Understanding political context and the influence of political interests is critical in delivering development and diplomatic objectives.
Across much of their development and diplomatic efforts – whether trying to tackle conflict, build stability or enhance security – governments are trying to promote change. For example, changes in attitudes and behaviours; changes in the incentives to which people respond; changes in institutional budgets, strategy or operations.
However, this change cannot be imposed. It rests on decisions by other (national and/or international) actors with agency, and on changes in their attitudes, motivation and behaviour. It also requires deep insights into how change happens; and an understanding of which individuals and groups have the power to support or frustrate change, what their motivations and interests are, and how to engage with them to influence decisions.
Over the last seven years, Itad has been supporting a number of governments to build the evidence base on what works, where and why in trying to enhance and measure the effectiveness of whole-of-government approaches to influencing change in partner countries.
Itad is currently working with the United States Institute of Peace and the US Dept of State’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations to provide evidence and expertise on how to measure diplomatic engagement in support of the Global Fragility Act and the US Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability. Join us at PeaceCon 2024.
We are supporting USAID to enhance its effectiveness in preventing and countering violent extremism, peacebuilding and strengthening democracy, human rights and good governance in West Africa.
Since 2015, we have been supporting the UK Government’s International Security Fund (ISF) fund across Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Indo-Pacific and UK Overseas Territories to develop approaches and tools for measuring political access and influence
We have been commissioned by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to conduct a preliminary mapping of key influencing approaches utilised by UK government across the MENA region, as the first phase of a two-phase exercise to strengthen the evidence base on influencing across the region.
We are supporting the Home Office Global Serious and Organised Crime Portfolio with evaluating political access and influence across the portfolio and developing approaches and tools for improving how this measured and reported.
Building on our ISF experience, we are developing a flexible political access and influencing (PAI) measurement framework and toolkit for the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, which aims to advance PAI in development projects in over 150 countries.
If you would like to learn more about our work in this area, please contact David Fleming.
