Case Studies: How CSOs use research-based evidence

1. How CSOs have contributed to implementing the Right to Food Campaign in India.
In May 2001 the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) filed a petition against the Government of India at the Supreme Court in the wake of starvation deaths in Orissa. The Supreme Court affirmed that where people are unable to feed themselves adequately, the government is obliged to provide for them, ensuring at the very least, that they are not exposed to malnourishment and starvation. This gave birth to the "Right to Food Campaign" which is an informal network of organisations and individuals committed to the realisation of the right to food in India. They have been instrumental in following the outcomes of the Supreme Court judgement and providing a continuous external check on how State governments are following orders. This case highlights the reasons behind this pro-poor initiative and the relative importance of policy research and communication (by Jean Dreze and NC Saxena) in bringing pressure on State governments.

2. CSOs contribution to PRSPs.
This study examines the Bolivian and Tanzania cases to assess the contribution made by CSOs to policy choices made in the full PRSP. The Bolivian process is often cited as exemplary while the Tanzanian experience is recognised by both civil society and government actors to have been a superficial exercise. In each case, however, the impact (or lack of impact) of participatory processes on the final PRSP document is not clearly understood.

As ever, assessing impact is very difficult. Using the RAPID framework, the study looks at the political context in these countries, the evidence used by the CSOs involved in the participation processes and the pre-existing links between government and civil society and, crucially, external influences. Within this framework, the study tries to establish a clearer picture of the impact made by civil society in PRSP formulation discussions on the policy content of the final PRSP. Part of this process is to construct a counter-factual based on earlier agreements with the World Bank and IMF and previous national policy documents, together with an examination of the external and political influences that had an impact on these policy decisions. This is compared to the final PRSP document.

The study is based on the extensive documentation collected by the PRSP Monitoring & Synthesis Project, information on the websites of networks working on PRSP issues (Afrodad, Eurodad, Bretton Woods Project, Jubilee Research) and interviews with key actors in INGOs that supported partners engaging in the PRSP processes in Bolivia and Tanzania (Christian Aid, Oxfam, Jubilee 2000).

3. A study of the work done by IBP, IDASA and other organisations translating research-based evidence in budget work.
This synthesis study looks at two CSOs affiliated to the International Budget Project (IBP) to better understand how they utilise research-based evidence to influence budget policies and priorities in their own countries. The first is IDASA in South Africa, which has a long experience and a good reputation in budget research and advocacy. The second one has been selected in collaboration with IBP, in order to identify another interesting CSO in a setting where civil society is not generally as active and developed as in South Africa (Uganda, Argentina, Ghana?).

The study covers details such as: (a) what sort of evidence was used? (b) how was impact achieved? (c) why is this example interesting/important?, and links to CAPE's ongoing work on defining pro-poor budget policies and the role of different stakeholders in budget processes.

The study is based on existing publications, information, reports via the IBP and IDASA websites, and on brief interviews with representatives of these organisations.

4. How CPRC country teams in India, South Africa and Uganda have been able to influence government policy and/ or action in their country.
The aim of this project is to develop a set of contrasting case studies of how teams of Chronic Poverty Research Centre (CPRC) researchers in India, Bangladesh, Uganda and South Africa have been able to raise the issues surrounding chronic poverty in domestic policy debates. These teams differ in composition from country to country, and are led by very different types of institution - in one country by a local NGO, in another by a policy think tank, and in another by a university department. The completed case studies will illustrate how strongly contrasting domestic policy environments combine with the composition of research teams in determining dissemination and policy influencing strategies and activities.

CPRC country team leaders will be asked to produce a short case study document. The case studies will be edited and a report produced with a short overview. These case studies will be available to illustrate work produced by RAPID and will be used by the CPRC to aid internal lesson learning in preparation for its next phase of funding. They form an integral part of the training workshop described in a separate proposal to the PPA (Policy Influencing and Media Engagement Workshop).

5. CSOs in India
This national-level overview paper for CWS (the Centre for World Solidarity) will describe the role of civil society organisations in India and how this has evolved since independence. CWS is the parent NGO of the Centre for People's Forestry (CPF) which is the focus for another PPA-funded project - Collaboration with the Centre for People's Forestry in India). The study will provide:

• An overview of NGO work in the country as a curtain raiser to the discourse of the country policy paper for CWS work; and
  
• Broad policy positions within key CSOs (in the areas of dalits and development, sustainable dryland agriculture, water, displaced populations, migration and trafficking, human rights, advocacy work and gender) , evidence of policy shifts and how CWS should position itself to maximise policy impact.
  

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