This memo serves as a summary of a larger work which combines the insights of the political
marketplace framework (PMF) with recent research findings about the political dynamics
that enable or block security sector reform (SSR) progress in fragile and conflict affected
states. These findings point strongly to the idea that certain types of local organisation and
activism around issues of security and justice are a necessary prerequisite for reform
success. The central point is that the most effective SSR strategy focuses first on the
facilitating environment of civil and political actors, and only second on the technical and
institutional requirements of the reform programme itself. In short, success lies in generating
political demand for SSR, on the basis of which supply of reform expertise can then be
provided. External efforts can signal-boost domestic efforts, but not substitute for them.
