Resources – TWP

There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating that programs focused on technical knowledge and capacity alone are insufficient to address development challenges that are rooted in deeply entrenched power structures, and bureaucratic norms that are shaped by these political dynamics. Furthermore, there is growing evidence that flexible, adaptive, politically smart programs can produce tangible results, well beyond traditional programs on the same issues.

We have started to compile a collection of case studies, research, toolkits, and guidance notes to provide the Community of Practice with a library of resources across different countries and regions and across different sectors. If you would like to recommend relevant documents that could be added here for the benefit of the Community and other readers, please send a link and brief description to info@twpcommunity.org.

Thinking and Working Politically through Applied Political Economy Analysis

Alina Rocha Menocal, Marc Cassidy, Sarah Swift, David Jacobstein, Corinne Rothblum, Ilona Tservil (USAID) 2018 Toolkits & Guidance

This guidance provides information on how USAID can think and work in ways that are more politically aware — an approach known as “thinking and working politically” (TWP) — through the use of applied political economy analysis. PEA is a structured approach to examining power dynamics and economic and social forces that influence development. Through programming that seeks to more rigorously respond and adapt to these realities, USAID is working to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of its international development efforts. PEA can help to operationalize the process of thinking politically, while USAID’s initiative on Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA), described later in this guide, supports the operationalization of working politically. Together, they can add significant value to a mission’s strategy, projects and activities — offering the potential to address development challenges in all sectors. This guide follows the definition of politics as the process of determining “who gets what, when and how.”

Thinking and working politically in Somalia: A case study on the Somalia Stability Fund

Ed Laws (ODI) 2018 Research

The Somalia Stability Fund (SSF) is a multi-donor instrument that aims to strengthen local governance and mitigate conflict in Somalia. From the outset, SSF has been designed to respond flexibly and rapidly to needs on the ground, to experiment and incur higher levels of programming risk than is normal, and to adapt in response to learning. SSF’s strategy is also problem-driven: rather than providing a detailed description of a desired end state and a sequence of actions to deliver it, it identifies a core problem at the root of instability in Somalia and decides how to address it. Its aim is to generate a sequence of iterative solutions, and to keep adapting and improving. The Fund is also driven by the principle of ‘local ownership first’, based on the belief that for peace to be sustained, it must be home grown, bottom-up and context-specific.

These principles and features of the program resonate strongly with some core ideas and examples being discussed about how to improve development practice through more politically informed and adaptive ways of working. It is clear that SSF has achieved some significant successes in an extremely challenging and dynamic political environment, which does suggest the value of thinking and working politically in this context. This report looks at three success cases: the Fund’s support to the formation of three nascent federal states; infrastructure investment projects in Balanbale and Abudwak; and the reconciliation process between Galmadug State and Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a. This is followed by a discussion of two of the more challenging investment projects that the Fund has engaged in, focusing on the Hirshabelle State Formation process and the construction of the Baraawe airstrip. The report then looks at the Fund’s work on gender equality, reflecting on its progress in achieving greater formal political representation for women in Somalia, but also some of the significant obstacles that remain in shifting entrenched patriarchal norms.

Thinking and Working Politically: Reviewing the evidence

Ed Laws and Heather Marquette 2018 Research

This paper provides a critical review of the evidence on thinking and working politically (TWP) in development. Scholars and practitioners have increasingly recognised that development is a fundamentally political process, and there are concerted efforts underway to develop more politically-informed ways of thinking and working. However, while there are interesting and engaging case studies in the literature, these do not yet constitute a strong evidence base that shows these efforts can be clearly linked to improved development outcomes. Much of the evidence used so far to support more politically-informed approaches is anecdotal, does not meet the highest standards for a robust body of evidence, is not comparative (systematically or otherwise), and draws on a small number of self-selected, relatively well-known success stories written by programme insiders. The paper discusses the most common factors mentioned in the TWP literature as part of the account for why politically-informed programmes are believed to have been able to succeed in areas where more conventional programming approaches may have fallen short. It then looks at the state of the evidence on TWP in three areas: political context, sector, and organisation. The aim is to show where research efforts have been targeted so far and to provide guidance on where to focus next. In the final section, the paper outlines some ways of testing the core assumptions of the TWP agenda more thoroughly.

