PEA at the Project Level

Thomas Carothers recently released an excellent book that engages with PEA in the development industry. The first chapter can be read online for free here: http://carnegieendowment.org/2013/04/16/development-aid-confronts-politics/fzqk

Aside from being extremely well written, Carothers makes the obvious point that there is a difference between trying to use development to effect or engage with domestic politics which is risky and doomed to fail for a host of reasons and ..... thinking politically about how we design projects and programmes. 

Most experienced practitioners will confirm that it is foolish to design a project or programme that does not respond to and take account of political incentives and disncentives. In this context political economy analysis is already extensively used even if it is not systemised and not getting the attention of senior decision makers: the point of a political economy analysis is to identify how a project can affect change within the existing incentive structures. A PEA should never be about finding evidence to suggest government is corrupt or politically hijacked because this only becomes an excuse to perpetuate bad programming.

Thinking politically about how to design projects and programmes is no more unusual than wanting to be contextualy relevant. In this context, political economy analysis for project design, monitoring and evaluation is clearly a cornerstone to effectiveness.