This blog forms part of a series of internal Political Economy Analysis (PEA) updates compiled by Priya Chattier/Tara Davda, with general wisdom by Graham Teskey and Lavinia Tyrrel. Thanks to Leisa Gibson (and Priya) for GESI support. We will aim to publish these every fortnight or so. Watch this space.

Political economy analysis (PEA) is important for ensuring the formulation of robust country or sector plans, and programmes which maximise the quality and impact of aid. They can help to ‘reveal’ the power dynamics, interests and incentives which lie beneath formal structures and can play a key role in mitigating risk. Critically, they can be used to guide donors on where to focus effort. This fortnight includes references for approaching PEA at the country, sector and regional level.

Noteworthy PEA case studies:

• Aiding institutional reform in developing countries: lessons from the Philippines on what works, what doesn’t and why.
• Political economy analysis of four countries (Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone and Senegal. This project examined the application of PEA to humanitarian programming in complex environments.
• Political economy of regional integration. Also recent series of PEA of regional communities in Africa, here.
• Country level political economy analysis: Many of DFID’s original drivers of change study can be found on GSDRC website. Other notable examples, include Ghana; Malawi; Nigeria and Bangladesh.
• Sectoral political economy analysis, such as public sector reform in Uganda; Serbia’s private MSME sector.

• Problem within sector: A Political Economy Analysis of Reform of Tuberculosis Treatment in Eastern Europe – paper examines why Eastern Europe has failed to adopt several reforms to its tuberculosis program despite a series of recommendations from international experts over a period of years.
• Leather sector reform in Bangladesh – see here.
• Why A Feminist Political Economy Analysis Of Women’s Health And Reproductive Freedom? – using the Philippines as a case study,  this research examines how social reproductive labour is harnessed to service various economic activities, including nation-building.
• A WILPF Guide to feminist political economy – an examination of how the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) uses a feminist PEA to understand the broader context of war and post-conflict recovery.