poli 441 - godsonug · –the current developmental and other issues that need policy attention ......

College of Education

School of Continuing and Distance Education2014/2015 – 2016/2017

POLI 441POLITICAL ECONOMY OF AFRICA’S

DEVELOPMENT SINCE INDEPENDENCE

SESSION 7 : THE POLITICAL ECONOMY FRAMEWORK AND POLICY FORMULATION

Lecturer: Dr. Seidu Alidu Contact Information: [email protected] /[email protected]

Session Overview

The Political Economy Framework (PEF) is both a policy frame and an analytical tool for most

socio-politico-economic issues and phenomena. It is made up of four inter-related components

that all have influential impact on development policy formulation and implementation.

The first component known as the “country context” and its made up of historical experiences,

challenges, grievances, visions, aspirations of the people within a country; the second component

is called the “Political Economy Analysis (PEA)” and comprises of policy IDEAS, ACTORS and

INSTITUTIONS that drive policy; the third component is labelled the “ Specific Policy” and relates

to the formulated policy aimed at addressing the issues in the first component of the framework;

the final component is called the “Impact Evaluation” component and monitors as well as

evaluates the impact of the specific policy implemented in the third component of the

framework. This session will focus on explaining this framework and its relevance to the

formulation of developmental policies in Africa.

2/28/2018Lecturer: Dr. Seidu Alidu Slide 2

Session Outline

The key topics to be covered in this session are:

• Topic 1: WHAT IS THE PEF

• Topic 2: COUNTRY CONTEXT

• Topic 3: THE PEA

• Topic 4: SPECIFIC POLICIES AND THEIR EVALUATION

2/28/2018Lecturer Dr. Seidu Alidu Slide 3

Reading materials

• Awortwi, N., and Remi Aiyede, E. (2017) Politics, Public Policy and Social Protection in Africa: Evidence from Cash Transfer Programmes, Oxon: Routledge

• Barrientos, A. (2013) Social Assistance in Developing Countries, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

• Adesina, J.O. (2011) “Beyond the Social Protection Paradigm: Social Policy in Africa’s Development.” Canadian Journal of Development Studies, 32(4), 454-470

• Abebrese J. (2012) Social Protection in Ghana: An Overview of Existing Programmes and their Prospects and Challenges Friedrich Egbert Stiftung

• Devereux, S., and Sabates-Wheeler, R. (2004). Transformative Social Protection. Vol. 232. University of Sussex, Institute of Development Studies, 2004. P. 1

• PASGR. (2013) ‘Political Economy of Universal Social Protection Policy Uptake in Africa.’ Draft Research Framework Paper. Nairobi: PASGR.

Lecturer: Dr. Seidu Alidu Slide 42/28/2018

Learning objectives

At the end of the session, students should be able to:

• Understand the Political Economy Framework and how its works

• Understand the various components of the framework and their role in policy making

• Appreciate the importance of the Political Economy Analysis and the various components of the analysis

• Become familiar with the power and interests of the actors within policy making

• Appreciate the policy implications of the framework


WHAT IS THE POLITICAL ECONOMY FRAMEWORK?

Topic one


WHAT IS THE PEF?

The Political Economy Framework (PEF) is a working tool use toexplain and analyze the background to developmentalchallenges in a given country; the analysis of factors thatenable or restrict policy formulation and the evaluation ofspecific policies that have been formulated.

It is made up of four different but inter-related aspects that arediscussed in this session


WHAT IS THE PEF?

2/28/2018Lecturers: Dr. S eidu Alidu Slide 8

•Historical experiences

• Current challenges

•Developmental vision/aspirations

Box 1: Country context

•Actors: International, regional, national local actors who initiate social protection programmes to further their institutional goals and political interests

•Institutions: Systems of rules that regulate behaviour by establishing norms, rewarding compliance, and punishing violations

•Ideas: Paradigms of ideas shaping governance and policy

Box 2: Political economy analysis

• Income support for children

• Social assistance to the unemployed/underemployed and poor

• Income security for the elderly and disabled

Box 3: Social assistance as SP

instruments

•Poverty reduction

•Inclusive growth (employment & equity)

•Social contract

Box 4: Impact of SP

COUNTRY CONTEXT Topic Two


COUNTRY CONTEXT

This is mostly the justification for the formulation of the policyand are categorized into three parts:

– Historical experiences and challenges of the country thatneed policy attention

– The current developmental and other issues that needpolicy attention

– The future vision, objectives and aspirations of the statethat need policy attention


THE POLITICAL ECONOMY ANALYSIS Topic Three


THE POLITICAL ECONOMY ANALYSIS

The formulation and implementation of social protection policiesare embedded in, and shaped by, several factors.

