From April 15 to May 24, Anne Lange stayed in Port-au-Prince, Haiti for the purpose of conducting fieldwork; she returned to Haiti after being there for the first time in November/December 2014. Anne researches the complex relationship between peacekeeping missions fielded by the United Nations (UN) to post-conflict countries such as Haiti and the actors in their organizational environment. To learn about the »mechanics« of decision-making in the complex peacekeeping field, Anne interviewed a plenitude of staff of the UN peacekeeping operation in Haiti (MINUSTAH) as well as UN agencies, the diplomatic corps, and aid and humanitarian workers. More than that, Anne had the opportunity to attend a number of events such as coordination meetings, diplomatic receptions, and a visit on a MINUSTAH military base, which provided her with important observation data.
Anne travelled to Haiti during a particularly troubled time: Legislative and sub-national elections have been scheduled for August and September this year and are already highly contested. Preparations for elections, which are largely assumed by the international community, are regularly interfered with by violent demonstrations and allegedly politically motivated murder. Because MINUSTAH is mandated to deliver and coordinate international electoral assistance, Anne focuses on actors supporting Haitian authorities in preparing for elections. For example, MINUSTAH closely coordinates with the UN Development Program (UNDP), which manages international funds earmarked for financing the electoral process.
Haiti and the particular point in time Anne has chosen for her fieldwork have allowed her to unearth rich empirical data. On the one hand, of course, interviewees sometimes were difficult to reach because they are booked out more than ever during electoral preparations. On the other hand, Anne had the unique opportunity to closely observe and discuss events while they were evolving with those actors that were »moving and shaking« these very developments. As a result, her distinct and fascinating data provide a strong empirical analysis of the »mechanics« of decision-making in the peacekeeping field and, more generally, in complex organizational environments during super-stressed times.