Joint Staff Training Poverty Reduction Strategies

1
Joint Staff TrainingPoverty Reduction Strategies

• Module 3
• The Political Economy of the PRS Process

2
Module objectives

• By the end of the session, participants will
• Be equipped with a framework for analysing the
  political economy of the PRS process
• Have deepened their understanding of their roles
  as political actors
• Have begun to analyse the political economy of
  the PRS process in Bangladesh

3
Why politics matters . . .

• Poverty reduction is a political objective
• PRS approach often interpreted technocratically,
  but also has political agenda
• State effectiveness and political systems are key
  factors in success or failure
• The PRS seeks to influence domestic political
  processes, and is itself shaped by them

4
Accountability as an entry point

• Relationship between the bearer(s) of a right and
  the agent(s) responsible for respecting that
  right
• Two-way power relationship
• Represents a duty to deliver in exchange for
  delegation of a task, power or resource

5
How accountability works...

• Transparency Decisions taken openly and
  information available to others
• Answerability Decision-makers have to answer
  for their actions publicly justify their
  decisions
• Controllability Sanctions exist to control the
  actions of those held accountable
• Formal controls (Audit offices, Justice system)
• and informal .such as public shaming

6
4 dimensions of accountability
Elites social groupings
Electorate/ Society
Government State Political/Administrative
System
UN, ASEAN, Regional Bodies Bretton Woods
Institutions Donor Agencies
7
Vertical State held to account by Non-State
agents

• Electoral accountability citizens elect
  representatives and hold them to account through
  elections
• National or local elections
• Elections within political parties
• Societal accountability leaders held to account
  by the groups of society they represent
• Religious, ethnic or language groupings
• Trade unions and Business associations
• Wider society acting through the media, civil
  society organisations, and through popular
  protest.

8
Horizontal State agents held to account by
other State agents

• Legislature holds Executive to account
• Through control of Law-making process
• Through Parliamentary oversight
• Judiciary holds Executive and Legislature to
  account through Legal Courts and watchdogs -
  Auditors, Anti-corruption commissions, etc.
• Executive maintains internal accountability
  between sub-entities President, Cabinet, Central
  Ministries, Sector Ministries and agencies

9
External National State accountable to
International Bodies

• National State held to account according to
  international or regional treaties and
  obligations
• United Nations, International Court of Justice,
  WTO
• European Union
• ASEAN
• National State accountable to Bretton Woods
  Institutions for economic management
• National State accountable to Donor Agencies for
  specific bi-lateral agreements, project accords
  and loan conditions.
• Donors thus become a political actor in the
  domestic process.

10
Key questions for 4 Dimensions . . .

• Who is seeking accountability?
• From whom?
• Where? (Through which mechanism)
• For what?
• How effectively do these accountability
  structures work, in terms of
• Transparency?
• Answerability?
• Controllability?

11
Exercise instructions

• Refer to handout instructions

12
ExerciseAnalysing accountability
13
What does this imply for donors and the PRS

• Tread cautiously and use analysis to improve
  understanding
• History matters and will influence the direction
  of change
• but so does the political moment political
  cycles can suddenly throw up opportunities for
  change.
• Dont get carried away with the politics its
  not the only constraint !
• Put your own house in order! Donors have their
  own roles in disseminating information and
  promoting domestic accountability.