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Accepted Paper:
The role of elected politicians in donor-led social protection initiatives: insights from Zambia
Anne Gerstenberg
(University of Hamburg)
Maria Klara Kuss
(UNU-MERITMaastricht University)
Paper short abstract:
This paper explores how elected politicians in Zambia perceive social protection, represent their electorate's interest in the social protection policy process and how donors influence this state - citizen relationship.
Paper long abstract:
Elected politicians sit at the interface between the state and the citizens and play a critical role in shaping the social contract. This article presents rare insights into their participation in donor-led social protection policy processes in Africa. Taking the case of Zambia, it asks how politicians have been involved in policy processes and how donors have influenced their perceptions. The article relies on 45 key informant interviews with Members of Parliament (MPs), donors, NGOs, and consultants, as well as key secondary documentations. Our findings indicate that donors managed to shape the policy narratives of MPs and narrow their participation in formal policy arenas. Yet, they did not influence their involvement in informal policy processes, understanding of social protection and underlying values of social justice. It is argued that for donor-led social protection to change state-society relations, the active participation, support, and deliberation of elected politicians is indispensable.
Click the star to add/remove an item to/from your individual schedule.
You need to be logged in to avail of this functionality, and to see the links to virtual rooms. Log in
Accepted Paper:
Anne Gerstenberg (University of Hamburg) Maria Klara Kuss (UNU-MERITMaastricht University)
Paper short abstract:
Paper long abstract:
Elected politicians sit at the interface between the state and the citizens and play a critical role in shaping the social contract. This article presents rare insights into their participation in donor-led social protection policy processes in Africa. Taking the case of Zambia, it asks how politicians have been involved in policy processes and how donors have influenced their perceptions. The article relies on 45 key informant interviews with Members of Parliament (MPs), donors, NGOs, and consultants, as well as key secondary documentations. Our findings indicate that donors managed to shape the policy narratives of MPs and narrow their participation in formal policy arenas. Yet, they did not influence their involvement in informal policy processes, understanding of social protection and underlying values of social justice. It is argued that for donor-led social protection to change state-society relations, the active participation, support, and deliberation of elected politicians is indispensable.
States, Citizens and Social Protection in Africa
Session 1 Thursday 7 July, 2022, -