1. Scoping the policy landscape

Type of tool: Capacity development and Cooperation & networking.

Purpose

To provide the dialogue stakeholders with a vision of all the different policies that affect the topic at stake and explore their interactions in search of synergies and entry points.

Rationale

Policies are far from being monolithic blocks that stand by themselves and can be neatly separated, replaced or reformed. Rather, they are interlinked and often the success or failure of one policy depends on other, related policies. At the same time, as a result of the multilevel, complex and interdependent nature of policy issues, as well as the spread of new forms of governance that emphasize collaboration – networks, partnerships and alliances– a comprehensive understanding of the policy landscape has become paramount.

Such an exercise enables stakeholders to better understand these interdependencies, as well as the political implications of trying to reform or adjust those other policies and/or institutions which have an influence on the problems to be tackled by the dialogue process. In INSPIRED dialogue processes, the analysis of the policy landscape is to be conducted in a participatory manner, mostly throughout the Collective Assessment Phase, with the aim of assessing the feasibility of the policy reform at stake and identifying potential synergies and entry points. It will usually take the form of a workgroup session facilitated by a policy expert and could be embedded into other training activities.

Outcomes

• Shared understanding of the different policies that influence the problem at stake and of their interrelations.

• Strengthened analytical skills through the promotion of a whole-of-government vision of public policies.

• Potential synergies among policies (and institutions) identified.