text: Chapter 4
  conflict. Windows of opportunity describe potential situations that may enable significant progress toward
  achieving stable peace. These windows may include situations where overarching identities assume
  prominence among disputing groups, natural disasters affect multiple identity groups, the situation requires
  a unified response, or a key leader driving the conflict is killed. These windows are moments when
  overarching identities become more important than subgroup identities. These occasions may present
  opportunities to provide additional support for factors that mitigate conflict.
  4-46. The team completes conflict diagnosis by considering windows of vulnerability and windows of
  opportunity and prioritizing drivers of conflict and mitigating factors identified previously. The team uses
  the list of prioritized drivers and mitigating factors as the basis for its findings.
  STEPS OF TRANSITION INTO PLANNING IN THE INTERAGENCY CONFLICT ASSESSMENT
  FRAMEWORK
  4-47. ICAF’s second major task is transition into planning. When the ICAF is used to support crisis
  response or deliberate planning, the findings of the conflict diagnosis feed into the situational analysis and
  policy formulation steps of interagency, whole-of-government planning. When the ICAF is used to support
  steady-state engagement or conflict prevention planning, the team begins preplanning activities after
  completing conflict diagnosis. During the transition into these types of planning, the team maps existing
  diplomatic and program activities against the prioritized lists of drivers of conflict and mitigating factors.
  This mapping identifies gaps in current efforts as they relate to conflict dynamics. However, this is not
  intended as an evaluation of the overall impact or utility of any specific program or initiative. The team
  uses these findings as a basis for making recommendations to planners on potential entry points for
  interagency activities.
  4-48. When the ICAF is used to support steady-state engagement or conflict prevention planning, six steps
  are used to facilitate the transition into planning (summarized in table 4-1).
  Table 4-1. Interagency conflict assessment framework transition into planning
  Step 1 Specify current U.S. activities (identify U.S. departments and agencies present in the country
  and the nature and scope of their efforts) by—
  • Identifying the impact of these efforts on drivers of conflict and mitigating factors.
  • Identifying efforts that target similar outcomes and coordination mechanisms in place.
  Step 2 Specify current efforts of partners not part of the United States Government, including bilateral
  agencies, multilateral agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and private sector and local
  entities by—
  • Identifying the impact of the efforts on the drivers of conflict and mitigating factors.
  • Identifying efforts that target similar outcomes (including efforts of interagency
  partners) and coordinating mechanisms in place.
  Step 3 Identify drivers of conflict and mitigating factors not sufficiently addressed by existing efforts
  (gaps).
  Step 4 Specify challenges to addressing these gaps.
  Step 5 Describe risks associated with failing to address gaps (relate directly to windows of
  vulnerability).
  Step 6 Describe opportunities to address gaps (relate directly to windows of opportunity).
  4-49. The team draws on the information generated from the transition into planning to determine potential
  entry points for U.S. efforts. The description of these entry points explain how the dynamics outlined
  during conflict diagnosis may be susceptible to outside influence.