Capacity building for exchange and learning between South-South (Brazil and India) Report: Suchi Pande. February 24 th 2009

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1 Capacity building for exchange and learning between South-South (Brazil and India) Report: Suchi Pande February 24 th 2009 Introduction In October 2008 a proposal was submitted primarily to receive support for a 'South-South exchange' for two 'younger researchers' working on the DRC Programme 2. The purpose of this south-south exchange was to collaborate on analysis of issue networks in Sao Paulo and Delhi, which will contribute to a comparative book chapter for the edited volume of the BIM project. In addition, the exchange sought to build skills of the Indian researcher in network analysis, by working with Brazilian counterpart and attending a number of intensive workshops or seminars in English. The two researchers submitted a joint proposal for the Indian research Suchi Pande, responsible for the network interviews and analysis in Delhi for the BIM project, to spend three weeks in Sao Paulo starting mid January During this period Pande would work on a daily basis with Graziela Castello on learning network analysis while working with the Delhi data. This would be a type of applied learning therefore. This document is a brief report on the work that was undertaken during the 3 weeks of the capacity building in Sao Paulo. A presentation was also made at Cebrap in Sao Paulo on 6 th February A copy of the same is annexed. Comparative analysis: Issue networks Sao Paulo (Health and Social Assistance and New Delhi (Food Security) BIM research: Comparing the Food Security sector in India and the social assistance sector in Brasil. Comparisons from this research are not being attempted between specific programmes within the two sectors such as, The Public Distribution System (PDS) or Renda Minima. The comparisons are of a more general order: underlying processes that in different contexts and sectors produce similar types of reforms- voice or choice. 1

2 The Process: Unlike Brasil the reforms process in the food security sector in India had no engagement/involvement of civil organizations or social actors in the reforms process undertaken in the Food security sector between As a result the policy process was state centered and highly centralized. The policy reforms were driven and led by the Central government, which the state governments were expected to implement. However, in 2001 an external shock of state negligence towards meeting food security objectives of poor people resulted in societal actors seeking out another part of the state (The Judiciary) to discipline the Executive and hold it responsible for negligence. Public interest litigation (PIL) was the process undertaken to hold the state responsible for its failure to secure citizens right to food. The litigation petition also sought to address issues of bad implementation of food security programmes. A subsequent process of suggesting reforms was borne out of this litigation process. As a result of which a national level network has originated. The Court created an institutional fit by ordering the creation of a Commissioner s office to monitor States compliance of court orders to improve the implementation and to meet the various objectives of the programmes. The purpose of this Office is to mediate society-state relationship. Distribution of actors: Sao Paulo and New Delhi networks Graph 1: Distribution of Actors - Health Network 1,9 15,1 Councilers Experts 34,2 11 Popular Mov. Labor Movement Civil Organizations 11 State Others (imprensa, igreja) 14,2 12,6 Graph 2: Distribution of Actors - Social Assistance Network 7,0 6,5 11,7 Councilers Experts 40,2 2,3 7,5 Popular Movement Labor Movement Civil Organizations State Others (imprensa, igreja) 24,8 Graph 3: Distribution of Actors - Food Security 2 30,9 18,0 1,3 13,2 7,1 7,1 22,5 Memb. Of Comm.Off. Imminet Persons RTI RTF Civil Organisations State Media

3 Emergence of the Network: As a result of PIL in 2001 a network emerged at the national level, which is linked to actors at the state and local grassroots level. The Right to Food Campaign was formed to collect evidence on the implementation of various food security schemes. The Office of Commissioners began to function as a transmission belt of collecting, processing and presenting information on a number of issues related to implementation, design of the food security programmes. Another legal mechanism was used to collect evidence of mismanagement and corruption in the implementation of one particular scheme- the Public Distribution system. The Right to Information Act (RTI) was used in Delhi by 2 groups to highlight corruption, mismanagement and poor implementation. As a result the actors occupied a place at the policy level to discuss reforms, which were then introduced. Fig. 1: Food Security Network- New Delhi 3

4 Fig. 2: Institutional Affiliation- Food Security Network- New Delhi The Food Security Network in Delhi is more densely integrated, less centralized and horizontal. This is an elite advocacy network that has access to policy makers. The network consists of middle class professional elites who are tightly linked with grassroots groups and mediates the relationship between society and state. The horizontal structure of the network allows lots of people to have access to state and suggests a broad array of interests is able to shape policy. In the network the two Campaigns (RTI & RTF) appear connected to both the Executive and the Legislative parts of the state. One group seeks out members of parliament, Ministers at the National level and presents the negotiable and non-negotiable on an issue they are advocating. However, the Campaign working through the commissioner s office uses the Judiciary to discipline the state. Given the historical evolution and emergence of social assistance policy in India; the strength of the Executive in monopolizing policy making especially policy for the poor population; and the nature of the political system that allows the legislature to override the executive if it so desires on a policy matter. The food security network appears to be a distinctly south Asian pattern. 4

5 Initial Finding: Food Security New Delhi Health- Sao Paulo Social Ass.- Sao Paulo - Structure: * Social Movement - Structure: * Cross class alliance - Structure: * Polarized **A distinction between state and non-state actors. An elite-network of individual leaders of different campaigns who attempt to influence policy on behalf of the poor. - Network characterized by Individual actors. **A more closely tied network of actors prominent at the policy level who are representative of different classes that constitute the network. - Network characterized by different groups representative of users and experts of service. **Network has 2 components- a. Of service providers who are allies of the executive state and, b. actors who represent the social workers (experts) that are connected with other parts of the state. No presence of users in the network. - Network characterized by service providers (state + civil organizations). - Less centralized, densely integrated and horizontal. * Permeating the State - More centralized, less dense and horizontal. * Permeating the State -Most centralized, least dense and hierarchical. * Permeating the State - Strong advocacy activities centred round Legislative part of the state. - Strong interaction and links with Executive and Legislative part of the state. - Strong links with Executive part of the state. - Judicial Route: Uses the Judiciary to discipline the Executive part of the state. - No role of Judiciary. - No role of Judiciary. - Institutional fit engineered through the Judicial route. - Institutional fit engineered during the reforms process led by societal actors. - Institutional fit engineered during the reforms process led by social workers. - The Office of Commissioners 5 - The Office of Councilors - The Office of Councilors

6 created. created. created. - The purpose: to act as intermediaries between societal actors and state. - The actors appear at the centre of the network. - The purpose: to act as intermediaries between societal actors and state. - The actors are not at the centre of the network. - The purpose: to act as intermediaries between societal actors and state. - The actors that must occupy the space do not appear in the network. -Strong links with Media/Press: Uses the Media as an alternative channel to influence the state - No links with Media/Press. - No links with Media/Press 6