Civil Society Organisations and Policy Entrepreneurship

1. Civil Society Organisations and Policy Entrepreneurship Naved Chowdhury Overseas Development Institute, London

2. Workshop Objectives • Share experiences about CSO-policy context in African CEF partners; • Learn about the latest worldwide research and practice in this area; • Share experiences about approaches to influence policy and what works; • Start to develop strategies to improve policy impact.

3. Outline of the Workshop Day 1 • General Introductions Day 2 • Tools and field trip Day3 • Develop a strategy • Knowledge management

4. Any questions about the plan?

5. Self Introductions 2 minutes! • Name • Organization / Area of Work • What do you want to get out of this workshop?

6. Plenary discussion: • What are the main opportunities and challenges • Regarding CSO-policy links? (in general) • Affecting the policy impact of your work?

7. CSOs, Evidence and Policy Processes • Next steps: • Definitions • Theory • Reality • (Then we’ll discuss what issues matter)

8. Overseas Development Institute • Britain’s leading development Think Tank • £12m, 120 researchers • Research / Advice / Public Debate • Rural / Humanitarian / Poverty & Aid / Economics (HIV, Human rights, Water) • DFID, Parliament, WB, EC • Civil Society For more information see: www.odi.org.uk

9. RAPID Programme • Research • Advisory work • Policy change projects • Workshops and seminars • Civil Society Programme www.odi.org.uk/rapid

10. Policy Process Workshops • Looking at internal policy processes – what works in DFID. • Small, informal workshop with 7 staff. • Participatory pair-wise ranking of factors influencing the success of 8 policy processes. • Worked quite well. • In DFID - agendas and processes rather than documents are key

11. How we’re doing it in RAPID • Clear Aim & Outputs • Building credibility with research/action • Employing the right staff & staff development • Good internal systems (Mgt, Comms & KM) • Programme approach: • Strategic opportunism • Research / practical advice / stimulating debate • Engagement with policy makers & practitioners • Community of practice cf network • Financial opportunism

12. How we advise: SMEPOL Egypt • Policy Process Mapping • RAPID Framework • Stakeholder Analysis • Force-Field Analysis • SWOT • Action Planning • Evaluation & Adapting

13. CSOs and Pro-poor Policy Influence • Complementing state in providing services • Innovators in service delivery • Advocates with and for the poor • Identifying problems & solutions • Extending our understanding • Providing information • Training and capacity building

14. The Opportunity • The results of household disease surveys informed processes of health service reform which contributed to a 43 and 46 per cent reduction in infant mortality between 2000 and 2003 in two districts in rural Tanzania. • TEHIP Project

15. HIV Prevalence in Thailand, Uganda & KwaZulu-Natal: 1990-2000 Source: UNAIDS

16. When it Works: Attitudes to HIV “on the education sector it is evident that the project has institutionalised a new attitude towards HIV/AIDS education in primary schools …. Teachers' and pupils' knowledge, attitudes and behaviours have also changed. Primary School Action for Better Health Project in Kenya (PSABH) www.odi.org.uk/rapid/Lessons/Case_studies/PSABH.html

17. When it works best: Aid and Debt “all the contributors emphasise the importance of researchers forming alliances with civil society.” - Court and Maxwell, JID Special Issue

18. Context • Democratization and liberalization. • In some countries, move from challenging state to policy engagement. • CSOs increasingly involved in policy processes (from focus on service delivery). • CSO accountability and legitimacy of CSO involvement is questioned. • Challenge of engaging in a way that does justice to the evidence. • Southern research capacity has been denuded. • CSOs, researchers and policymakers seem to live in parallel universes.

