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Using stakeholder analysis to analyse decision making in the water sector. An overview of methods and an illustration on a Philippine case. Leon Hermans. Presentation for Watertime Stakeholder Workshop. 11 April 2003, University of Greenwich, London.
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Using stakeholder analysis to analyse decision making in the water sector An overview of methods and an illustration on a Philippine case Leon Hermans Presentation for Watertime Stakeholder Workshop 11 April 2003, University of Greenwich, London Faculty of Tecnology, Policy and Management - Policy Analysis Section
Stakeholder analysis in the water sector • Introduction to stakeholder analysis • How to do a stakeholder analysis? • Approaches and methods • Illustration of a (far away) case application • Relevant lessons for WaterTime
Stakeholder analysis and decision making • Decision makers operate in a political arena • Arenas consist of different stakeholders • Stakeholders behave strategically • Analysing decision making therefore requires: • Understanding political arena • Understanding the role of stakeholders
What to analyse? • Political arena can be characterized as a network • Stakeholders, relations and rules • Institutions, culture • Stakeholders in networks: strategic behaviour • Objectives, resources, perceptions • Interests, influence, knowledge • Networks influence stakeholders; context for action • Stakeholders’ actions shape networks • Dynamic interrelated concepts
How to do a stakeholder analysis? • Three general approaches: • Theoretical analysis approach • Pragmatic analysis approach • (most reported approach for “stakeholder analysis”) • In-between analysis approach: theory-based methods
Theoretical analysis approach • Theoretical approach • theory-driven: applying and extending existing theories for in-depth scientific case studies • Policy network theory, stream model, advocacy coalition framework, Actor Network Theory, etc. • Some strengths and weaknesses: • Framework and explanatory power of theory • Time consuming - operationalisation and observation of theoretical concepts • High demands on theoretical expertise
Pragmatic analysis approach • Pragmatic approach • mapping key aspects in matrices or graphs to support strategic management • Classical stakeholder analysis, e.g. mapping interests and influence, cooperation and importance (ODA, USAID, World Bank) • Some strengths and weaknesses (“Quick and dirty”): • Can be done in relatively short period of time • Focus on key aspects • Relatively easy to apply and to learn • Limited theoretical basis: Analyst’s interpretation central • Limited transparency, more difficult to check validity
In between: Theory-based methods • Methods that are theory-based but that have been used before for stakeholder analysis • Theoretical base improves transparency • Operationalisation by method helps to guide analyst • You get analytical rigor, at the expense of broadness and room for “pragmatic freedom” • Choice of method defines focus
Classifying methods and approaches • Note that: • - objectives are not in a separate column • - methods and approaches may cover more than one column
Overview of theory-based methods • Perceptions • Cognitive analysis (cognitive maps, soft systems) • Discourse analysis (public debate, arguments) • Resources (strategic behaviour) • Conflict analysis (game theory) • Transactional analysis (social theory) • Networks (relation between stakeholders) • Social Network Analysis (sociometry) Three types of methods supplement each other
Illustrative case: Water management in the Philippines • Water resources management in the Philippines • Explore the stakeholder environment of a starting research project aimed at supporting decision making
Sketch of existing situation • Rapid industrial and commercial development in Metro Cebu area: “Ceboom”. • Increasing pressure on existing groundwater resources • Degradation of inland watersheds threatens soil quality and water recharge • Metro Cebu needs more water but cannot control watershed population or other areas on Cebu island
Stakeholder analysis design • Supporting a starting water management research project • Analysis design: • Questions to be answered by analysis • Time and people available for analysis • Available information and access to stakeholders • Using theory-based methods; the in-between approach • Argumentative analysis (discourse analysis) • Analysis of options (conflict analysis)
Stakeholder analysis execution • Short preparatory literature study (1-2 weeks) • Interviews with selected stakeholders (4 weeks): • Representative sample (network and stakeholders) • “Friends” easier to access than others • Selected methods guide type of interviews needed • Common language, different culture; especially important for argumentative analysis • At least some interviews seem required for any stakeholder analysis to “get the feeling” • Analysis of data, workshop and reporting (3 weeks) • Methods provide structures for interpretation and presentation of results
Main outcomes of Philippine case • Focal points in broad range of project issues • Additional expertise and elements to include in project • Ways to understand positions of stakeholders: three basic views on water management, linked with interests and options of actors
Watertime relevant lessons and guidelines • Decision making can be analysed through different approaches for stakeholder analysis with varying levels of thoroughness and underlying theoretical basis • Each approach contains variety of methods • What is appropriate for Watertime? • Position on SA classification-matrix: what is the purpose of stakeholder analysis in research and how important is it as part of the work? • Are there methods that (some) project partners are familiar with? What is their focus?
WaterTime relevant lessons and guidelines (continued) • If possible, theoretical approach or theory-based methods would have advantages for WaterTime: • They help to gain and communicate insights that go beyond the obvious • Underlying theory provides starting point for developing a decision making model • Important factors for stakeholder analysis: • Available input data (incomplete, inaccurate, dissimilar) • Validity of results (also due to quality input data) • Efficiency (efforts required and expected quality of results)
Thank you for your attention! For questions or references to literature feel free to ask: Leon Hermans Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management Delft University of Technology P.O. Box 5015 2600 GA Delft The Netherlands Email: l.m.hermans@tbm.tudelft.nl Tel: ++31-15-2785493 Fax: ++31-15-2786439