Guidance Notes on Context Analysis and on Stakeholder Analysis and Network Mapping

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the Thinking and Working Politically Community of Practice commissioned two guidance documents from The Policy Practice. 

The first practical guidance note by TPP Director Laure-Hélène Piron provides advice on selecting the most appropriate analytical framework for a context analysis, while ensuring that it also generates politically-informed insights. It compares political economy analysis to governance assessments, conflict analysis, gender, inclusion and disability analysis, and institutional reviews. It also provides advice on the different ways in which contextual analysis can be undertaken, and considers options such as in-depth vs light touch, one-off vs repeated, and participatory vs restricted products and processes. 

The second note, co-authored by TPP Director Laure-Hélène Piron and TPP Principal Wilfred Mwamba, sets out the steps to undertake stakeholder analysis and network mapping, which are crucial tools for political economy analysis (and other contextual analysis), and to ensure that influencing and programming are politically savvy. 

Both guidance notes are joint products from the FCDO and the Thinking and Working Politically Community of Practice (of which The Policy Practice is a member). The TWP CoP is a global network of practitioners and researchers in development committed to helping practitioners understand how change happens and why. The TWP CoP Secretariat has been hosted by the University of Birmingham with support from FCDO.