accuracy and performance of ICG’s tools moving forward.
Having good evidence isn’t enough—we need to convince funders, policymakers, and practitioners to actually use it. We advocate for approaches that work and recognize organizations that demonstrate real impact.
Connecting the People and Evidence that Make Peace Possible
The EPI Resource Network is a strategic initiative designed to bridge gaps across the peacebuilding ecosystem by connecting implementers, researchers, and funders. It aims to address a core challenge in the field: the difficulty many organizations face in accessing high-quality, affordable impact evaluation.
Through the network, practitioners can connect with experienced evaluators—often academics working at reduced or no cost—while researchers gain access to field partners and data. Funders benefit by identifying projects with credible evidence of impact.
This platform strengthens EPI’s positioning as a convener and infrastructure provider for evidence-based peacebuilding. It also reinforces our commitment to increasing the effectiveness and accountability of interventions globally. In some cases, EPI will offer modest financial support to catalyze collaborations that would not otherwise happen. The network is live and growing, with an emphasis on ease of use, low barriers to entry, and high strategic value.
