Overview of this presentation 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 do we mean by policy? choicesA formulated set of choices 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

Who are the stakeholders in policy? 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 analysis Analysing the roles of stakeholders - The Four “Rs” RightsResponsibilitiesRevenues & rewards Relationships Slide 4 IFAD SL Workshop Policy analysis

What are the components of policy analysis? Social Capital Livelihood options Livelihood strategies Vulnerability context Policy process and actors Policy context Policy statement Policy measures How people influence the policy process How policy influences people’s livelihoods People-centred analysis Policy-centred analysis 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 policies What results of policy do people “see”?  Rules and regulations  Public/private agencies  People and personalities  Projects and programmes  Lack of policy How do policies affect their livelihoods?  Assets and people’s access to them  Range & viability of strategies open to people  Vulnerability  Outcomes Slide 6 IFAD SL Workshop Policy analysis

Process issues Where are there conflicts in policy?  Where? – sectors, regions, levels, interest groups  How 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 act? Debt finance Technical assistance grants Influencers – CPMs, country coordinators, project managers, consultants Slide 8 IFAD SL Workshop Policy analysis

Opportunities 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-Making (Keeley and Scoones, 1999). Slide 10 IFAD SL Workshop Policy analysisCharacteristic 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 decisions Projects, and the practices of front line staff can have a strong influence on policy

How do we enable policy 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 impact Slide 11 IFAD SL Workshop Policy analysis

Informing and influencing 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 context Access reformsQuality enhancing reforms Typical actions Build infrastructure Expand bureaucracies Increase budgets Improve management Improve accountability Strengthen local control Political implications 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 Slide 13 IFAD SL Workshop Policy analysis

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