Overview of this Overview of this presentationpresentation

Slide 1

IFAD SL Workshop

Policy analysis

• What do we mean by policy?

• How do we analyse it?

• …and how can we try to address it?

It’s an introduction, not the final word

What What do we mean bydo we mean by policy? policy?

• A formulated set of choiceschoices about objectives:Which ones?How to achieve them?Which are most important?How can we avoid conflicts between

objectives? (Campbell, 1996)

• What organisations say they will do…but we are more interested with what they actually do…(Pasteur, 2001)

• It’s rather like an elephant. You know when you see it but you cannot easily define it. (Cunningham, 1963)

Slide 2

IFAD SL Workshop

Policy analysis

WhWho are the stakeholders in o are the stakeholders in policypolicy??

Slide 3

IFAD SL Workshop

Policy analysis

• primary, secondary, institutional

• direct, indirect

• subjects, objects

• beneficiaries, victims, instigators

• how can they be identified?

• who has identified them?

Policy stakeholder analysisPolicy stakeholder analysis

Analysing the roles of stakeholders - The Four “Rs”Rights Responsibilitie

sRevenues & rewards

Relationships

Slide 4

IFAD SL Workshop

Policy analysis

What are the components of policy What are the components of policy analysis?analysis?

Social Capital

Livelihoodoptions

Livelihoodstrategies

Vulnerabilitycontext

Policy processand actors

Policycontext

Policystatement

Policymeasures

How people influencethe policy process

How policy influencespeople’s livelihoods

People-centredanalysis

Policy-centredanalysis

Slide 5

IFAD SL Workshop

Policy analysis(adapted from Pasteur: IDS – 2001)

The interface between

policy and people

institutions,

organisations,

people,

rules,

regulations

Impacts of policiesImpacts of policies• What results of policy do people “see”?

Rules and regulationsPublic/private agenciesPeople and personalitiesProjects and programmesLack of policy

• How do policies affect their livelihoods?Assets and people’s access to themRange & viability of strategies open to peopleVulnerabilityOutcomes

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IFAD SL Workshop

Policy analysis

ProcessProcess issues issues

• Where are there conflicts in policy?Where? – sectors, regions, levels, interest

groupsHow to harmonise those conflicts?

• Who is in control?• Timing• Language• Ownership• Representation

• Accountability• How ?• Who measures it ?

Slide 7

IFAD SL Workshop

Policy analysis

What capacity have we got to What capacity have we got to act?act?

• Debt finance

• Technical assistance grants

• Influencers – CPMs, country coordinators, project managers, consultants

Slide 8

IFAD SL Workshop

Policy analysis

Opportunities for policy changeOpportunities for policy change

• Where are there opportunities for change in policy and policy processes? Political change Structural change Individuals who will support change Dealing with shocks, trends and changes Leverage points

• Comparative advantage of IFAD as a “change agent”

Slide 9

IFAD SL Workshop

Policy analysis

Characteristics of Policy-Characteristics of Policy-MakingMaking

(Keeley and Scoones, 1999).Slide 10

IFAD SL Workshop

Policy analysis

CharacteristicCharacteristic What does that mean?What does that mean?

Policy is often based on experimentation, chance events, learning from mistakes, and a range of other influences.

Incremental and complex

Shaped by “policy narratives”

Pluralist

Informed by actor networks

Political

Influenced by practice

Different stories evolve to describe events. Some gain more authority and have more influence on policy decisions than others.

Many actors and interest groups can influence the policy process. There may be a range of mechanisms by which these different voices are heard.Certain individuals or institutions spread and maintain narratives through chains of persuasion and influence and inform policy.

Power relations between citizens/experts/political authorities mean that policy making is not neutral. Personal politics and party politics influence policy decisionsProjects, and the practices of front line staff can have a strong influence on policy

How do we enable policy How do we enable policy change?change?

• What are we trying to achieve? – set objectives

• What is it that needs to change? – policy, processes, people

• What are the wider implications(conflicts, contradictions, risks) of those changes?

• What resources do we need to achieve it?

• How and when will we know whether it’s being achieved? – indicators of impactSlide 11

IFAD SL Workshop

Policy analysis

Informing and influencing Informing and influencing people people

• Who needs to be changed? – policy stakeholders

• At what stage do they operate?

• What are their roles in the policy process? – rights, responsibilities and relationships

• How do they need to change? – knowledge, attitudes, skills, behaviour

• What forces or incentives are likely to influence them ?

• What opportunities or constraints affect this change?

Slide 12

IFAD SL Workshop

Policy analysis

The political contextThe political context

Access reforms Quality enhancing reforms

Typical actions

Build infrastructure Expand bureaucracies Increase budgets

Improve management Improve accountability Strengthen local control

Political implication

s

Jobs Increased power for minister

Loss of jobs Loss of decision-making power

Political response

Politicians happy Communities happy Providers happy

Administrators sabotage change Politicians avoid reform

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IFAD SL Workshop

Policy analysis

Warning: a thick jungle!Warning: a thick jungle!• the split between policy making and policy

implementation

• management of change

• interest groups – who shouts loudest!

• ownership of the policy process

• the urge to simplify

• the narrowing of policy alternatives

Slide 14

IFAD SL Workshop

Policy analysis