Mapping Political Contexts

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RAPID Programme www.odi.org.uk/rapid

SMEPOL, Cairo, February, 2005

Mapping the Policy Context• RAPID Framework• Stakeholder Analysis• Force field analysis• Policy Process Mapping• Influence mapping• Outcome Mapping

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RAPID Programme www.odi.org.uk/rapid

SMEPOL, Cairo, February, 2005

The Policy Cycle

(Young and Quinn, 2002)

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RAPID Programme www.odi.org.uk/rapid

SMEPOL, Cairo, February, 2005

Stakeholder Analysis

Why:• To understand who

gains or lose from a policy or project.

• To help Build Consensus.

Steps:1. Identify Stakeholders

2. Analysis Workshop

3. Develop Strategies

Keep Satisfied

Engage Closely

Monitor (minimum effort)

Keep Informed

High

Power

Low

Low HighInterest

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RAPID Programme www.odi.org.uk/rapid

SMEPOL, Cairo, February, 2005

Forcefield Analysis

Steps: 1. Identify a specific

Change

2. Identify forces for and againsty change

3. Prioritise the forces

4. Develop Strategies to overcome opposing and reinforce supporting forces

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RAPID Programme www.odi.org.uk/rapid

SMEPOL, Cairo, February, 2005

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

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RAPID Programme www.odi.org.uk/rapid

SMEPOL, Cairo, February, 2005

Policy Process Mapping• General Context issues – domestic and international.• Specific Policy Issues (i.e. the policy cycle)• Who are the Stakeholders? (Stakeholder analysis)

– Arena: government, parliament, civil society, judiciary, private sector.

– Level: local, national, international • What is their Interest and Influence?• Process matrix + political matrix• Political and administrative feasibility assessment

[Sources: M. Grindle / J. Court ]

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RAPID Programme www.odi.org.uk/rapid

SMEPOL, Cairo, February, 2005

Policy Process Mapping

Agenda Formulation Implementation Mon & Eval. Government

Political Society

Bureaucracy

Civil Society

Private Sector

International

National & Local (& International)

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RAPID Programme www.odi.org.uk/rapid

SMEPOL, Cairo, February, 2005

Policy Process Mapping for SMEs• Participants work on a set of actors related to

policy processes• Steps:

1. Identify key actors that influence SME policy2. Create Matrix: Organizations and Key Steps of the

Policy Process3. Describe Organizations’ formal position in the policy

process4. Describe Organizations’ informal influence on the

policy process5. Give a number rating (1=low; 5=high) for the influence

each organization has on different parts of the policy process.

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RAPID Programme www.odi.org.uk/rapid

SMEPOL, Cairo, February, 2005

Policy Process Mapping

Formulation Implementation Government Political Society Bureaucracy Civil Society Private Sector International Group 1 – Government

Group 2 – Political Society and Bureaucracy

Group 3 – Civil Society, Private Sector and International

Group Work 1:Mapping the political process1. Within your area(s) – identify the key actors that

influence SME policy formulation and/or implementation2. Outline their formal and informal roles in formulation

and/or implementation and write a description on an index card

3. Also identify, and write on the car where SME research is undertaken

4. Give a number rating (1=low; 5=high) for the influence each organization has on different parts of the policy process.