CSA Lessons and Challenges

1
CSALessons and Challenges

• Carlos Sojo
• FLACSO
• Making Macro Social Analysis Work for Policy
  Dialogue.
• Social Development Department. The World Bank,
• May 16-19 2006
• Washington DC.

2
Contents

• Social science and social knowledge
• A case for CSA
• Discussing WB CSA
• Challenges for CSA

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Social science and social knowledge

• We still need social scientist? Decreasing
  enrollment in social sciences at public
  universities.
• The tension between applied science and critic
  theory.
• The TWTP Syndrome the conflict between sound
  and sustainable scientific research vs.
  Consultancy work.
• The neo empirism knowledge data.
• Real cooperation and synergies.
• Institutional, human resources, sharing methods
  and findings.

4
A Case for CSA

• Beyond specialization it is possible, and will
  be neccesary for increase development policies,
  to have comprehensive assesment of a given
  society, but
• Starting with a flexible and context sensitive
  framework. Looking for the differences not the
  regularities.
• Discussing on participative basis the basic
  variables of each national case.
• Selecting an issue that could be integrated with
  other specific and sector oriented diagnosis.

5
Discussing the WB CSA

• Good selection of key entry points inequalities
  (via social diversities) and power (via
  institutions).
• The macro level moves beyond projects or group
  related analysis.
• Include a sound long term assestment history
  matters.
• Objective and timing Knolewdge intensive,
  ideally comming before other instruments like
  CAS, PRSP, IGR, GA, etc.
• The CSA will improve the understanding of a
  countrys social context, and how social,
  political end cultural factors influence the
  opportunities and constraints to more equitable,
  inclusive development and better governance.

6
Challenges for CSA

• Maintaining the macro particularities (value
  added to other group specific or sectorial
  analysis).
• Consolidate multidisciplinary and cualitative
  approaches (non income inequalities and power
  relations are difficult to quantify).
• Intensive use of the local scientific resources
  (breaking the cultural and languages barriers).
• Focus on long term processes rather than current
  events or crisis.
• Building country based knowledge networks beyond
  the traditional consultancy based relations.
• Understand the linkages between national problems
  and transnational dimensions.