Evidence-based Policy in Development Network: Japan G8 Global Project Inception Workshop: Shangari – La Hotel, Accra, Ghana 8- 10 October 2007 Fletcher.

Evidence-based Policy in Development Network: Japan G8 Global Project

Inception Workshop: Shangari – La Hotel, Accra, Ghana 8- 10 October 2007

Fletcher Tembo, ODI, London. [email protected]

Overview• About ODI, RAPID and EBPDN

• Rationale for Global project

• Rationale for the workshop

• What is the G8 and what can it do for us?

• Issues facing the G8 in general

• Japan and East Asia

• Japan G8

– Prospective agenda

– TICAD and TICAD CSF

• The strategy for the workshop

Overseas Development Institute

• Development Think Tank

• 60 researchers

• Research / Advice / Public Debate

• Rural / Humanitarian / Poverty & Aid / Economics / Policy Processes

• DFID, Parliament, WB, EC

• Civil Society

For more information see: www.odi.org.uk

RAPID Group• Promoting evidence-based

development policy & practice• Through

– Research – Advice – Public Affairs– Capacity-building

• Working with:– researchers– policymakers– parliamentarians– southern think tanks– Civil society

for further information see: www.odi.org.uk/rapid / www.odi.org.uk/cspp

Evidence Based Policy in Development Network• A seven year DFID-funded programme to establish a

worldwide community of practice for promoting more evidence-based pro-poor development policies

• Key Activities:– A wide range of capacity development activities

including: practical training (multiplied through training of trainers);

– Small-scale collaborative projects between community members. These might include practical action-research projects aiming at specific policy process at national, regional and global level, or research and information activities.

– Establishing a community website to provide: knowledge on bridging research and policy; details of members of the network; a directory of training and advisory expertise; discussion fora; project areas; and a partnership brokering area.

– Information and knowledge exchange through: conferences, workshops and seminars; printed and web-based publications; and links with other networks.

Global Project: G8 Japan • Agreed at the 2006 CSPP annual meetings

at ODI as a collaborative project for all members

• Aim: Advancement of research-evidence on effectiveness of Japanese aid on Global South, engaging Southern CSO actors on the desirable future structure, instruments and major processes of her aid system, as it fits the 2008 international agenda window, in which the Japan will have a high profile as chair of G8

Global Project: Japan G8• Objectives

– Gathering and synthesizing research-based evidence on Japanese assistance, with a view to influencing pro-poor development assistance startegies for global south.

– Formulation and dissemination of debate on aid architecture globally through effective communication strategy.

– Consolidating a Southern-led global policy network on international aid architecture issues.

• Characteristics– Collective perspective– Focus: with 2 or 3 resounding issues!– Based on country consultations

• Main Output: A global synthesis report that will be disseminated to the wider audience culminating at the Summit in Japan

Rationale for Accra workshop

• Agree on two or three policy areas on which to focus to influence G8 Japan outcomes

• Develop methodology for gathering and synthesizing research-based evidence.

• Develop a communication and lobbying strategy

What is the G8 and what can it do and not do?• Established in 1975, for the heads of state of the major industrial

democracies to meet annually to deal with the major economic and political issues facing their domestic societies and the international community as a whole. Started as G6 (France, US, Britain, Germany, Japan and Italy; and then G7 with Canada in 1976) and then became G8 in 1998 with Russia.

• The G7/8 Summit has consistently dealt with macroeconomic management, international trade, and relations with developing countries

• Rotating hosting/chairing throughout the summit cycle at the end of the calendar year, as follows: France, United States, United Kingdom, Russia (as of 2006), Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada. Throughout the year, the leaders' personal representatives – known as sherpas – meet regularly to discuss the agenda and monitor progress. It is also accompanied by ministerial meetings (finance,

• Summit decisions often create and build international regimes to deal with new international challenges, and catalyze, revitalize and reform existing international institutions.