Adapting to learn and learning to adapt: Practical insights from international development projects

Brinkerhoff, D., Frazer, S., & McGregor-Mirghani, L. 2018 Research

A Strategic Approach to Social Accountability in Pakistan

Tom Kirk (IDS) 2017 Research

This paper explores the progress of the Empowerment, Voice and Accountability for Better Health and Nutrition (EVA) project implemented by Palladium in partnership with the Centre for Communications Programmes Pakistan. The paper situates the project within contemporary understandings of social accountability programming, and examines its approach to operationalising an adaptive, politically savvy and locally led way of working in a challenging context.

The Donor’s Dilemma: International Aid and Human Rights Violations

Niheer Dasandi and Lior Erez 2017 Research

Political Economy Analysis Training Exercise: Dejuristan

National School of Government International (NSGI) 2017 Courses

This pack brings together all the material needed to run a one day training exercise on Political Economy Analysis (PEA). The training exercise is designed to be run in conjunction with: The Beginner’s Guide to Political Economy Analysis (2017), published by NSGI (see below). However, it could be used alongside other guidance notes that adopt an 'everyday' or conversational approach to PEA. The exercise is designed to be fun and is meant as a light-touch introduction to the issues for those who are new to PEA ideas and practice.

Thinking and Working Politically: Lessons from FOSTER in Nigeria

Elisa Lopez Lucia, Joanna Buckley, Heather Marquette and Neil McCulloch (DLP) 2017 Research

The Facility for Oil Sector Transparency and Reform (FOSTER) was a £14 million programme that has helped Nigeria to transform its governance of the oil and gas industry. It achieved some remarkable successes in an unfavourable political environment as a result of thinking and working politically. This paper examines the outcomes from five ‘clusters’ of FOSTER interventions. It highlights lessons on three issues: how interventions were implemented; their content (what was done); and their politics, including how the programme worked politically and dealt with internal incentives.

Governance for growth in Vanuatu: review of a decade of thinking and working politically

Helen Tilley and Sierd Hadley 2017 Case studies

The project is run in a unique way and it has withstood a range of changes in context from political instability in Vanuatu to organisational changes in DFAT. Key to its success has been operating at arm’s length and the careful management of expectations with partners and also DFAT.

Thinking and working politically for legal reform on gender equality

Voices for Change 2017 Case studies

This paper summarises learning from experience of the Voices for Change (V4C) programme in Nigeria, over four years of programme implementation, between 2013 and 2017, on legislative reform related to gender equality.

The Beginner's Guide to Political Economy Analysis (PEA)

Alan Whaites, National School of Government International (NSGI) 2017 Courses

This guide borrows from the best materials that are available while also adapting some approaches by incorporating wider ideas on politics and institutions. It affirms that there should never be an official 'orthodoxy’ for PEA thus the emphasis here is on questions, prompts and ideas to help thinking and practice. Overall this note focuses on 'the essentials’ of PEA as they relate to the following questions:

Why do we do political economy analysis, and what is it?
What kinds of issues and ingredients are often included in a PEA?
How do we make sense of the different varieties of PEA?
What tools are out there to help us conduct a PEA?
What is thinking and working politically?

Thinking and Working Politically, Regionally: Think flotillas, not sailboats (or railtracks)

Bruce Byiers (ECDPM) 2017 Presentations

This presentation was delivered by Bruce Byiers at the TWP CoP workshop in June, 2017. It is centred on regional integration, specifically on regional organisations in Africa and the various factors and incentives that are at play.

Thinking and working politically on Fish in Myanmar

Gerry Fox (Pyoe Pin) 2017 Presentations

This is a presentation delivered by Gerry Fox at the 2017 Doing Development Differently (DDD) workshop. It reflects on Thinking & Working Politically in relation to fishing communities in Myanmar.

