Latest Political Economy Analysis in Action online training course launched
We are pleased to announce the launch of our next Political Economy Analysis in Action online training course, starting 3 February and running until 5 June 2025.
The course is designed to equip participants to identify the challenges arising from political economy features of the contexts in which they work, and to draw well-grounded conclusions for policy, strategy, or programme design and implementation.
If you or your colleagues are interested in participating in this course or a tailored one in the future, please see our course flyer or email training@thepolicypractice.com for further details.
New Sudan political economy case study out now
This paper examines the impact of Political Economy Analysis (PEA) training in Sudan, focusing on the Kullana Liltanmia Contextual Analysis course. It underscores three key lessons: the importance of deepening understanding of complex, unstable environments like Sudan for informed decision-making; the underutilised potential of PEA in supporting individuals and key political actors; and the need for adaptive, participant-driven PEA training, especially in fragile, conflict-affected settings, requiring creativity and courage from all involved.
TPP welcomes two new Associates
TPP are pleased to welcome Steve Fraser and Theodore Trefon as our two new Associates.
Steve Fraser has over 30 years of experience living, studying and working in Nigeria as a development practitioner, including as Technical Director for the Engaged Citizens pillar of the UK's flagship governance programme in Nigeria.
Theodore Trefon is a senior researcher at the Belgian Royal Museum for Central Africa. He has devoted his career to studying environmental governance in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and elsewhere in Central Africa.
Artificial intelligence will turbocharge the spread of disinformation – and development organisations need to respond
The development sector has been too slow to invest in the healthy news media and “information ecosystems” on which healthy societies depend. Nick Benequista (Center for International Media Assistance), Laure-Hélène Piron (The Policy Practice), and Cristina Ordóñez (Trust, Accountability and Inclusion Collaborative) say new OECD principles on supporting media integrity should be a prompt to act in the face of growing manipulation and suppression.
An event was held to discuss the report on 11th June - the full recording can be seen here.
Webinar 11 June 2024: Funding for Information and Media: Government, Private Philanthropy, and Beyond
This event aims to explore the crucial role of information ecosystems in development and governance, discuss key findings on the flow of official development assistance and philanthropic funds from three recent funding mappings, and foster a dialogue on addressing funding gaps.
Laure-Hélène Piron, TPP Director, will share findings of the study she has completed for the OECD Governance Network analysing official development assistance to media and the information environment since 2002.
The full recording of the 11 June 2024 event can be seen here.
Outlawing metal mining in El Salvador - Policy Brief 18
This Policy Brief from TTP Associate Clare Cummings describes how a community-led campaign for ‘water over gold’ succeeded in banning metal mining in El Salvador. The case study sets out the political economy factors which explain why environmental mining did not follow business interests.
The political economy of energy transitions in Ghana, Zambia and Vietnam - Policy Brief 17
Written by Sam Bickersteth with Neil McCulloch and Meron Tesfamichael, this policy brief draws out some of the common constraints hindering the energy transition in Ghana, Zambia, and Vietnam and many other countries in the Global South. It also shows how political economy analysis can help to identify politically feasible pathways of change in each country demonstrating the importance of such analysis as an essential tool to understand energy transition.
Media support: aid funding does not match donor rhetoric
Laure-Hélène Piron (TPP Director) presented her analysis of official development assistance to media and the information environment to the Governance Network of the OECD Development Assistance Committee on 6 March 2024.
The draft report shows that the rhetoric of governments which support freedom of expression and condemn disinformation is not matched by sufficient funding. And too little directly goes to local media organisations.