Phase 2: How can ICA and similar tools be used in political transitions in the Arab States and elsewhere?

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to the second phase of the e­Discussion on Institutional and Context Analysis (ICA). Thank you for your contributions so far. We have seen that the ICA can indeed be useful when informing development planning, either as an internal UN exercise or when it seems appropriate to also share openly with Government and other national stakeholders. In phase I, reflections have focused on how the ICA or similar tools can be used to generate better results, the support needed for such interventions and the role of Headquarters and Regional Service Centres and Offices in supporting country level ICAs.

During this phase we will focus on political transitions in the Arab region and seeing how the ICA can be of use in contexts of transition. The global development context – driven by the rise of the South, advances in technology, demographic changes, climate change, political uncertainties, and related processes – has transformed dramatically in the past five years. Nowhere has the development framework changed more than in the Arab region. The events that resulted in a change of leadership were indisputably prodigious, both in relation to the tremendous courage illustrated by those that demanded dignity but also for the rapidity of change. This poses ample challenges for UNDP’s country offices and UN Country Teams, coupled with opportunity. New skill sets such as engaging with an independent civil society, supporting parliamentarian reform, facilitating constitutional dialogue, preparing for new electoral cycles, etc., are required for effective programme delivery.