• the summit attracts the attention of thousands of journalists at each leaders' meeting, and of a number of countries seeking admittance to this exclusive and powerful club. It has also become a prime occasion for civil society organizations for advocacy and a site for anti-globalisation protests since Birmingham in 1998

What can the G8 do for us?• An important issue about the G8 is its political

capital which is effective in striking new deals, necessary under globilisation. The G8 has the unique capacity to combine politics with economics.

• the G8 performs more favourably on commitments that involve: minimal coordination among G8 states, few obligations beyond the provision of funds, and quantifiable goals.

• Weakest in building domestic support for the tough policies needed for international measures.

• Therefore the G8 is good for those high profile decisions that cannot be made at lower levels but that resonate with their domestic policies

• Measuring G8 performance around– Leadership, effectiveness, solidarity, durability,

acceptability and consistency

G8 Programme to 2008• Summit: July 7-9, Toyako, Hokkaido • Foreign Ministers: June 26-27, Kyoto • Finance Ministers: June 13-14, Osaka • Energy: Early June, Aomori • Justice and Interior: June 11-13, Tokyo • Environment: May 25-27, Kobe • Labour: May 11-13, Niigata • Development: Early April, Tokyo • G20 Dialogue: March 14-16, Chiba • Tokyo International Conference on African

Development, May 28-30, Yokohama[62]

Japan and AfricaJapan and Africa

Regional Strategy report Implementing Guidelines for Regional Projects in Africa

Task Strategy Reports by Region

Basic Education

HIV/AIDSWater Supply

in Villages

Agriculture/ Agricultural

Development

Promotion 　 of 　

SME 　

　 Education 　 Health/ 　 Medical

Care

Agriculture/ Agricultural

　 Development Promotion of

Trade & Investment

　　 Infrastructure 　Building

Economic Development社会開発　 Water Supply

Social Development

Focal Issues in assistance to Africa

NEPADInfrastructure

Building

Task strategy reports for each regions are necessary for the promotion of programming

Possible Agenda• By Toronto G8 research group

• Africa • Climate Change • Environment • Nuclear Safety • African Development • Intellectual Property Rights • Afghanistan • Heiligendamm Process • Other

• By GRIPS – TICAD IV will be critical but the following issues

are on table: boosting economic growth in Africa, Ensuring “Human Security” through poverty reduction – achieve MDGs, peace stability and democratisation; climate change

Directions of assistance to Africa: Directions of assistance to Africa: Growth PerspectiveGrowth Perspective

September 2003 “Poverty Reduction through Economic Growth” suggested as one of the 3 pillars of assistance toward Africa in TICADⅢ

November 2004 TICAD Asia-Africa Trade and Investment Conference

Five points emphasized by the Chairman:

1) Importance of infrastructure as a basis of development 2) Creating employment opportunity, the important role of growth

in reducing poverty 3) Importance of community development as an engine for growth 4) Comprehensive approach to lead growth to poverty reduction 5) Partnership with Asian Countries having achieved growth

Strengthening “economic development” (including infrastructure building)

in addition to “social development”

How different is Japan from other donors?

East Asia’s Way

Western Donors

Goal Economic prosperity & national pride

Poverty Reduction & MDGs

Policies Investment, trade, skills & technology

Health, Education, Governance

Key Actors Central govt & businesses

Local communities & poor people

Features of Japanese Aid

• Dual identity as donor and latecomer: growth aspiration, real sector concern

• Field-based, concrete thinking; pragmatism

• Passive ODA policy; clumsy speaker– Ethical debts to neighboring Asia– Fragmented aid system (both policy &

implementation– Weak political interest in ODA

policymaking

Purpose and Significance of Assistance for Private Purpose and Significance of Assistance for Private Sector Development (Promotion of SMEs) Sector Development (Promotion of SMEs)

Economic growth is a prerequisite for poverty reduction.

Development of the private sector (especially promotion of SMEs) contributes greatly to economic growth.