From Thinking and Working Politically in the Philippines

Jaime Faustino (Coalitions for Change, the Asia Foundation, Australian Aid) 2017 Presentations

This is a presentation delivered by Jaime Faustino (Program Director, the Asia Foundation) at the 2017 Doing Development Differently (DDD) workshop in the Philippines. It covers a range of elements that are considered to be critical in the agenda for reform.

Thinking and Working Politically in the Global Garment Industry: Strengthening Trade Unions, Tackling Gender Ideologies and Reforming International Trade

Alice Evans (University of Cambridge) 2016 Research

This paper argues that in order to improve working conditions in the global garment industry we need to think and work politically. It contends that mainstream interventions (ad hoc NGO workshops and box-ticking corporate codes of conduct) are largely ineffective, because they do not strengthen the power of labour against capital. This article suggests potential remedies.

Political Economy Analysis in Action: A Training Course provided for Swiss Development Cooperation

William Kingsmill & Gareth Williams, The Policy Practice 2016 Courses

This is a training course looking at various aspects of Political Economic Analysis (PEA). It covers what political economy analysis is, and the different operational contexts where it has a role to play. It also focuses on how it can be used to improve development policy and programme design and management as well as what tools and frameworks are available for political economy analysis and how they can be applied.

Political dynamics and the effectiveness of aid programmes

Ed Laws 2016 Research

As a result of the growing appreciation of the political barriers to development, donors and research organisations have developed a range of analytical frameworks and diagnostic tools to help navigate the political and economic conditions which can restrict the effectiveness of aid programmes.

Political settlements and pathways to universal health coverage

Tim Kelsall, Tom Hart and Edward Laws 2016 Research

Using political economy analysis in conflict, security and justice programmes

Lisa Denney 2016 Toolkits & Guidance

This guidance note provides a framework for implementers of conflict, security and justice programmes to conduct political economy analysis (PEA) at the design or inception phase to ensure a deep understanding of the context drives activities. The publication draws on ODI’s ongoing work employing PEA to security and justice programmes.

How Large, Traditional Aid Programs Can Be Politically Smart: Experience from Southeast Asia

Thomas Parks (DFAT) 2016 Presentations

This presentation explores what Thinking & Working Politically means, both theoretically and in practice, using and reflecting on examples from DFAT programs.

Applied Political Economy Analysis Field Guide

Diana Cammack 2016 Toolkits & Guidance

This document provides an overview of the methodology currently being adopted by USAID in its programming. They are developing Applied PEA as a problem-focused methodology intended to be used by Mission staff to inform the design of aid interventions at any phase of the USAID program cycle and at any level of effort.

The political economy of regional integration in Africa – case studies

ECDPM 2016 Case studies

This series of studies looks at the drivers, challenges and the political economy of regional integration in Africa.

Everyday political analysis

David Hudson, Heather Marquette (DLP) and Sam Waldock (DFID Rwanda) 2016 Research

In this short note a framework is introduced for thinking about politics and power called Everyday Political Analysis (EPA). EPA is for anyone who is convinced that politics and power matter, but feels less sure of how to work out what they mean for their programs. This note introduces a stripped-back political analysis framework – stripped down to its barest bones – leaving only the essentials needed to help frontline staff make quick but politically-informed decisions.

Thinking and Working Politically: From Theory Building to Building an Evidence Base

Niheer Dasandi, Heather Marquette and Mark Robinson 2015 Research

This paper discusses the steps required to build a robust evidence base for ‘thinking and working politically’ (TWP) in development. The ideas behind TWP are increasingly common in development discussions, and understanding which parts are necessary and sufficient conditions for success is crucial for moving it into mainstream development programming.

The political economy of regional integration in Africa: What drives and constrains regional organisations?

Jan Vanheukelom, Bruce Byiers, San Bilal and Sean Woolfrey 2015 Research

This report argues that although there has been promising commitments to regional cooperation in Africa from regional actors and donors regional integration has been slow. The authors present case studies and research which argues this has been as a result of a failure to understand the political or economic factors that drive or hinder regional integration.

