Development practitioners and EU representatives

Many of the development practitioners and EU officials that will come across this guide will already be familiar with the notion of policy dialogue and, if they have ever been directly involved in efforts to improve policy at the country level, they will surely have realised how political this kind of work can get. Actually, most of our friends and colleagues with whom we have talked about the subject are perfectly aware of the ambiguity of their situation. On the one hand, they are expected to be cautious enough not to get into trouble with the partner government, while, on the other hand, they are supposed to behave in a politically savvy way and push for reforms that put into question the status quo and thus raise all sorts of resistance from power holders and interest groups.

Therefore, this guide can provide these colleagues with useful tips and practical examples on how to navigate the troubled waters of policy dialogue and make the most of their daily efforts to bring about positive change.