Conducting DFIDs Country Governance Analysis CGA: principles, challenges and opportunities

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Conducting DFIDs Country Governance Analysis
(CGA) principles, challenges and opportunities

• Tanweena Chowdhury
• Politics and the State Team, Policy and Research
  Division
• T-Chowdhury_at_dfid.gov.uk

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Outline

• Why DFID conducts CGAs
• CGA basics
• CGA and PEA links
• Challenges and opportunities

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Why DFID conducts CGAs

• Need to better understand politics, governance,
  corruption and conflict in their right context
• Intended to put comprehensive governance
  assessment at the heart of DFIDs country
  planning cycle
• Also to put events in context

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CGA basics

• CGAs analyse governance context, trends and
  prognosis/risks
• In order to
• inform DFID ministers and senior management
• inform donor governance dialogue in-country
• inform the design of DFIDs country programme,
  and especially the governance programme and
• help manage risk.

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Five Guiding Principles

• The CGA should
• be rigorous, based on robust sources of
  information
• be embedded within DFIDs country planning
  process
• be set within the good governance or CAR
  framework
• support country-led approaches by building on
  existing processes of dialogue and
• support the Paris Declaration on Aid
  Effectiveness through shared analysis and by
  enabling us to decide how far to align with the
  partner government to achieve poverty reduction
  results.

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rigorous the evidence base

• Diverse set of indicators
• International national
• Comprehensive focused
• Quantitative qualitative
• Expert opinion
• Plethora of governance analyses and assessments
• National govt own assessments, audit reports,
  CSO reports
• Regional APRM reports, reg inst. reports
• Donors - Netherlands SGACA, EU GP, WB
  assessments, other bilaterals
• International AI, TI, Global Integrity reports

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embedded in DFIDs business planning

• CGAs are mandatory and regularly updated
• CGAs analysis linked to risk identification,
  scenario planning, implications for CO strategic
  direction, programme portfolio and identification
  of in country partners
• CGAs supporting background annex to COs issues
  and options submission to Ministers re country
  plan

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Set within the CAR framework

• State Capability Political Stability and
  Personal Security Economic and Social Policy
  Management Capability Government Effectiveness
  and Service Delivery Revenue Mobilisation
  Public Financial Management Conditions for
  Investment, Trade and Private Sector Development
• Accountability Political Freedoms and Rights
  Transparency and Media Political Participation
  and Checks Rule of Law and Access to Justice
  Civil Society
• Responsiveness Human Rights and Civil Liberties
  Pro-poor Policy Inequality, Discrimination and
  Gender Equality Regulatory Quality Corruption
• Focus on what matters!

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Support country led approaches

• owned by DFIDs country office
• embedded in existing processes of dialogue
• Support Paris Declaration
• HMG analysis
• shared analysis where possible

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CGA and PEA links

• CGAs need to be grounded in DoC/PEA
• Easier to analyse the what but need to
  understand the why and how, get under and
  unpack concept of political will
• Why?
• Ensure more effective development interventions
  (and less costly mistakes)
• Enhance policy dialogue with government and other
  donors
• Identify entry points to promote coalitions for
  change
• Help us to use aid strategically to shift
  incentives within domestic institutions

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Challenges opportunities

• Challenges
• Process Start early Get buy-in within CO with
  FCO Harmonize with other donors Communication
  can be biggest challenge QA
• Basis for analysis Ensuring CGA grounded in
  strong PEA, conflict analysis, wide evidence
  basis
• Implications Links between data, analysis and
  DFID programme and strategic direction need to be
  stronger
• Opportunities
• for DFID to reassess if Business-As-Usual
  mindset
• to identify key indicators to monitor, actionable
  indicators and basis for results framework
• for shared analyses to facilitate joint strategies