Conceptualizing Drivers of Policy Change in Agriculture, Nutrition, and Food Security: The Kaleidoscope Model

56 Pages Posted: 10 Mar 2015

See all articles by Danielle Resnick

Danielle Resnick

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Suresh Chandra Babu

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Steven Haggblade

International Food Policy Research Institute

Sheryl Hendriks

University of Pretoria - Institute for Food, Nutrition and Well-being (IFNuW)

David Mather

Michigan State University - Department of Agricultural Economics

Date Written: January 30, 2015

Abstract

The current emphasis in the development community on demonstrating policy impact requires a better understanding of national policy-making processes to recognize opportunities for, and limits to, generating policy change. Consequently, this paper introduces an applied framework, named the kaleidoscope model, to analyze drivers of change in the food security arena, with a specific emphasis on agriculture and nutrition policies. Focusing on five key elements of the policy cycle — agenda setting, design, adoption, implementation, and evaluation and reform — the model identifies key variables that define the necessary and sufficient conditions for policy change to occur. These variables were inductively derived through an extensive review of the secondary literature on episodes of policy change in developing countries across a broad range of policy domains related to food security, including agriculture, education, healthcare, nutrition, and social protection.

The advantages of the framework are at least fourfold. First, it incorporates issues of power and conflict much more than existing operational hypotheses in the donor community. Second, compared with many traditional public policy theories, it recognizes the importance of external actors, including donors, and the simultaneous influence of interests, ideas, and institutions. Third, it helps trace why a policy fails to be implemented by taking into account where gaps may have existed during other stages of the policy cycle. Finally, it is readily amenable to operationalization and application to a broader set of country case studies. Collectively, the model aspires to improve the relevance of public policy theories to the developing-country context; offer practical recommendations to key partners; and inform ongoing policy change processes, such as the Feed the Future initiative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Keywords: political economy, policy process, food security, agricultural policy, nutrition policy

Suggested Citation

Resnick, Danielle and Babu, Suresh Chandra and Haggblade, Steven and Hendriks, Sheryl and Mather, David, Conceptualizing Drivers of Policy Change in Agriculture, Nutrition, and Food Security: The Kaleidoscope Model (January 30, 2015). IFPRI Discussion Paper 01414, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2564542

Danielle Resnick (Contact Author)

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) ( email )

Washington, DC
United States

Suresh Chandra Babu

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) ( email )

1201 Eye St., NW
Communications Division
Washington, DC 20006
United States

Steven Haggblade

International Food Policy Research Institute ( email )

1201 Eye St, NW,
Lusaka, 20005
Zambia

Sheryl Hendriks

University of Pretoria - Institute for Food, Nutrition and Well-being (IFNuW) ( email )

Agricultural Sciences Building, 8th floor
Hatfield Campus
Pretoria
South Africa

David Mather

Michigan State University - Department of Agricultural Economics ( email )

East Lansing, MI 48824
United States

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