19. Definitions • Research: “any systematic effort to increase the stock of knowledge” • Evidence: the result/output of the research process • Policy:a “purposive course of action followed by an actor or set of actors” • Agendas / policy horizons • Official statements documents • Patterns of spending • Implementation processes • Activities on the ground

20. Identify the problem Commission research Analyse the results Choose the best option Establish the policy Implement the policy The linear logical policy model… Evaluate the results

21. Generic Policy Processes

22. in reality… • “The whole life of policy is a chaos of purposes and accidents. It is not at all a matter of the rational implementation of the so-called decisions through selected strategies.” 1 • “Most policy research on African agriculture is irrelevant to agricultural and overall economic policy in Africa.” 2 • “CSOs often have very little to bring to the policy table.” 3 • “CSOs, researchers and policymakers seem to live in parallel universes.” 4 1– Clay & Schaffer (1984) 2 – Omamo (2003) 3 – CSPP Consultations 4 – ODI-AFREPREN Workshop

23. Industry CSOs Scientists Agenda setting Problem definition & analysis Policy tools Selection Implementation Enforcement Policy evaluation Government Media Public Source: Yael Parag

24. Linear model Too close for comfort, Edwards Impact & Effectiveness, Fowler ‘Context, evidence, links’, RAPID Policy narratives, Roe CSO legitimacy, L. David Brown Links and Learning, Gaventa ‘Room for manoeuvre’, Clay & Schaffer ‘Street level bureaucrats’, Lipsky Policy as experiments, Rondinelli Policy Streams & Windows, Kingdon Disjointed incrementalism, Lindquist Tipping point model, Gladwell Mercenaries, missionaries and revolutionaries, Malena ‘Non-Western?’, Lewis Global Civil Society, Salamon, Kaldor Types of Engagement, Coston Linear model of communication, Shannon ‘Space’ for thought & action, Howell Simple and surprising stories, Communication Theory Provide solutions, Marketing Theory I Find the right packaging, Marketing II Global Civil Society?, Keane Global Legitimacy, van Rooy Epistemic communities, Haas Policy entrepreneurs, Najam Advocacy coalitions, Keck & Sikkink Negotiation through networks, Sabattier Social capital, Coleman Accountability, OneWorld Trust Communication for social change, Rockefeller Foundation Wheels and webs, Chapman & Fisher X CSOs and Policy: Existing theory www.odi.org.uk/rapid/lessons/theory

25. CSOs & Policy Processes Existing theory – a short list • Civil Society, Edwards • Types of Engagment, Coston • Legitimacy, L. David Brown / van Rooy • ‘Street level bureaucrats’, Lipsky • Global Civil Society, Keane / Kaldor / Salamon • Policy streams and policy windows, Kingdon • Disjointed Incrementalism, Lindblom • Social Epidemics, Gladwell

26. A word of warning… • The world is complex • We do not aim to make it simple • Only to find recognisable patternrs or beacons • Which might guide your actions • There is NO blueprint. NO linear, logical, rational, proper, method. • Most of the time it is up to you.

27. … A word of warning • You will probably never find out what goes on within the policy process • And not have all the evidence you need • You need to be confident to act even in a context of uncertainty • And be systematic and scientific (context, strategy, action, record, learn) but flexible and original

28. Policy life is complex. What issues matter? The RAPID Framework

29. The political context – political and economic structures and processes, culture, institutional pressures, incremental vs radical change etc. The links between policy and research communities – networks, relationships, power, competing discourses, trust, knowledge etc. The evidence – credibility, the degree it challenges received wisdom, research approaches and methodology, simplicity of the message, how it is packaged etc The Analytical Framework External Influences Socio-economic and cultural influences, donor policies etc

30. And allows useful comparisons 1. Ideal model e.g. ?? 2. Islands model e.g. multilaterals Contexts Contexts Links Knowledge Links Knowledge 3. Technocratic model e.g. donors 4. Ivory Tower model e.g. Research institutes Contexts Contexts Links Knowledge Knowledge Links

31. Political Context: Key Areas • The macro political context (democracy, governance, media freedom; academic freedom) • The sector / issue process (Policy uptake = demand – contestation) [NB Demand: political and societal. Power.] • How policymakers think (narratives & policy streams) • Policy implementation and practice (bureaucracies, incentives, street level, room for manoeuvre, participatory approaches) • Decisive moments in the policy process (policy processes, votes, policy windows and crises) • Context is crucial, but you can maximize your chances

