Governance, Institutional Reform and political economy

 

Our Approach

If development is to be ‘pro-poor’, then institutions and political systems must work in the interests of all citizens, including poor people.  Achieving pro-poor change requires good governance: legitimate and accountable rulers, an active civil society and a responsive and capable public administration.  It also requires transforming the less formal political structures and practices that prevent poor people from exercising their voice and realising their rights.

Our approach to supporting better governance goes beyond simply building technical capacity. We seek to facilitate processes through which poor people’s voices are amplified, their political representatives and service providers are held to account, and coalitions for change are supported. For this approach to be successful there has to be a sound analysis of the political economy followed by a necessary transformation of policies and administrative and political institutions and incentives.

THE WAY WE WORK

Over the past 15 years theIDLgroup has honed its expertise in political economy analysis, policy and institutional reform and organisational change management, in support of better governance. All our work is grounded in sound political economy analysis and a realistic understanding of the processes of and possibilities for change. Based on these ‘grounded’ assessments and working closely with clients and stakeholders, we provide practical but innovative approaches to donor strategy, public policy and institutional reform.

Applied political analysis

Politics is central to development. However, politics is also messy and complex and so often gets pushed to the margins of development planning. Increasingly we find that high quality political economy analysis and a sound understanding of political actors and processes, is essential if development initiatives are to be effective. A better understanding of politics helps to identify, create and nurture the opportunities for pro-poor change. A growing body of experience and academic literature has provided new insights into the political role of elites, the power of civil society organisations, and the role of foreign aid in domestic politics. theIDLgroup builds on these insights and combines them with rigorous analytical methods to provide our clients with robust and relevant political economy analysis.

 

Applied political economy analysis helps clients to:

• Understand and engage with the social and political context in which they are operating - incorporating both formal and informal political structures and institutions;
• Assess the interrelationships between political and economic institutions and relevant interest groups in specific sectors;
• Identify catalysts and barriers to pro-poor change and actions that donors can take to support these ‘drivers for change’; and
• Appreciate the ways in which specific interventions are likely to be shaped by political actors and processes.

Reform and change for pro-poor governance

theIDLgroup has considerable experience in the areas of policy and institutional reform, sector reform, and

organisational change management. We have developed a reputation for fostering successful processes of pro-poor organisational change at local, national and international levels. These change processes have contributed to progress in creating more effective and accountable community-based and non-government organisations, local governments, line ministries, parliaments and regional and international institutions.

Recent examples of theIDLgroup's Governance, Institutional Reform and Political Economy:

• Design and oversight of a Drivers of Change Analysis for Papua New Guinea
• Strategic Governance and Corruption Assessments (SGACA) in Pakistan and Ethiopia
• Capacity Development for improving accountability and voice in local service delivery in Eastern Europe, the Balkans and the CIS countries
• Drivers of Change analysis exploring citizen voice and state accountability in Ethiopia
• Country-level Drivers of Change analysis in Sierra Leone, exploring the broader socio-political dynamics of change as well as the political economy of public sector reform and decentralisation
• Co-management of The Rights and Voice Initiative (RAVI) in Ghana, a funding facility to enhance citizen engagement with the state
• Analysis of the political economy of private sector policy formation in Zambia
• Development of an analytical framework for expanding Drivers of Change analysis to include analysis and engagement at sub-national levels
• Support to a Parliamentary Select Committee in Ghana to build capacity and policy fluency and improve transparency
• Part of a DFID framework agreement for Public Administration Reform in Conflict Affected Environments
• Framework provider for EITI (Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative)
• Developing a change management framework for the Government of Rwanda’s poverty reduction programme
• Improving the accountability and transparency of safety nets in Ethiopia
• Supporting legislative and institutional reforms for poverty-focused rural development in Uganda, Ghana and Mozambique
• Review DFID Nepal’s Enabling State Programme
• Analysis of the role of political will and institutional capacity in achieving the gender and education Millennium Development Goals