From political economy analysis to doing development differently: a learning experience

David Booth, Daniel Harris and Leni Wild 2015 Research

This paper examines seeks to understand under what conditions an understanding of political economy can strengthen aid-supported development efforts. Its findings are based on the experiences of policy researchers at ODI who have used adaptive approaches to development. The paper assesses the gains to be had from moving from broad-brush country analysis to more problem-driven approaches and recounts lessons learned from development agencies trying to embed political economy analysis into their work.

Researching State legitimacy: A political approach to a political problem

Claire Mcloughlin 2015 Research

This paper carves a path through the sprawling debate on the meaning and measurement of state legitimacy and sets out a political approach to researching it.

The Donor’s Dilemma: Thinking Politically About Difficult Choices

Niheer Dasandi and Lior Erez 2015 Research

Giving aid to non-democratic development states can be problematic to donors. This paper establishes a conceptual framework that can assist donors facing this dilemma in a normative justified way.

Thinking and Working Politically: supporting partners and staff through a participatory approach to political economy analysis

SAVI 2015 Research

This report uses experience from programs in Nigera to advise how to move from simple “political economy analysis” as an activity into ingraining thinking and working politically into all projects.

Political Engagement with Non-State Actors in Areas of Limited Statehood

Suda Perera 2015 Research

This paper surveys the literature on development and NSAs. It sets out the evidence for the merits of engaging politically with NSAs by incorporating them into governance and statebuilding programmes, and examines the challenges this may pose.

A five lenses framework for analysing the political economy in regional integration

Bruce Byiers, Jan Vanheukelom and Christian K.M. Kingombe 2015 Research

By reviewing the literature on regional cooperation this paper presents a new framework for regional cooperation and applies to two to examples; the political drivers and constraints to regional integration in the East African Community and a political economy analysis of the North-South Corridor.

Gender and Power

Diane Koester 2015 Research

This Concept Brief discusses the links between gender and power. Arguing that gender is donors have largely neglected ‘gender’ in their efforts to understand power relations in partner countries this paper contends that gender is one of the most persistent causes, consequences and manifestations of power relation. By addressing these blind spots, a focus on gender can significantly enhance donors’ insights into power dynamics and their ability to ‘think and work politically’ overall.

Improving Development Aid Design and Evaluation: Plan for Sailboats, Not Trains

Rachel Kleinfeld 2015 Case studies

This paper looks at the difficulty of using effective measurement programs whilst engaging with politics and policy. The authors argue the measurement techniques gaining popularity are those least able to determine how to implement political reforms.

Thinking and working politically

David Booth 2015 Research

This E-learning package provides development professionals guidance on how to include the principals of ‘thinking and working politically’ in program design to improve outcomes.

Adapting development: how local reformers revolutionised land rights in the Philippines [Video]

How activists in the Philippines used adaptive development strategies to increase property ownership. 2015 Case studies

This case study examines how activists in the Philippines used adaptive development strategies to increase property ownership.

Political economy of energy in southern Africa

Roisin Hinds 2015 Case studies

This paper looks at the political economy of the energy sector in Southern Africa. By evaluating recent literature on this subject the author concludes some African states, with encouragement from international donors, have developed regional power sharing arrangements as a strategy to deal with the continent’s energy problems. Power pools aim to balance electrical loads over a larger network, lower electricity prices, and expand access by encouraging trade and investment in the sector

Adapting development: improving services to the poor

Leni Wild, David Booth, Clare Cummings, Marta Foresti and Joseph Wales 2015 Case studies

This report argues that in order to avoid reproducing the pattern of uneven progress that has characterised the MDG campaign, there must be more explicit recognition of the political conditions that enable or obstruct development progress.

Case study: State Partnership for Accountability, Responsiveness and Capability

Victoria Chambers, Clare Cummings and Hamish Nixon 2015 Case studies

Nigeria is one of the UK Department for International Development’s (DFID’s) largest governance portfolios, and the State Partnership, Accountability, Responsiveness and Capability (SPARC) programme is one of its central components. This study assesses how the SPARC programme functions in light of recent shifts in PSR thinking and practice, and considers lessons for future governance reform programmes.