32. Evidence: Relevance and credibility • Key factor – did it provide a solution to a problem? • Relevance: • Topical relevance – What to do? • Operational usefulness – How to do it? : • Credibility: • Research approach • Of researcher > of evidence itself • Strenuous advocacy efforts are often needed • Communication

33. Links: Coalitions and Networks • Feedback processes often prominent in successful cases. • Trust & legitimacy • Networks: • Epistemic communities • Policy networks • Advocacy coalitions • The role of individuals: connectors, mavens and salesmen

34. External Influence • Big “incentives” can spur evidence-based policy – e.g. PRSP processes. • And some interesting examples of donors trying new things re. supporting research • But, we really don’t know whether and how donors can best promote use of evidence in policymaking (credibility vs backlash)

35. CSOs: Definitions and Functions • Definition: “organizations that work in an arena between the household, the private sector and the state to negotiate matters of public concern”. • Functions: • representation • technical inputs and advocacy • capacity-building • service-delivery • social functions

36. Types of CSOs • think tanks and research institutes • professional associations • human rights advocacy bodies and other promotional groups • foundations and other philanthropic bodies • trade unions and workers co-operatives • media/journalist societies • community based organizations • faith based organizations • cross-national policy dialogue groups

37. Civil Society Partnerships Programme Aim: Strengthened role of southern CSOs in development policy processes Outcomes: • CSOs better understanding evidence-policy process • Capacity to support CSOs established • Improved information for CSOs • Global collaboration http://www.odi.org.uk/cspp/

38. Activities • Principles of partnerships etc • Mapping of CSO’s and support organisations • Regional Workshops • Research, synthesis and toolkits • Small-scale collaborations (internal) • Small-scale collaborations (external) • Identification of long-term partners • Support (and capacity-building) • Collaboration on global projects

39. Linking Evidence to Policy: Lessons Learnt • Understanding Policy process means understanding the politics • Demand led vs Supply driven • Credibility of CSOs is questioned • Capacity to use and package research for policy influence is limited • Donor influence is huge • Gradual erosion of research capacity in the South

40. Establishing capacity • Engagement with policymakers varies • Varied level of capacity in the south • Retention and recruitment of qualified staff • Role of research in development organization • Lack of training opportunities • More emphasis on policy advocacy • Limited fund for research • Strong Demand for support ( regional bias) • Capacity of government institutions also in question

41. Partnership for Capacity Development • Equitable • Long-term commitment • Intellectual honesty • Mutual Trust • Ethical Principle of Partnership • Contextual ( strong regional variation) • Capacity is demanded not given!!

42. Key issues for Partnership • ODI needs to change ( Org and Staff) • Invest time and resource • Partnership to accommodate diversity of capacity • Different modes of Partnerships ( research, networking, advocacy)

43. Capacity Development in CSPP • Building a knowledge base of orgs • Responding directly to CD demand of partners • CSPP network • Training ( Research methodology, policy analysis, etc). • Facilitating exchange of information and knowledge ( Best Practice) • Support institutional development • Collaborative action research projects

44. Key factors for CSO influence (Malawi) Opposing • Lack of capacity • Lack of local ownership • Translating data into evidence • Lack of data • Donor influence • Crises • Political factors • Supporting • Evidence of the value of CSO involvement • Governments becoming more interested in CSOs • CSOs are gaining confidence • Strength of networks • The media • Political factors

45. LUNCH

46. Key-note Speakers • [insert name] and blurb • On the needs and pressures of policymaking • On producing relevant and credible research • Questions?

47. Plenary discussion: • How can we change what we do to be more useful for policymakers?

48. To Maximize Chances You need to: • better understand how policy is made and options for policy entrepreneurship; • use evidence more effectively in influencing policy-making processes; • build stronger connections with other stakeholders; • actively participate in policy networks • communicate better.

49. Skills of (pro-poor) policy entrepreneurs Networkers Storytellers Fixers Engineers

50. Policy Entrepreneurship Questionnaire • Rank responses • Add scores • Don’t worry about specifics