Improving non-project assistance through better social and institutional analysis : suggestions from Africa Bureau experience

The assessment is based on a review of documents for African Economic Policy Reform Programs in 14 Sub-Saharan African countries. The report also discusses how this type of analysis can enhance program success and prevent negative impacts from occurring. A major finding of this review is that the existing guidance for social and institutional analysis for nonproject assistance lacks the level of specificity needed for good program design, and does not cover important features that characterize this type of aid, and in particular, economic policy reform programs. It specifically does not provide guidance for institutional analysis of entities that are most frequently tasked with policy reform implementation (i.e., ministries). Accordingly, measures for social and institutional analysis were created for this review to assess nonproject assistance programs. These measures are based on a review of existing guidance found in Handbooks 1, 3, and 4; from social and institutional impacts reported in assessment studies undertaken in five African countries currently undergoing policy reform programs; and other related documents. A rating system was designed to accompany these measures which judges the level and quality of analysis in the programs that were reviewed. These measures and the scores that programs received are found in Annex 2. Annex 1 provides a list of the program designs reviewed. (Author abstract)