Topic Guide: Political economy analysis

Claire Mcloughlin (GSDRC) 2014 Research

This topic guide provides pointers to some of the key literature on political economy analysis and evidence of its impact on aid effectiveness in different contexts. It includes examples of analyses at country, sector and programme level.

Services in the city: governance and political economy in urban service delivery

Harry Jones, Clare Cummings and Hamish Nixon 2014 Research

This discussion paper reviews literature on the political economy of four key urban services: solid waste management, water supply, transport, and urban health services. The four sector reviews demonstrate the importance of governance factors – partly rooted in physical, economic, social and political differences between rural and urban environments – in shaping service delivery in urban environments.

The SAVI programme in Nigeria: towards politically smart, locally led development

David Booth (ODI) 2014 Case studies

This paper finds that SAVI illustrates the power of facilitated multi-stakeholder engagement and the disadvantages of seeing this in terms of ‘supply side’ and ‘demand side’ governance.

Using Action Research and Learning for Politically Informed Programming

Michael O’Keefe, John T. Sidel, Heather Marquette, Chris Roche, David Hudson and Niheer Dasandi (DLP) 2014 Research

Politically smart, locally led development

David Booth and Sue Unsworth 2014 Case studies

This paper presents seven cases of aid-funded interventions. The central message is that donor staff were successful because they adopted politically smart, locally led approaches, adapting the way they worked in order to support iterative problem-solving and brokering of interests by politically astute local actors.

Security and Justice: Towards Politically Informed Programming

Shivit Bakrania 2014 Research

This paper sets out to explore what the literature tells us about the politics of security and justice programming. It also aims to capture recommendations and approaches towards a more politically nuanced approach to donor programming in this area.

Political economy and forced displacement : guidance and lessons from nine country case studies

Ray Jennings, Nat Colletta, Cordelia Chesnutt 2014 Case studies

This report was produced for the Global Program on Forced Displacement and describes why and how to conduct political economy analysis (PEA) of forced displacement. It also illustrates how PEA may contribute to understanding forced displacement crises with nine case studies: Casamance (Senegal), Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, the Philippines, Somalia, South Sudan, and Zimbabwe.

Aiding institutional reform in developing countries: lessons from the Philippines on what works, what doesn’t and why

David Booth (ODI) 2014 Case studies

This paper examines two reform programmes. It concludes successful change is discovered in a problem-solving, iterative and learning-oriented way.

Building capacity in Rwanda through SCBI

Matt Andrews and Leni Wild 2014 Case studies

This case study examines a capacity building program in Rwanda.

‘Learning while doing’ in Rwanda: what we can learn from AGI (and what they missed)

Leni Wild (ODI) 2014 Case studies

This blog post analyses a caste study from an AGI capacity building program in Rwanda. It discusses where the program was successful and what more could be done in future programs.

Donors doing Political Economy Analysis: from process to product

Jonathan Fisher and Heather Marquette (DLP) 2014 Research

Political economy analysis (PEA) was once seen as a transformative process meant to help donor officials to think and work politically. But this study finds that PEA has become in many cases a bespoke set of off-the-shelf products designed by external consultants for ad hoc use by donor staff. It argues that this type of ‘PEA™’ is no longer fit for purpose: to move forward with the ‘thinking politically’ agenda, a radical change in approach is needed. The study draws on semi-structured interviews with donor staff at a number of agencies, and with consultants and academics working on PEA; on participant observation of PEA debate and training; and on textual analysis.

The technical is political: what does this mean for the health sector?

Daniel Harris, Richard Batley and Joseph Wales 2014 Research

This brief, aims to help bridge the gap between governance and sector specialists by examining the politics and governance of the health sector through a ‘sector characteristics’ lens.

Analysing the politics of public services: a service characteristics approach

Richard Batley and Daniel Harris 2014 Research

The service characteristics approach, described in this paper, was developed as a tool to explain the political dynamics of particular services. It has been tested and elaborated in discussion with specialists in health, education, water and sanitation, focusing on current debates in each sector.

