http://www.gsdrc.org Academic and policy-relevant publications on governance and international development. en-uk Copyright © 2010 Governance and Social Development Resource Centre Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:00:06 GMT Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:00:06 GMT http://www.gsdrc.org/rss/open george@gsdrc.org george@gsdrc.org http://www.gsdrc.org/images/logos/logo_gsdrc.gif http://www.gsdrc.org 205 90 GSDRC logo Marco Mezzera, Safiya Aftab What is the impact of deep structures, formal and informal institutions, and current events on the nature of the state in Pakistan and its relations with society? This report from The Initiative for Peacebuilding analyses the causes of weak state-society relations in Pakistan and explores the complex power dynamics that underpin them. Despite the bleak picture that emerges, a better understanding of the context can help the international community to engage with Pakistan on a constructive and long-term basis, with the overall objective of supporting genuine democratisation and building substantive citizenship. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3681&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3681&source=rss Drivers of change Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT Pat Utomi, Alex Duncan, Gareth Williams How does reform take place within the constraints of political and economic processes? What has driven recent policy and institutional reforms in Nigeria, and how can Nigeria's reform process be sustained and extended? This briefing paper from the Policy Practice argues that the failure to achieve sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction in Nigeria is linked to institutional and incentive problems. Efforts are needed to strengthen incentives for economic growth and public accountability in Nigeria. All stakeholders must recognise the realities and risks to sustainable reform, as well as the long time-scale required. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3680&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3680&source=rss Drivers of change Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT World Bank What hinders growth-supporting policy reform in Ghana, and how can these obstacles be addressed? In recent years, Ghana has experienced relative macroeconomic stability and growth. However, accelerating and sustaining growth requires significant policy change across a range of areas. This extract from the World Bank’s Country Economic Memorandum of Ghana examines the political incentives of policymakers to pursue such change. Clientelism undermines progress in pro-growth reforms. Reform should focus on: education; improving the collection of and access to government information; and ensuring that policy does not favour particular ethnic groups. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3678&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3678&source=rss Drivers of change Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT Sam Hickey What forms of politics are most likely to reduce chronic poverty in developing countries? This working paper, published by the Chronic Poverty Research Centre, uses comparative case-study analysis to argue that a shift is needed in donor policy. Greater attention should be paid to political instead of civil society, to the link between political discourse and poverty analysis rather than simply to poverty data, and to the importance of political contracts in sustaining pro-poor policies. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3675&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3675&source=rss Drivers of change Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT Marc Sommers Do the concentrated numbers of male youths in urban Rwanda threaten social stability? The World Bank investigates this theory, examining the concept that large concentrations of male youths are disconnected from their cultures and prone to violence due to the ‘youth bulge’. However, interviews with urban male youths in Rwanda indicate that they are constrained by limited opportunities rather than menaces to society. The situation confronting most Rwandan youth and most of their counterparts in Africa remains alarming - a largely silent emergency. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3499&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3499&source=rss Drivers of change Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT Helena Bjuremalm What can be learned from SIDA's use of power analysis? This concept note from the Swedish International Development Agency draws on its analyses of Ethiopia, Kenya, Bangladesh, Tanzania and Burkina Faso. Power analysis can help donors understand underlying structural factors impeding poverty reduction as well as incentives and disincentives for pro-poor development. Such analysis must consider the ability of the poor to articulate their concerns; the institutional channels and arenas for voicing these concerns; and the legal basis of poverty reduction. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3195&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3195&source=rss Drivers of change Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT World Bank How can donors improve the effectiveness of policy reform processes? This study from the World Bank addresses the political economy of sector reform in agricultural marketing, and water supply and sanitation. It uses a social analysis perspective to analyse stakeholder interests, incentives, institutions, risks and opportunities. Development agencies should undertake timely political economy analysis and establish a sustainable process for building broad coalitions. They should also promote transformative institutional change that includes empowering forms of bottom-up accountability. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3192&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3192&source=rss Drivers of change Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Sue Unsworth Research increasingly emphasises that what works in development depends on country-specific realities and opportunities. Donors need to recognise that politics is central to the development process so that they make the necessary investment in understanding local political dynamics. This paper from the 2008 Development Studies Association conference finds that while political analysis is influencing specific aspects of donor activity, its impact is fragmented and donors' default position remains technocratic. Strong, visionary leadership is needed to enable donors to make major changes in their thinking, organisation and culture. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3191&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3191&source=rss Drivers of change Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT OECD Many development agencies are engaged in assessing governance. What are their approaches and how can these be more effectively harmonised? This study from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development surveys donors' use of general and thematic governance assessments. Most approaches are driven by policy dialogue, detailed planning of governance enhancement activities and strategic decisions regarding aid to specific countries. Linkage to a donor's programme, demand from the field and removal of institutional disincentives are important in determining how governance assessments are used. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3184&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3184&source=rss Drivers of change Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT European Centre for Development Policy Management and Nils Boesen How can political and institutional constraints be addressed so as to improve the effectiveness of aid at sector level? This section from a European Commission publication offers a framework for analysing sector governance. The framework focuses on the context of sector governance, actors' interests, power and incentives, and governance and accountability relationships. Where opportunities for short-term governance enhancement at sector level are limited, sector specialists can look for alternative entry points. These might include supporting the private sector and civil society. