…whatever the setting. This means using a compass rather than map, where real-time political economy analysis (PEA) in relation to context and programme monitoring and evidence-informed learning in relation to…
How does Gender change the way we think about Power?
…and mining: ‘A 2012/2013 Political Economy Analysis of mining in Malawi found that women’s specific priorities were systematically neglected in relevant decision-making. This was due to the power of male…
Take-up and Doubt: where have we got to on Thinking and Working Politically?
…Pacific (and not China)? Everyone talked a lot about Political Economy Analysis (PEA) but Ann Hudock contrasted ‘the political economy of manipulation’ with ‘stakeholder driven PEA’. How PEAs are created…
Book Review: Alex de Waal, the Real Politics of the Horn of Africa
…the rules of the political marketplace, or be cast out. ‘Most members of the political elites of north-east Africa have come to resemble gangsters rather than civic political leaders.’ Along…
Why demanding ‘political will’ is lazy and unproductive
…The nitty where’s the power analysis? gritty of advocacy must start with that kind of ‘power analysis’, to establish how to make a given demand can be made winnable. That…
What can political economists tell us about Africa, aid and development?
…Programme, Elites, Production and Poverty: A Comparative Analysis, Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa, Tracking Development). Here’s some highlights: From the summary: “African countries badly need to embark on…
Last word to Twaweza: Varja Lipovsek and Rakesh Rajani on How to Keep the Ambition and Complexity, Be Less Fuzzy and Get More Traction
…of “3i” analysis to which Duncan referred (others call it political economy analysis). Part of this is also just simply doing our homework: engaging more with both the theoretical frameworks…
Why don't Africa's politicians invest more in small farmers? The political economy of ag policy.
paper from the Future Agricultures consortium on the political economy of African agricultural policy. It seeks to answer an important question – why hasn’t the spread of democracy produced more…
Local thinktanks are natural allies in ‘Doing Development Differently’ so why not support them better?
…because: ‘Unlike outsiders they don’t need elaborate theories of change or Political Economy Analysis (PEAs) to understand how the internal power dynamics operate in their country. They have the local…
Book Review: Why We Lie About Aid by Pablo Yanguas
…political economy analysis to the margins of programmes, where they cannot easily support ongoing interventions. The book’s strongest chapters are the case studies of efforts to support anti-corruption bodies in…
Why do stable Political Party systems suddenly collapse? Some intriguing insights from Bolivia: Podcast (20m) and blogpost
…countries. Which is why the disintegration of its political system began earlier, and proceeded faster, than elsewhere. Adjusting heavily for context, Bolivia offers useful insights into how political disintegration works,…
Building women’s leadership in the most difficult places (Pakistan) – case study for your comments
…WLGs, in consultation with CACs and other community organizations, were the driving force behind the creation of a Women’s Manifesto for political parties. Ninety WLG members ran for political office…