Policy Network Analysis to support national implementation of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and AgricultureGea Galluzzi, Aseffa Seyoum, Richard Ogwal

Context

Objectives

Theories, tools and methods

Results from East Africa

Outline

The context

The International Treaty on PGRFA

• Common framework for conservation and sustainable use • Multilateral system of access and benefit-sharing (MLS)

Status: into force in 2004; 130 ratifications

Implementation

Few countries have developed the mechanisms to participate proactively in the MLS. Why???

• Little knowledge or engagement • Isolation, lack of coordination among relevant agencies• …..

Genetic Resources Policy Initiative (phase 2) – GRPI2

Building capacities for implementing the International Treaty and its Multilateral System

8 countries (Asia, Africa, Latin America)

Objectives, theories and methods

• Gather empirical evidence on who are relevant actors, (existing or missing) connections, directions of information, influences

• Identify interventions to create or strengthen connections and stakeholder engagement

Research component on policy networks

Inform national policy-making processes for IT and MLS implementation

Collaboration between Bioversity International, the Science, Technology and Environment Policy (STE) Lab at the University of Illinois at Chicago and teams of national research partners from each country

Network: a set of dyadic ties all of the same type, among a set of actors.

Networks are everywhere!

Theories and frameworks - Social Network Analyses (SNA)

Special kind of data = relationships!

Assumptions• People influence each other

• Energy, resources and information flow through relationships

• Individual characteristics are only part of the story

• ….

• Survey (3 languages) • Snowball sampling approach • Face to face interviews recorded in SSI Web CAPi tool

Methods - Data collection

• Statistical analyses of traditional survey data (perceptions, knowledge)

• Analysis of network data (relations, connections)

• Results and network map interpretation with national project partners

Methods - Data analyses

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Results in Uganda and Rwanda

… Preliminary findings…

Number of respondents: Uganda - 26; Rwanda - 37

Variety of different actors (organizations) involved

In Uganda, out of actors currently involved in the ITPRGFA policy network, International (32%), National governmental (15%), Private sectors and farmers organizations, about 11% …

There are actors not involved but should be involved In Uganda, about 66% of the organization recommended to be

involved in the IT are either national or regional Inconsistency in identifying actors who are [not] involved

The survey asked actors perspectives about the ITPGRFA and the MLS Most respondents about 68% for Uganda and about 73% believe that

the IT is very beneficial for their country

In both countries the main constraints on implementation Financial and capital resources constraint Lack of sufficient information, and Lack of legal and policy expertise, particularly in Rwanda

… Preliminary findings…

IT/MLS actors involved in many other national policy networks Biosafety, Phytosanitary, Plant Variety Protection (PVP) CBD, seed policy, etc.

IT policy network in Uganda is centralized while that of Rwanda in more decentralized

Resource exchange networks- vary substantially across networks and countries

Science networks are more connected Policy advice, legal, financial resource networks are more

limited with only a few key actors

… Preliminary findings…

… Preliminary findings…

Table 3. Network Metrics (Rwanda)

Table 1. Network Metrics (Uganda)

Number of ties

Number of nodes

Centralization (outdegree,%)

DensityAverage degree

centrality

All relationships 196 95 60.1 0.022 2.1

Legal expertise 79 50 22.8 0.009 0.8

Policy and administrative direction

135 65 26.4 0.015 1.4

Scientific expertise 218 81 55.6 0.024 2.3

Financial resources 64 45 14.3 0.007 0.7

Number of ties

Number of connected

nodes

Centralization (outdegree,%)

DensityAverage degree

centrality

All relationships 539 94 34.45 0.059 5.62

Legal expertise 175 61 19.34 0.019 1.82

Policy and administrative direction 130 63 14.52 0.014 1.35

Scientific expertise 293 73 31.86 0.032 3.05

Financial resources 79 47 8.70 0.009 0.82

… Preliminary findings

Communication network: Frequency of communication and structural hole

FAO and MAARI; MAAR and MINAGRI NARO and BI; FAO and MAAIF

Uganda Rwanda

ITPGRFA Implementation Priority Network

… Preliminary findings

MAAR

Uganda Rwanda

NAAR KakinduFC

Further research

Better understand how key actors characteristic affect IT policy implementation

Further assess the effect of policy actors network dynamism (inclusion and exclusion of actors) on the policy process

Towards implementation Capacity building and communication with and within network (workshops,

publications, briefs) Inclusion of actors not currently involved but should be involved (form or

strengthen national commission on PGRFA) Dissemination of results of on-going research on incentives, disincentives,

opportunities and needs of country participation in the IT/MLS

Ways forward

www.bioversityinternational.org

Thank you

Additional information

… Preliminary findings…

Table 1. Selected national polices in which ITPGRFA actors are involved

Polices Uganda- N. ITPGRFA

policy actors involved

Rwanda- N. ITPGRFA

policy actors involved

Access and Benefit Sharing Policy 6 9Biosafety Policy 15 17Convention on Biological Diversity   2Environment Policy 2 6Farmers' Rights 4 10Phytosanitary Policy 11 10Plant Breeders' Rights 9 12Seed Policy 5 1Trade and Investment Policy 4 8Plant Variety Protection (PVP) 4 2

Uganda Rwanda

• NARO, MAAIF, Makerere Uni., BI • CRS, RAB, INGABO, BI

All relationships

Type of organizationStatus of involvement

TotalInvolved Not Involved

n Percent n Percent n PercentInternational 32 33.7 2 11.1 34 30.1Regional 7 7.4 6 33.3 13 11.5National government 14 14.7 6 33.3 20 17.7National NGOs 5 5.3 1 5.6 6 5.3Provincial/county govt. 5 5.3 0 0.0 5 4.4Farmers organizations 10 10.5 0 0.0 10 8.8Private sector 10 10.5 1 5.6 11 9.7Others (university, media) 12 12.6 2 11.1 14 12.4Total 95 100.0 18 100.0 113 100.0

Table 4. Actor Type and Involvement in ITPGRFA Policy Implementation (Uganda)

Type of organization

Status of involvementTotal

Involved Not Involvedn Percent n Percent n Percent

International 29 30.85 1 9.09 30 28.57Regional 11 11.70 0 0 11 10.48National government 15 15.96 3 27.27 18 17.14National NGOs 7 7.45 1 9.09 8 7.62Provincial/county govt. 2 2.13 0 0 2 1.90Farmers organizations 9 9.57 1 9.09 10 9.52Private sector 11 11.70 1 9.09 12 11.43Others (university, media) 10 10.64 4 36.36 14 13.33Total 94 100 11 100 105 100

Table 5. Actor Type and Involvement in ITPGRFA Policy Implementation (Rwanda)

… Preliminary findings

• PNA is a well established techniques that has been used to analyze policy-making and implementation

• Some of the challenge - related to data collection it is data intensive technique arranging interview with policy actor is not easy some of the policy related questions in the survey might be

sensitive for respondents

Methodological challenges