Getting real about politics: from thinking politically to working differently

Alina Rocha Menocal 2014 Research

The of this report author contends that despite efforts from the international community the developing world have remained unable to provide adequately for the well-being of their populations at large. This has helped crystallise the fact that the challenge of development lies not what needs to be done but how it needs to be done. Getting to the ‘how’ requires a solid understanding of the institutional dynamics at work, both formal and informal, and the kinds of incentives they generate.

The technical is political: understanding the political implications of sector characteristics for the delivery of sanitation services

Nathaniel Mason, Richard Batley and Daniel Harris 2014 Research

This brief, aims to help bridge the gap between technical assistance and political context in the sanitation sector.

From political economy to political analysis

David Hudson and Adrian Leftwich (DLP) 2014 Research

This study argues that existing political economy approaches lack the analytical tools needed to grasp the inner politics of development. It aims to give policy makers and practitioners more precise conceptual tools to help them interpret the inner ‘micro-politics’ of the contexts in which they work.

The political economy of inclusive healthcare in Cambodia

Tim Kelsall and Seiha Heng 2013 Case studies

This working paper explores and seeks to explain some of the deep-seated problems of the Cambodian health system. This paper concludes that the current situation is as a result of Cambodia’s ‘political settlement’, in which relatively successful multi-stakeholder initiatives exist as ‘islands of effectiveness’ in a sea of rent-seeking and patronage.

Thinking and acting politically: Supporting citizen engagement in governance: The experience of the State Accountability and Voice Initiative in Nigeria

DFID 2013 Case studies

This report concludes that aid agencies can ‘work with the grain’ by moving from capacity building to a hands-on facilitation and brokering relationships between citizens and the state.

The technical is political: understanding the political implications of sector characteristics for the delivery of drinking water services

Nathaniel Mason, Richard Batley and Daniel Harris 2013 Research

The water supply sector has characteristics that have political as well as technical implications. They affect the ways individuals and groups interact in relation to the delivery of drinking water services.

The technical is political: understanding the political implications of sector characteristics for education service delivery

Daniel Harris, Richard Batley, Claire Mcloughlin and Joseph Wales 2013 Research

This paper focuses on the education sector and argues using a structured approach to understanding the relationship between technical and political features can help to make sense of key sector debates (such as the role of access to information), reconcile apparent contradictions (for example, between political commitments and outcomes), and strengthen understanding of why education might either outpace or lag behind other sectors in a given context.

Donors, Development Agencies and the use of Political Economic Analysis: Getting to grips with the politics of development?

Laura Routley and David Hulme 2013 Research

This paper examines the take up of Political Economic Analysis (PEA) tools and approaches by development agencies. It charts the emergence of PEA, reviews the embryonic literature on this phenomenon and asks whether this approach assists donors and development agencies to comprehend politics and the impact of politics on the effectiveness of their programmes.

Workshop Paper – Coalitions in the Politics of Development

DLP 2012 Research

This report of a DLP coalitions workshop represents the first of a series of papers and research findings from the DLP that seek to clarify this pervasive feature of the politics of development and change. By bringing together practitioners, researchers and theorists from developed and developing societies we reckoned that some important continuities, generalizations and messages might emerge.

Thinking and Working Politically: What does it mean? Why is it important? And how do you do it?

Adrian Leftwich 2011 Research

This short notes suggests ways we might usefully conceptualise what it means to think and work politically in development.

Working Politically Behind Red Lines: Structure and agency in a comparative study of women’s coalitions in Egypt and Jordan

Mariz Tadros 2011 Case studies

This study examines six cases of collective initiatives to advance women’s rights in Egypt and Jordan between 2000 and 2010. It explores what accounts for the emergence, success and failure of women’s coalitions in these two countries.

What's politics got to do with it?: Why donors find it so hard to come to terms with politics, and why this matters

Sue Unsworth 2009 Research

Donors are paying more attention to politics, and some are applying political analysis to specific aspects of development practice. But this is having little influence on mainstream debates about aid, and donors are not questioning their implicit assumptions about how development happens. There are powerful intellectual and institutional barriers to recognising that politics is central to the whole development process. This matters because, without a change in their mental models, donors will not invest in understanding local political dynamics, or give priority to strategically important but difficult issues. If they did so they would discover some very practical opportunities for progress.