(Based on the experience in Asia)

SMEs are deeply rooted in the community, and hence economic growth through fostering and promoting SMEs greatly contributes to development of the community, and furthermore to the establishment of social security and the capacity development of individuals through job creation and income generation, thereby contributing to poverty reduction in accordance with “Human Security”.

Cooperation with

JBIC, JETRO, AOTS,

NEXI and other donors

Enhancement of

South-South

cooperation

Utilization of South

Africa’s economic power

Assistance in establishing a policy framework such as policies for promoting SMEs.

Empowerment for income generation in regions and communities.

Policy

Community

Assistance in strengthening the linkage with the market, including marketing, and expanding sales channels.

Market

Concept for Promoting Concept for Promoting SMEsSMEs in Africa in Africa

Approach to the promotion of SMEs－ Strategic and comprehensive approaches to

policy, market and community －

Econom

ic growth and

job creation/income generation

Independence and

originality

Local yet global

Human resources

development

Introduction of the “One village, One product” movement in Ooita

Development of a distribution and sales network

"One village, One product“ Secretariat

Management and development of systems

Product nurturing

Propagation of philosophy

Promotion of industries

Regional TrainingASEAN “One village, One product” Seminar

Asia-Africa Joint Knowledge Creation Seminar

Small farm production

Human resources development

Mushrooms Vegetable oil Stockfish Cow milk, etc.

Volunteer（ village development, vegetables, fruit trees,

livestock breeding, agricultural machinery,

Bamboo wares, package designing, etc.)

Nationwide Production Group

Technical cooperation project・ Experts （ small-scale business, marketing, micro-credit, agricultural product processing, fungi, etc.)・ Training （ processing technology, business, etc. ）

JETROAfrican FairDisplayed product from OVOP (baobab jam, moringa oil, honey, etc.)

““One village, One product” Program in MalawiOne village, One product” Program in Malawi

Additional essential references on the G8

• http://www.g7.utoronto.ca/• https://www.ashgate.com/shopping/

search_results.asp?seriesid=1142&seriesdesc=G8%20and%20Global%20Governance,%20The&location=series

• http://www.fpif.org/briefs/vol7/v7n09g8.html• http://www.politicos.co.uk/books/70117.htm• http://www.fes.de/ipg/inhalt_d/pdf/03_Fues_US.pdf• http://www3.brookings.edu/global/pubs/

200702_09governance.pdf• http://www.die-gdi.de/die_homepage.nsf/FSeauf?

OpenFrameset

Monitoring and Evaluation

Agenda Setting

DecisionMaking

Policy Implementation

Policy Formulation

Policy Processes

Civil Society

DonorsCabinet

Parliament

Ministries

Private Sector

Policy makers are…

• Speed

• Superficiality

• Spin

• Secrecy

• Scientific Ignorance

Vincent Cable – Lib. Democrat MP & Shadow Minister of FinanceMore at: www.odi.org.uk/RAPID/Meetings/Evidence

…practically incapable of using research-based evidence because of the 5 Ss…

Different Notions of Evidence

• Colloquial (Contextual)

• Anything that seems reasonable

• Policy relevant

• Timely

• Clear Message

Policy Makers’ Evidence

Source: Phil Davies Impact to Insight Meeting, ODI, 2005

• ‘Scientific’ (Context free)

• Proven empirically

• Theoretically driven

• As long as it takes

• Caveats and qualifications

Researchers’ Evidence

An Analytical Framework

The political context – political and economic structures and processes, culture, institutional pressures, incremental vs radical change etc.

External Influences Socio-economic and cultural influences, donor policies etc

The links between policyand research communities – networks, relationships, power, competing discourses, trust, knowledge etc.

The evidence – credibility, the degree it challenges received wisdom, research approaches and methodology, simplicity of the message, how it is packaged etc

A Practical Framework

External Influences political context

evidencelinks

Politics and Policymaking

Media, Advocacy, Networking Research,

learning & thinking

Scientific information exchange & validation

Policy analysis, & research

Campaigning, Lobbying

What you need to doWhat need to know What need to do How to do it

Political Context:

Evidence

Links

• Who are the policymakers?• Is there demand for ideas?• What is the policy process?

