Donors, Development Agencies and the Use of Political Economic Analysis: Getting to Grips with the Politics of Development?

ESID Working Paper No 19

26 Pages Posted: 29 Jan 2014 Last revised: 11 Feb 2015

See all articles by Laura Routley

Laura Routley

The University of Manchester - Global Development Institute

David Hulme

The University of Manchester - Institute for Development Policy and Management (IDPM)

Date Written: February 1, 2013

Abstract

This paper examines the take up of Political Economic Analysis (PEA) tools and approaches by development agencies. It charts the emergence of PEA, reviews the embryonic literature on this phenomenon and asks whether this approach assists donors and development agencies to comprehend politics and the impact of politics on the effectiveness of their programmes. There are distinct limits to what PEA can achieve in terms of development agencies fully engaging with politics due to their own political economy and institutional constraints. The real impact of close to a decade of increasing numbers of PEAs remains unknown. In conclusion we propose further research which will examine the effects of PEA approaches on development agencies and on the governments and societies which have been subject to PEAs and the resultant changes in development agencies policies and practices.

Keywords: Political Economic Analysis, Donors, Development Agencies, Development Partners, Politics, Aid Effectiveness; Literature Review

Suggested Citation

Routley, Laura and Hulme, David, Donors, Development Agencies and the Use of Political Economic Analysis: Getting to Grips with the Politics of Development? (February 1, 2013). ESID Working Paper No 19, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2386656 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2386656

Laura Routley

The University of Manchester - Global Development Institute ( email )

Humanities Bridgeford Street Building
Manchester, M13 9PL
United Kingdom

David Hulme (Contact Author)

The University of Manchester - Institute for Development Policy and Management (IDPM) ( email )

Manchester M13 9GH
United Kingdom

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