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3183&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3183&source=rss Drivers of change Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Joy Moncrieffe , Cecilia Luttrell How can donors conduct political analysis of specific sectors and policy arenas within a country so as to support pro-poor change processes more effectively? This analytical framework from the Overseas Development Institute is designed for use by DFID country offices. It suggests guidelines for political analysis in three stages: (a) an historical/foundational country overview; (b) organisations, institutions and actors; and (c) operational implications. Deep sector/policy analysis facilitates a better understanding of entry points and helps staff to design incentives for maximum impact on development outcomes. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3181&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3181&source=rss Drivers of change Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMT Adrian Leftwich What are the political circumstances, power dynamics, and institutional conditions that promote pro-poor growth? This literature review for the Research Consortium on Institutions for Pro-Poor Growth (IPPG) argues that politics rather than economics is the primary factor in shaping state institutions. Using political analysis will better indicate whether institutions enable or inhibit pro-poor growth than economic or incentive-focussed analyses. However, there has been relatively little research to date on the application of institutional theory to the politics of growth and development in developing countries. Institutional analysis can be used as a lens through which to view both political and economic analysis of pro-poor growth. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3022&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3022&source=rss Drivers of change Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT David Booth What are the challenges for donor agencies in delivering aid through recipient-owned modalities such as General Budget Support (GBS) and programme-based approaches? This report synthesises a two-year research programme undertaken for the Advisory Board for Irish Aid by the Center for Democratic Development (CDD) Ghana, the Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI) Norway, the Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF) Tanzania and the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) UK. The study focuses on sub-Saharan Africa, and finds that the adoption of 'new' aid modalities has been too cautious and qualified. Donors could increase aid effectiveness by addressing their own incentives and rethinking their approach to recipient governance improvement. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3013&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=3013&source=rss Drivers of change Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT S Unsworth How can donors best analyse governance problems and corruption in partner countries? This paper by the Clingendael Institute describes the Strategic Governance And Corruption Analysis (SGACA) which has been developed for the Netherlands government to facilitate a more strategic approach to governance and corruption analysis. The SGACA captures the informal, societal and sometimes intangible underlying reasons for the governance situation, which can often differ from the formal configuration of the state. Such an analysis can improve the design of donor interventions. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=2989&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=2989&source=rss Drivers of change Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT DFID How can donors improve their knowledge to support effective change in developing countries? This note explains the Drivers of Change approach and its impact on the Department for International Development’s (DFID) policies and programmes. Drivers of Change analysis recognises that institutional performance is important to understanding change processes and how they impact upon the poor. It focuses on formal and informal rules, power structures, vested interests and incentives within institutions. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=2934&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=2934&source=rss Drivers of change Thu, 01 Jan 2004 00:00:00 GMT S Waslekar What are the drivers of global extremism and terrorism? How can the 'competitive fundamentalisms' which threaten to polarise Western and Islamic societies be mitigated? This article from the Strategic Foresight Group surveys the history of terrorist campaigns around the world and offers recommendations for creating a more integrated international community. New organisations to foster political cooperation, initiatives to integrate the Arab world into the global economy and democracy promotion exercises may help counteract the current trend towards radicalism. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=2834&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=2834&source=rss Drivers of change Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT V Chhotray and D Hulme What are the differences and similarities between the USA’s and UK’s approaches to governance and aid effectiveness? How have contradictions in aid analysis, policy and partnership contributed to the similarities? This working paper from the Global Poverty Research Group (GPRG) contrasts the approaches of the White House led Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) and the UK Department for International Development’s (DFID) Drivers of Change (DOC) to analysing governance. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=2623&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=2623&source=rss Drivers of change Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT J Foweraker How has grassroots political activity in Latin America affected social development in the region? This paper, by the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), examines the evolution of grassroots political activity in Chile and Brazil. Specifically, it explores how the relationship between grassroots organisations and national government has changed in response to the transition from authoritarian to democratic rule. It finds that democratic rule has pushed grassroots organisations to the political sidelines and argues that international agencies need to support them in promoting alternative futures for social development. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=1946&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=1946&source=rss Drivers of change Mon, 01 Jan 2001 00:00:00 GMT A Vines, N Shaxson and L Rimli What are the determinants of change in Angola, and what is their longer-term context? How can the international community support longer-term change leading to poverty reduction? This report, prepared by Chatham House for the Department for International Development, aims to build an understanding of change in Angola. It argues that although change is likely to be slow and donors have only limited influence, a number of entry points do exist. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=1752&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=1752&source=rss Drivers of change Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMT L Nunes What is the role of Peru’s political party system in the country’s reform process? How can political parties engage in new activities to strengthen political commitment to poverty reduction? This paper from the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs offers an analysis of Peru’s political party system in terms of how it affects the ability of democratically elected officials to drive pro-poor change. It argues that it will take time for political competition to settle into a productive cycle of parties proposing and pursuing alternative types of reforms to address constituent concerns. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=1739&source=rss http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=1739&source=rss Drivers of change Thu, 01 Jan 2004 00:00:00 GMT