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This recent publication by IDB,
analyzes the process employed for adopting and implementing public policies in Latin America. Why do some policies succeed while others do not? Why do some reforms persist while others fall apart? What enables a country to adjust its policies to cope with change, or to deal with previous failures? What determines the capacity of countries to design, approve, and implement effective policies, and sustain them over time? |
The 2006 Report on Economic and Social Progress in Latin America (IPES), 2006: The Politics of Policies, addresses these questions. This volume appears after more than a decade of political and economic reform in Latin America and the Caribbean. The success of these reforms -and the quality of public policies- has varied widely. As a result, recognition has spread that good policy "recipes" are not enough. Specific policy recipes, no matter how well conceived, are necessary but not sufficient for success. The outcomes of particular policies depend critically on the quality of the policymaking process through which they are applied. Only by improving the policymaking process, and taking better account of this process when designing and implementing policies, can we expect sustainable improvements in public policies and in their impact. This study analyzes how the workings of the policymaking process affect the quality of policy outcomes. It looks beyond a purely technocratic approach to policymaking, delving into the world of politics. It argues that the political process and the policymaking process are inseparable, and that failing to understand one risks failure with the other. It offers a wide variety of examples and case studies, using an analytical framework that can help explain why policies that work in certain institutional environments may not work in others. The study also yields useful insights for the design of effective policy reform. |
Mapping Dialogue |
This publication is the Pioneers of Change. |
This report, or toolkit, is divided into three parts. The first one corresponds to the “Foundations”, and it offers a brief “Dialogue Dictionary” to help us distinguish the term dialogue from other concepts such as discussion, debate, and negotiation. It then goes deeper into what some of the generic foundations are for a good dialogue process. These are aspects that are more overarching and fundamental than the choice of method, and which can help guide that choice. Finally, Part I includes a brief introduction to the African tradition of conversation, honoring the deep roots of these processes on this continent. |
shorter descriptions of an additional 14. Each of the 10 methods contains an overview, a review of applications, a case example, and a subjective commentary from the authors. Part III offers initial guidelines on how to assess which method to use in a given situation. There is an outline of a series of different purposes a dialogue may have as well as a series of contextual factors. Some pointers as to which tools are most suited to different aims and situations, are given. This part also deals with different types of facilitation, offering points to consider in choosing a facilitator for a dialogue. |