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of labour-related institutions and policies is an important aspect of the assessment process,
wherein UNDP can support ILO and national partners. Political economy analysis is also
important for programming that is effective, conflict-sensitive, and politically feasible.
By exploring power dynamics, the influence and incentives of political participants, and
their interest in reform, political economy analysis enables projects and programmes to
anticipate the resistance that efforts to promote an inclusive, responsive, and legitimate
state may provoke among vested interests in fragile contexts.
While building confidence for more politically or technically difficult programming at a
later stage, governance interventions may be appropriate during early recovery to ensure
the delivery of vital public services to crisis-affected communities or to stabilize critical
public administration functions. The recruitment of international experts or the temporary
funding of civil service salaries are examples of such interventions.
5.2.6 Programming for inclusive and participatory governance processes
Participatory assessment processes. A commitment to inclusive and participatory
processes—on the part of governments and their development partners—is important
from the assessment stage onward. Extensive participation in assessments provides the
government and its partners with information on livelihood needs, opportunities, and
challenges faced on the ground, and it enables communities to convey their perspectives
on the need for policy and institutional reforms. Support for participatory assessments,
including assessments of the quality of governance itself, is an important component of
UNDP’s efforts to help strengthen governance in crisis and post-crisis situations.
Participatory forums. A variety of participatory forums can promote inclusive governance
in the recovery process. Examples include government-civil society forums, public hearings
or audits to assess and provide feedback on service delivery, dialogues between the
public and private sectors and between Members of Parliament and their constituents,
district and village development committees, community radio programmes, and cyber
networks for information sharing and debate. UNDP can support the development of
these forums as vehicles for public input on policy, regulatory, and institutional reform.
Such support can serve a variety of purposes:
• Helping the government to develop and pursue reforms that respond to local priorities,
needs, and opportunities
• Providing mechanisms for citizens to hold the government accountable for delivering
on its policy commitments
• Enabling the development of relevant recovery projects and their adjustment in
response to rapidly changing circumstances
• Creating opportunities for peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and the development
of social capital by bringing together people from various (and possibly conflicting)
groups
• Helping to reconcile the divide between the state and society, which often inhibits
recovery in both crisis and post-crisis situations, by bringing representatives of the
government and civil society together on a regular basis.
Participatory decision-making requires substantial preparatory activities and lead-time.
Initiatives to promote participatory governance processes are likely to require components
to build the skills and confidence of crisis-affected people, especially women, to
express their views in public forums and to demand responsiveness and integrity from
Livelihoods & Economic Recovery in Crisis Situations