• What is the current theory?• What are the narratives?• How divergent is it?

• Who are the stakeholders?• What networks exist?• Who are the connectors,

mavens and salesmen?

• Get to know the policymakers.• Identify friends and foes.• Prepare for policy

opportunities. • Look out for policy windows.

• Work with them – seek commissions

• Strategic opportunism – prepare for known events + resources for others

• Establish credibility• Provide practical solutions• Establish legitimacy.• Present clear options• Use familiar narratives.

• Build a reputation• Action-research• Pilot projects to generate

legitimacy• Good communication

• Get to know the others• Work through existing

networks.• Build coalitions.• Build new policy networks.

• Build partnerships.• Identify key networkers,

mavens and salesmen.• Use informal contacts

The 5 rules for effective influence of research on policy• Win the argument about what the problem

is before you try to win the argument about the solution

• The political context is vital• Balance persistence and opportunism• Focus on application• Always be strategic

Source: Taylor, Mathew (2006), ‘Bridging Research and Policy: A UK Perspective’, in J. Court and S. Maxwell (eds), Policy Entrepreneurship for Poverty Reduction, Practical Action Publishing

Our strategy as EBPDN

• Work as Mavens but identify connectors and salesmen

• Find message that sticks

• Links, links, links

What’s coming up?Tokyo workshop that will take place from

24th- 26th October 2007

Thank you!

Why communicate?• To disseminate our research results

• To provide information

• To aid our research process

• To engage with specific groups

• To facilitate (public) discussion

• To lead to change

But…

more communication

≠ more change

Communications Toolkit• Planning Tools• Packaging Tools• Targeting Tools• Monitoring Tools

Communications Toolkit• Planning Tools

– Stakeholder Analysis – Social Network Analysis – Problem Tree Analysis – Force Field Analysis – National Systems of

Innovation (NSI) – How to Write a

Communications Strategy • Packaging Tools• Targeting Tools• Monitoring Tools

Key skill:to understand

What does to understand mean?

UNAIDS (1999):

• Government

• Socio-economic status

• Culture

• Gender

• Spirituality

Communications Toolkit• Planning Tools• Packaging Tools

– Visioning Scenarios: Show the Future

– Tell a Story – Provide a Solution – Use Surprise – Be Persuasive

• Targeting Tools• Monitoring Tools

Key skill:to inspire

What does to inspire mean?Dagron (2001):

“We have come to appreciate the true power of face-to-face and voice-to-voice communication. Every meaningful lesson or belief I’ve garnered in life came from someone I value explaining the issue to me and involving me in the process of figuring out the solution.”

(Preface by Gray-Felder)

Communications Toolkit• Planning Tools• Packaging Tools• Targeting Tools

– Writing Policy Papers – Building a CoP– Lobbying – Using Email – Websites – Blogging – Media Engagement – Radio

• Monitoring Tools

Key skill:to inform

What does it mean to inform?

• HCP (2003): Most young people in Windhoek believe that ‘abstinence’ means ‘to be absent’

• Lambert (2001): Among a group of women in India, sex could only be discussed in whispers

• Senior policymaker: “I don’t have time to learn”

Communications Toolkit• Planning Tools• Packaging Tools• Targeting Tools• Monitoring Tools

– Most Significant Change (MSC)

– Outcome Mapping – Researcher Checklist – CFSC Integrated Mode Key skill:

to learn

What does it mean to learn?

What are the indicators of success?

• Access

• Reception

• Response

• Understanding

• Uptake

• Change in policy

• Change in practice

In conclusion…More communication ≠ more change• But better communication can lead to

change.

Key skills: • to understand, • to inspire, • to inform, and • to learn.

Exercise

• Who is your key Audience?

• How do they like to learn?

• What forms of communication do you use now?

• What other forms of communication might be more effective?

Be careful, too much information…

Thank you!