PEA involves an understanding of the interplay of factors andpower dynamics that shape three important unit of analysis,namely:

– ideas

– institutions

– actors


POLICY IDEAS

This is defined as the paradigms of ideas shapinggovernance and policy. Policy ideas may come fromdifferent sources and some of them are discussedbelow:

– Constitution

– Political parties manifestos

– Ideologies

– Historical experiences

– Borrowing and lesson drawings

2/28/2018Lecturers: Dr. S eidu Alidu Slide 13

POLICY INSTITUTIONS

This include systems of rules that regulate behaviour byestablishing norms, rewarding compliance, and punishingviolations. They inform, guide and superintend over policyideas. They could be international or local in nature.

Internationally, policy ideas may come from the following:

– UN Resolutions, Conventions and Protocols

– AU Resolutions, Conventions and Protocols

– Sub-regional institutional resolutions and protocols such as ECOWAS, SADC, COMESA AND CEN-SAD

2/28/2018Lecturers: Dr. Seidu Alidu Slide 14

POLICY INSTITUTIONS

Locally, the following laws, conventions and customsmay guide policy ideas:

– The Constitution

– Legislative Instruments

– Executive Instruments

– Judicial decisions and reviews

– Bye-laws

– Customs, Conventions, Traditions and Mores of the people


POLICY ACTORS

– This include international, regional, national local actorswho initiate social protection programmes to further theirinstitutional goals and political interests

– Every political system has actors that shape and influencedecisions and policies within the system. The type, natureand distribution of power between these actors determinethe categories of policies that are formulated andimplemented.

– The UK Department for International Development (DFID,2010, 2011) refers to the power dynamics between policyactors as embedded in existing “political settlements” ofevery country



Incentive for

Change

Power

Strong incentive* Weak incentive*

High power

Political elites

Labour unions

Business associations

Military

Police

Bureaucracy

Foot-soldiers A1

Faith-based organisations

GNAT, NAGRAT

Donors**

Transnational actors

Business associations

Religious leaders

GBA, GMA

A2

Low power Traditional Authorities*

Local political elites

Local business elites

SME traders

A3

Informal sector

Think tanks*

CSOs*

Youth groups

Women’s groups

Disability groups

Small-scale farmers

Petty traders

Non-traditional crop farmers

A4

SPECIFIC POLICIES AND THEIR EVALUATIONS

Topic Four

2/28/2018Lecturer Dr. Seidu Alidu Slide 18

SPECIFIC POLICIES AND THEIR EVALUATIONS

Specific policies are formulated after going through the power play thatcharacterize the Political Economy Analysis. These policies are inresponse to the issues identified in the country context.

They are then monitored and evaluated and may end up in any of thesethree outcomes:

• Perfect with little or no modifications

• Major challenges that need to be addressed and re-introduced

• Serious challenges that could lead to an eventual withdrawal ofthe policy

In all cases, it ties in back to the box one of the framework


References

• Awortwi, N., and Remi Aiyede, E. (2017) Politics, Public Policy and Social Protection in Africa: Evidence from Cash Transfer Programmes, Oxon: Routledge

• Barrientos, A. (2013) Social Assistance in Developing Countries, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

• Adesina, J.O. (2011) “Beyond the Social Protection Paradigm: Social Policy in Africa’s Development.” Canadian Journal of Development Studies, 32(4), 454-470

• Abebrese J. (2012) Social Protection in Ghana: An Overview of Existing Programmes and their Prospects and Challenges Friedrich Egbert Stiftung

• Devereux, S., and Sabates-Wheeler, R. (2004). Transformative Social Protection. Vol. 232. University of Sussex, Institute of Development Studies, 2004. P. 1

• PASGR. (2013) ‘Political Economy of Universal Social Protection Policy Uptake in Africa.’ Draft Research Framework Paper. Nairobi: PASGR.


poli 441 - godsonug · –the current developmental and other issues that need policy attention ......

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