Popular participation and PSIA Olivia McDonald Christian Aid, March 2006

Christian Aid and PSIA Input into the ‘User’s Guide’ Steering committee for EURODAD report ‘Open on Impact’ with Save the Children and Trocaire HIV and PSIA in ‘Downward Spiral’ Country programmes and partners

PSIA Good Practice Principles PSIA should: play a central role in the policy process at the start (to inform policy choice), during (to improve monitoring) and at the end (for lesson learning). provide a multi-dimensional and disaggregated view of poverty (using qualitative and quantitative information from a range of disciplines). be country-owned and lead. facilitate broad stakeholder engagement. foster greater transparency and accountability. build on national processes and support capacity development. be pragmatic and appropriate to purpose.

Process participation Selection of PSIA Questions to be analysed Research team and design of TOR Participatory research methodologies Participation in analysis and report drafting Receive information about PSIA results Input into consequent policy debate Monitoring implementation

Open on impact? Looked at World Bank and IMF performance Popular participation in PSIAs Transparent dissemination Facilitation and country ownership Policy options Use of social analysis PSIA on macroeconomic frameworks

Recommendations on participation and transparency There should be a presumption of disclosure of all in-country analysis that is carried out unless there is a clearly stated and justifiable reason for not doing so

Recommendations on participation and transparency Policy research processes should be transparent from the beginning of the process and clear communication strategies should be designed and budgeted from the outset. This includes circulation of concept notes, terms of reference, presentation and draft reports. All PSIA concept notes must outline the proposed dissemination and feedback process

Recommendations on participation and transparency Draft documents should be shared with relevant national stakeholders to be properly scrutinised. Internal sign-off procedures within the World Bank and IMF aimed at quality control should be relaxed so as to not delay document release

Recommendations on participation and transparency The media – newspapers, FM radio stations, local televisions etc – should be used to ensure that study conclusions are disseminated and debated. Internet posting is not sufficient The Bank and Fund should both make their work plans for PSIA publicly available

Case study: Ghana Managed by the National Development Planning Commission with temporary steering and technical committees for each study Initial workshops to discuss PSIA opportunities, GPRS as starting point, involving relevant ministries and departments to come up with initial list of 16 topics Five studies selected – two additional to the list Weak involvement of and communication to parliamentarians, CSOs and the media Problems of dissemination and donor support

Progress on process? Potential Generate appropriate policies Transformative process that can increase participation and build capacity – an end in itself Break the analytical monopoly of the World Bank and IMF and encourage open process that utilises strengths of different stakeholders Current perceptions of civil society Good commitments, slow progress