The Norwegian Whole-of-Government approach to Afghanistan post-2001

The international operation in Afghanistan has exposed distinct government and coalition approaches. Despite growing support of so-called Whole-of-Government (WoG) approaches amongst nations, little convergence is observed on the ground. This thesis "what explains the content and configuration of WoG approaches by state actors engaged in international peace operations"? Six hypotheses are presented to answer this question. These hypotheses were generated from the case study of the Norwegian WoG approach to Afghanistan post-2001. The findings presented here determine that the type of Whole-of-Government system that a government establishes in an international peace operation is greatly dependent on the domestic political and institutional environment of that country. It also establishes certain avenues through which WoG systems change and/or enabled. The hypotheses have great potential for advancing knowledge and understanding about how, why and in what configuration states engage.