|
Power Analysis, developed by the Swedish International Development
Agency (Sida), is used to understand and analyse power relations
at the macro level. Based on secondary literature reviews and interviews,
Power Analysis focuses on formal and informal power relations and
structures, and how these factors affect and are affected by development
policies. Actors, interest groups and structures are analysed to
determine where the real power in a country lies and how that power
is distributed geographically, institutionally and socially. It
may also identify what type of power is being used and by whom,
and how it is understood and perceived.
Further details about the tool
This narrative tool can be used for gaining a nuanced understanding
of formal and informal power relations and structures; understanding
how these factors affect and are affected by development cooperation;
acquiring a deeper knowledge and understanding of particular political
contexts and conditions; and understanding institutional and structural
factors affecting 'the lack of political will'. Power analysis can
also help in making country strategies more strategic and realistic
with more realistic time frames and indicators for judging progress,
improving risk analysis and challenging donor assumptions about
conditions for pro-poor reform. It aids strategic thinking about
how change - or retardation - occurs ('how' rather than 'what')
and how these changes will affect poor men and women.
The analysis of actors, interest groups and structures attempts
to uncover where the real power in a society lies and how power
is distributed geographically, institutionally and socially. It
may also point to what kind of power is being exercised and how,
as well as how this is understood or perceived, and by whom.
Issues that should be covered could be summarised as actors, structures,
processes, relations and hierarchies.
Other key areas of understanding that could be addressed include:
basic country analysis (e.g. social, political, economic and institutional
factors affecting dynamics and possibilities for change); medium-term
dynamics of change (e.g. incentives and capacities of agents operating
within particular institutional domains - i.e. policy processes);
role of external forces (e.g. donor actions, aid modalities and
influencing strategies on these processes); links between change
and poverty reduction (e.g. how expected changes will affect poverty,
on what time-scale and the implications); operational implications
(e.g. how to translate understanding into strategies/actions); and
how donors or funding institutions work (e.g. organisational incentives
for staff to acquire and retain a deeper knowledge of country context).
The timescale is between two to six months to carry out the in-depth
narrative based on a secondary literature review and interviews
with key informants. It is necessary to have in-depth country knowledge
and access to literature on political-economic, political-science,
sociological and other analysis.
The limitations of this tool include that the concept of 'power'
is contested (i.e. people mean a range of different things when
they use the term) so alternative studies of the same country at
the same moment from different people could produce very different
products. Where complex and difficult-to-research issues are included,
analysis may actually focus on familiar issues with the most 'models'
and/or examples (e.g. political and government institutions and
law) rather than more difficult issues surrounding the 'politics
of poverty'. If discussions of power to poverty are not systematically
linked, issues such as the prevailing political culture and political
will of key actors to redress the plight of the poor may be left
out. Finally, it needs to be sufficiently focussed to provide in-depth
analysis and be operationally useful.
For more information
Back to Tools for Policy Impact index
|
